By Eddie Mayrose
The Jets: Déjà vu all over again
Well, here we are again, Jet fans. After an exciting Opening Day win on the road behind 
a new quarterback, Gang Green returns to the Meadowlands for its home opener on Sunday to face a Patriots team that looks suddenly vulnerable. Last season, a week after Tom Brady was lost for the year, Jets’ faithful were abuzz with talk of an AFC East title. Not only was Brady done, but his replacement, Matt Cassel, hadn’t started a game since high school and future Hall of Famer Brett Favre was now under center for the home team. Yet, despite all of their high hopes and expectations, the Jets couldn’t get anything started against Bill Bellichick’s defensive scheme and fell 19-10 in a game that wasn’t even that close.
This week, the Jets again prepare for a home opener against New England following an exciting, if not dominant, road win. Mark Sanchez is now the quarterback that has the fans excited and the Pats, having lost four defensive starters from last year, may be without a fifth, LB Jerod Mayo, the AFC’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in ’08. Adding more fuel to the fire is the fact that the Brady Bunch was extremely unimpressive in beating the Bills Monday night; a game in which they needed a last minute miracle to win.
While there seems to be every reason for optimism, it’s hard to imagine that Bellichik won’t come up with a game plan to make life miserable for Sanchez. The one thing the Jets can hang their hats on, though, is that it’s likely Rex Ryan will return the favor. The aggression and intensity with which Ryan’s defenders played in Houston was something that hasn’t been seen in green jerseys since the days of Joe Klecko and Lance Mehl. If the Jets can somehow steal a win this week or next, (vs. Tennessee), they’ll have weathered a brutal early schedule and may be able to start thinking playoffs. Longtime fans know from experience, however, just how big an IF that actually is.
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U.S. Open Tennis: “I’m telling Mommy!”
Let’s be clear. Serena Williams’ outburst during the women’s semifinals of the U.S. Tennis Open was deplorable. That it came after an earlier tirade that saw Williams destroy her racket renders any defense of her behavior as “heat of the moment” ridiculous. However, the sight of the line judge that made the call scurrying over to the referee like a small child tattling to her parents was pretty funny.
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Giants’ Hands
We’ll certainly know more about the Giants after this week’s visit to Dallas but, based on first impressions; it looks like the receiving corps of Hakeem Nicks (out for two weeks with an ankle), Mario Manningham and Steve Smith certainly has the potential to develop into a unit more than capable of winning a Super Bowl. Until then, Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs and the game’s best offensive line are enough to put the Jints in the postseason.
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Mike Francesa:Only on Sundays
While his condescending arrogance is the reason I no longer listen to WFAN’s Mike Francesa on weekday afternoons, his Sunday football preview show, The NFL Now, is a must listen. Clearly driven by his passion for the sport, Francesa delivers concise, informative analysis and even seems to enjoy the fans’ call-in segment. It’s a shame we haven’t heard this entertaining persona during the week for years.
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Yankees: Where’s A.J.?
With the final two weeks reduced to nothing more than a tuneup for the playoffs, it’s got to be a real area of concern for the Yankees that A.J. Burnett has struggled so mightily in the second half. Without Burnett, whose history is such that he only seems to perform at his best during the last year of his contract, the Bombers’ rotation is without a reliable third starter heading into the postseason. They seem invincible everywhere else, however, something for which GM Brian Cashman doesn’t seem to get enough credit. While it’s true that the Yankees have an almost unlimited amount of money to spend on free agents, it’s still incumbent upon Cashman to sign the right guys; something that’s proven difficult over the last decade. But, in Mark Teixeira and C.C. Sabathia, Cashman not only plucked the top talent from the list but also got two guys who fit seamlessly into a clubhouse that’s reminiscent of Joe Torre’s dynasty. The delicate mix of both stars and role players may very well bring the Yanks that 27th trophy.
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Hey Ref! Isn’t that a little loud?
As an old AFL fan, I really enjoyed the throwback uniforms worn by the original, pre-merger franchises on Monday night. The only problem was that I couldn’t hear the broadcast over the referees’ outfits.
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Mets Fans?
Here’s a sad but interesting question that may be difficult for Mets’ fans to answer. Which was more difficult to endure; the last two seasons that ended in unbelievable disappointment but featured pennant race baseball through September or this year, which offered little better than an unwatchable, AAA team for most of the second half?
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Greatest baseball song ever: Peter, Paul and Mary
Farewell to Mary Travers of the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary. Best known for their hit, Puff the Magic Dragon, they also recorded the greatest Baseball song ever written; Right Field. Godspeed.
believed he should have always been the Yankees’ leadoff man. Why it took so long to insert him into the top spot remains a mystery, especially since he was always the choice to bat first in most of the post season games played during the dynasty of the late 90’s. Regardless, he’s there now and is one of the main reasons the Bombers seem poised for another World Series run. What Jeter is not, however, is a serious candidate for the American League MVP award, as Minnesota’s Joe Mauer should be the unanimous choice.
