Vick a Jet

They say if you have bad news, the best time to break it is Friday night, when most people are getting ready to go out. The Jets did just that signing Michael Vick to a 1-year $5 million contract earlier this evening. This organization continues to make terrible decisions that makes us feel like we take two steps back for every one we take forward. After shocking all the "experts" and having Geno Smith lead us to an 8-8 record in his rookie campaign, which earned Rex Ryan a much deserved contract extension, we have had the worst 10 days of NFL Offseason. It all started out well by cutting locker room cancer Santonio Homes, but then things fell off a cliff.

We replaced Holmes, with a decent receiver in Eric Decker, but is he really deserving of 5-years $35 million? Then, after cutting Antonio Cromartie, who signed with the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday, Darelle Revis used us to sign a contract with Cheaters in New England. Then, it looked like John Idzik was going on strike (perhaps he was too upset that CM Punk left WWE), letting Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie sign with the cross-town Giants.

Now tonight is the straw the broke the camels back. Michael Vick is past his prime, and when he isn't turning the ball over he is getting injured. Apparently John Idzik is looking to make the same mistakes that his predecessor Mike Tannenbaum made with Tim Tebow. Instead of giving Geno Smith every opportunity to grow into a possible franchise quarterback, we turned the fans against him before training camp. The only thing that could make this move even worse is if we bring in the assclown DeSean Jackson for a Philthydelphia reunion.

As they say in Italian, il pesce comincia a puzzare dalla testa, or the fish stinks from the head down, and it begins and ends with Woody Johnson. We will NEVER WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP with Woody running things. He is a media whore, who will go after headlines instead of rings. There is a reason why the Jets will always be two steps behind the Patriots and Giants.

The overlooked casualty in this move is former 5th overall draft pick Mark Sanchez who was granted his release from the team. The Jets continued to do wrong at every step for Sanchez, by cutting him late in the free agent period, after several teams already made moves at the QB position. Sanchez finishes his five year tenure with Gang Green with a little over 12,000 yards, with 68 touchdowns and 69 interceptions, as well as three offensive coordinators. I wish him well in a better run franchise.

Goodbye Rex?

Rex Ryan's 41st career win as head coach could possibly be his last. On the eve of penultimate game of the 2013 Jets season, Rex's fifth with the team, Ryan told his players that "the word on the street" is that he's going to be fired after the season, and asked them to fight with him for the last two games of the season.

Midway through the second quarter of football against the hapless Browns though, it looked like Gang Green was ready to send Rex on his way for some parting goddamn snacks. The team rallied around their head coach, outscoring Cleveland 24-3 from that point forward on the way to a 24-13 victory. Geno Smith had an efficient game, finishing 20-36 for 214 and 3 total touchdowns (2 passing).

The criticisms of Rex are fair, he is a defensive minded head coach who has a hands-off mentality when it comes to the offense, his mouth can write checks his ass can't cash, and he has a history of blundered timeouts/challenges. However, you can't argue with the results. His .518 (41-38) winning percentage is third highest in Jets history (even though Al Groh shouldn't count since he was only a coach for one season). Ryan's four playoff wins is also a franchise high. You know going into the season that a Rex Ryan coached defense will always be ready to play on Sundays. Nobody expected this team to be competitive going into the season, let alone be in the playoff race going into Week 14. You can argue that Rex has gotten more out of his team than any other coach in the NFL this season.

I don't understand why John Idzik would bring Rex back for this year, and when he exceeds even the most optimistic Jets fans expectations, he is still on the chopping block. There is no doubt that players love playing for Rex and his unique style of motivation. As much as Mike Francesa thinks that Rex is a clown or a buffoon, his player universally love him.

If Rex only has 7 days left as Jets head coach he is going out like he came in. In the post-game presser, Ryan joked that the players will be out buying presents with Santa tomorrow and he doesn't care what the media thinks about giving the team a "victory Monday". He also praised cornerback Dee Milliner after riding the rookie through much of the season. If next week's game against Miami ends the reign of Sexy Rexy, I want to be the first person to thank him for all he's done in re-establishing pride in this franchise.

Same Old..... No No No Not Today

Jets-Bucs

They were on the brink of victory, when a boneheaded play by their linebacker cost them the game, Same Old ...... Bucs (What?!). The roller coaster of emotions Gang Green put their fans on during the last 5 minutes of Sunday's opener against Tampa Bay was nothing short of amazing.

Nick Folk hit a 30-yard field goal with 5:05 left in the game to give the Jets their first lead since 1:07 in the first quarter. Then, Josh Freeman led the Bucs on a nine play, 61 yard drive, sparked by a 37 yard reception by Vincent Jackson, to put Tampa back up 17-15 with just 34 seconds left in the game. After an incomplete pass, rookie Geno Smith fired a 25 yard completion to Kellen Winslow, and followed it up with a 10-yard run to the Tampa 45. Then, which brought back shades of Eric Barton in the 2004 playoffs, Lavonte David was called for a 15-yard personal foul, which set up Folk's game winning 48-yarder.

After hearing all offseason how they would be one of the worst teams in the league, Rex's crew came out to prove a point on Sunday, defeating a team many figured will compete for the NFC South title, thanks to the addition of former Jet, Darrelle Revis. The defense played a great game, which is expected by a Rex Ryan coached team. The question was, how would rookie Geno Smith play in his first career start. While there were some bumps in the road, Smith (24-38, 256 yds, 47 yds rushing) came up big when the moment called for it. After two first half turnovers, Geno settled down and showed tremendous poise battling back in the second half.

The offense showed signs of struggle, and there are a few issues for the long term, but for now football is back, and one New York team is 1-0, and they wear green.

 Week 1 Quick Notes

• Speaking of the Blue guys, Eli did his best Sanchez impersonation, throwing a pick to Demarcus Ware on his first throw of the season, the first of six turnovers for Big Blew It in their season opening loss to Dallas. Not even a clearly injured Tony Romo could rescue the G-Men from themselves. All that was missing was a butt-fumble.
• Chip Kelly unleashed his quick strike, no-huddle offense on the NFL Monday night, in a 33-27 win in Washington. The Iggles are going to be fun to watch this season. 
• In the biggest upset of Week 1, the Titans demolished the Steelers, who were shutout offensively, with a grand total of 2 points. 
• I hope none of my readers have the unfortunate situation I found myself in, with David Wilson and Steven Ridley rushing for a combined 65-yards on Sunday for my fantasy team. 
• After preparing all off-season for the read-option offense, Jim Harbaugh threw Green Bay for a loop, with Kaepernick throwing for 412 and 3 TD's in a rematch from last season's division round playoff. Kaep and RG3 have a target on their backs this season after the option offense befuddled defensive coordinators all of last season.
• "Tom Brady pulled out too early"- a Sportscenter anchor during Pats-Bills highlights
• Speaking of the Patsies, the Bills and rookie EJ Manuel gave them all they could handle, and now both Danny Amendola and Shane Vereen are out with injuries. 
• Falcons fans had nightmares of the NFC Championship Game, as Matty Ice failed to score from the Saints 7 yard line late in the 4th Quarter as Sean Payton gets a win in his return to the NFL.
• That Peyton Manning guy is pretty good. I think he has a bright future ahead of him.

Jets-Patriots

No rest for the weary, on Thursday when arch-nemesis' the Jets and Pats look to rekindle their rivalry in 2013. Gang Green has lost their last four against the Pats, with their last victory coming in the 2010 playoffs. The last time these two teams met was Thanksgiving 2012, in a game us Jets fans would like to forget. 

These aren't the same Pats that played that game 10 months ago. Welker, Gronkowski, Hernandez, Vereen, and Woodhead will all be out of action, as will new acquisition Danny Amendola. Like a wounded animal, however, any team with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick is always dangerous. 

The key to this game is for the Jets defense to hit Tom Brady early and often, as he is known to get rattled. Geno Smith should have an easier time moving the ball against the Pats than he did against Revis and the Bucs. 

I don't think the Jets are going to win, but this game is a hell of a lot closer than Vegas is predicting with a 12 1/2 point spread. Maybe Rex can keep preaching the message of us against the world to the locker room, and you never know what could happen when they take the field Thursday night. 

Prediction: Patriots 30 Jets 20

Ship-Rexed?

Another offseason has come and gone, and now, ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!!!

Gang Green has had a quiet offseason, by Rex Ryan's standards, and truth be told are in rebuilding mode. That isn't to say that there isn't anything to be excited about as a member of Jet Nation. We will see rookie Geno Smith get a chance to start this season, hopefully our young receiving corps will show some sparks, and as always with Sexy Rexy we'll have a hungry (for goddamn snacks) and aggressive defense.

Quarterback

The offseason competition between Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith had a clear winner in my opinion, that was until Rex brought Sanchez in the 4th quarter, to take home the Snoopy Trophy in the annual MetLife Bowl, not the real Bowl game the stadium will be hosting in February. Jets fans know what you're going to get with Sanchez. When you ask him to be a game manager, he is an adequate player, but when asked to lead a team, he is a rumbling, stumbling, butt-fumbling turnover machine.

Geno Smith is the question mark. He fell to the second round for a reason, and there are some questions about his leadership and work ethic. Scouts say he has good arm strength, but could struggle with accuracy, as you saw against the Giants in the preseason. He was announced the starter and will play the first game of the season. Despite that, Rex has said that the QB competition is ongoing, and the job isn't Geno's to keep, if he struggles early.

Grade: C-

Running Backs

Chris Ivory will get his chance after playing behind a variety of backs in New Orleans. After playing in only 24 games in 3 seasons with the Saints, Ivory will be given a chance to be a star in this run-first offense. Ivory's physical running style makes him susceptible to injury though. Second year back Bilal Powell showed flashes of brilliance in his rookie year. He is a good runner and decent in the passing game.

Grade: B-

Wide Receivers/Tight End

The main question for this group is if/when Santonio Holmes will be back. Despite a rough 2011, Holmes was showing more maturity in the first few weeks of the 2012 campaign, before suffering a season-ending lisfranc injury. Holmes is a playmaker who has history of coming up in the clutch, and will be a play-maker in an offense in desperate need of one. Stephen Hill is going to have to improve from a rough rookie season. He was targeted 47 times, only catching the ball 21 times, and had a problem with the dropsies. Jeremy Kerley reminds me of a Jerricho Cotchery type player. He runs good routes and has great hands, a prototypical possession receiver.

Kellen Winslow and Jeff Cumberland will have to replace Dustin Keller in the offense. Winslow is an athletic tight end, but his age and injury concern leave legitimate question marks. Cumberland has had a good preseason, and we'll see if it carries into the season.

Grade: B-

Offensive Line

Pro Bowlers Nick Mangold and D'Brickshaw Ferguson are the anchors on the o-line. They are joined by Vlad Ducasse, Austin Howard and former Steeler Willie Colon. The big guys up front are going to have their work cut out for them on what will be a run-first offense.

Grade: B+

Defensive Line

The front-seven is the Jets strength. Mo Wilkerson has the makings of a star defensive end, and this could be his breakout year. Kendrick Ellis and Damon "Snacks" Harrison are the big bodies in the middle. Both guys have had a great camp. First round pick Sheldon Richardson will man the other end.

Grade: B

Linebacker

David Harris is going to have to step up his game after a poor 2012 season. Demario Davis is taking over for the retired Bart Scott, and should add some great speed to the linebacking corps. Calvin Pace returns for his 6th season in the green and white, and is still a good pass rushing outside linebacker. Quinton Coples will miss the first few weeks of the season with a hairline fracture of his ankle. Coples came on strong in the second half last season, playing defensive end, and may struggle a bit this year adjusting to his new position.

Grade: B-

Secondary

Revis who? Without the best cornerback in the league, the Jets were still the 2nd ranked pass defense in the league. Antonio Cromartie returns after a great 2012, and he is out to prove he is the second best corner in the NFL. Rookie Dee Milliner takes the other side of the field, and he has a lot of potential coming from the National Champions, Alabama. Kyle Wilson will move back to the nickle spot, after playing on the outside with Revis' injury last season. Dawan Landry will be replacing his brother LaRon in one safety spot, while preseason standout Jaiquawan Jarrett mans the other spot.

Grade: B+

The Jets are in a strange spot this season. They are in rebuilding mode, but they aren't good enough to compete for a playoff spot, and not bad enough to get a top 5 draft pick. After going 6-10, with some of the worst quarterbaThcking in the history of the league, you have to imagine Geno is going to be an upgrade. Plus, our younger players, Wilkerson, Hill, Kerley, and Coples ony getting better I think we're looking at an 8-8 season for Gang Green.

Week 1 Preview

Only the Jets will trade Darrelle Revis, and then have to play him on Opening Day, as the Bucs come to town. This game will be a good litmus test for the team, since Tampa is a decent but not great team. How they perform here will give us a good idea of what to expect the rest of the season. 

Tampa had the top run defense in the league last year, and they may force rookie Geno Smith to beat them. The good news for Jets fans is that it looks like Santonio Holmes is going to start for the first time since Week 4 last year. Rex Ryan already said that he's warned Smith not to test Revis, who is recovering from an ACL tear. 

Josh Freeman is going to struggle against our secondary, with Cromartie matching up well against Vincent Jackson. The Jets had problems against the run last season, and they will be tested by Doug Martin. 

This should be a close game, with either Geno or Freeman being forced to make a play late to win it. I think Gang Green makes the JetLife Stadium crowd happy with a home opener win, before going to New England on Thursday night.  

Prediction: Jets 20 Bucs 13

Hail to The Kings?

Avenged Sevenfold's sixth studio album, Hail to The King was introduced to the world via a free Itunes stream on Monday. After listening to the album a few times, and having some time to absorb it, I'm ready to give my review.

Shepherd of Fire sets the tone for the album, and is going to be a great song to open up concerts, with the ominous tolling of a bell and the sound of rain falling in the beginning. Their first single, and the title track Hail to The King has grown on me, and is a pretty damn catchy song. Doing Time checking in at 3 1/2 minutes is the shortest A7X song. It sounds like it would belong on Appetite for Destruction. This Means War follows in the footsteps of Metallica's Sad But True, and is the heaviest song on the album. Requiem finishes out the first half of the album strong, and is my favorite song so far. It is the most original song on the album, and I like M Shadows chanting/singing here. Synyster Gates adds a sick solo to the song.

Crimson Day is your typical rock-ballad. I think it's easily Avenged's worst ballad. Dear God, Seize the Day, and So Far Away blow this out of the water. Heretic is a good song, but sounds out of place on this album, It sounds more like a track from City of Evil, but that's not a bad thing. Coming Home is another solid track, but nothing really special. This is where the album falls off a cliff in my opinion. Planets isn't bad instrumentally, but I don't like anything about the lyrics or Shadows singing here. Acid Rain wins an award for the worst Avenged Sevenfold song ever. It sounds like a bad pop-rock song, and would be better on a Nickleback album.

I was skeptical about the album, hearing the band talk about putting out a stripped down record, and emulating the bands they grew up listening to. My hopes were raised when I heard critics praising the album as the band's best work. A7X is always evolving as a band, constantly experimenting and tinkering their sound, so hopefully this was just a bump in the road. To me though, this sounded as if Avenged Sevenfold were a cover band of 80's and 90's metal. They took out all the things that separated Avenged Sevenfold from every other band, the dueling guitars, fast drums, harmonizing vocals, and threw them out the window.

Overall I would give Hail to the King a 6/10. The album starts off really well, and Crimson Day is an average ballad, but the last two tracks were so bad, it knocks it down from an 7.5 to a 6 in my opinion. Shadows said in a few interviews that the writing process was tough without the help from Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan for the first time in their careers, and it showed here. Don't get me wrong, even though this album disappointed me, I still and am and will be an Avenged Sevenfold fan foREVer.

Jets Preseason Under Way

The Jets season unofficially started on Friday night with their first preseason game against the Lions. While the final score of these games don't matter, it is important to see who is improving or declining, and look at various position battles. I'm going to break it down into 3 categories, the good, the bad, and the buttfumbles.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!

Good

• I really like what I saw from our new offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. For the first time in God knows how long, the offense looks fluid with a good mixture of passing and running plays. Mornhinweg's West Coast offense is a quarterback-friendly system, with a lot of high percentage passing plays.
• The 7-play, 80-yard touchdown drive late in the first quarter. Sanchez bounced back nicely from a terrible interception, capping it off with a 26-yard strike to tight end Jeff Cumberland. 
• Kellen Winslow looked really good on Friday night. If the 9-year veteran can stay healthy he could be the most explosive weapon on this offense. 
• The defense did a good job of getting after Matt Stafford. Quinton Coples and Mo Wilkerson provided a consistent pass rush. Rex has a lot of young talent to work with in the front seven.
• Dee Milliner looked good in his first taste of NFL action, tipping a pass away in the end zone. The first-round pick from Alabama has a lot of expectations, replacing Revis Island, who is now a butt-pirate. 

Bad

• Jet Nation held their collective breath when we saw Geno Smith hobbling away after diving out of bounds on a play early in the 3rd quarter. Geno finished his day 6-7 for 47 yards, however only led the team to two first downs on 3+ possessions before his injury. The good news is he is reportedly in pads for Sunday's practice, so hopefully we'll get a better look at the rookie on Saturday. 
• Mark Sanchez looks like an assclown with that long hair and goatee. He is doing naked butt dances in ladies apartments, so what the hell do I know?
• The running game had a rough time getting going, with 16 carries for only 37 yards. Chris Ivory and Joe McKnight were held out of the game though, with injuries.  
• I don't know what the coaches were thinking leaving Braylon Edward on the field late into the 3rd quarter. I understand that they would want Geno Smith to work with our best wide receiver, but after he went down it was an unessacary injury risk. 

Buttfumbles

• On the offense's first possession of the new season, we started off right where we left off last year. Mark Sanchez was under duress, and threw a pass right into the hands of Ziggy Ansah, who returned it 17-yards for a touchdown. The only other player near the ball was Ndamukong Suh, another Lions defensive lineman.
•  The backup offensive line was getting Greg McElroy murdered. McElroy took a couple huge hits, and also fumbled the ball once. 

Goodbye A-Rod, Hello Geno

MLB

On the heels of Ryan Braun's suspension, in the ongoing Biogenesis scandal, The New York Post has reported that Major League Baseball has come to a decision, and is ready to hand out suspensions this week. The report states that 15 as of yet unnamed players, have cut a deal to serve a 50-game suspension, which will put them out for this year, but able to play Opening Day 2014. Alex Rodriguez isn't going to be so lucky. A-Rod is looking at the best, a 200+ game suspension, that will keep him out until Opening Day 2015, where he would likely retire, and collect a $60 million check from the Yankees for the 2015-2017 seasons. If A-Rod refuses to accept that deal, then he is facing a lifetime ban, which essentially tears up his contract.

When the suspension drops, it puts an end to a tumultuous nine years for A-Rod in the Bronx. Rodriguez has experienced the highs (two MVP seasons and a World Series ring), and the lows (benched by Joe Girardi in the 2012 Playoffs and his struggles with the New York fans and media) of playing in the Bronx. His ten-year extension that he signed in 2007 will go down in history as one of the last moves made by late owner George Steinbrenner. Rodriguez will finish 5th on the All-Time Home Run list with 647 long balls, and he leaves an additional $30 million on the table for failing to hit milestone homers 660 (Griffey), 714 (Ruth), 755 (Aaron), and 762 (Bonds).

The suspensions will likely be one of the last major moves made by commissioner Bud Selig, who is retiring after his 21-year run as commissioner. Selig will forever be connected to the steroids scandal, which rocked the sport since the early 2000s. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are likely never going into the Hall of Fame because of their reported steroid use, and other players such as Mike Piazza may never get in because of strong rumors that he was on the juice. The game is considerably cleaner than it was ten years ago, but there is always going to be a cat-and-mouse game between new drugs and tests that are able to catch them.

NFL

Thank God Football is Back!!!!! The Jets began their training camp this week, and I am optimistic about their 2013 campaign. They should be the the second best team in a very weak division. I'll go over this in more detail in the coming weeks with my NFL Preview, but the Jets have a solid defense, and an offense that has to improve from last season. 

One of the main stories in camp this year will be the quarterback competition between rookie Geno Smith and veteran Butt-Fumbler Mark Sanchez. I'm torn on my feelings here. While Mark Sanchez played some of the worst quarterbacking I've ever seen last year, I feel like a lot of it had to do with the fact that he had a revolving door of receivers to throw to. Even if Santonio Holmes isn't able to play the first quarter of the season, Braylon Edwards has great chemistry with Sanchez, Stephen Hill can hopefully show some improvements catching the ball, since he's proven that he could get open, and Jeremy Kerley, who I like, I like a lot (but not more than Brandon Inge) in the slot. At this point, Sanchez is really playing with house money, as most Jets fans expect him to be God-awful, so there aren't any high expectations playing games with his mental state. 

On the other hand, you have Geno Smith, whose draft stock fell considerably during the second half of his last season at West Virginia. We don't know how he's going to fit in the NFL, and how he is going to deal with the pressure of playing in New York. With the success last season of Luck, RG3, and Russell Wilson, you have to remind yourselves that this is a boy entering a man's game, and just five years ago most rookie quarterbacks weren't expected to start Week 1 of their first season. We'll get our first real taste of Geno on August 9th when the Jets kick off the preseason against the Lions. 

While I'm on the subject, the fact that there is a controversy whether Rex Ryan or John Idzik have the final say on who the starting quarterback is going to be, proves that you either have to give Rex some job security or just fire him now. I'm a big Rex supporter, and the front office isn't doing the right thing leaving him twisting in the wind. The team is not built to win now, so while it would be beneficial to begin giving younger and unproven players a larger role, Rex is trying to save his job by playing the veterans. That is especially the heart of the issue in the quarterback competition. 

In more Jets camp news, we have a cornerback holding out, and his name isn't Darrelle Revis. Rookie Dee Milliner is already reminding fans of the ex-Jet by looking for more guaranteed money in his rookie contract. Milliner is one of just four first-round picks that are still unsigned. Hopefully the two sides can reach an agreement soon, since we are counting on Milliner to start Week 1 opposite Cromartie, and he can't afford to miss too much practice.

UFC

UFC on Fox 8 happened last night, and it doesn't really seem like anyone cared. If a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound?

As good as the fall/winter is going to be, the 2 August Pay-Per-Views combined with a stacked Fox Sports 1 Debut card on August 17, left last night's show lacking something. It isn't Dana White's fault that the Rory MacDonald- Jake Ellenberger put the crowd to sleep, but I don't like headlining these Fox shows with the Flyweight Championship. No disrespect to Demetrious Johnson, but the division has less than 10 fighters in it. The challenger, John Moraga had previously only fought on the prelims. 

Fox could be a very beneficial tool when used to build young fighters, or set up big championship fights that people would want to order on pay-per view. It doesn't help the company when you just throw together a second rate card. Once people think that the fights are skippable, than you start to lose your base audience.