Being A Jets Fan Is Insidious?

  While sitting beside my wife at Met Life Stadium on Sunday surrounded by mostly empty seats and watching the Washington Commanders and New York Jets play a meaningless game, I thought to myself why am I here? What would possess me to watch two mediocre teams battle for almost 3 1/2 hours before the Jets finally won with 0:05 left on a 54 yard field goal?

What triggered this soul-searching was a pr-game ceremony inducting a group of season ticket holders into the so-called Jets Fan Hall of Fame. There were women and men in this collective, welcomed by such luminaries as Fireman Ed, the leader of the J-E-T-S cheer which echoes throughout the stadium when the fans respond in full-throated ecstasy. 

It was one man in particular who made me think about who I am and why I was there. The man had white beard and it was announced that he had been following the Jets since the inaugural season in 1960, when the team was nicknamed the Titans and the home games of this American Football League franchise were played in the Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan. This man had missed only five contests in his tenure as a loyal Titans/Jets fan. He had a shrine his house devoted to the team. 

Wow, I thought. I have been a season ticket holder since 1977. I don’t go to every home game and I have never seen the team play on the road. A quick calculation led me to think that I have been to between 225 to 250 Jets games at its homes at Shea Stadium, Giants Stadium and in Met Life Stadium. 

And I don’t have a shrine. I do not collect much memorabilia. What I have is an old team jersey which I won in a lottery. A pennant signed by Freeman Mc Neill, a star running back of yesteryear. And a ball autographed by then-Head Coach Todd Bowles to commemorate my 40th season as a season ticket holder. The team has given me three baseball caps, one of which I lost on a NJ Transit train; a clear plastic bag to carry items into the ballpark, which is very useful; a black t-shirt which I caught in a t-shirt toss in the stands a couple of years ago; plus t-shirts, a sweatshirt and a jersey gifted to me. 

Look, I played freshman football in high school. Period. Which wasn’t much, probably for good reason, since I hadn’t reached my full height of 5’5”, and the coaches sought to protect me from getting clobbered too much—though I still did get hit by a sophomore and banged my head hard onto the rock-solid dirt of the practice field. Concussion protocol? 

Yet there I was, sitting in the stands, rooting for my adopted team to win this game. Which they almost didn’t. I felt euphoric when the Jets jumped to a 27-7 lead. In fact, if the team had scored another touchdown, my wife and I were ready to take our warm, layered selves back home, satisfied with the victory. 

Instead, I felt the same angst in the pit of my stomach. I watched the Jets blow the entire lead, and trail with little time left. I did the calculations for a field goal after watching the kicker practice before the start of the second half and knowing he could easily make a kick from 57 years. 

It wan’t easy, but somehow Trevor Siemian, the fourth quarterback to play this season for the Jets, maneuvered the team into position for the winning kick. And with that, the fans who remained poured out into the impending darkness to drive home or wherever they were heading, felt a momentary bit of happiness. I shared in that glee, like I did when the team improbably defeated the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this season. 

I don’t live and die for the New York Jets. But I do get cranky over the lack of winning seasons and no trips to the Super Bowl during my tenure as a paying customer (I was a fan rooting for the Jets when Joe Namath led the team to its win over Baltimore in Super Bowl III). 

The hope with future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers to lead the team to a playoff spot fell apart early in the opening game a home versus Buffalo when Rodgers went down with a season-ending Achilles tendon injury. Jets fans held their breath, hoping that Zach Wilson, the prior incumbent at quarterback, had learned how to play better while briefly mentored by Rodgers. 

However, that was not the case. Injuries and bad play took any chance of a winning season away. The defense was far better than the offense. But scoring points wins games and the offense was never consistent enough to do that. 

Because I had struggled throughout the years with this team, I still watched with false anticipation that this would be the day the team righted itself. While realizing that this was a doomed season the moment Rodgers went down on the unforgiving Met Life Stadium turf. 

Which is why I left Met Life on Sunday with mixed emotions. I was happy for the players who had played so hard. Yet I was angry how the lead was blown and wondering how this could have happened? Having gone from what seemed to be a sure victory to almost an unforgivable loss greatly challenged my feelings. 

There are two more games left on the schedule. Thursday night the Jets visit Cleveland, where former Jets QB Joe Flacco has had a renaissance at age 38, coming from home to rescue its season and where the Browns sit at 10-5, on the precipice of a Wild Card spot. 

Then there is the season finale in Foxborough, Massachusetts, when the Jets take on the New England Patriots. The once-proud franchise has seen hard times since G.O.A.T. Tom Brady left, leaving Head Coach Bill Belichick with little and nose-diving into last place in the AFC East. This could be Belichick’s last game as New England’s coach, and the team, which showed it can still play with a road victory in Denver all but eliminating the Broncos from the playoff picture, will be sky-high. Add into the equation that the Jets haven’t defeated the Patriots in eons—that will test my patience once more. 

I guess I watch football because it is exciting when a great play occurs. Week 16 began with the resurgent Los Angeles Rams winning on Thursday night, keeping the team in the thick of the playoff hunt when the Rams play the Giants next week before hosting the 49’ers in the season finale. 

Saturday had two games on NBC and Peacock, the latter designed to the whet fans appetite to purchase a subscription. Buffalo raised it record to 9-6, keeping alive its hopes for a playoff berth, while Pittsburgh pounded Cincinnati, another game important in the post-season picture. I watched a good chunk of those games.

When I returned home on Sunday, I caught much of the Dallas-Miami game, crucial to both teams as Dallas was pursuing Philadelphia for first place in the NFC East and Miami 

needed to win to stave off Buffalo’s pursuit of the AFC East title.

Then there was the Christmas triple header. Kansas City inexplicably has lost its mojo and was soundly beaten by a hard-playing Las Vegas Raiders team which was much quicker and hungrier. Patrick Mahomes struggled mightily against a vastly improved Vegas defense. 

Next up were the Giants and Eagles. New York Head Coach Brian Daboll benched the ineffective Tommy De Vito, and the G-men almost pulled off a miracle on the last play of the game. Philadelphia is not a bad squad. It is a question of how good are they? 

Finally, in the big matchup, 11-3 Baltimore traveled to 11-3 San Francisco. When the carnage was over, the Ravens thoroughly outplayed the Niners, trouncing the home team by a final score of 33-19, which was not really indicative of how much the Ravens were dominant. 

So, I was oversaturated with NFL games. I pledge allegiance and pay significant money to a moribund franchise which repeatedly lets me down. Yet I watch or I go sit in the stands. No other sport can cause me to do this—not basketball, as much as I loved to play to when younger, because of that height thing; not hockey, as I cannot skate and stop; nor baseball, which I was most proficient in.

Which still leaves my initial queries unanswered. What kind of fan am I and why do I watch so much football?  

If you have answers, I am all ears. Until then, I am stuck being a pro football follower and a Jets loyalist. Being a Jets fan could still be better than a Detroit Pistons fan; Detroit is on the verge of setting the all-time NBA record for consecutive losses. 

Final score—New York 30, Washington 28. I will be watching on Thursday. Ever faithful. Being a Jets fan is insidious?

Don't Eat Too Much

  When you are house-bound, you watch lots of television. When you are not sleeping due to the insidiousness of COVID. Or when the games themselves present ample opportunity to doze off. 

Believe me, I have watched more NHL hockey than I have since last season’s playoffs. In the New York metro area, we have three teams to choose from. All three are situated on the MSG Network channels, all in close proximity when one plays with the remote buttons. 

I root for the New Jersey Devils. They have been my team since the Colorado franchise relocated to the Meadowlands in the 1980’s. Until that time, I was a diehard New York Rangers fan, having had season tickets from 1977-86. Except for when they play the Devils or the two teams are competing for one playoff spot, I don’t root against the Original Six team. 

The Islanders are the outliers. When the franchise came into being in 1971-72, they were a novelty. I had ample opportunity to see the team play at the Nassau Coliseum because I was engaged to a woman who lived on Long Island at that time.

While the engagement broke, I never stopped liking or watching the Isles. I was pulling for them in their glory years—except when they went head-to-head with the Rangers. Those championship teams were amongst the greatest the NHL has seen. 

I am always hoping that the three franchises make the playoffs in the same season. Last season was the first time that had occurred since 2007. And so far this season, the Rangers have excelled, as they are among the top teams in points. The Islanders are in third place in the Metropolitan Division, tied with a resurgent Philadelphia. The Devils record is above .500, but they trail the Islanders by 5 points. 

I was able to see the big bad Boston Bruins, last season’s powerhouse which flamed out in the first round of the playoffs against a Florida team which reached the Stanley Cup Finals, play all three NY area teams in a scheduling quirk. Boston went 1-2, with all three games having gone into overtime. The lone team to lose was the Islanders, at home. 

New Jersey had a rough go—they came back to beat Boston, humbled Columbus on the road, then Lost to Anaheim on Sunday and in overtime to Philadelphia. The talent is there. The inconsistency is maddening. I saw it in Calgary when the team looked lethargic in the first period then completely outplayed the Flames for the remainder of the game. The Devils have to figure out who they are and play better hockey for 60 minutes if they are going to make the playoffs.

The Rangers are a solid hockey club. While they were decimated at home by Toronto, the Rangers got it together, stringing wins over Anaheim, plus Boston and Toronto on the road—each victory better than the previous one. Are the Rangers a Cup contender? If they avoid serious injuries, they have the makings of a team which could go deep into the playoffs.

As for the Isles, they continue to surprise me. They would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. Although they lost on the road to Washington, NYI managed to beat Toronto in OT, Anaheim and fast-rising Edmonton at home. The loss to Boston and a road loss to Montreal showed me that the team has a way to go to convince me they are legit. I do like players Anders Lee and Mathew Barzal.

One more comment on hockey. I was able to see Auston Matthews, the Toronto center. Hard to believe, the former phenom is in his eighth season and he is putting up big numbers again. In 28 games, Matthews has scored 25 goals and added 12 assists. He can make plays look effortless. This American is truly a star in one of the biggest hockey cities in the league.

Football has been everywhere. A game here. A game there. Thursday nights. Saturday tripleheaders. A full Sunday slate, with a Sunday night game on NBC. Plus Monday Night Football on ABC/ESPN. 

Christmas and New Year’s are no exception. The airwaves will be saturated with the product. There will even be a game broadcast over Nickelodeon. Get ready to be slimed. 

One person who will not be playing—although it is unclear if he will be suited up for an emergency is Aaron Rodgers. Activated from IR to the 53 man roster, his rehab has been incredible. It makes no sense to push him when the Jets’ season has been lost. 

Tommy De Vito, humbled by the Saints and involved in an agent-created money flap with a Morristown pizzeria, takes his Giants team to Philadelphia, where the Eagles are now in a three game slide when they faced three quality opponents. I don’t think much of the NFC East—notwithstanding Dallas and Philly have good records. Look how Buffalo framed the Cowboys on Sunday. 

Baltimore looked good against Jacksonville. Only the 49’ers seem to be above the fray, and I don’t really know how good they are—look at the three game slide they put up in mid-season. Christmas night’s marquee matchup between the two teams should be highly competitive. Could it be a preview of the Super Bowl?

I have not watched too many bowl games thus far. I was more enthralled with the Division III Championship in Salem, Virginia, where unheralded Cortland beat North Central, the top-rated team in a thrilling shootout. The Red Dragons stopped a two point conversion by the defending Champions with 1:20 to go to preserve a 38-37 victory. Zac Boyes, the Cortland QB, completed 26 of 34 passes for 349 yards and 5 touchdowns, while also racking up 123 yards on 16 carries. Some of his throws were pro caliber. He deserved to be Most Outstanding Player. 

My interest was piqued by the South Dakota State Jackrabbits as they hosted the Albany Great Danes. I thought it would be brutally cold that night. It wasn’t, except that Albany was more frigid than the weather, as SDST clobbered them with a 59-0 score. 

The Jackrabbits take on the Montana Grizzlies on January 7th in hopefully warmer Frisco, Texas for the FCS title. Montana beat a good North Dakota State team in overtime. 

South Dakota State is the defending champ—like North Central was in DIII. They are a strong team and the only one left unbeaten left at their level. I looked at their schedule and saw interesting names to games at home—the Dairy Drive vs. Western Oregon; the Beef Bowl vs Montana State; the Precision AG Bowl vs. North Dakota; Hobo Day vs. Northern Iowa; and the Dakota Marker game against arch-rival North Dakota State. 

They sure know how to market in South Dakota. After all, the now Mount Rushmore State used t be called the Sunshine State until 1992. I kid you not. 

Lastly, some basketball comments. Suddenly, the Golden State Warriors are playing better. Klay Thompson has awoken from his shooting slump in the absence of the suspended Draymond Green. Steph Curry is as spectacular as ever. 

Shaquille O’Neal has mentioned Curry as possibly the G.O.A.T. Yes, he’s really good. Is he in the top 10 of all-time? I think so. He is so underrated among giants. But it is not for me to decide if he’s the best. I just love to watch him play. What a competitor. 

The two teams which were in the In-Season Tournament finals slumped in their return to the regular season. Too much energy expended?

As for college basketball, expect upsets throughout the season. Look no further than the Big East where Providence downed #6 Marquette and defending champion UConn was upended by Seton Hall. Home courts mean that much in college hoops. 

One last thought. Navy demolished Washington College of the Centennial Conference by 58 points. Ohio University trounced Defiance. The final score was 108-28. Why are DI programs allowed to play DIII schools in “exhibition” games? To rack up needless wins by ridiculous margins? If the NCAA was truly a governing body, they should never allow this to happen. 

Merry Christmas. Don’t eat too much—especially Chinese food. 

COVID. Again.

  A lot to cover. Baseball. Football. Hockey. Basketball. And as I write this week’s blog, it’s Taylor Swift’s 34th birthday. So let’s dig right in. 

It was a week in the NFL which made those who follow it scratch their heads. Upsets and unexpected results, plus some boneheaded play were in the forefront. 

For the New York teams, they both won at home. Over quality opponents. It is a rarity that they are both home during the same weekend. Then again, it is a rarity that they win, period. The records of the Jets and Giants are the same—5-8. 

While each team isn’t mathematically out of the playoff hunt, Giants fans are actually thinking that if the three game winning streak continues, there could be a shot at the post-season. The NFC has seven teams within two games of the G-men. But for right now, the team’s chances are at a lofty 3%. 

It sure is nice to see local kid Tommy De Vito guiding a resurgent Giants offense. On Monday night, he had little time to get the team into field goal range. Which he did and it resulted in a dramatic win for the Giants on national TV. For this he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. 

De Vito is a phenomenon. He lives at home. His agent looks like he is a character out of The Godfather. (He actually was a good athlete at Marist and is a legit certified sports agent who does a lot of philanthropy) And like Anthony Volpe, another Italian local hero, he loves his mother’s chicken parmigiana. 

This is slightly reminiscent of Jeremy Lin when he took the area by storm in 2011-12 when he went on a scoring rampage for the Knicks. Undrafted like De Vito, he created a mania which hasn’t been seen again until now. Linsanity only lasted a short time. I hope that’s not the case for “Tommy Cutlets.” (Memo to ESPN—find real chicken cutlets to show; what appeared on the TV screens was embarrassing and the Mannings had a field day with that visual)

The Giants have the Eagles (twice), Saints and Rams left to play. It sure would be a nice, miraculous story if the success continued, let alone how it would totally muck up the Giants QB situation, with Daniel Jones, the incumbent starter, presently on IR. Have some fun, if only in the short term, Giants fans. 

As for the Jets, they have way too many teams to climb over the AFC, as Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Houston and Denver have better records. It sure was nice to see Zach Wilson excel for one day; I don’t root against the kid succeeding. He was put into an impossible situation once Aaron Rodgers went down with his injury.

Other stories around the league include the Miami implosion versus Tennessee on Monday night. The Dolphins absolutely choked at home up by three scores with 5:00 to go. The question arising is this: how good are the Dolphins? The team hasn’t beaten any team with an over .500 record at the time they played. The remaining schedule has the Jets visiting on Sunday; Dallas at home on Christmas Eve; a trip to Baltimore on New Year’s Eve; closing out the schedule at home with a desperate Buffalo team which might need to win to make the playoffs. We will learn plenty about the Dolphins in the final four games. 

Kansas City lost a game it should have won. Down to Buffalo and needing a score, Patrick Mahomes found favorite target Travis Kelce downfield. (Will he and Tay become engaged soon?) Before he could be tackled, Kelce, using his high school quarterback talents, tossed a spiral to Kadarius Toney. Toney caught the ball and sprinted into the end zone to put the Chiefs ahead. 

Except that Toney, who the Giants found they couldn’t coach despite his wealth of talent, had lined up inside of the neutral zone. The officials had to call the penalty. It was clear. Mahomes’ rant and Coach Andy Reid’s post-game complaints were non-sensical. Toney screwed up again, and this time it cost his team a game. 

The Chicago Bears trounced the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions. Detroit remains ahead in its division, with the suddenly hot Denver Broncos in town this week, and games with the Vikings (twice) and Dallas on the schedule. If the team keeps playing like this, they will be more like Paper Lions come playoff time. 

What’s with Philadelphia? Suddenly the team suffered consecutive big losses to San Francisco and Dallas, arguably the two best teams in the NFC. If I was an Eagles fan I would worry a little more if the team lost to Seattle on Monday night. Philly is still a good team. Perhaps not a Super Bowl team. 

Joe Flacco, who couldn’t make it with the Jets and seemingly was finished with his career, has been named the Cleveland Browns quarterback for the remainder of the season—even if he is on the practice squad. He could sign with other teams if he wished—the Chargers, Vikings and Texans might need him with C.J. Stroud in concussion protocol. If he stays with the Browns, he could lead the team to a playoff berth, and with the tough defense the Browns have, they might be a difficult first round opponent. 

I have to say this about the Yankees securing Juan Soto. New York gave up way too much for him. San Diego will be a much better team in the future with the talent it acquired. And Soto better produce, or the New York fans will once more excoriate a player. For he has to—Soto and tough super agent Scott Boros are looking at a free agent market which just jumped in value for a player of Soto’s age and consistency.

Why is that? Shohei Ohatani took his bat (and glove for when he recovers from Tommy John surgery and can pitch again) up Interstate 5 to cash in on the money a rich team like the Dodgers could offer. Ten years and $700 million. 

I do not care if $680 million is deferred and payable in the ten years after the contract ends. Even if this results in making the Dodgers an even better team by having cash to keep its talent happy. The money is obscene. Period. 

With prized recruit Dylan Harper’s commitment to Rutgers, the school has a top 5 recruiting class for next year. It may be a one-and-done year, but it is the most promising season to look forward to. If somehow RU could make the NCAA’s this season, the fan base will be even wilder in anticipation. 

Just don’t count on it—the Big Ten is quite good this year, although, as I always point out, the conference is not going to win the NCAA title. Right now Arizona is number one. For how long until the Wildcats are toppled? Handicapping this college hoops season right now is a crapshoot. 

The Lakers won the inaugural In-Season Tournament, defeating the Indiana Pacers. Lebron James was named M.V.P., as he should have been. He wanted this on his resume, and when The King is into it, as he was in the seven games played, he can motivate a team enough to win. The bigger issue over this Lakers’ title was resolved—the team will hang a banner for the win even though the franchise’s rule was that only NBA championships merited such an accolade. 

Want to watch a team in free fall? Look no further than the Golden State Warriors. Losers of 10 of the last 13, the aged stars look like they have lost a step. Steph Curry cannot do it alone. And Draymond Green has acted out again, probably meriting another suspension. He needs to go—enough with his antics; they destroy a team’s chemistry no differently than Kyrie Irving anywhere or James Harden in Philadelphia. This is not a playoff team. 

My son and I spent a whirlwind 50 hours traveling to and from New Jersey to Calgary on our yearly See The Devils In Canada adventure. Our second trip to Alberta marked our sixth game in Canada. Only Montreal is left for the conclusion of our Devils/Canadian hockey journeys. 

I found Calgary to be a beautiful city. Plenty of history, which we experienced by hiking to Fort Calgary, as well as walking through the Calgary Stampede, adjacent to the Scotiabank Saddledome, the home of the Calgary Flames. We saw where the 1988 Winter Olympic medals were presented—Calgary was the host to this installment of the Games, which included use of the Saddledome. 

Oil money is abundant in Calgary, apparently even more so than Edmonton. Beautiful towers permeate the downtown sky in an architectural delight. We ate at our favorite Canadian breakfast place, a chain named O.E.B. which has U.S entities in Arizona and California for those who escape the Alberta cold. I satisfied my son’s palate with a visit to Nando’s, his favorite South African fast food place from his semester at the University of Cape Town. (The service was anything but fast)

Speaking of cold—it was near 10 degrees F on Saturday when we started out touring. There was snow on the ground and we slipped numerous times on ice patches during our trek. I knew that we would be back to New Jersey warmth by Sunday afternoon, which made the jaunt, as my son called it, more tolerable. 

The Devils won 4-2, making our record in Canada also 4-2 in favor of New Jersey, thus assuring us a winning record for our efforts in Canada. The Saddledome was older looking and will be replaced by 2027 if plans go through. It is the third oldest arena in the NHL, after Madison Square Garden and Rogers Arena in Vancouver—another Winter Olympics site and a venue also in need of replacement. 

It was a great trip, no matter how long the flights were. I will always remember this one more so than any other one. 

Because I am home in isolation with COVID. Again.