Me, Mike, and the Mad Dog

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was 2002, and I was in high school, and the YES Network was just starting. Before the Yankees game that day, I tuned in to a show called Mike and the Mad Dog. The show was a simulcast of the WFAN sports radio duo of Mike Francesa and Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo. The pair had been together since 1989, and their show is legendary for being one of the first successful sports talk shows.

I watched or listened to the show on an almost daily basis. Picking up on Mike's heavy New York accent talking about "Derek Jetah and Mariano Riverar" and Mad Dog's quirky sayings like "that's a good job not a TERRIBLE job". They got me through bad losses, like the Yankees 2004 ALCS collapse, and celebrated with me during big wins. On the commute to work and school they kept me company in the car. That was until June 22, 2008.

Mike broke the news on his show that the Mad Dog would be going to Sirius Satellite Radio, and the Mike and The Mad Dog show that I've grown to love was over. Mike Francesa went solo on the show known as "Mike'd Up" and more currently "Mike's On", and a strange thing happened. The 55-year old cranky man who swore against social media became a darling on the platform that he hated the most.

Twitter parody accounts mimicked his accent, people Photoshopped  memes of Mike's famous catchphrases, and Youtube accounts shared clips of him goofing up, like falling asleep while interviewing to Sweeny Murti, thinking a caller was pranking him asking him a question about  Tigers Pitcher Al Albuquerque, and his love for "snowblowahs" turned Mike Francesa into an internet legend.

It was funny to see a large group of people who listen to the same show as you picking up on the same things that made you laugh during his show. At first, Mike got angry at people poking fun at his persona, but that only made it grow stronger. Finally, he realized that we weren't laughing at him, rather laughing with him.

Fast forward to this past Saturday (March 12), the date of Francesacon 3 at Irving Plaza in New York. Francesacon is a whole day put together by Mike Francesa fans to celebrate all thing Mike Francesa. They had people dressing up like him, people with Al Albuquerque shirts, and even impersonators of the Mike and the Mad Dog show doing a live performance. I heard Mike was actually going to attend it this year, and had to go!

I was having a great time at the event, and when the man, the myth, the legend, Mike Francesa took the stage, the whole place ERUPTED with chants of "NUMBAH ONE!" Mike though, had one more surprise up his sleeve. He introduced his former partner Chris "Mad Dog" Russo and the roof literally blew off Irving Plaza.

Over seven years since they made a public appearance together, Mike and Chris were reunited. They riffed and talked sports for a few minutes, but they were there mostly there to promote their upcoming one-time only reunion show at Radio City later this month.

The day got even better when they announced they would take pictures with everyone in attendance. A sea of people surrounded them, and they took their time to take a picture with everyone. Getting to meet my broadcasting idols has always been a dream of mine, and one I never thought I would be able to do. But thanks to Francesacon 3, I was able to accomplish it.

On the eve of the fiftieth Super Bowl the “lost” tape of the inaugural Super Bowl between the Packers and Chiefs was stitched together to be aired on NFL Network. The lack of graphics, instant replays, and other broadcasting technological advancements show how primitive the original game was. This goes to show both how far the NFL has grown in the past fifty years, and how television was instrumental in growing the sport. 

I can’t imagine watching a game without a running clock, a down and distance marker, and the yellow first down line. As technological advances grew, so did the game. The first Super Bowl had 51 million viewers and just 6 cameras. Compare that to Super Bowl 49, which had over 114 million viewers, more than double the first game), and was shot with 36 cameras.

Commissioner Pete Rozelle, who was commissioner from 1960-1989, is credited with having the vision of growing the game by piggybacking with the advancement of broadcast television. Football became more than a sport, it was an event that owned one day of the week. It was under Rozelle that Monday Night Football was created and is now a cultural benchmark. Football is our National Pastime. 

The Super Bowl, the leagues annual showcase became more than just a game. With it’s halftime show and popular commercials, the Super Bowl is now an American Icon. By finding the first Super Bowl In 1967 and comparing it to the game that you will watch on Sunday is like night and day. With it’s humble beginnings now un-earthed in it’s entirety you will finally be able to see how much the NFL has grown.

No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn!!!

The Superstars and Divas of the WWE took over the Barclays Center this past weekend for an unprecedented Summerslam weekend that featured three sold-out shows, NXT Takeover, Summerslam, and Monday Night Raw. I was lucky enough to attend Summerslam live, and finally got caught up watching the other two events.

NXT TakeOver

For those of you unfamiliar with the NXT brand, it is the "developmental" territory for WWE, and I use that term loosely. Long story short, NXT takes talent from the WWE Performance Center, athletes from all walks of life, and teaches them the in and outs of the wrestling business, while providing content for the WWE Network. However, WWE COO Triple H had bigger visions for it. Hunter brought in independent wrestling darlings, like Kevin Owens, Hideo Itami, Finn Balor, and Samoa Joe to create WWE's own version of Ring of Honor, a popular indy wrestling company. I don't even think Hunter could've predicted that NXT would've sold out 13,000 seats in the Biggest City in the world. 

NXT Takeover Brooklyn did just that, and the fans who paid to be there in attendance weren't disappointed. From the undercard matches that were featured on this Wednesday's NXT show, featuring hometown hero Enzo Amore, to the pay per-view quality Takeover special, Barclays Center was rocking. NXT fans are some of the most passionate and vocal fans in the whole wrestling industry and that didn't change, moving the show out of Full Sail University for the first time in history. 

The show was headlined by a double main-event with the NXT Women's Championship being defended by Sasha Banks against Bayley and the NXT Championship being defended by Finn Balor in a ladder match against Kevin Owens. 

Sasha and Bayley tore the house down in one of the best women's pro wrestling matches I've ever seen. The two women told a great story, with Bayley becoming victorious with a Bayley to Belly after hitting a reverse hurricanrana. Becky Lynch and Charlotte joined Sasha and Bayley in a scenario similar to the infamous Curtain Call at MSG almost 20 years ago as the three women bid farewell to NXT, leaving Bayley as the champion. The women's revolution at NXT was natural, not forced down the fans' throats like WWE is doing on their main roster. In NXT the Divas made people pay attention and care about their matches, not by coming up with a manufactured tagline and Stephanie McMahon.

Another NXT competitor probably had his last match for the promotion, as Kevin Owens lost his rematch against Finn Balor. It is clear that Balor is also ready to get called up to the main roster as well, but the growth of the NXT brand is what is likely holding him back. This is where a problem could arise for WWE. NXT is a developmental brand, with the main goal being to create WWE Superstars. If they want NXT to become a third touring brand, they have to walk the fine line of keeping stars on the roster to sell tickets without holding onto guys for too long.

Summerslam

The Biggest Party of the Summer returned to the New York area for the first time in eight years, after starting a tradition of being held at the Staples Center. Being their live I thought it was a great show, but I could see how fans watching at home could feel like the four-hour show dragged a bit. 

John Cena and Seth Rollins had an excellent match for the WWE and US Championships. Jon Stewart, who was a special guest host for the show, interfered in the match teasing hitting Rollins with a chair before hitting Cena with it. Seth hit Cena with a pedigree on the chair for the win. The Brooklyn crowd was pro-Rollins, serenading John with "John Cena Sucks" to the tune of his theme song, and gave Jon Stewart a "Yes" chant for hitting Cena with the chair. The chants started as a serious hatred toward Super Cena, but now become a fun thing to start at shows, with women and kids responding with "Let's Go Cena".

Undertaker and Brock Lesnar closed out the show with a rematch that was much better than their original match at Wrestlemania 30, in which Undertaker suffered a concussion. 'Taker, making a rare appearance outside of Wrestlemania made the "match too big for Wrestlemania" feel special. The screw job finish left a sour taste in fans' mouths, and it was sort of a cop out for WWE. They had to keep Brock strong, while also having a reason for the likely rubber match at Wrestlemania 32 in Dallas. I've said it before, but there is nothing like seeing the Undertaker's entrance in person, and is something every wrestling fan has to experience at least once in their lives, even though the opportunities to see him are thinning out.

Some other random notes from the show:

The Brooklyn crowd has had enough of the never-ending Randy Orton and Sheamus feud, but the guys turned them around by the finish

The New Day could be one of the most over guys in the company. WWE is putting effort into making the tag team division important again

Roman Reigns is the biggest heel in the company. Teaming him with Dean Ambrose didn't fool the fans who booed every time he was in the ring. This led to one of the funniest moments of the night, when Reigns was selling the fans started a "Roman's sleeping" chant. Two thirds of the Shield and Wyatts have great chemistry from their 2014 feud.

The Divas match had no heat, despite the great match the night before at Takeover

Kevin Owens and Cesaro had a great match but the crowd just wasn't into it being in the death spot before the main event.

Raw 

Raw was the third and final part of the Brooklyn trilogy and left the WWE Universe wanting more. The shocking returns of the Dudley Boyz and Sting, who will both compete in title matches at the September Night of Champions pay per-view bring new blood into the title pictures.

Jon Stewart's reasoning behind costing Cena the belt made perfect sense, saying he didn't want Cena to tie Ric Flair's record 16 championship reigns. However, when Nature Boy came out to give Cena his blessing Stewart realized he made a mistake. A vengeful Cena came out and sent the retired Daily Show host packing with an AA.

No big shock, but Paul Heyman cut a great promo that made perfect sense of the Summerslam finish. Heyman said the timekeeper panicked, thinking that Brock would tear Undertaker's arm off in the kimura. A challenge was issued for the rubber match, but I'm sure you're going to hear Heyman gloat about how his client BROOOCKKKK LESNARRRRRR made the Undertaker tap out at Summerslam plenty of times before Wrestlemania 32.


This concluded an exciting 72 hours at the Barclays Center. Hopefully WWE sees the opportunity to make Summerslam a week-long extravaganza like Wrestlemania, and doesn't wait 8 years to return to the Tri-state area again.

The Jaws of Life

The right fist of linebacker IK Enemkpali has changed the fortunes of the 2015 season for Gang Green. After an argument over $600 that quarterback Geno Smith owed the linebacker for a plane ticket to a charity event he wasn't able to attend because of a family emergency, IK did something I wish I could've done at certain parts of last season. cold-cocking the third year QB in the locker room. As a result of the punch, Smith needed surgery to repair a broken jaw and could miss the first month of the season. Enemkpali was subsequently released by the Jets and signed by our old friend Rex Ryan in Buffalo the next day.

Geno Smith, entering his make or break year in New York, was reportedly impressing the new coaching staff in the early stages of training camp before the incident. Now, backup Ryan Fitzpatrick will take the reigns of the Jets offense, a playbook he should be familiar with, playing with offensive coordinator Chan Gailey for 3 seasons in Buffalo.

Geno made headlines a week earlier for practicing to boos by the Green and White faithful during a practice at Metlife Stadium. Now, most Jets fans gets their wish by seeing what kind of Fitz-magic the bearded QB can bring to our loaded offense. I for one was curious what Geno could do this year under a new system. After nine seasons in the league we already know what Fitzpatrick's ceiling is, only breaking the 3,000 yard marker three times in his career (along with a 123/101 TD/INT ratio in 96 games). Smith has had his ups and downs as Jets quarterback, and with the addition of Brandon Marshall along with a second season with Eric Decker, the expectations haven't been higher.

Looking at the bright side of things, the Jets have some winnable games in the first quarter of their season, facing the Browns, Colts, Eagles, and Dolphins, with a bye week after their Week 4 trip to London. If Fitzpatrick can at least split those first four games then Gang Green could still recover from this road bump, and have the extra week to decide of Fitzy has impressed them enough to keep the starting QB job.  Matt Flynn was brought in on Wednesday to give Coach Bowles a second veteran option to go along with fourth round pick Bryce Petty, until Geno can come back.

How Geno Smith rebounds from this will be very telling of his future in New York. Smith's lack of maturity has gotten him in trouble before, and he has said the right thing following this. However, the fact that he was wearing eye black while throwing a ball in his backyard shows that the kid just doesn't get it. Getting fired by the Jets might be the best thing that ever happened to Rex Ryan, since the perception of the Green Tent Circus now keeps Todd Bowles awake at nights.

Welcome Back to the Island

 The New York Jets have gone through a complete re-haul the past two months. Mike Maccagnan was named the new General Manager, replacing the Village Idz-iot. Mikey Mac's first move was to replace the man who was synonymous with Gang Green, Rex Ryan, and Jet Nation had a good idea of the new direction the team was going to have with Todd Bowles. Coach Bowles is a well-respected football man who is not afraid to get on his players when the going gets tough. 

Maccagnan's next move shocked the football world, and told everyone in the league that the Jets aren't the joke that they were under Idzik. The Jets traded a 5th round pick for Bears Pro-Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall, fixing a hole that the Jets haven't filled since Keyshawn Johnson left. I was happy that we brought in a big name player without really having to give up much, but questions remained why the Jets would bring a 31-year old receiver in to a team that was still several large steps away from competing. 

A few days later, that question was answered. Darrelle Revis was stolen from the Cheatriots in a move reminiscent of Curtis Martin's arrival in 1998. For 5 years and $70 million, 39 of which is guaranteed, the Jets brought back arguably the best player to ever don the green and white. They still weren't done!!! A couple days later, Revis was rejoined with his former secondary mate, Antonio Cromartie, who is reuniting with Bowles, his defensive coordinator in Arizona. The spending spree ended with the arrival of safety Marcus Gilchrist of the Chargers.  In just a few days, Maccagnan spent $149 million of Woody Johnson's money to fix a secondary that was one of the worst in the NFL last year. The revamped secondary along with one of the best young defensive lines in the game, quarterbacks are going to hate playing in JetLife Stadium this season.

The arrival of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick while not overly exciting, is still a step in the right direction for the offense. Geno Smith had an awful year last season, there is no denying that, but he still has those flashes that makes you think that there is an NFL quarterback in that #7 jersey. Fitzpatrick is a veteran guy who has been around the league, and can show Geno the ropes of Chan Gailey's offense, while providing earnest competition in training camp. 

The roster still needs tweaking, and I will update everything as we get closer to the NFL Draft. With the 6th overall pick, there is a limitless amount of options for the franchise. One popular theory has us drafting Marcus Mariotta, or working out a trade to Philly for Sam Bradford so Chippah can reunite with his Duck. 

Just five days into the 2015 season, and the Jets have brought more joy to Jet Nation than we had all of 2014. I can't wait to see what else is in store.

Thank You Rex

"The message to the rest of the league is, `Hey, the Jets are coming, and we’re going to give you everything we got. And I think that’s going to be more than you can handle."
-Introductory Press Conference: January 2009

Barring a Miracle on 34th Street, Sunday will be the last time we see Rex Ryan donning the green and white as head coach of the New York Jets (reports already have him clearing out his office in Florham Park). Like most of Rex's tenure here, this article isn't hear to be sad, lamenting on what could have been. Instead, I am here to bring a smile to your face, reminiscing over these past 5 years, with some of my favorite Rex Ryan quotes. On Black Monday the entire franchise is going to start their complete overhaul, thus ending the Ryan Era. I can't say this enough, but thank you Coach Ryan. You will sincerely missed. I wish you the best of luck in whatever the next step of your career will be, unless you join the Patriots or Giants ;)

“I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick’s rings. I came here to win, let’s put it that way. I’m certainly not intimidated by New England or anybody else.”
-Introductory Press Conference: January 2009

At Rex Ryan's introductory press conference he came in guns blazing. After a period where Jets fans came to expect "paint-by-numbers" talk by Eric Mangini, Coach Ryan let you know exactly what he was bringing to the table. From the Super Bowl predictions, to calling out the Patriots and Giants, Rex was unlike anyone we have ever see. The 2009 season was a roller-coaster ride, and at the end a gift from "Santa Clause" got us into the playoffs, but Rex's attitude got us to the AFC Championship Game.

“Let’s make sure we play like the fucking New York Jets and not some fucking slap-dick team. That’s what I want to see tomorrow. Do we understand what the fuck I want to see tomorrow? Now let’s go eat a goddamn snack.”
-Hard Knocks, August 2010

The 2010 edition of HBO's hit series Hard Knocks made Rex Ryan a bona-fide star. He had so many one-liners that Jet Nation still repeats to this day. That training camp made Ryan a media darling, and put a lot of eyeballs and targets on the Jets. However, Rex proved he wasn't a one trick pony, by knocking both Tom Brady and Peyton Manning out of the playoffs in consecutive weeks. Once again, Gang Green was on the precipice of a Super Bowl, but that season also ended with an AFC Championship Game loss. 2010 was also the year that a video was uncovered of Rex showing his love for feet.

"Hey, guys, we don’t have Revis in this building right now. … Does it matter that Revis is not here? Goddamn, he’s pretty fucking good. He’s pretty good, OK? But you know what guys? It isn’t about one guy, its about leading the league in fucking wins.”
-Hard Knocks, August 2010

 The 2011 New York Jets were the first team that regressed in the Rex Ryan era. Perhaps the biggest turning point in Rex's tenure came when he lost to the Giants on Christmas Eve of 2011. The win catapulted the Giants to the Super Bowl, while Gang Green was stuck watching at home. Rex's promise of no longer playing in Big Blue's shadow was just a pipe dream for Jet Nation.

“There’s no way I’m going to be second fiddle. If we were playing the New York Yankees, I don’t want to be second fiddle to them. This is the same type of deal. I want to be the best team in football, not just the best team in this city. But we’ll start by being the best team in this city.”
-Talking about the Giants, December 2011

A slimmed down Coach Ryan made his debut in 2012. Unfortunately the 2012 season was over before it really began. The addition of Tim Tebow was an utter disaster, and problems with new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano led to a tension throughout the season. The season ended in a comical manner with a photo of Rex Ryan's tattoo depicting his wife in a Mark Sanchez jersey.

“I never realized how similar that I am to Tom Brady. I mean, the obvious physical appearance would be the first thing. The fact that he's married to a supermodel? Hello?”
-Before a game against the Patriots
 
The 2013 Jets had a new General Manager, John Idzik, new offensive coordinator, Marty Mornhinweg, and new starting quarterback, Geno Smith. Rex knew that his back was against the wall, but took  a team that everyone expected to be one of the worst in the league to an 8-8 record. After their last home game, Woody Johnson told a jubilant locker room that Rex will be coming back in 2014.

(from Boomer & Carton producer, Al Dukes)

"I think Rex is a great coach. I think he is a great person. There is no question about that. He’s very handsome"
 -Dressed as his brother Rob before a game against the Browns

The 2014 season has been a disaster. However, the majority of media and fans are blaming the problems on John Idzik and Woody Johnson for leaving over $20 million in salary cap with obvious holes on the roster. The Jets still hung in against some of the best teams in the league, like the Patriots, Broncos, and Packers. The team still plays hard for Rex Ryan and that is evidence enough that he is a great coach in this league.

When Rex Ryan got here, he tried his damnedest to change the perception of the Same Old Jets. His defense brought a toughness not seen in this city since the Parcells' Giants, and the "ground and pound" offense followed in the defense's mentality. However, Rex was always handcuffed by having a below-average quarterback in a passing league, and that has led to his ultimate downfall. Once again, thank you Coach Ryan, it's been one hell of a ride. 

One last note, from Patriot fan Bill Simmons Friday football column:

"I hope the Jets are dumb enough to fire Rex — the guy who won them four road playoff games in two years even though Mark Freaking Sanchez was playing QB for him. We always hear that you’re only as good as your QB. Well, Rex’s starting QBs ranked 24^th, 17^th, 26^th, 32^nd, 28^th and 30^th in QBR from 2009 through 2014. During that time, the Jets never had a 1,000-yard receiver and only had three 1,000-yard running backs (Thomas Jones in 2009 and Shonn Greene in 2011 and 2012). In the past 12 years, the Jets have drafted one above-average skill position player … and it was a kick returner (Leon Washington in 2006). And this is Rex’s fault?"

Plea to Woody Johnson

Hello Mr Johnson,

My name is Frank, and I've been a Jets fan since 1997, when I was 10 years old. I've seen the good, the 1998, 2009, and 2010 AFC Championship Game seasons, the bad, Favre's collapse in 2008, and the ugly, the Buttfumble (need I say more). It is with this that I beg of you to let John Idzik go before the calendar hits 2015. Hell, he should go on Black Monday; December 29th. I'm not happy that you are letting go of a great football mind in Rex Ryan, but I do understand that some sacrifices need to be made for the future of this once proud franchise.

  

The last 3 months have been a trying time for the Green and White faithful. We have once again become the laughing stock of the league because of moves that the man that you left in control of our football operations is incapable of doing his job. Not only is this team unwatchable, Jets fans are forced to see Mark Sanchez playing well in Philadelphia, Antonio Cromartie playing well for the Cardinals, and on Sunday we get visited by Revis Clause, who has been playing like the best corner in the league again for our biggest rivals, the Patriots.

Enough about the guys we've lost, you want to judge Mr. Idzik on the men he brought into this organization. Good quality men like Mike Goodson (arrested on drug and weapon posession), Dimitri Paterson (he FUCKING DISAPPEARED before a preseason game), and Kellen Winslow (who played with balls more in a Target parking lot then a football field). He brought in free agents who contributed greatly to the organization, like Braylon Edwards and David Garrard, who both retired in camp. 

Even if you discredit those moves, his gaffes on the biggest stage, the NFL Draft are enough to drive a sane man into an asylum. In 2013, we drafted Dee Milliner who has played a whopping 16 games in 2 seasons, including being benched for a majority of last season, Geno Smith, who's 69.8 QBR is last in the NFL this season, Brian Winters and Oday Aboushi, the weak links on our offensive line.

You're probably saying to yourself the 2014 couldn't have gone worse than the 2013 Draft, but somehow it did. Out of our 12 draft picks, only four of them remain on the roster. First round pick Calvin Pryor has been benched, even in our abysmal secondary. Jace Amoro (Butterfingers) has dropped more passes than he caught this season. Third round pick Dee Milliner Jr, oops sorry, Dexter McDougle can't stay healthy in the pros after battling injuries in his college career. Receivers Shaq Evans and Jalen Saunders are both off the team. To make matters worse, we could've drafted Martavius Bryant who only has 484 yards and 7 touchdowns this season. Do I need to keep going?

We aren't going anywhere. As much as you try to price real fans out of Jetlife Stadium, who refuse to pay your criminal PSLs, we are going to support the team (gotta support the team) because we Bleed Jets Green. If you want to stop the planes carrying banners over our practice fields in Florham Park, stop the fans waving the yellow penalty flags, and put an end to this 2 year hell there is only one decision to make. Tell John Idzikand don't let the door hit him in the ass on the way out.

Sincerely,

Jets Nation