"Absolut Bullshit"... Notre Dame vs. Michigan

My new weekly series "Absolut Bullshit" will focus on questionable calls and overlooked happenings around the football world. I am sure Tom Brady will come up often in this series, but I already touched on him and his fake week 1 victory, so I'll let that subject rest.... for now.

I was outraged by the last 11 seconds, or lack there of, in the ND vs. Michigan game on Saturday. Clausen and company ran the next to last play of the game, and whom ever controls the official time clock allowed it to run down to 9 seconds. The Irish protested and successfully had the clock readjusted to read 11 seconds. A moment before the final snap of the game the clock jumped back to read 9.

After the mysterious 2 second jump, Clausen completed a pass and as the WR headed for the sideline he fumbled the ball... out of bounds. Anywhere in the football world that stops the clock. The ball was clearly out of bounds with one second on the clock, and if not for the illegal 2 second readjustment, it would have had 3 seconds left. Instead the officials call the game and immediately run off the field. No review, no discussion.

The worst part of this debacle was that ABC and the commentators just ignored all of this and it has received little attention in the media. Even Charlie Weiss was too scared to call out this bullshit win by Michigan. His only comment was to say the officiating in the game was questionable. If I was a ND player I would be livid.

I'll call out one more guy real quick. Andy Reid. This pudgy coach is a real genius in my opinion. He has had the same starting QB for a decade. He has put up a facade portraying he and Donovan Mcnabb as partners in crime. I will say, in no uncertain terms, that Reid has given up on Mcnabb and has every intention of replacing him by the end of 2009.

It all started when he drafted Kevin Kolb in 2007. He picked up Vick a few weeks ago and today, the day after Mcnabb suffers a minor injury, he signs Jeff Garcia as insurance. So now Donovan has a broken rib, a coach with an itchy trigger finger, and three QB's close behind him on the depth chart: a young, high draft pick, a former 100 million dollar QB, and a veteran who replaced him very successfully only a few short years ago. Kinda' like the Ghosts of christmas past, present and future.

A star is born! Week 1: Jets vs Texans

September 13, 2009 will be remembered as a day that Jets fans everywhere experienced more than the thrill of victory. They also felt another strange feeling... slightly familiar, but more like an anticipatory breath of fresh air. I think they call it "HOPE". The last time I remember feeling this way as a Jets fan was sometime during October of 2002 as I watched a very young Pennington start to emerge as a smart accurate QB who had a knack for winning games.

What do we know about #6 thus far? His enthusiasm and winning attitude is infectious. Thats a big part of being a leader on the field. We will learn a lot more about this young man as the season progresses. How will he respond to adversity, and how will he perform when playing from behind? As teams start to adjust to him and his style will he also continue to evolve? Brian Schottenhiemer called an amazing game on offense, but he will not be able to protect Sanchez with nifty play calling week in and week out. Next week should be very interesting.

We had 52 other players suit up for week one in Houston... who else stood out? How about a young man named David Harris. The trade rumors regarding #52 and a certain disgruntled WR from the AFC West really worried me. I love Harris and he really set the tone for our defense on Sunday.

How about the undrafted rookie FA out of Rutgers with his first sack in his first career game. Westerman is a natural football player (that would be the exact opposite of what you are Mr. Gholston?). He will need a couple of years to really emerge, but he has all the tools.

How about the trio of Cotchery, Stuckey and Keller. They all came to play, and there is something to be said about an underrated squad with a chip on it's shoulder. Stuckey had an amazing 1st down conversion on a 3rd and 10 in the 1st quarter. 'Cotch Diesel' was all over the field and kept finding the weak spots in the zone. He had a heartbreaking drop in the endzone, but other than that one miscue he played very solid. Keller had a number of big catches including the final 3rd down conversion that set up Jones for the 38 yard game winning TD.

Our running game really struggled in the first half, but Jones and Washington put up over 160 yards combined and our balanced offensive attack was the key to Sanchez's success. Washington was productive, but he didn't have any of his 'WOW' plays. He may not have put up anything for the highlight real but he "wowed" me. On a busted play in the 1st quarter he made one of the key plays in the entire game.

Sanchez dropped back to pass and two Houston defenders were in his face before he had a chance to think. He tried to scramble and avoid the blitz, and he made a real rookie mistake by throwing up a lame duck end over end pass. It floated about 25 ft in the air and a Houston LB honed in on it. It was going to be an easy interception until Neon Leon dived in and knocked the ball out of the LB's hands. You probably won't see that on ESPN as a highlight, but it was one the top key plays of the game.

I did predict this game as a win back when the schedule first came out (before we even drafted Sanchez). My main reasoning gravitated around identity. I knew Ryan would make sure that the Jets had a very clear vision of who and what they are. Kubiak has had years to accomplish that in Texas and they are still searching.

We are a hard hitting aggressive team in all three phases, and one has to be excited to think about week 5 and beyond when we have both Ellis and Pace back on the field. I still don't see us making the post season, but at least the 2009 Jets are a team that should be fun to watch.

One final thought. Bill Belichick is simply a cheater and this is a proven fact, not an opinion. He coaches his players to play dirty. Don't be surprised if one of the dozens of cheap shots the Pats take on Sanchez (most of which won't be called) ends up as an injury. I am sure Billy B will be coaching his defenders all week to try and injure #6.

The New England Patriots are not allowed to lose....

The fraudulent Patriots legacy continues. They were thoroughly defeated by the Bills on Monday night and were on their way to a season opening loss. The score is 24-13 Bills. Brady starts a drive with less than 3 minutes left in regulation. They were given two first downs on plays where they were obviously short. Even the Monday Night Football crew called out the second first down "gift" from the officials.

These generous calls mean so much in a close game like this. They extended a drive that should have ended in a field goal attempt. Instead they scored a TD and made it a 5 point game after a missed 2pt conversion. On the kickoff Leodis Mckelvin of the Bills decided to be a hero and ends up turning the ball over. The rest is history.

The Patriots have built a dynasty on the backs of the officials... it's been all about calls and non-calls for them. There was no way the NFL would let Brady lose his first game back.

One other observation... I would have to assume Brady's shoulder is not as bad as I thought. He threw a ton of passes, not many long balls, but he still had a lot of zip on the ball. Barring a re-injury, I think he'll do fine in 2009.

Tannenbaum gets what her deserves...

Mr. T is an attention whore... it's that plain and simple. He likes to make the big splash, and trading away a valuable 3rd round pick for a pre madonna, over the hill QB was reckless. Brett Favre is not hungry and he has nothing left to prove. He makes excuses and is a slave to the cult of personality.

The NY Jets hit the home stretch of the season in 08' and their 'leader', #4, ran out of gas. Nine months later Brett decided to throw Mr. T and the entire Jets organization under the bus in order to convince his new teammates, the Vikings fans and most importantly himself, that he was not to blame for the collapse. History shows us that all great leaders make excuses and pass the buck every chance they get.

I'm sitting here watching the Titans and Steelers battling it out in the NFL's big "Kickoff" game. It's almost halftime in a 0-0 defensive battle. Pittsburgh just blocked a short field goal attempt by Bironas. Players like Polamalu, Ward , Holmes and Chris Johnson.... these guys play with a fire and a desire. You don't have to be young to have that fire... look at guys like Collins (36) and James Farrior (34). They are perfect examples.

I would like to think we have players with that kind of heart. I would also like to think thats why they ran Brett of of NY. I'd rather go 4-12 with Sanchez or Clemens than 12-4 with #4. Good riddens!

The Jets 10 worst enemies.....

Obviously the NY Jets have 31 rivals in the NFL. The other 15 AFC teams would be a bit more significant than their counterparts in the NFC especially because the one and only Superbowl opponent we have ever had was absorbed in the AFC (The Colts). And of course the other 3 AFC East teams top the list of our top 10 worst enemies. I'll start at #1 and work my way back.

#1. The Miami Dolphins. I hate everything about this team. They are the one AFC east team that plays in year round 70 degree weather. Whats that all about? When I think about Shula and Marino and that goddamn fake ball spike in the Meadowlands. Marino was so smug, those "Isotoner" commercials made me nauseous. No question this team is the Jets all time arch nemesis.

#2. The New England Patriots. We have a long history of bad blood and animosity. The all time lowlight???? How about Belichick accepting the headcoach position for the Jets and walking away only to take the same job in chowderville 24 hrs later? I'll never forget that feeling and I will never see enough bad fortune go his way.

#3. The Buffalo Bills. 30 plus years of battles, so why are they not higher on this list? The way I look at it, we rarely are contenders at the same time in history. Every NFL team has it ups and down; dominate periods and rebuilding periods. The Jets and Bills have never been "up" at the same time, so I think it takes away from the rivalry... but just a little. They hold the record for beating us more than any other team, we are 44-52 against them.

#4. The Oakland Raiders. Every Jet fan should hate them and their crackpot owner Al Davis. Let me break down the history between these two organizations. Al Davis was the commissioner of the old AFL once upon a time. The NY Jets made one of the biggest moves in pro sports history by offering the #1 college prospect a massive 500k contract and steeling Joe Namath away from the NFL. This single move forced a merger between the two leagues and as part of the deal Al Davis lost his job as commissioner. Davis resented this loss of power so much that, as rumor has it, he had his team throw a game in late December of 2005 in order to prevent the Jets from having the worst record in the league, and in turn denying them the #1 overall pick in the 2006 draft. Yes, a grudge over 30 years old!

#5. The Indianapolis Colts. Our former AFC East rivals, and the only team we beat in a Superbowl. Our all-time record against them is horrible... 25-40 all-time. We represent the lowest point in their long history... Namath makes the "Guarantee"... and the rest is history, ancient history actually.

#6. The Denver Broncos. They took Elway and we took O'Brien. 14 seasons later Elway defeats our best ever roster in the AFC championship game and squashes our closest chance at a Superbowl birth in my lifetime.

#7. The Pittsburgh Steelers. The most dominate team in AFC history. I hate them just because of their six titles. But that game in January of 2005 when Doug Brien missed 3 potential game winning field goals including one in overtime will forever scar my soul. We were the better team that day, and if we would have finished the job we would have had a shot at the Pats in the championship game the following week. I would have given anything to see that game. I think Chad, Curtis, Abraham, Chrebet, Moss, Mawae, Ellis, and Vilma could have given them a run for their money.

#8. The New York Giants. These teams play one meaningful game every for years, yet they are always and forever linked. There have been some big moments like when the Giants broke Penningtons wrist in a meaningless pre-season game and effectively ended our 2003 season before it even started. But in the end, playing at "Giants Stadium" for over 20 years has created a loathing and hatred of the Giants, their fans and everything they stand for. I love the Jets because I hate the Giants... it's a lifestyle, an innate desire to believe in the underdog.

#9. The Dallas Cowboys. They are everything the Jets are not. They are Americas team, the darlings of the NFL. They have double digit hall of famers compared to the 3 that are primarily associated with the Jets. I would love to see the Jets win the big game, and how satisfying it would be to see them do it against the Goliath of the NFL. We are 2-7 all-time against them.

#10. The Philadelphia Eagles. They are local and they wear the same colors... thats all I need. We don't have our own stadium, we haven't had a Championship in the past four decades, the one thing we should have is our own colors. They are also the only team we have never beat. Like the Giants we don't play them often, but we are 0-8 all-time.

The Raiders have a big day...

The most mismanaged and dysfunctional family in the NFL, The Oakland Raiders, had a very eventful day on the Sunday before the big NFL Kickoff. They made a blockbuster trade with the Patriots acquiring DE Richard Seymour for a 2011 1st round pick. The Pats without Seymour and Bruschi will be just plain weird.

The Raiders also made their final cuts and they released a number of players that would fit very well onto our squad. For some reason the Jets are trying to make a trade happen with Detroit for former Patriot back up QB Kevin O'Connell. It looks like a done deal. While they are struggling to pick up another completely unproven signal caller to add to our collection, the Raiders just released Jeff Garcia.

I have been firm on my opinion that we missed the boat by passing on Garcia as a back up months ago. MR. T has himself a mulligan. Make the right move this time and get us a proven vet. Don't coddle Sanchez, make it clear that if he can't get it done we will have a guy waiting in the wings who can.

Oakland also dumped the massive DT Terdell Sands, kick returner Justin Miller, veteran back up center John Wade, and they even dropped a punter, and apparently you can never have too many punters in NY. We could use all of these guys on the NY Jets.

We should promote Leon Washington to our #1 RB, trade Thomas Jones and a 2nd round pick to the RB needy Broncos for Brandon Marshall and release Kellen Clemens. Sanchez, Garcia and Ainge would work out perfect. Marshall, Cotchery, Keller, and Stuckey would be great weapons. Washington and Greene could be a great one two punch. Sands would be a much needed boost to our below average D-line, Wade could provide amazing depth on the O-line, and Miller could take some pressure off of Neon Leon in the return game. Miller has worked with Mike Westhoff before and is familiar with our system.

I'm pretty sure none of this will happen. We won't sign Garcia, we won't try and reinforce our weak D-line, and if we make a move for Marshall I am sure we will over pay, considering Mr. T's propensity to trade away draft picks like tic-tacs.

I want 15 plus touches for Washington and I don't look forward to listening to Jones bitter complaining and his refusal to accept he is the 2nd best RB on this team. He's over the hill but still has trade value, my philosophy is you rarely loose when you buy low and sell high.

NY Jets vs. Phil Eagles, pre-season week #4

I won't spend too much time on a meaningless game. Gholston gets his first sack... only 15 months after he was drafted. Hopefully this will open the flood gates for him. Sanchez is certainly playing comfortable in the casual environment that is preseason football. I am looking forward to his first snap in a real game.

#94 Marques Merrell is always around the football. I hope he makes the squad and gets a chance to contribute on more than just special teams. He is far from polished, but has good instincts. Lowery had a nice pick to prevent a touchdown, and he is a decent quality young corner who has a lot of upside. Our secondary is very strong. It has depth and even though it broke my heart to see Abram Elam traded to Cleveland, I can see why he was expendable. Our secondary coach Dennis Thurman has all the tools to field a dominate squad.

#10 Eric Ainge, the 6'5" 221lb back up QB from Tennessee, has grown as a signal caller and his performance this preseason has shown it. He had a stand out college career passing for over 3500 yards and 31 TD's. At this point I don't see a roster spot or a need for Kellen Clemens. Ainge fills the role of low paid developmental young back up with good upside. Sanchez is our face of the franchise QB with the massive contract.

All we are missing now is the solid veteran back up who's not afraid to hold the clipboard and collects the moderate pay check. The QB I would target is Billy Volek from Seattle. Hasselbeck isn't getting any younger and a young QB like Clemens might be attractive to Mora and the brain-trust in the pacific northwest. Volek wold be a great insurance policy for the NY Jets.

I want to address the possible trade for Brandon Marshall. This guy is a cancer, but he is also a a hell of a playmaker. The rumor mill has churned out an absurd trade scenario including our 2010 1st round pick, and #52 David Harris for Marshall.

If Mike Tannenbaum makes this move, it's because he knows he is on the hot seat, and he doesn't care about the future of the NY Jets. His only concern is trying to make headlines and going for broke in 2009. No one who cares about this team in the long term would consider trading a young player like Harris especially since we traded up to draft #52. Essentially we would be giving up three draft picks for Marshall, who was himself only a 3rd rounder.

One final point. Jets fans everywhere need to accept one basic fact. We are a 'rebuilding' team. Sure, we have some talented veterans and an excellent coaching staff. But, we have a rookie QB and a rookie head coach. That equals growing pains and bumps in the road. So strap yourself in and don't expect miracles. If our front office was so determined to win 'now' they should have closed the deal with Bill Cowher and signed Jeff Garcia.

I am happy with Rex and Mark, but in January they will be sitting next to each other watching the playoffs on T.V.