The Emmy Awards make me (mostly) happy. An agonizingly awful Jets win. And gay marriage ballot amendments looking good

My favorite awards show of the year took place Sunday night; The Academy Awards are great but so many times I feel like I’m not familiar with the nominees; but with the Emmys, I feel like I very strongly about who should win and who should never get a sniff of an Emmy.

Overall I thought it was a pretty good show, and was thrilled to see one show in particular kick serious butt (it rhymes with “Shmomeland.”)
With the help of my trusty sidekick/fellow TV addict fiance, some things that struck us from the show:

– Thrill of the night for me was seeing “Homeland” do so well, winning both major drama acting categories AND shocking “Mad Men” to win best show. I will continue to say this until the cows come home: “Homeland” is the best show on TV. The new season starts Sunday night on Showtime, time to get watching.

– The comedy awards were really predictable, but we were both stunned Mayim Bialik from “Big Bang Theory” didn’t win best supporting in a comedy. She was awesome. Not that Julie Bowen isn’t, but she’s won a few times already.
– Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue was pretty funny, but the best bits of the night were the Julia Louis-Dreyfus/Amy Poehler speech switch gag, and the opening skit in the bathroom.
– Jon Cryer does not age. He still looks like Ducky.
– Jimmy Fallon looked 3 feet taller than Kathy Bates when they presented together. “Has he been stretched for the Emmys?” the fiance asked.
– There were no major fashion faux pas (I was told), but man were there some hideous dress colors. Julianne Moore, Claire Danes and Julie Bowen all wore awful colors. I thought Danes, Amy Poehler and Zooey Deschanel (above) looked the best, along with the chick who plays Brody’s wife on “Homeland.”

– Really tough call for the producers on who gets the final spot of the Death Montage: Dick Clark or Andy Griffith? They did a seperate tribute to Andy G. instead.
– Can’t believe Doyle from “Gilmore Girls” won an Emmy for writing! He was such a great “GG” character, happy to see him get some more fame.

– Finally, whose idea was the stupid “Andre Braugher coming up in 8 minutes” screen teaser? Like that’s going to keep me watching the Emmys?

**At the end of my life, when I’m old and bald and dying, I’ll wish I had four more hours back.

Those would be the four hours I spent watching Sunday’s truly wretched Jets-Dolphins football game. Calling it ugly and unsightly would be a massive understatement; truly it was a shame either team had to win.
As a Jets fan, I was disgusted by so much of their play that it was hard to feel elated when they won.
Among the many, many problems of my team:
– Mark Sanchez, in his 4th year in the NFL, and 4th year as a starter, is not getting any better. It’s amazing, but he’s STILL making awful decisions, not feeling the rush, and misfiring to wide-open receivers; there were three TD’s the Jets should’ve had Sunday but Sanchez overthrew his receivers.  He’s just not a good quarterback and may never be.

– That said, the man had VERY little help Sunday. Receivers dropped passes all over the place, his offensive line was just OK, and the running game was non-existent. Sanchez just doesn’t have a lot of talent around him.

– Looks like the best defensive back in football, Darrelle Revis, may have torn his ACL, which would mean he’s out for the season. Devastating blow to an already-not-great team.

Other NFL thoughts on yet another crazy day…
– At one point three games were in overtime at the same time (KC-New Orleans, Jets-Dolphins, and Titans-Lions). Not sure that’s ever happened before.

– How crazy was that 44-41 Titans win over the Lions? Detroit scored 14 points in the last eighteen seconds of regulation to tie it, including a Hail Mary. Then in OT, down three, Lions could’ve kicked a FG to tie it, but on 4th and 1, had a miscommunication with the sideline and went for it when they weren’t supposed to. And they didn’t get the yard, and lost the game.

– I know all NFL fans are bitching about the replacement refs and how awful they are… but they are truly horrendous.  Watched the last 5 minutes of Pats-Ravens after the Emmys, and while it was a thrilling finish (that Ravens kicker gave the entire state of Maryland a heart attack, making that FG by inches), the refs practically blew it both ways.

How long is the NFL going to let this complete blow to its credibility last? Sadly, I think it’ll be a while. The NFL’s popularity is impervious, and I just don’t think they give a crap what fans and media (and their own coaches and players!) are saying about the refs right now.

– Stunning to see the 49ers lose, the Jaguars win, and the Saints be 0-3. One more reason I don’t bet on the NFL.

** Finally, it’s too early to be overly excited about this, but it’s certainly promising.  There are four states that in November will have ballot initiatives that in one form or another will legalize same sex marriage, and in three of those states (Maryland, Maine and Washington) it looks very likely that gay marriage will be legalized; only in Minnesota is the polling not looking promising.

If the 3 states’ numbers hold up, this will be a huge, history-making deal, as no states previously have had ballot initiatives supporting gay marriage get passed.

Consider my fingers crossed.

 

A huge win for the Jets, Tebow-mania begins, and other NFL thoughts. The play of the year in college FB. And politicians + science = hilarity

I knew they were in there somewhere.

After six games of my New York Jets looking very little like the fabulous 2010 team, the 2011 Jets showed up big-time in the second half of Sunday’s win over San Diego.
Man, my heart could barely take it. But this time the drama was worth it. My boys rallied from 21-10 down to convincingly beat the Chargers, 27-21.
Some quick-hit thoughts on a victory that may vault the Jets into a strong run at the playoffs:
– OK, Plaxico Burress, you’re still an idiot for shooting yourself in the leg three years ago. But you earned your Jets salary Sunday. Three TD catches, each one a thing of beauty.
– Mark Sanchez, you’ve taken a lot of (well-deserved) criticism from Jets fans and media this year. But except for one really poor throw in the first quarter, you played very well Sunday. Excellent touch on the Burress passes, good poise in the pocket, and he ran for a huge first down late in the 4th quarter.
– ‘Bout time the Jets running game showed up. Huge day for Shonn Greene. Again, please.
– Philip Rivers is a terrific quarterback. But why does he always seem to shrink at crunch-time? And how good is Darrelle Revis?
– Such a strong game for the Jets in the tackling dept. Seems like they missed way fewer than they had the last few weeks.
– 4-3 now, with a bye, then Buffalo on the road and New England home. Gotta at least split those. Win them both, and suddenly a division title is back in play…
See how quickly I can get giddy after a big win?

Some other NFL thoughts from Sunday…
– I could hear the screaming from my old state of Florida Sunday, as the most popular man in state history, Tim Tebow, won his first NFL start. Who cares that he was awful for the first 56 minutes of the game against Miami? The Bronco signal-caller led his team to an 18-15 overtime win.
Truly readers, unless you’ve lived in Florida, you cannot fathom how huge that man is in the state. God-like status doesn’t even begin to cover it.
– Hey Carson Palmer, great debut! Three interceptions for the Raiders.
– Sixty-two to 7. That was an NFL score Sunday. Saints over Colts. Oy.

**Check out how nuts this final play of the Michigan State-Wisconsin football game was on Saturday night. Game tied at 31, final play of regulation, the Spartans throw a Hail Mary and watch the craziness ensue. Oh yeah, instant replay is a great thing…

**Finally, my best friend Clay sent me this and I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It’s a story from Scientific American magazine, and it details the many, many ways that politicians and celebrities have royally screwed up talking about science over the years.
Seriously, public figures talking out of their you know where should just be quiet and stick to what they know.

My favorite of these wonderful, horrible quotes?

Sally Kern, Oklahoma State Rep. (R), presenting some skewed social statistics:

“Studies show that no society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted more than, you know, a few decades. So it’s the death knell of this country.”—March 11, 2008

It ain’t pretty, but I’ll take it: A Jets win. A coach who knows how to have fun. And Kenny Anderson coaching at a Jewish High School? Yep.

All right, so it wasn’t a thing of beauty.
So the New York Jets still have no clue how to start a football game well, and didn’t get much of a running game going, and frustrated me a few times Monday night against the Miami Dolphins.
Still, after three straight losses, I ain’t complaining. The Jets did what they had to do and beat the pathetic Fins, 24-6.
Some quickie thoughts before I go to bed and root for my cough to go away:
– Here’s what the Jets need to do, as once again Monday I had to watch their offense play horrendously until the middle of the 2nd quarter: About 40 minutes before game time, the Jets need to play an intrasquad scrimmage outside the stadium. Yep, get all warmed up and pretending its a real game, and that way once kickoff comes, they’ll think it’s the second quarter and start playing well.
I mean seriously, two years of slow starts call for drastic measures.

– Great job by the Jets O-line Monday. Mark Sanchez had plenty of time to throw. He wasn’t always accurate, but that’s not the line’s fault.
– Sanchez played well, but I’m still worried about him. In his third year, he should be better than this.
– Man, the Dolphins are awful. I mean, maybe the worst I’ve ever seen them.
– The MNF announcing crew is beyond putrid. I mean Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden, it seems like they’re watching a different game than everyone else. And they never shut up!
– Darrelle Revis: He’s good. Plaxico Burress? Not so much.
– 3-3 now for my boys, with two huge games coming up, against the Chargers and then Buffalo. Win them both, and the division title may still be within reach.

**I love a coach who knows how to have fun and connect with his students. Marquette basketball coach Buzz Williams is one of the good guys. Friday night at Midnight Madness for college basketball (and God am I happy college hoops season is back; I may get to go to Duke-Michigan State on Nov. 15 at the Garden and my word will I be happy about that), Williams led his student section in “Sweet Caroline.”

All kinds of awesome.

**Kenny Anderson has had about 11 lives as a basketball player/famous person. He was an amazing NYC high school prodigy, then a fantastic college player at Georgia Tech, then a pretty good NBA player. He also made some incredibly stupid decisions and said some incredibly stupid things, the most famous being, during the NBA lockout of 1998, that he needed $20,000 of “hanging around money” to feel good.

Well, Anderson retired a few years ago and, not surprisingly, found that no one wanted him and his baggage to coach them.
So where is he now? Hilariously, he’s the head coach at the Posnack Hebrew Day School in Davie, Fla., a private high school.
I don’t know about you, but the thought of a former NBA star coaching a bunch of 5-foot-7 Jewish kids in Florida cracks me up tremendously.

It sounds like a great reality show: “He’ll teach them the crossover dribble, and they’ll teach him the Torah! Tune in Wednesdays at 8!”

Parting shots from a weekend in New England. And the Jets roll on without me

Here it is folks, the picture I’ve been waiting a few weeks for: Patriots fan Ali Taber wearing a Jets jersey. Doesn’t she look thrilled? And yeah, that’s a Favre jersey I own. Hey, at the time I was pumped up about ole’ No.4.That photo will be on her excellent blog on Motherhood for the next week, as per our bet.

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I love travel. Going to new cities, getting on airplanes, meeting new people and overhearing stories … it’s all good. I’m sure if I flew every weekend or more often I’d hate it and get sick of it and probably need those vomit bags they have on planes, but for now I love it.”

A few highlights from Sunday, when I flew back from New Hampshire to Florida, on a surprisingly packed flight:

– Gotta love loud people arguing next to you on a plane for three hours. The three folks sitting across the aisle talked about politics and a whole bunch of other stuff, quite vociferously, for most of the flight. But my favorite part came when they brought up the Kennedy assassination. Oh, these three (two men and a woman) had all kinds of theories and “truths” to spew, and we all got to hear them all.

– Manchester Airport gets a big thumbs-up from me. Fast security lines, a bar/restaurant with NFL Sunday ticket, and a very easy to navigate layout. Definitely would be happy to fly there again.
– One of the most frustrating moments in the life of a human: You’re in a public bathroom and wash your hands. You walk over to the automatic paper towel machine thingy, that is all “motion sensored” and all you’ve got to do is hold your hands under it.
And you stand there. And stand there. And stand there. And the towel doesn’t come out, and there’s no lever to push and you can’t reach in and grab a towel. So you just stand there with wet hands until you get mad and leave and wipe them on your pants on the way out.

–  My ears didn’t pop on our descent back into Orlando Sunday night. But I knew they wouldn’t, because they popped on the trip there. And for reasons I absolutely cannot fathom, my ears only ever pop on one leg of a round-trip flight. Sometimes it’s on the way there, sometimes it’s on the way back, but it’s only ever once.
Can someone explain this to me?

**So I was traveling Sunday and missed most of the Jets’ 38-14 beatdown of the Buffalo Bills. Me missing a Jets game is a very rare occurrence, and missing 3/4 of this blowout means I missed a rare stress-free Jets game.
But from the highlights and talking to my Jets “posse,” I am exceedingly confident about this team. Mark Sanchez again did not throw an interception, the running game was outstanding again (OK, yes, I was wrong about LaDainian Tomlinson, he’s not washed up), and the defense played terrific as well.

Shoot, they’re 3-1, 3-0 in the AFC East, and next week should get Santonio Holmes, an outstanding wide receiver, back in the lineup, along with the injured Darrelle Revis and Calvin Pace on defense. And who comes to town next Monday night? A certain former Jets quarterback named Favre. Should a be a lot of fun.

Couple other quick-hit NFL thoughts from Sunday:
– Very, very pleased that the Eagles fans did the right thing and gave Donovan McNabb a standing ovation in his first game back in Philly with the Redskins. Good job, Iggles fans.
– Starting to get worried about the Saints and the Colts. New Orleans is 3-1 but keeps squeaking out wins, and there’s no way Indy should’ve lost to Jacksonville Sunday, even if it did take a 59-yard field goal.
– Hey Giants, where the hell’s that been all year?

Colbert before Congress? What a joke. Jets-Fins thoughts. And the greatest Falafel picker ever

In case anyone still wonders why the American people hold Congress in such low esteem…

Look, I like Stephen Colbert as much as the next guy. I think he’s hilarious, smart, and I’m glad he’s on TV every night.
But you’ve got to be kidding me with him testifying before a Congressional committee Friday. Colbert, in character, came before a House Judiciary subcommittee looking at the rights and issues confronting America’s field and migrant workers.

Colbert, who spent one day as a day laborer in the fields for a sketch for his show, spoke to actual members of Congress, at an actual hearing.
I’m sorry, but this is 10 times as stupid as Congress getting involved in baseball’s steroid issue. What in the hell does Colbert have to do with any of these real, legitimate issues? Nothing.
I swear, sometimes Congress is like the star-struck 12-year-old who just wants to be around famous people. What was the great line that Clinton adviser Paul Begala once had about “politics is show business for ugly people?” So true.

What a joke.

**Definitely nervous about tonight’s Jets-Miami game down in Miami. Forget for a minute that my boys don’t have all-world CB Darrelle Revis, or that the idiot Braylon Edwards, who the Jets desperately need, won’t play for some of the game thanks to his DUI this week.
The Fins are 2-0, have a strong defense, and have owned the Jets lately, with three straight wins.
This won’t, I don’t think, turn into a huge game for Mark Sanchez. Jets need to pound the rock with Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson, and play great defense against Miami’s Ronnie Brown. I always feel confident against Miami, because I hate them so much I always think the Jets are going to beat them.
But I’m definitely nervous about this one.

**Finally, because it’s Sunday and you want to be impressed, I give you the greatest Falafel picker in the world:

Coming late to the party on “Psych.” I tweet, therefore I am. And psyched up for “Hard Knocks.”

Sometimes, like most men, I have to be hit over the head with something before it registers.

For years my wife has told me that I would love the USA show “Psych.” It’s funny, incredibly 80s-reference dominated, and completely lightning-fast with the jokes. If you’ve never seen the show, it stars James Roday as Shawn, a “psychic” detective in Santa Barbara, and Dule Hill (Charlie from “The West Wing”) as his straight man/partner Gus. Corbin Bernsen is in it too, as a police chief.

Mindless entertainment, but awesome. Yet I resisted. Last year they did an amazing and hilarious episode completely based on lines from John Hughes movies, and still I didn’t watch.

Finally this season I’ve gotten into it. And it’s awesome, again. The rapid-fire delivery of the actors totally makes the show, and you spend a few seconds after each joke thinking about what you just laughed at, and miss a joke.

The acting is great, the writers are clearly having a great time and don’t care if you don’t get all of their pop culture references. I once had an editor tell me that once you make a pop-culture reference in a story, you lose 1/3 of the audience. He may have been right, but it’s still funny if pulled off properly.

Anyway, I highly recommend “Psych.” Wednesdays on USA.  80s lovers, I guarantee you’ll laugh.

**Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages: I have an announcement. I’m taking my talents to South Beach (oh wait, sorry, that was LeBron James’ script. How did that get here?).

No, seriously. My announcement is that I’ve finally joined the Twitter-verse. That’s right, tonight I sent my first Tweet. Man, it felt refreshing and a little tingly.

If you’re Twitter-inclined, please consider following me. I’ll post links to my blog, links to other great writing, and basically rant and rave in 140 characters or less (that will be a HUGE challenge for me. I’m not, shall we say, brief in my thoughts).

Find me there at twitter.com/michaeljlewis75. Thanks.

**One of the true highlights of the summer for me comes tonight. My beloved Jets are the subject of HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” a totally awesome reality/documentary HBO does every summer inside the training camp of an NFL team.
I’m addicted to it normally anyway, ever since we saw Tony Siragusa and Shannon Sharpe hazing rookies on the Ravens’ “Hard Knocks” a few years ago.
But now, with my team being in the spotlight? Should be awesome. The storylines are so good: Rex Ryan, uncensored. LaDainian Tomlinson and Jason Taylor (still can’t imagine him in green and white, and still hate him), trying to show they’ve got something left. Santonio Holmes, a star on a new team. Bart Scott’s bark. Darrelle Revis’ holdout.

So much good stuff. Can’t wait for the season, and can’t wait for tonight’s first episode.

A press release that saddened and amazed me. A great new drunk driving law. And Revis. Oy, Revis

I see a ton of press releases every week. As a journalist, it’s an occupational hazard.

As a sportswriter, it takes a lot for a press release to make my jaw drop. But I got one Monday that shouldn’t have shocked or saddened me, but it did.
This was from the release; it was in the form of a letter written to a local hoops phenom:

“Dear ???: You have been selected to attend the prestigious invitation-only Jr. All-American Camp, the No.1 middle-school basketball exposure showcase in the country … You will join 300 players from around the country who are considered the Top 100 in the class of 2015, 2016, and 2017!”

Sigh. Yes, there are now basketball-star showcases for middle-schoolers. And kids who are in the high school class of 2017 (that means they’re entering sixth grade this year) are already being recruited and singled out as all-stars.
This is where the sense of entitlement comes from: when you’re told at age 12 that you’re the greatest thing ever.

I know I’m part of the problem as a sportswriter, but man, putting SIXTH graders in a showcase? That’s just nuts.

**Everybody talks about the horrific problem of drunk driving, but we never seem to get strong enough laws against it. I wrote a paper once in college comparing rapists to drunk drivers; maybe I was a little strong there, but not by much. Drunk drivers are some of the worst kinds of criminals, because they know exactly what they’d been doing earlier (drinking), yet decided to endanger lives anyway.

So I was glad when I heard on NPR Monday about new laws in Ontario, Canada. Young drivers under the age of 22 who are found to have drunk any alcohol measurable will automatically have their license suspended for 24 hours.

A $110 fine also will be imposed, under the new provisions, and drivers will be subject to a further license suspension of 30 days, if convicted in court.

I’d like to see more laws like this. I’d like to see repeat offenders get much, much more severe punishment, so schmucks like Andrew Gallo, who despite an earlier conviction, drove drunk last year and killed Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, never have the chance to murder others because of their carelessness.

Good job, Ontario. It’s a good, strong step in the right direction.

**First New York Jets blog thought of the new season. Training camp just started Monday, and already there’s a crisis. Darrelle Revis, the all-world defensive back, is holding out. He wants more money. He deserves more money. The Jets agree. They’ve made him some offers. He’s said no.
This could just kill the season. He’s a HUGE part of the defense for a team that some (not me, I’m always pessimistic) believe can get to the Super Bowl.

Oy. It’s August 3 and I’m already ready to pace the beer-stained floors at my favorite sports pub.

Pinch me, the Jets are 60 minutes from the Super Bowl. And some Golden Globes thoughts

I have resided in sports nirvana just once before. It was on June 14, 1994, when something I never thought would happen in my lifetime occurred: The New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup.

I never thought a moment in sports could ever make me that happy again.

Dear readers,  the professional football team I root for is 60 minutes away from giving me that feeling again.

Unbelievably, improbably, ridiculously, the New York freaking Jets, a team that couldn’t beat the Ryan Fitzpatrick-led Buffalo Bills earlier this season, won their second straight playoff game on the road Sunday.

They beat the San Diego Chargers, a team many thought had too much offense, too many weapons, and too strong a pass rush.

But by God, the Jets did it the way they’ve done it the last seven weeks: Pound the ball with the running game, play excellent defense, hang around, hang hang around, make a few passing plays with our rookie QB Mark Sanchez, and then put the game away in the fourth quarter.

I mean, this game unfolded exactly as the Jets hoped it would. They didn’t do much early, but they kept the game reasonable (7-0 at halftime).

They got some tremendous breaks, yes, as Nate Kaeding, who just never misses against other teams, melted down and missed 3 field goals (although 1 was from 57 yards, which wasn’t his fault), but were 40 yards or less.

But the Jets earned this win every which way, and I cannot tell you how excited I am that they’ve got a shot next Sunday in Indianapolis, to go the Super Bowl.

God, just saying it gives me goosebumps.

Some ruminations from today’s 17-14 win:

– Rex Ryan, God bless you, you’re the Jets coach I’ve been waiting my whole life for. Not just because you’re smart and funny and know what you’re doing, but because today, and always, you don’t play not to lose, you play to win. Fourth and 1, at the Chargers 28, up 17-14, little over a minute to go.

EVERY other Jets coach in my lifetime either kicks the field goal there, which makes it 20-14, but gives San Diego the ball back with a (slight) chance to win, or even worse, punts it, to try to pin the Chargers deep.

But Rex said, nope, I trust my line, I trust my running back (Thomas Jones), and dammit, we’re not giving them the ball back. And the Jets got the first down,( with me on my knees, on the floor of Houligan’s, with my hands clasped). Game over. Fantastic. A coach with balls.

–What a tremendous game by the Jets defense. They got just enough pressure on Philip Rivers to rattle him a little, and the Chargers’ run game was totally shut down, and Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates were held pretty well in check (though Gates did make a sick catch in the first half). You hold the Chargers to 7 points through 3 1/2 quarters, that’s damn impressive.

– Sad to see LaDainian Tomlinson a shell of his former self. Man, did he get old.

– Lot of people criticized the Jets for trading up to get Shonn Greene in the draft last April. Not hearing those people now. How about the strength of this kid, to run through tackles on his way to the end zone in the fourth quarter?

– Darrelle Revis, that interception in the fourth quarter was spectacular. Just spectacular. And Mike DeVito, the nose tackle no one talks about, had a fantastic game pressuring Rivers.

– Can’t say enough about the Jets’ offensive line. Nick Mangold, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Damien Woody, Brandon Moore, and Alan Faneca did such a great job run-blocking, and protecting Sanchez today.– Rich Cimini of the Daily News said this was the Jets’ biggest upset win since Super Bowl III. Hard to argue.

—Man the Chargers totally lost their poise Sunday. Stupid penalties after the whistle, Vincent Jackson kicking the challenge flag and taking a 15-yarder? Just stupid.

– I’m sure Norv Turner will get criticized for the onside kick attempt with just more than two minutes left, but I thought it was the right call. Ah, Norv. So good to see you on the other sideline.

–Finally, there’s this: Everything is going right for the Jets the last four weeks. Everything. Why won’t it continue? Especially with the Super Bowl just 240 miles from my home?

This week, I’m going to honestly think about how much I’d be willing to spend on Super Bowl tickets. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be doing that this year.

What a country, America.

**OK, some quick thoughts on the Golden Globes, since this post is running way too long:

– Thought most of the big awards went to the right people; was thrilled to see Toni Collette rewarded for the underappreciated “United States of Tara” on Showtime (seriously, check it out on DVD if you can, it’s a great show), and equally thrilled that “Glee” won for best musical or comedy (though “Modern Family” getting a win would’ve thrilled me, too.)

– Christina Hendricks of “Mad Men,” wow, that was quite a dress.

–Robert Downey Jr.’s speech was very funny.

– Did James Cameron look like a guy who had just signed the Declaration of Independence, or what? Seriously, he was channeling John Adams or something.

– Sorry to see Jane Lynch from “Glee” not win, though Chloe Sevigny is awesome in “Big Love.” So glad to see good TV getting rewarded.

Slide, Sanchez, Slide!, Some thoughts on China, and proof Tweeting has gone too far

The two sides of Mark Sanchez’s brain had a brief duel during the third quarter of my beloved New York Jets’ ugly but clutch 19-13 win over the Buffalo Bills in Toronto:

While scrambling for a first down, one side reminded him he’s supposed to slide in these situations, so as not to get hurt. The other side of his brain clearly said “to hell with it, I’m getting the first down.”

Unfortunately, that’s the side of the brain that won. And so the joy I feel in the Jets looking like a decent team again, and having an outside shot at the playoffs, is tempered with my frustration that our franchise quarterback is hurt.

We don’t know yet how bad Sanchez’s right knee is. If it’s going bad enough to make him miss any time, the Jets are toast.

Mark, bubeleh (a little Yiddish for you, I feel you need it on a Friday), please slide when you’re running. Pretty please. You’re the future of this franchise, ONE first down isn’t worth it.

Assuming Sanchez is OK, (and coach Rex Ryan, who was PISSED at his QB for not sliding after the game, said it looks like just a sprain) I’m a pretty satisfied Jets fan tonight.

Some quickie thoughts from the game:

**Darrelle Revis;  how good is he? I mean, how GOOD is he? All he does is shut down every receiver he plays. He made about six or seven terrific plays tonight, and had the game-sealing pick, too. Sit down and shut up now, Mr. Terrell Owens.

**The running game for the Jets was terrific again; Thomas Jones ran hard, as did Shonn Greene. Still not sure why the Jets called so many pass plays.

**Braylon Edwards, absolutely awful on that sure-TD drop in the first quarter. Wide open down the sideline, ball thrown perfectly, no Buffalo defender anywhere NEAR him, and he drops it off his facemask. I was literally speechless after that one. It’s a damn good thing he caught a TD later in the game. I just can’t believe an NFL receiver could drop that pass.

**Kellen Clemens gets worse every time I see him. Seriously, I don’t ever want to see him on the field for the Jets again. If Sanchez can’t go next week, give me Erik Ainge. At least he won’t be a deer in headlights out there.

OK, end of Jets rant. If you hate football, you can start reading again now.

***I’ve been meaning to blog about this for days now but keep forgetting:

You know, for years I’ve been reading about how China is going to be a new superpower soon, and how much change is occurring there. I read stories and watch television and so many times, the absolutely repressive nature of the Chinese government is glossed over, and you can so easily forget about the dark side.

And then you read a story like this from the New York Times last week, about how simple citizens who came to Beijing to complain about their corrupt local officials were jailed in secret prisons.

Amazingly, it was a state-run magazine that printed this story. Which I guess is a good thing. But I hope I’m not alone when I shudder to think how a country this repressive can be gaining so much power in the world. It’s a scary, scary idea.

**Finally, I admit I’m a Facebook guy. Love it. And thanks to my newspaper updating football scores every Friday night, I’ve dipped a toe into Twitter.

But people, people, people, have we crossed the Rubicon here? Some groom in Maryland decided to tweet and update his Facebook status while he was standing at the altar of his OWN WEDDING last month.

I’m sure he thought it was funny and cute, but can we put the phone away while we’re exchanging the most sacred vows in the world?

I don’t ask for much. And I’m kinda stunned he was able to get cell service in the church.

A beautiful Jets win, the Dolphins blow a gimme, and Bo knows Tecmo Bowl

Ah, what a much happier Sunday this was for me.

The weather was warm. I’ve just returned from a wonderful visit with family and friends. There were no new wars breaking out, as far as I knew.

And oh yeah: The New York Jets remembered how to win. Finally, Mark Sanchez played under control, the running game was good enough, and the defense harassed Carolina into four interceptions. Gang Green won, 17-6, and it should’ve been at least 27-6 or so.

Don’t worry, I’m not dreaming about the playoffs again; they’re still 5-6, and there are lots of teams ahead of the Jets, still. Of course, if they beat Buffalo Thursday up in Toronto, the Jets will be 6-6 and I’ll have 10 days to start figuring out how, exactly, my boys can get into the postseason.

But first things first: our franchise QB did exactly what he needed to do: He made safe throws, he didn’t force the ball, and when there wasn’t a play to be made, he scrambled. He scared the hell out of Jets fans when he looked to have injured his knee in the third period, but he seemed to be OK.

The Jets got a gift TD to start the game (when have you ever seen a ball bounce off a receiver’s ankle and right into the hands of a defender? Thank you, Darrelle Revis, for catching it), but the defense really played well. The Panthers’ running game never got going, and good Lord, there was a Kerry Rhodes sighting! The Jets’ safety who used to be a star and now, frankly, stinks, made TWO interceptions Sunday.

So yeah, it was nice to break a three-game losing streak. This is the kind of game the Jets played earlier this season, and it was nice to see it again. I thought it might be gone forever.

Couple other thoughts on Jets-Panthers:

**Boy, Jake Delhomme is horrendous. Two of his four picks in the fourth quarter were simple “chuck and ducks,” where the Carolina QB just stepped back, chucked the ball off his back foot and didn’t even try to follow through. What has happened to that guy?

** Jets were lucky in many ways Sunday, especially when replay overturned that Steve Smith touchdown for Carolina that would’ve made it 14-10. Looked like a catch to me.

**Dustin Keller, you’re KILLING me with these fumbles. Again the Jets’ terrific tight end tries to reach out for the goal line after a great catch and run, and fumbles. If he scores there, game is pretty much over. Just go down, please. Thank you.

Other NFL thoughts…

**Fantastic game Sunday night, with the Ravens nipping the Steelers. I don’t want to say I’m psychic or anything, but at 17-17, 3rd down and 6 in OT, I said out loud (to no one), “This would be a good time for Dennis Dixon to remember he’s a guy making his first-ever start, and throw a pick.” And then he did, setting up the game-winning field goal. Still, for a third-string QB, kid played pretty damn well.

**Houston Texans = frauds. Complete, utter frauds. 17-0 against Indy, at home, and they lose by eight.

**I’ve tried to avoid talking about the guy all season because I’m still pissed at how he sabotaged the Jets’ season. But good lord, Brett Favre is playing insanely good right now.  Three more touchdowns Sunday. He’s completed 69 percent of his passes, with 24 interceptions and just three interceptions. I don’t care that he’s got a great running back, O-line, and defense, those are ridiculously good numbers.

**Brutal, brutal losses by the Dolphins and Jags Sunday. Miami was tied with Buffalo, 14-14 in the fourth, and then gave up 17 straight points to lose. And Jacksonville failed to show up in San Francisco. If I were an optimist, I’d say everything broke right for the Jets to get back into the playoff hunt.

**Can’t wait for tonight’s game: Saints-Patriots. Should be a fabulous matchup.

***So while I was in New York last week something fabulous happened: My friend Andrew showed me that you could download the original Nintendo Tecmo Bowl game onto your Wii for like, $5. There is no way that I’m NOT doing that next weekend, and probably wasting a good four hours playing. God I loved Tecmo Bowl, and the two unstoppable forces of the game: Lawrence Taylor on defense, and Bo Jackson on offense.

I once read an interview with Bo, done about five years ago I think, where he said no matter where he goes in public to go give a talk or anything, he’s always asked about Tecmo Bo and how amazing he was.

Believe me, he was THAT amazing. Check this out, you young’uns:

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