Rex Ryan, The Media, and Why We Should Respect Our Elders

At a young age we’re taught to respect our elders, but in our culture we’ve been taught to do just the opposite. Our favorite musicians need to adjust to the latest trends and sell ipods in order to sell a fifth of the albums they sold in their prime. Our favorite actresses fall off the face of the earth, or even worse – into straight to video films, once they hit maternity. Yet no cultural figures become more irrelevant than our favorite quarterbacks of yesteryear.

This offseason Warren Moon refused to hop on the media’s anti-Cam Newton bandwagon and was criticized for it, some even accusing Moon of favoring Newton because of his African American heritage. It turns out that Moon, a Hall of Fame quarterback, was able to see in Newton a skill set that would translate well to the NFL. Moon was right, the majority of the media was wrong.

In 2009, a long retired Fran Tarkenton spoke out against Brett Favre and his penchant for contemplating retirement. Tarkenton warned that Favre would be holding the franchise back from building around a young team, and he would be too much of an attention seeker. Top media figures destroyed Tarkenton and Minnesota fans turned on the only quarterback to take their franchise to the Super Bowl. Tarkenton was likened to the cantankerous old man who does nothing but complain about how in his day everything was better. Two years later, Tarkenton was obviously right. Despite one magical season in 2009 that ended with a costly Favre interception, it is obvious now that the Vikings mortgaged their future for a run with Favre, and now they’re 0-4, coming off of a horrible year that saw the franchise set itself back to where it was in 2006. Tarkenton was right, the majority of the media was wrong.

This past Monday, Joe Namath went on “The Michael Kay Show” on 1050-ESPN radio (where he normally does a Thursday spot) and said that Rex Ryan has his team believing that they’re better than they are, and for that they don’t work hard enough at getting better. Namath called the Jets 34-24 loss to the Raiders “humiliating,” and then zeroed in on Ryan’s constant declarations of magnitude. Namath said that Ryan’s consistent brash talk in regards to his team has his players thinking that they’re champions, when in reality they’re just a team that go to back to back AFC title games.

And Namath is right. Think about it. What if after the devastating loss the 2002 Eagles suffered to the Buccaneers, Andy Reid came out and bragged about winning more playoff games over the past three years than any other team? We would have laughed in his face and Reid may have lost his job after the 2003 loss the Panthers. Yet the national media, a vast majority of the New York media, and the Jets fan-base feed off of Ryan.

Remember Harold Camping? The guy who predicted the world was going to end on May 21st of 2011, and then May 21st came and went so he said it was going to happen in October, 2011? So far that’s what Rex Ryan has done. He’s created a cult of New Yorkers and media people who believe that his predictions are correct, and they’re willing to adjust their mindsets accordingly. Jets fans are no longer the Mets fans of football; a team that expects to lose, they’re now like Yankee fans; a team that expects to win every game, every night. Jets fans have bought into Ryan’s dialogue, bought Mark Sanchez jerseys, and made countless social media impressions about Revis Island, the way Camping’s followers sold their possessions, put up billboard ads, and prayed fervently in anticipation of the apocalypse. An a apocalypse that never came.

What’s even worse is that, according to Namath, the Jets players have joined the cult, and that’s dangerous. People criticize Tom Brady for his arrogance, Aaron Rodgers for flashing a championship belt after a touchdown, or Peyton Manning for his evident emotion, but those three players prepare for every game as if their legacy is on the line. Those players have developed a method to not only win in the regular season, but to win in the post season, and the Super Bowl as well. Ryan’s team demonstrates all of those attributes, but unlike those players, is void of any championship. This is what Namath warned against. Namath feared that unlike his 1968 Jets, who rode Namath’s guarantee of a championship to an unpredictable Super Bowl III victory, the 2011 Jets have lost their underdog hunger and now believe that they can just go out there and beat anybody.

Immediately after Namath’s comments a media firestorm took off. Namath was called all of the things that Fran Tarkenton was called. Some had the audacity to call him jealous of Sanchez’s success, and that Sanchez is the new playboy of New York. 660-WFAN’s Craig Carton destroyed Namath, while other personalities pointed to Namath’s stats having more interceptions than touchdown’s for his career. A few level headed media members such as 660-WFAN’s Mike Francesa pointed out that Namath played in a different era so his statistics can’t be looked at, but Francesa is also billed as anti-Jet, so his defense of Namath fell mostly to deaf ears.

Then Rex Ryan opened his mouth, insinuating that Namath is out of touch at what goes on behind the scenes in the NFL, and that he has no knowledge of how the Jets prepare. Ryan did his best to dance around the subject without putting down Namath, who is to this day the only New York Jet of national significance, but at the end of the day Rex was Rex, and Namath did not do his weekly Thursday spot on 1050-ESPN.

And now the Jets are 2-2 heading into New England. The offense came out unprepared and got embarrassed by a Baltimore team that the Jets needed to beat to get over that regular season hump they’ve been stuck on. On top of that, the Jets looked as bad as they’ve ever looked under Rex Ryan, and Mark Sanchez had a performance that would have made Curtis Painter laugh. The Jets offensive and defensive lines looked horrible, and the bottom line is the Jets looked like a team that is about to spiral into a .500 season.

When a Hall of Fame quarterback has something to say about the game that they excelled at, we should listen, just as we would listen if John F. Kennedy were still alive and wanted to talk about the state of our government. Namath may have played in a different era but he still knows the sport, and unlike Ryan he knows the mentality of a player, and more importantly the mentality of a champion. And for that, Joe Namath was right, the majority of the media was wrong.

What a Super Bowl Victory Would Mean For Each of The Remaining Franchises?

With twenty four hours remaining until kickoff of championship weekend, the fans of the final four franchises, the Jets, Colts, Vikings, and Saints, are likely both nervous and excited today.

Each franchise has something different invested in winning a Super Bowl, and it's important to explore what a Super Bowl victory might mean for each franchise.

New York Jets
The Jets are opening a new stadium stadium next year and need to sell a lot of Personal Seat License's (PSL). Though this playoff run has helped sell plenty of new ones, plenty remain. A Super Bowl victory for the Jets would absolutely energize the New York market enough to not only sell every PSL available, but also create a waiting list like there was at the old Giants stadium.

A Super Bowl win for the Jets would also give the franchise some punching room in the debate between New York teams. Since the early 1980's the Jets have been the undeniable second-best-team-in-New-York, but a Super Bowl victory would put the Jets in the same sentence as the Giants. It wouldn't put the Jets above the Giants, who went to two Super Bowls in the 00's and won one in 2007, but it would even the debate out for now. Though it sounds childish, this competition is important for revenue, more specifically merchandise sales.

A win for the Jets would heal a lot of the franchises post-Namath wounds; drafting Ken O'Brien over Dan Marino, missing out on Brett Favre in 1991, missing out on Peyton Manning in 1997, Bill Belichick resigning at Jets head coach to coach the Patriots in 2000, Mo Lewis knocking Drew Bledsoe out in 2001, the Favre debacle of 2008, and all of Chad Pennington's injuries just to name a few. A win in Super Bowl XLIV would heal many, if not all, of those wounds.

The 2009 Jets would also be remembered as the first team to win a Super Bowl with a rookie; something that Marino, Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Vince Young, Matt Ryan, and Joe Flacco (other impressive rookie QB's) could not do. That alone would make a Super Bowl for the Jets this year even more significant.

Indianapolis Colts

Even before Peyton Manning came to town, the Colts were considered one of the greatest franchises in the history of the sport, it just took Manning to make them relevant in Indianapolis. A win in Super Bowl XLIV would give the Indianapolis Colts their second Super Bowl, and the Colts franchise its third. Counting the Unitas pre-Super Bowl wins, it will give the Colts their fifth undisputed football championship.

A Super Bowl victory this year for the Colts would mean countless things historically; the Colts would have gone undefeated in every game that Peyton Manning played four quarters, and they would likely change the way that teams went about handling the final weeks of the regular season for a long time. A win would also put the Colts in the elite company of teams with three or more Super Bowls, and would put the franchise back into the mix of the top five franchises in the sport.

A win would also do wonders for Peyton Manning's career. Manning is widely considered the best player in the league right now, but a second Super Bowl ring mixed with his four MVP awards, would likely put him in the debate for the best ever. It would also solidify Manning as the player of the decade, and put the Colts in the discussion for team of the decade (though they would have one less ring than the Patriots, they would have more overall wins and two more playoff appearances).

Though it's probable a Super Bowl win wouldn't give the decade to the Colts franchise, it's an absolute truth that the 2009 Colts would be considered the best single season team of the decade, and amidst the all-time elite.

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are a championship-less franchise that has suffered more heartbreak than maybe any other franchise in the league. In the 1970's the Vikings lost four Super Bowls, and since then have failed to return, losing in the playoffs countless times since in the past 30 years. A Super Bowl win would do wonders for a Vikings fan base that has stayed loyal throughout the franchises existence.

Right now "wonders" may be what the Vikings need to stay in Minnesota. The team has what many consider to be "major" stadium woes, and no deal is in place to renovate the building or create a new one. In other words, the Vikings are in danger of moving to Los Angeles, but a Super Bowl victory this year may be able to prevent that. After all, when a team is winning no one talks about them moving.

A Super Bowl victory would also solidify the Vikings as a "major" franchise in the league. Historically the Vikings have always drawn well nationally, and adding a Super Bowl to the Vikings repertoire will add some validity to that stat.

A Super Bowl win for the 2009 Vikings would also be the bookend in Brett Favre's career that transforms him into the greatest of all time. Favre is already the most popular Football player to ever, winning his second Super Bowl with a franchise that has never won one would be an incredible achievement; especially since no QB has ever won a Super Bowl with two different franchises to begin with.

New Orleans Saints

Hurricane Katrina may seem like a long time ago, but to the people in New Orleans it's not. Not only would a Saints Super Bowl victory give the Saints their first championship, it would be the cities first major championship as well. For a city that has gone through what New Orleans has gone through this decade, a Super Bowl would mean a lot. There's not much else to say besides that.

Saints fans have been through a lot of bad times. In the past they have had some good players, sometimes even great players, but they were never able to get a team together. Finally, for the first time in franchise history, the Saints have a team that could contend. More than any of the four teams still alive, the Saints are carving out their franchises history right now; Because the history before 2006 was miserable.

For Drew Brees, a Super Bowl victory would add his name to the list of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and put him right in the debate with Manning, Brady, and Roethlisberger. For some other Saints it would mean different things; Jeremy Shockey will no longer be the guy who helped the 07 Giants by getting hurt. Reggie Bush, if he continues to perform, will be worth his hefty contract. Marques Colston will have what all the receivers who make it to the Pro Bowl each year over him don't have: a ring. Pretty much the entire Saints team has something to prove with a Super Bowl win.

But then again, so does every player left in the final four. When it's all said and done, a champion will be named based on what team deserves it the most.

NFL Championship Weekend Picks

While everyone else considers divisional weekend "the most exciting professional football weekend of the year," for me nothing has ever come close to conference championship weekend; even if there are no games on Saturday.

This weekend we're in for a particular treat. Even if the games fail to be legendary, this will be a weekend that football historians will look back on because of the significance of the four quarterbacks involved.

Mark Sanchez is the fourth rookie quarterback to take his team to a championship game in the past 11 seasons (Shaun King 99, Ben Roethlisberger 04, Joe Flacco 08). Up to this point Drew Brees has been this generations Warren Moon; great stats, few important wins, a win this weekend would put Brees in an enetirely different category historically. Brett Favre and Peyton Manning are both trying to get ring number two; Otherwise known as the ring that would validify either quarterbacks claim as the best ever.

Even when the games don't have this sort of historical significance it's still a cool weekend considering the winner goes to the friggin' Super Bowl. That's why we watch right? To crown a champion.

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
New York Jets @ Indianapolis Colts - In week 3 a Jets @ Colts AFC title game wouldn't have been quite the shocker it would have been entering week 16, the week the Colts gave up on their perfect season to avoid injuries, consequently allowing the Jets to "back in" to the playoffs.

Personally I loved the week 16 Jets @ Colts game because it added to the name Curtis Painter to the "all time most hilarious players in NFL history list." Other than that there is little to take from the outcome of that game.

This week, uneducated Colts fans and Jets fans have been at each others throats over the implications of that game. "We beat 'dem once, we can beat 'dem again," proclaim the Jets fans calling into WFAN NY, while Colts fans continue to defend (half-heartily) Jim Caldwell and Bill Polian's decision to pull Peyton and company.

Though the outcome of the game is completely useless, it may actually have lead to the deciding outcome of this game.

Peyton Manning is notoriously a film-hound. The guy, more than any quarterback in NFL history, lives in the film room. In 2 quarters and one drive in the third quarter, Manning was on pace to have the best game against the Jets defense of the season. The Jets were giving 110% with their playoff hopes on the line, but Manning was able to move the ball. Save for a few off-target throws. Manning and the Colts could have put the game away early.

Fast forward to wild card weekend. Reports were coming out all over the place that the Colts were firing on all cylinders at practice, practicing harder than any first-round-bye team has ever practiced. You know who the Colts were preparing for that week?

The New York Jets.

It turned out the Baltimore Ravens would come to town instead. Not exactly the worst thing for Manning. After all, if any team in the NFL resembles the Jets the most it's the Ravens: young QB not asked to do much, ridiculously talented running game, top tier defense.

The Colts beat the Ravens 20-3. From 2005 to 2008 when Ryan was defensive coordinator of the Ravens, Manning and the Colts beat the Ravens top tier defense 24-7 in 2005, 15-6 in 2006, 44-20 in 2007, and 31-3 in 2008. Obviously the Jets of 2009 are a different batch of players than those Ravens teams, but the looks will be similar. Simply put, it shows that Rex Ryan doesn't scare Peyton Manning.

Counting week 16, Manning has now had three weeks to prepare for the Jets number one ranked defense. If there is one player in the NFL you don't want to give time to prepare, it' Peyton Manning. The key to the Jets winning is going to be somehow creating something new to throw Manning off on a few plays that cause turnovers.

Peyton Manning is far from infallible. He can make mistakes and we've seen it this year. The key to a Jets victory will not be forcing those mistakes, but capitalizing on them. One way or another the Colts are putting at least twenty points on the board, the Jets are going to somehow have to match that number, and raise it by a few.

The wild card in this match up is the Colts defense. Last week they shot down a brilliant Ravens offense that ran all over the New England Patriots the week before. This season the Colts have been successful stopping the run by being persistent. In years past where the Colts would allow teams all the way down the field, now the Colts give every down 100%, forcing teams into red zone turnovers and field goals instead of touchdowns. If there's one thing the Jets cannot afford this week it's field goals. A great day of field goals equals only twelve points; a bad day for Peyton is 17 points.

In order for the Jets to get those points they're going to have to pass the ball in the red zone. Unfortunately for the Jets they'll be going up against the leagues top ranked red zone pass defense, with the leagues bottom ranked red zone quarterback.

When all is said and done it's going to be hard for the Jets to win this one. Cincinnati and San Diego featured favorable match ups against teams that aren't mentally or physically tough. The Colts are neither a favorable match up or soft. All season long the Colts overcame adversity, coming back from immeasurable deficits in games to win. They're going to win this one, too.

I'm taking the Colts at Home.

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints - The Saints and the Vikings both got off to hot starts in 2009 before limping into the playoffs. Fortunately for both teams, they ran into self-destructing teams at home last week, allowing both teams to advance to the conference finals. For both teams, this is their second trip to the conference finals this decade. Their combined conference championship record is 0-2 this decade, after Sunday that will change to 1-3.

The team that wins this game is going to be the team that plays better defense. It sounds simple but it's true. At times this season both teams have look incredible on defense, and at times both teams have looked miserable on defense. Naturally, the Vikings have the higher ranked defense so you would assume they'd win.

Not necessarily.

Having the better defensive unit and playing better defensively are two different things. The Saints defense will also be given a slightly easier task, considering the Vikings offense is undeniably less explosive than the Saints offense. The key to a successful defensive game for the Vikings is a strong offensive ground attack. If Favre starts throwing the ball, at some point he's going to make a turnover, and at some point he's going to force a quick three and out. Both situations favor the Sains immensely in this game.

The Vikings are going to need to control the ground, to control the clock, and keep Drew Brees off the field. That sort of tactic will add pressure to Brees and a young Saints team that the team is not used to. It will also open plenty of opportunities for Favre and the Vikings potentially dominant passing game.

To put it plainly, if Adrian Peterson is sick of hearing about how Chris Johnson is the best tailback in the NFL, this week would be a good time to shut that debate up.

For the Saints the key to victory will be putting the ball in Brett Favre's hands. Though forcing one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history to win a game doesn't exactly sound like the smartest idea ever, remember that in his 19 year career, Brett Favre has only one Super Bowl victory, and this decade is 0-6 in playoff berths ending with a Super Bowl berth. Favre has come out sour more often than not in big game situations this decade, and the Saints cannot be afraid of putting the ball in his hands if they want to win.

The second key for the Saints is going to be avoiding interceptions. All season Drew Brees was good with handling the ball. This Sunday he needs to be great. One turnover against the Vikings can be the difference maker in this game. Brees cannot fear the Vikings defensive line. At some point they're going to get to him, put him on his back, and make him wish he was still in San Diego. A sack is better than an interception, especially with an offense like the Saints where losing yardage doesn't exactly change the game plan on the following down.

This game will probably be competitive entering the final moments of the game, but I'm going to give the advantage to the team that puts up a better ground performance. For this game I'm going to assume that will be Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor, and the Minnesota Vikings.

I'm taking the Vikings on the Road.

Ryan, Sanchez, Revis Make Their Cases For Awards

Awards are usually stupid. Outside of MVP I usually don't get into all the other awards. Offensive player of the year, defensive player of the year, comeback player of the year, coach of the year, offensive rookie of the year, defensive rookie year; I can care less about all of them. Sure I keep tabs on who wins each award every year, but overall I think they're dumb.

About a month ago I did my award rankings. I hit on Manning, Johnson, Woodson, missed on Harvin and Brady by one win my projections, and by two for Cushing. By the end of week 17 I had Cushing at #1, Harvin and Brady misrepresent their awards this year. I still hold that it should have been Vince Young for Comeback Player and Michael Oher for offensive rookie.

Though I still think Michael Oher deserved the award, Mark Sanchez is making the case that he was more valuable as a rookie than any other player in the league. Though Sanchez' numbers have been mediocre, as has his play, it's hard to argue against Sanchez' value as a player this year. He and the Jets may have "backed" into the playoffs, but Sanchez also became the first rookie quarterback to be the only rookie quarterback to make the playoffs and not win the offensive rookie of the year award. This decade alone, Ben Roethlisberger, Vince Young, and Matt Ryan have been given the award. It's not as if Percy Harvin had an outstanding year either, there are a lot of people who believe that he was "at best" the third best rookie wide receiver this year.

When I made my list I left Darrelle Revis off of the list for Defensive Player of the Year and immediately felt stupid when this error was brought to my attention. Though Charles Woodson was more of a play maker, and had more prime time opportunities to show off, Revis continues to show why he's a real star. To shut down Randy Moss (x2), Terrell Owens (x2), Chard Ochocinco (x2), Vincent Jackson, Steve Smith, and Andre Johnson down in the same season is the sort of thing that Canton busts are made of. Revis may not have gotten the award this year, but he'll get it next year if he has a remotely similar year; a lot like Bob Sanders in 2007.

The Jet that I absolutely believe deserved an award was Rex Ryan for Coach of the Year. Nothing against Marvin Lewis, but the man did not deserve the award. If anything Lewis should have finished fifth in the voting behind Jim Caldwell, Norv Turner, Sean Payton, and of course Rex Ryan.

All Rex Ryan did in 2009 was turn around the culture of a franchise whose culture was losing. The Jets of 2009 were able to do everything the Edwards/Mangini Jets were able to do, except with confidence. They punched the Patriots in the mouth and took care of business when they had to this year. Sure they "backed into the playoffs" but that's not Ryan's fault. He prepared his team to win each and every week, you can't hold other coaches decisions against Ryan. He deserved that award.

The Jet who probably will get an award is Mike Tannenbaum for executive of the year. In the same off season Tannenbaum fired Mangini, straight up released Brett Favre, hired Rex Ryan, signed Bart Scott, and traded up for Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene. In other words, he replicated Ozzie Newsome's 2008.

Tannenbaum, like Revis, Sanchez, and Ryan probably won't get the award. They'll end up giving it to Ted Thompson or AJ Smith or some other GM who has done far less than Tannenbaum this year, and that's fine; because Revis, Sanchez, Ryan, and Tannenbaum would much rather be where they are than where all of the other award winners are right now...

Well besides Peyton and Percy, at least.

What If The Colts Lose? Part 2: The Return of Rex

Back around Christmas time Rex Ryan had one wish; For the Colts to rest their starters. As the week 16 game kicked off, Jim Caldwell's team looked poised to pick up win number 15, as his Colts squad went up 15-10 after Peyton Manning easily moved the ball down the field in his first drive of the second half.

Then, needing to fulfil his Holiday-Cheer quota, Jim Caldwell decided to hand the Jets a gift. Out of the game came Peyton and Reggie, Freeney, Mathis, Jeff, Joseph, Dallas, and all the other Colt stars. Curtis Painter would enter the game and put on a display that would make JaMarcus Russell proud, and the Jets would go on to win.

The next week was media mayhem. Fortunately, I was privileged enough to be in New England that Monday through Wednesday to hear all the "unbiased" opinions of their local sports media. I heard callers and hosts call the Colts and their front office every name in the book. Patriots fans called the Colts tactic of choosing health over perfection, and I quote, "the dumbest thing eva" (no "r") and began to pencil the Patriots in for yet another Super Bowl appearance.

Then Wes Welker and Anquan Boldin got hurt in week 17 and all of a sudden Patriots fans, and the rest of the national media shut up.

Meanwhile, the Colts week 16 opponent, the New York Jets, otherwise known as the team the Colts and Bengals allowed into the playoffs to prevent the Steelers and Texans from getting in, surged into the playoffs and upset the Cincinnati Bengals at home.

The Colts came out strong against the Ravens in their first game "trying" since week 15, and earned the opportunity to host the AFC Championship game, their goal when they rested starters in week 16.

What the Colts didn't expect during that week 16 game was to be hosting the Jets in that game. Now, the Colts are getting exactly what the wished for. They wanted to see the Jets over Houston, Pittsburgh, New England, and San Diego. If the Colts had any fear of seeing the Jets in the playoffs they would have gone all out and prevented them from getting into the playoffs. This is exactly what Polian, Caldwell, and Irsay wanted.

So what if they lose? Over the weekend I explored the fall out of being one-and-done for the Colts. Fortunately for the Colts they came out strong and beat the Ravens 20-3. The defense benefited from the extra rest, and the Colts offense was in rhythm (as much as you can be against a stout Ravens D) from the getgo.

If the Colts lose to the Jets the irony will add an extra sting that will make the loss almost worse than losing in the divisional round. Having "let" the Jets into the playoffs, the Colts now set themselves up for yet another pressure filled game.

I sense the Colts are prepared though. The Colts really lucked out by facing the Ravens last week. It allowed the Colts to face an identical opponent, and have a solid game plan to build off of all week. The Jets won't do anything the Ravens didn't try to do. Yes, the Jets offensive line and running game are better than the Ravens, but not by much; and as much as he's improved this playoffs, Mark Sanchez is not better than Joe Flacco.

The Colts also benefit from putting a game away early on Saturday night, while the Jets played a brutal, physical game for four quarters against the Chargers on Sunday. The Jets now have to travel all the way back to New Jersey, only another three hours to Indianapolis.

All of this adds more pressure to the Colts. There is no reason the Colts shouldn't win on Sunday, and if they don't it's hard to imagine what may actually happen. Jobs may not be lost, but legacies will definitely be tarnished.

Giants Stadium: The Working Class Stadium

East Rutherford, New Jersey has always laid home to one of American sports most quieted nuances; The New York Giants, and the New York Jets actually play in New Jersey. That same complex, better known to tri-state residents as The Meadowlands, has also been the home to many of the greatest concerts and sporting events ever to take place.

For all the hoopla that was the end of the old Yankees and Cowboys stadiums, Giants stadium may be as big of piece, if not more of a piece, of American history than both.

Unlike the empirical feeling of Yankees stadium, and the big-top nature of the Cowboys stadium, Giants stadium has always been "the working mans stadium." Not just because it's the only place in the universe worth watching a Bruce Springsteen concert, or the place chosen to Pope John Paul II's largest gathering in America, but also because of the identity of the teams that called it home.

In 1976 the New York Giants moved into their new home in Jersey, the Jets joined them in 1984. In the 1980's, the New Jersey Generals played there, and in 2001 the New York/New Jersey Hitmen. Of all of those teams, the only that can compare to the "Broadway" nature of the Yankees, Knicks, and Rangers, were the USFL's Generals, owned by Donald Trump, featuring star athletes such as Doug Flutie and Herschel Walker.

And that's the thing, in that 34 year history, Giants Stadium has been the home of three Super Bowl championship teams, none of which stand out as flashy;

The 1986 Giants won with a bruising defense and a tough as nails offense. Phil Simms, the teams starting quarterback, didn't go to USC or Alabama or Texas, he went to Morehead State. The team went 14-2 and beat NFL glamour boys Joe Montana and John Elway by a combined score of 88-23, en route to winning Super Bowl 21.

In 1990, without Phil Simms (who was out win an injury), the Giants beat the favored Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV. A veteran running back in Otis Anderson was named the games MVP, and the Giants won on a missed field goal by Buffalo's kicker Scott Norwood. The Giants persevered based on heart, and the fact that they never gave up.

Coming off of a Super Bowl XXXV loss, the Giants entered the 2001 season looking to go back, but the cause of their season changed on September 11th of that season. Giants stadium was used as a place for people to donate blood, and as an emergency staging area.

And in 2007, the Giants defined the epitome of the working-class-American spirit by defying all odds and beating the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. The Giants were lead by a scrutinized quarterback, a brash defense, and a controversial wide receiver, but the play of the game came not from Eli Manning, Justin Tuck, Michael Strahan, or Plaxico Burress, but from an unheard of, relatively ineffective wide receiver out of Syracuse named David Tyree. The Giants won Super Bowl XLII in the same season that Tom Brady and Randy Moss ran up scores on opponents, Tony Romo went to Cabo with Jessica Simpson, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning won a combined 25 games, LaDanian Tomlinson kept being Complainian Tomlinson, and the leagues arrest count catapulted into an alarming number.

But in that unforgettable season, ridden with TMZ-esque storylines, the no-name Giants won the Super Bowl, because all they cared about was playing football, and they never gave up. They won perhaps the most unforgettable game in the history of the league, and they won their cities first professional sports championship post-9/11; something the Yankees, Knicks, and Rangers, failed to do, despite spending well over a billion dollars combined.

Though they never won a championship in their long stay at Giants Stadium, the New York Jets and their fans represented the same sort of American spirit as the Giants. Always the underdog, their team kept fighting. Every time they'd fall, both the team, and its fans would rise again.

In the eyes of many, the Jets are the laughing stock of the NFL. Peyton Manning avoided coming out of college early because he didn't want to land there in 1997, in 2000 Bill Belichick resigned as the Jets head coach to become the Patriots head coach. But the team never stops moving.

In 2002 the Jets beat the Colts 41-0 in a playoff game in Giants stadium, the week before, the Jets clinched the AFC East, embarrassing Belichick by preventing the Patriots from making the playoffs the year after they won the Super Bowl.

What really sums up the Jets working class mentality are their iconic players. Though the team has few standout wins in its history, they have a lot of standout players; all of whom share a workhorse quality.

Joe Klecko, Abdul Salaam, Marty Lyons, and Mark Gastineau teamed to form the New York Sack Exchange. Vinny Testaverde came to the Jets and revitalized his career which hadn't been the same since college, the year after the Jets parted ways with over-paid quarterback Neil O'Donnell. Curtis Martin built a hall of fame career by putting up huge numbers, but never speaking out in the media. Wayne Chrebet put his body on the line every game as an undersized wide receiver coming out of Division I-AA Hofstra.

Freeman McNeil, Al Toon, Aaron Glenn, Chad Pennington, Thomas Jones, Adrian Murrell, Jericho Cotchery, Mo Lewis, Kyle Clifton, Marvin Washington, Leon Washington, and Ken O'Brien. All these players were very good, some were great, none were flashy.

Both the New York Jets and the New York Giants played in the same New Jersey stadium for the past three decades. After tomorrow nights Sunday Night Football game that stadium will never host another professional football game, barring a Jets vs Ravens AFC Championship game. Though we may not remember the stadium in the same vein we remember Ebbets Field or Yankees Stadium, to me there's no denying that Giants Stadium will forever be America's Working Class Stadium.

The AFC Playoff Mess: Will the Bengals and Patriots "Lay Down?"

As you may have heard, the Steelers LaMarr Woodley believes that the Bengals and the Patriots will not try their hardest to win their games this Sunday in order to prevent the Steelers from making the playoffs.

And to be honest, if I were a member of the Bengal or Patriot organizations I'd encourage that very action.

The AFC playoffs, if the Patriots and Bengals lose on Sunday, mixed with a Ravens win over Oakland, will look like this:

6. Baltimore @ 3. New England
5. New York @ 4. Cincinnati

Obviously New England will lose their game to Houston for two reasons; first off, they don't want to play the Steelers, second, they would much rather play the Jets than the Ravens in the first round.

So essentially, New England will be putting their eggs in the basket of the Bengals attempting to win in order to get the number 3 seed. But the Bengals have the benefit of playing the night game, they'll see what happens before their game, and they will be able to know that if they lose they play the Jets in the first round.

It's not a shot on the Jets as much as it's strategy. Obviously the Jets are a very capable team; they have a great running game, a solid offensive line, and a contending defense. The reasoning is, not to anger the Jets fans out there, that the Jets quarterback is really, really, really, bad (compared to the 11 other Quarterbacks in the playoffs). Why would you want to play the Ravens or the Texans or the Broncos or (heavens forbid) the Steelers, when you could play the Mark Sanchez lead New York Jets.

A lot of people also believe the Colts pursuit (or lack there of) of perfection ended purposely to the Jets for this reason. Bill Polian is no idiot, he got all his numbers and figures in before kickoff with the Jets on Sunday and realized that if things play out the way he expects them to (which seems almost definite now) the Colts would be guaranteed to host either the Ravens, the Bengals, or the Jets in the divisional round.

Since the Tony Dungy era began in 2002, the Colts have played those teams a combined 14 times, and have only one true loss (Sundays game to the Jets does not count) to those teams, a 41-0 2002 Wild Card loss to the Jets. Obviously, if given the opportunity to play one of those three teams or the New England Patriots or Pittsburgh Steelers, Polian would know what the correct answer is.

The only thing that's guaranteed in the NFL is that nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, but what the Colts, Patriots, and Bengals will do in letting the Jets make the playoffs, and keeping the Steelers out, is ensure the easiest route to Miami.

For the Patriots, that route will include (if things stand) Baltimore, San Diego, and Indianapolis consecutively (that's brutal). For the Bengals, their route will include New York, then a trip to Indianapolis, which if they get through they'll likely have to travel back to San Diego. And for the Colts, they sit pretty with a bye, then play either the Ravens, Jets, or Bengals before playing one of their two biggest rivals in the AFC Championship game.

I guess Herm was wrong, you don't always play to win the game.