Tag Archives: NFL

It’s a Hard Knock Life…For Gang Green

Posted on by
Reply

By Jason Klein

Originally Written For The Official Steiner Sports Blog – 3/25/10

Move over Orphan Annie, Rex Ryan just registered for summer classes at the school of Hard Knocks.

This August, the New York Jets will be the latest team featured on HBO’s Hard Knocks, a documentary series produced in conjunction with NFL Films.  The novel reality show takes football fans behind closed doors inside an NFL locker room, giving them access to internal coaches meetings, practices, and players’ personal lives away from the field.

The Jets will be the seventh team featured on the show that first featured aBaltimore Ravensteam, in 2001, with a feisty, loud defensive coach named…Rex Ryan.

This time, Ryan is running the show in New York.  He will most likely run the show on HBO too.  His Big Apple-sized personality is the perfect fit for reality television.  His bluster and quick-witted comments will keep viewers on their toes, plus, his recent lap-band surgery, and the eating challenges that lie ahead, adds a human element sidebar that should add to the intrigue.

Throw in a marketable, second-year franchise QB (Mark Sanchez), a trash-talking veteran linebacker (Bart Scott), arguably the best defensive player in the league – barring an extended holdout, (Darrelle Revis), a young stud running back (Shonn Greene), and a newly acquired, future first-ballot Hall of Famer (Ladainian Tomlinson), and the Jets should be must-see-TV this summer.

In addition, coming off a surprisingly successful run through the AFC Playoffs in 2009, the Jets will have a “Super Bowl or Bust” mentality this season as they leave their old home behind and prepare to open up a new, state-of-the-art Stadium in the Meadowlands.  It remains to be seen whether their inclusion on the show will distract them on the way to reaching their lofty goals.

It will certainly be a learning experience…

From the school of Hard Knocks.

Connect With Jason

https://byjasonklein.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/instagram-circle.jpg?w=584

 

Script Flipped on Jets in AFC Title Game

Posted on by
Reply

By Jason Klein

Originally Written For The Official Steiner Sports Blog – 1/26/10

Mark Sanchez stood at the podium, his playoff beard finally gone, like the Jets hopes of winning Super Bowl XLIV.  His “Wonderboy” T-Shirt…no where in sight, replaced now with a blank, white one, perhaps symbolic of the clean slate the New York Jets will have the next time they take the field in 2010.

All the big wins down the stretch, the top ranked defense and running game, the bluster…all just a memory now.  That’s the way it goes in the NFL.  One day you’re playing in the Conference Championship Game, only sixty minutes from Super Sunday, and the next thing you know, you’re staring at a blank page, pen in hand, script unwritten.

Unfortunately for authors like Sanchez, Head Coach, Rex Ryan, and the rest of the Jets organization, it’s often difficult to stick to any script in this league.  There are always so many variables, unforeseen injuries, salary cap calamities, unfavorable schedules, and inclement weather that could get in the way.

Opportunities like the one the Jets just had are rare in the NFL.  Bright futures can dim rather quickly.  Players age, become free agents, or retire, and windows propped open by hope and promise are humbly slammed shut with little notice.

The 2010 Jets should be favored to win their division, and contend for a place in Super Bowl XLV.  It’s exactly what awaited the 1999 Jets after losing to Denver in the AFC Title Game the year prior.  That team, devastated by a week one Achilles tendon injury to quarterback Vinny Testaverde, failed to reach their Super goal.  So have the ten Jets teams since.

It took eleven years to get back to where they were in January 1999 – a halftime lead in the AFC Championship Game, and only thirty minutes from the Super Bowl.  This year, like 1999, they failed to score in the second half as the Indianapolis Colts took the game 30-17, and punched their ticket to Miami at the Jets’ expense.

Make no mistake about it though, the Jets did not lose this game in “Same Old Jets” fashion.  They were beaten by the better team, with the better quarterback.  There is no shame in the way this latest Jets team played.  They were resilient, positive, had great team chemistry, and captured the imaginations of every fan that bleeds green and white.  Ryan made everyone a believer in 2009.

In his final team meeting of the season, Ryan told his players to “wear their Jets stuff and be proud of it.”  Why shouldn’t they?  Ryan has created a new culture within this organization, an environment that players can thrive in, and one that is enticing for prized free agents to come be a part of.

Though there is no assurance of anything in 2010 and beyond, the Jets appear to have all the pieces in place to succeed – in this unpredictable league, that’s the best any franchise can hope for.  Gang Green is set up with a young, star quarterback, a fiery, crafty head coach, a powerful defense and running game, and a brand new stadium – all components that any NFL author would salivate at the chance to write into the script.

There was no storybook ending this year, and there is no guarantee there ever will be.  But the future appears bright and Jets fans will have to wait at least one more season for the next chapter in Jets history to be written.

Connect With Jason

https://byjasonklein.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/instagram-circle.jpg?w=584

 

Jets Fans: No Time To Just Settle, Be Super!

Posted on by
Reply

By Jason Klein

Originally Written For The Official Steiner Sports Blog – 1/19/10

The “house money” is all spent.  Moral victories no longer exist.  No, that’s all over now.  Complacency expired with the clock in San Diego.

Jets 17, Chargers 14.

Get greedy Jets fans.  Gang Green is in the final four.  They are about to play in a game the franchise has only seen on three other occasions, 1968, 1982, and 1998.  The New York Jets…say it with me…are going to the AFC Championship Game and are only 60 minutes away from Super Bowl XLIV.  Believe it.

With that said, every fan who bleeds green and white should be thinking big, thinking about getting two more victories and hoisting the Lombardi Trophy amid a green and white confetti rain.  Reaching the AFC Title Game is a great achievement…no doubt.  But don’t settle here.  Don’t be satisfied with just a “great” season.  Dream of a “Super” season.  It’s now within reach.

Opportunities like these are so rare.  Teams come so close, fall just short, and then prepare for a future that may never come.  One season a franchise makes it to the Championship Game, and the next season their balloon of hopes and dreams pop like their quarterback’s Achilles tendon in week one (see Vinny & the Jets circa 1999).

There are so many variables in the NFL.  Teams battle devastating injuries, unfavorable schedules, inclement weather, a salary cap, and have to peak at the right time just to have a shot at a January run.  There are no guarantees in the NFL…well…other than Joe Willie’s pledge prior to Super Bowl III.

Namath’s magic occurred a generation ago, the 2009 Jets are trying to exorcise the demons and do something that no Jets team has done since that unforgettable day in January 1969.

This is no longer just a feel good story.  The Jets are in way too deep for that.  An appearance in the AFC Championship Game officially qualifies as “serious business.”  It’s an opportunity that may never come around again.  The New York Jets head into Indianapolis to face Peyton Manning and the Colts on Sunday at 3:00 PM.  A trip to Miami, and a place in history hangs in the balance.

No time like the present.  No guarantees for the future.  No turning back now.

Get greedy Jets fans.

Connect With Jason

https://byjasonklein.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/instagram-circle.jpg?w=584

 

Lights Out at Meadowlands Signals Opportunity to Own History

Posted on by
Reply

By Jason Klein

Originally Written For The Official Steiner Sports Blog – 1/5/10

The sign outside may have read “

Giants Stadium,” but the building finally felt like home for Jets fans on Sunday night.

The Jets, perhaps, saved their best performance for last as they did battle with the Cincinnati Bengals in the final game played in Meadowlands history.  Gang Green overcame frigid temperatures, and all the odds, to defeat the Bengals 37-0 in a rout.  In the process, they clinched the 5thseed in the AFC playoffs, the franchise’s first trip to the post season since 2006.

The Jets were destined to do what their co-tenants couldn’t the week prior.  The Giants’ final Meadowlands performance left a sour taste – falling to the Panthers 41-9 in week 16.  By contrast, the Jets refused to lose, holding the playoff-bound Bengals to just 72 total yards of offense…in the whole game!

Mark Sanchez completed an up-and-down rookie season on a high note, managing the offense and feeding Thomas Jones.  Following the game, and a refreshingly frosty Gatorade bath for head coach, Rex Ryan, players did a victory lap, shaking hands with the fans and shutting out the lights at the old building in style.

It was the final great moment inside a building that provided many along the way.  Jets fans will always remember moments like the Monday Night Miracle victory over the Dolphins in 2000, the 1999 Divisional Game against Jacksonville, and the back-to-back routs of the Packers and Colts to end the 2002 regular season and start the playoffs respectively.  Giants fans will quickly forget the team’s 2009 shortcomings and focus more on the three Lombardi Trophies, hoisted after the 1986, 1990 and 2007 seasons.

Whatever your allegiance, there is tons of history oozing from within the Meadowlands walls.  A new partnership joining Steiner Sports with the Meadowlands allows fans and football historians alike to own pieces of that nostalgia.

Interested in owning a pair of seats from within Giants Stadium?  Steiner Sports new partnership makes that possible.  Fans will have access to seats, seatbacks, pieces of the turf, goal posts, and various other items from within the building.  It’s the perfect way to commemorate the past and look forward to a bright future inside the New Meadowlands starting in 2010.

As the Jets prepare for their Wild Card Weekend rematch with Cincinnati, and the Giants start to prepare for what will no doubt be an exciting 2010 campaign, the lights inside Giants Stadium are now dark.  There will never be another game played inside the building that served as home for two teams, and enjoyed one glorious timeline of moments.

It finally felt like home for Jets fans on Sunday night.  Giants fans have always felt ownership.  With both teams moving across the parking lot next season, now it’s the fans who can start to make pieces of the building their own.

Connect With Jason

https://byjasonklein.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/instagram-circle.jpg?w=584


 

Just a Waiting Game for Vick

Posted on by
Reply

By Jason Klein

Originally Written For The Official Steiner Sports Blog – 7/23/09

Every dog has his day.  Michael Vick will get his shortly.  After serving 23 months on a dog-fighting conviction, Vick became a free man on Monday, opening the door for reinstatement into the NFL.  Next up for the ostracized quarterback: a meeting with NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell.

In that meeting, Vick will have to demonstrate genuine remorse over his actions and make Goodell believe his intentions are good.  Ultimately, whether Vick ever takes another snap in the NFL rests in the commissioner’s hands.

Assuming all goes well, it will be a long, and difficult road back for the one-time face of the Atlanta Falcons, but it’s an opportunity he deserves.  No one is debating that Vick’s involvement with dog-fighting was a disgusting and heinous crime.  However, just like any convicted criminal returning to society after serving their time, Vick deserves the right to earn a living.  It just so happens that in his line of work, the entire world gets to watch along.

So far, Vick has attempted to use his fame, or infamy, to his advantage along the comeback trail.  In a positive PR play, he has joined forces with the Humane Society, the nation’s largest animal welfare organization.  According to Humane Society President and CEO, Wayne Pacelle, Vick will appear in some PSA’s and help educate America’s youth by rolling up his sleeves and appearing at urban centers to denounce dog-fighting.

Pacelle believes that it’s important for everyone to keep their focus on the real task at hand, “I don’t think anyone was tougher on [Vick] than we were,” he said.  “But the goal was never the continued punitive treatment of Michael Vick. The goal has always been to eradicate dog-fighting in America and around the world.”

With Vick’s debt to society paid, and his willingness to help others learn from his mistakes, the stage is set for his gridiron return.  He hasn’t played an NFL game since December 31, 2006, but at age 29, Vick is young enough where he could recover from a long layoff and once again have an impact in the league.

Assuming he is physically capable, and baring any further legal issues, a team in legitimate need of a quarterback will give him a shot.  If he can still help a team win games, some owner out there will take the PR hit and bark up that tree.  Every dog has his day, Michael Vick will get his, which team will give it to him?

Connect With Jason

https://byjasonklein.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/instagram-circle.jpg?w=584

 

 

Adding Plaxico is Worth a “Shot”

Posted on by
Reply

By Jason Klein

Originally Written For The Official Steiner Sports Blog – 6/16/09

Plaxico Burress shot himself in the thigh last season.  Any NFL owner who passes on his services this off season may as well shoot himself in the foot.

On November 29, 2008, the disgraced 31-year-old wide receiver put a bullet in his thigh with an unlicensed gun while inside a Manhattan nightclub.  Long story short: Burress pleaded not guilty, was freed on $100,000 bail, and faces up to 3 and a half years behind bars.  Oh, and he missed the rest of the 2008 season, couldn’t help the Giants defend their title, and was subsequently released in April 2009 – it was a rough five months for the man who caught the game winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII just ten months prior.

On Monday, June 15th, Burress appeared in Manhattan Supreme Court, and had his weapons possession case adjourned until September.  According to agent Drew Rosenhaus, as posted on his Twitter page, “…there will not be a trial for Plex until after the 09 season…we are hoping to have a deal in place with a team for Plex before training camps start.”

As long as Burress doesn’t give himself a hernia carrying all that baggage, he is automatically the best wide receiver on the market this off season, and should be coveted as such.  Why not?  During the 2007 season, his last full season, Burress caught 70 balls for 1,025 yards, and 12 TDs.  Those are the numbers of an elite receiver.

So why would any NFL owner want this large distraction?  Because Plaxico Burress will produce on the field.  Bottom line.  The NFL is a results-driven league – if you can help a team win, there will always be a job for you…no matter how big your off-the-field issues may be (see Pacman Jones).

There are at least three teams who have expressed interest in adding #17 to their roster, including the Tampa Bay Bucs, Chicago Bears, and New York Jets.  Burress would be the number one receiver on any of those teams before ever lacing up his spikes.

According to a New York Post report, under current NFL rules, Burress could be indicted, agree to a trial date, but still take the field for the 2009 season.  The one caveat, he can’t plead guilty or be convicted before then – both unlikely given the current state of affairs.

There is one minor obstacle standing in the way for these anxious, receiver-weak clubs.  According to the NFL Personal Conduct Policy, Commissioner Roger Goodell could potentially suspend the receiver for his off-the-field actions.  Interested teams have already reached out to the commissioner’s office to get a read on his intentions before making any offers.

There is no question that what Burress did was wrong, and one could certainly question his makeup.  No one really knows why he felt it was necessary to carry a loaded, unlicensed weapon into the club that night, but he will have his day in court to explain it all.  Until then, Burress should get his chance to perform on the field as several NFL teams will reach out to try and add instant offense to their club.

After all, it’s worth a “shot.”

Connect With Jason

https://byjasonklein.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/instagram-circle.jpg?w=584


 

Favre’s Next Stop Should Be Canton

Posted on by
Reply

By Jason Klein

Originally Written For The Official Steiner Sports Blog – 6/10/09

According to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, 25 to 30 hotel rooms were recently blocked off by friends and family of “retired” quarterback, Brett Favre.  Their itinerary: Green Bay, Wisconsin, November 1, 2009.  Certainly, the Packers must be planning a “Brett Favre Day” as part of their 1:00 PM matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.  They must be retiring his legendary number 4, and honoring his 16 seasons of work in green and gold…right?

Wrong.  These travel plans were made amidst the latest rumors regarding Favre’s potential comeback – this time, with the archrival Vikes.  His entourage would be better suited booking rooms in Canton, Ohio for the summer of 2013, the first year he’s eligible for induction into Pro Football’sHall of Fame.  Instead, the ole’ gunslinger just can’t stay away from the game he loves.  As a result, his comeback story has become a tired one.

Like a dinner guest lingering long after everyone else has gone home, Brett Favre has outworn his welcome in the NFL.  There’s no debating hisresume – he is one of the greatest players, and leaders, to ever play the game.  But its time the 39-year-old pack it up, head held high, and retire for good.

He looked weary, and old during the final weeks of his short stay in New York.  He looked defeated following the Jets 24-17 season-ending loss inMiami, at the hands of the man he replaced, Chad Pennington.  Despite it all, Jets owner, Woody Johnson, gushed over the job Favre did, and publicly expressed interest in bringing him back (after all, Johnson still had PSL’s to sell).

But, just as he did following the 2007 season in Green Bay, Favre, once more, opted for retirement.  It was back to Mississippi he went, riding off in the sunset, never to throw another touchdown, or interception, again.

Then a funny thing happened, Favre had surgery on his injured shoulder – an odd move for a retired player.  Whether it was feelings of resentment for the way he was exiled out of Green Bay, or his true passion for football, it appeared that Favre wanted to come back, again.

The decision to play, or not to play, ultimately belongs with the player.  No one else has the right to tell a willing and able athlete that he has to hang it up…after all, athletes have a very limited career shelf life, they should get as much out of that time as possible.  Instead, it is Favre’s constant uncertainty about his intentions that rubs fans the wrong way.

Had he expressed a desire to play again in 2009, no one would begrudge him the right to do so.  Instead, he told Johnson and the Jets, “Thanks, but no thanks,” and retired from football.  The Jets moved on without him, gave him his unconditional release, and drafted USC Quarterback, Mark Sanchez as his replacement.

Now, just five short months after the season ended, with his ties to the Jets cut, Favre has flipped again, and appears ready to get back in the game, a move that has further alienated him with fans tired of this stale act.  If he goes through with it, hotel rooms in Green Bay will certainly go for a premium this November 1st when the Vikings come to town.  So will rooms in Canton, OH the next time Favre would be eligible for Hall of Fame induction, the summer of 2014…or 2015…or 2016…

Connect With Jason

https://byjasonklein.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/instagram-circle.jpg?w=584

 

 

Sanchez to Pilot Jets

Posted on by
Reply

By Jason Klein

Originally Written For The Official Steiner Sports Blog – 4/28/09

His cell phone was pressed firmly to his right ear, his left hand was triumphantly raised above his head.  The voice in his ear, that of General Manager Mike Tannenbaum, asked the kid from SoCal if he wanted to be a New York Jet.  With the world watching, he accepted…punctuating the news with a fist pump and a smile.  Just like that, the Jets had a new face for their often embattled franchise. Mark Sanchez, welcome to Broadway.

Immediately, the Jets have their biggest name at their most important position since Joe Willie sported white cleats and a mink.  So far, the Kid looks the part. Coming from one of the biggest football programs in the nation (USC), he is already battle-tested.  There are certainly some question marks regarding his overall experience – he only started 16 games for the Trojans – but experts are quick to point out just how grueling Pete Carroll’s pro-style practices are.

He looked relaxed and genuinely excited at his introductory Jets press conference, at one point claiming that, “this is so cool.”  His heritage will open up new marketing avenues for the Jets, giving them the ability to target a broader audience within the large New York Hispanic Community.  His diverse background, personality and looks, all in the largest market in the nation, will lead to numerous endorsement deals.  That is, if the kid can play.

He will get every opportunity to start in 2009, and all things being even in training camp, he will be under center against Houston on opening day.  However, if he’s outplayed by incumbent Kellen Clemens, look for Sanchez to start the season as the understudy.

Coming off the Brett Favre experiment in 2008, this team is built to win now.  Nick Mangold, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, and Alan Fanaca anchor a solid offensive line, capable of protecting a young and inexperienced QB like Sanchez.  Plus, Thomas Jones, Leon Washington, and Jerricho Cotchery provide this squad with enough firepower to succeed.  Ultimately, new coach, Rex Ryan’s defense will keep the team in all games, Sanchez or Clemens would simply have to protect the ball and not make mistakes.

Whether it was a ploy to help sell more PSL’s or not, by trading up to the 5th pick on Saturday and nabbing Sanchez, the Jets inserted a player, with all the tools, who could potentially lead their franchise for the next decade.  However, fickle and hungry Jets fans know, for every Joe Namath, there is a Browning Nagle.  The heat will be turned up on the kid from SoCal.  Mark Sanchez, welcome to Broadway.

Connect With Jason

https://byjasonklein.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/instagram-circle.jpg?w=584