Ladainian Tomlinson disgusts me!

I have shared my disdain and lack of respect for L.T. and his 'holier than thou' attitude many times. This past summer I listed my top 5 hated players. I wrote about the 2007 AFC championship game where L.T. took himself out of the game because he wasn't 100%:

"3) Ladainian Tomlinson: I loved him when he was the best player in football... in 2005. It's 2009 and he may not even be the best RB on his own team anymore. I think LT lost me during the 07' AFC Championship game when he took himself out of the game because he wasn't "100%" as he put it. Watching his team struggle, and not having the fight to tough it out, showed he has lost the fire."

Now he has another minor injury to his ankle and he has made it point to make it clear he won't consider playing at less than 100%.

"Hopefully it just keeps getting better and I start to do a little bit more every day," Tomlinson said. "I'm not going to go through what I went through last year, you know, out there playing at 70 percent, I'm not going to do that. I want to make sure it gets healthy and where I need it to be, and I can help this team out. We've got great depth right now." -LT

This guy represents everything that is wrong with pro-sports today. This league was built on players toughing it out through some of the worst injuries and players from 30 years ago certainly didn't get paid a fraction of what L.T. gets. He has dedicated about 10 years of his life to the NFL and he will be wealthily for the next 50 if he lives that long. Considering that he should be willing to give 100% even when he's not 100%.

He should also stop talking about depth and the other RB's on the team. You are the #1 top paid face of the franchise. I don't remember John Elway taking himself out and calling his back up off the bench. #7 could barley walk in the days after a game on Sunday in the final years of his career, but he kept fighting because he wanted nothing more than a ring. He ended up with two.

Call it a career and stop wasting the fans time and the owners money Mr. Tomlinson!!!!

Titans at the gate...

The original Titans of New York take on the Tennessee Titans in our house this Sunday. Why is this interesting? The Titans may be the best all around team we face this season.

Kerry Collins can be a nightmare. He's not going to put up the big stats at this point of his career and he has a below average WR corps. But, a savvy veteran like him will eat your defense alive if you take him lightly. Our secondary is a bit banged up right now and I think the story of this game may end up being Kerry's arm and not just the Titans dynamic backfield. I am very confident with Dwight Lowery stepping in as our #2 CB and I hope Bart Scott renews his fierce hatred for the Titans who he is very familiar with.

As I see it, our fate will be decided during the first four and the last four games on our schedule. The opening and end of our season presents some brutal opponents. The middle of our schedule won't be a walk in the park, it contains a bunch of important division games. But these first four are a real challenge.

Frankly if we are 2-2 after the first 25% of the season I will be thrilled. There are a lot of media sources that are ranking the Jets as one of the top 5 teams in the NFL right now. I would rank at least 10 other teams ahead of us. I won't list them, but they all have QB's and head coaches who are much more experienced. I love the overall direction of our team right now but lets not get caught up in the hype.

I don't see us as a playoff team, but I would like nothing more than to be wrong. Tennessee has the best overall rushing attack in the game. Chris Johnson is like a turbo version of Brian Westbrook, and Lendale White is a nice change of pace. We can pressure the QB and our secondary has done a very solid job in pass coverage. I will like to see how we compensate as a defense to the unique challenges Tennessee poses. If we beat the best rushing team this week... and the best passing team next week, I will be not only be convinced that we are a top 5 team, I might lose my mind and start thinking Superbo....... Superbo.... no, I can't even type it.

I still keep reading and seeing interviews with Jets players responding to their Patriot counterparts. ENOUGH already! We won the game, and we get another chance to play them later in the season. Winners have nothing to defend. I know our overall approach as a team has changed, and no Jets fan can complain right now, but I really can't stand players like Kerry Rhodes who feel the need to attract attention to themselves by talking instead of playing.

Some are surprised that Sanchez has stayed humble and hasn't participated in any of this trash talking. Only idiots like Philip Rivers are dumb enough to play the villain as a QB. A guy like Scott can run his mouth all day because he's never going to be held responsible when the team loses a game. It's kind-of-like his job to talk smack as a LB.

Any QB, even a Hollywood kid playing in NYC, knows to keep it together in public. The press will be licking their chops for an opportunity to throw one of your brash remarks back in your face any and every time you come up short.

I predicted this week as a win when the schedule was first released back in April. I will stick to my guns and hope that we won't have an emotional let down (as a team and as fans) after last weeks big win. I also don't think Tennessee's 0-2 record should effect anything. It all comes down to our LB's holding their gaps and frustrating the Titans rushing attack. Our running game needs to step up to the plate as well.

It just isn't realistic to believe we can put the weight of the entire team on a rookie QB. Jones and Washington dominated when we played the Titans last year. Even tough things have changed and defenses are playing us a lot differently with #6 behind center instead of #4, our talented backfield needs to make it happen. I don't care if they have 8 in the box, our O-line and disgruntled runners should be able to grind it out week to week.

Tampering, bitter Bostonians, and only one thing that matters..

The 49ers are trying to send a message to the league regarding one of the biggest black eyes they have ever suffered, 'the Michael Crabtree debacle'. The message is this: he is our problem, so stay out of it! I am virtually sure Mr. T contacted Crabtree's agent, and even tough it's hard to prove, the NFL can simply do what ever they want. If they want to make an example of the Jets they can take away a draft pick or multiple picks.

I guess I can't be sure if Mr.T is guilty, but one thing is for sure... his name is in the newspapers and on ESPN, and he is a happy man. I am sure that at least a half a dozen teams inquired with Crabtree's agent Eugene Parker, but somehow only our GM was sloppy and obvious enough to get caught. If this costs us a draft pick, and we get nothing in return, I will be the first to call for Tannenbaums job. You can only botch so many plays before you get sent to the showers for good.

The Patriots and their fans have done nothing but cry and complain since they came up short against the mighty NY Jets two days ago. My favorite cry baby is Randy Moss. He has started some-sort-of war words defending his performance on Sunday. He is an elite player and has a history of making the big plays when it counts. Sunday's game was an important one and he was held to 24 yards. His entire offense was held without a TD and Moss knows why. Apparently we "cheated" by covering him with TWO DB's instead of just Revis by himself. He has been bragging about how #24 needed safety help on some plays.

Obviously that is absurd because Moss is always double covered, but the thing that concerns me is how Revis is responding to him. Starting today I would like Rex to come out and only answer questions about the Titans and have his team do the same. That was one of the few things Herm Edwards did well as a head coach. He always made sure the team focused on the task at hand.

In order to not have a let down this week we need to put last week behind us and be 100% determined to get win number three. As Rex has already said, the 0-2 Titans need a win very badly... and so do the 2-0 NY Jets. With all the attention surrounding the Jets because of Favre, Crabtree, and the bitter Patriots, there is only one thing that matters..... beat the Titans!

"Absolut Bullshit"... Cowboys Stadium

This past Sunday Jerry Jones unveiled his new monstrosity known simply as Cowboys Stadium. The NBC Sunday Night Football crew drooled all over Jones's new building and the broadcast served more as an infomercial than a football game.

The building has some cool features, and one thing that bothered me was it made me think about the designs and plans I saw for the Jets proposed West Side Stadium. I'm sure it would have been equally as impressive. But, it was not meant to be.

As I watched the game they explained some of the unique features and the more I heard the more I was infuriated. The NFL experience has become something that is simply not geared towards the average middle class fan anymore. This is a 80,000 seat arena that has an expandable capacity to over 100,000 thanks to standing areas. Most of the seats are just not obtainable to anyone earning less than half a million a year. PSL's that average 50,000 each are a nice way of letting the common man know he is not welcome at any Cowboys home games.

Sure, King Jones has set aside 8,000 seats that don't require PSL's and cost anywhere from 59 to 125 dollars. Thats less than 10 percent of the total capacity. He also came up with a brilliant idea, and when I say brilliant I mean evil.

He has standing areas that cost the fan 29 dollars for access. Fans in these areas don't have a clear view of the field, but they do have large monitors to watch the game. This is the most recent abomination in a long line of disrespectful gestures from the NFL to their fans. The blue collar middle class fan who helped to build this league is not even given the respect of a seat anymore. However, he still has to pay 29 dollars, a parking fee, and all of the ridiculous concession prices. I wouldn't stand outside of a stadium and 'listen' to a game for free, not to mention paying for the privilege.

As I watched all of King Jones's invited guests, like George W. Bush, enjoy the luxury boxes and all 0f their amenities I was reminded of a line from the movie 'Jerry Maguire': "First class, thats what's wrong. It use to be a better meal, now it's a better life". In this society the line between the have's and have nots is getting bigger and bigger.

The merchandise and game day experience prices, including PSL's, are out of hand in the NFL. The Jets and Giants both had 10 year waiting lists for season tickets and haven't played a game that wasn't sold out in decades. They are both scrambling to sell seats for their new joint stadium that opens in less than a year and NY fans are facing the real possibility of blacked out games this season. Loyal season ticket holders have walked away or were forced out by this greedy league that only caters to the wealthiest among us.

The Cowboys are know as "America's Team" and this year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the "American Football League". The NFL use to be something for the people, but today it is just another casualty of the bloodless, heartless capitalist war being waged against hard working people like me. I have a message to the NFL and all of you 'richies':

You can pry the football from my cold dead hands!

Finally! Week 2: NY Jets vs. NE Patriots

The Jets win a very important week two match up against the "Evil Empire" from chowderville. I predicted a loss, but in my defense, I did highlight the keys to what we needed to do if we were going to have a chance to win, I'm just shocked we actually did those things. I also highlighted some players that needed to step up for us... Leon Washington, Jericho Cotchery and Dwight Lowery.

In the first half of this game these three players were non-existent. Our offensive play calling was vanilla. Sanchez's day started out with a very dangerous fumble. Faneca saved the day by recovering the fumble but he also was the reason the fumbled happened in the first place. There is a reason why we were conservative and will continue to call the offense this way. News flash: we have a ROOKIE QB! He needs to be protected and insulated. Shotty has done an excellent job picking the right spots to take the leash off of #6.

I like Mark's decision making and he puts great zip on the ball. Two plays really stood out to me from Sanchez on Sunday that you won't see in any highlight reels. The first was in the 3rd quarter when he rolled out of the pocket and threw a great pass to Stuckey in the back corner of the endzone. It was called a touchdown on the field and even at full speed I immediately could tell #83 only got one foot in... it wasn't even close.

Obviously Sanchez had the best view point and he could see the same thing. What impressed me was how instead of celebrating like most young players would do, Mark ran to the sideline calling for the extra point squad. He had the presence of mind to realize that if we kicked the PAT quickly we might avoid a challenge.

The other play that stood out to me was when he took the sack on 3rd and 3 with 2:27 left in the 4th quarter. He avoided one of the biggest temptations of any QB of any age. He didn't listen to "the music". What I mean by that is every QB wants to be the hero and make the big play. They all want to hear the roar of the crowd. Thats why they become QB's and not accountants. They thrive on the rush of being "the man". However, sometimes in the NFL you need to take a sack or throw the ball away. Sometimes that is the correct decision and it is also a selfless one. When you start to hear that "hero music" you need to block it out and make the smart play. Very impressed with #6 thus far.

As for the three players I was watching out for this week, Washington-Cotchery-Lowery. They were all quite in the first half and as soon as the second half started Neon Leon made a statement. He returns the kickoff to midfield and Sanchez follows up that play with a quick pass to Cotchery who proceeded to streak down the field. We score with a beautifully thrown ball that sailed just a hair above the Patriots LB's fingertips and right into the sure hands of #81 Dustin Keller. The stadium was literally shaking from the unbridled energy of the crowd. The 12th man showed up this week in the Meadowlands!!!!

'Neon Leon' and 'Cotch Diesel' made their presence felt. Lito Sheppard made an amazing play in the second quarter knocking down a sure TD pass attempt to Galloway. He left the game with an injury and Dwight Lowery stepped in as our #2 CB. He did a great job in coverage and obviously our ferocious pass rush helped our secondary a lot. I had a feeling Lowery might play a big role in this game, and on the final play of Brady's last drive Lowery attacked the ball, knocked it down, and sealed the deal.

Here's a couple of other quick observations:

• Keller, Revis and Harris are our true elite players. I haven't ever called a second year TE elite, but Dustin is the real deal.

• I am very concerned about Kris Jenkins back problems. He was a non-factor on Sunday and has a long history of nagging injury problems. We need him, no question.

• I was blown away by the Jet fans and how they harassed the Pat's offense all day. All of those false starts and time outs Brady had to use were the difference in a close game.

• I can't for the life of me figure out why Ryan sent out 3 former Patriots for the coin toss. What was that all about.

• I am starting to get concerned about our running game. Next week we face one of the best and most disciplined run D's in the NFL. I hope we try to make a statement and put up 100+ yards from both Jones and Washington.

• The two phantom calls on the Pats second drive of the game are a perfect example of how the ref's give points to that team. The call on Scott for kicking another player was ridiculous and the call on Sheppard for incidental contact was even more absurd. Especially since Brady should have been called for intentional grounding on the same play.

• Our defense hasn't given up a TD in 8 quarters against two high quality offenses. We are lights out on D in the red zone right now. Impresive!

• #99 Bryan Thomas was productive and has been very useful with Calvin Pace suspended. I still think he is way overpaid, but he can create pressure. Thats more than we can say for Gholston.

• Our personnel packages on defensive were really interesting, and our D-line rarely looks the same from play to play. Shaun Ellis lined up all over the place, we had 2, 3 and 4 man fronts, and our LB's were causing chaos all day.

• #27 Strickland was around the football all day. He had one poor tackle, but other than that he is an interesting young player.

• I was on my feet when I saw Sanchez pancake a Patriot defender on that reverse play to Smith in the second quarter. He's got some spunk.

• Ryan didn't let his defense go into a prevent formation during Brady's last drive and thats why we won.

Tom Brady was one win away from holding the all-time record with 22 straight regular season wins. Oh well, he can try to start another run next week. I was disgusted by Bill Belichick's half ass hand shake with Ryan and how he also blew off Sanchez when he tried to show him what sportsmanship is.

I have always been shocked how no one ever mentions how Billy B walked off the field at the end of Superbowl XLII, which is the only time a coach didn't shake his opponents hand after the big game. He truly is a home wrecking low life.

It was so satisfying to watch the shots of Billy B and Tommy boy as Sanchez started to move the ball in the second half. They seemed to be in shock at the whole atmosphere.

J! E! T! S! JETS! JETS! JETS!

Pats Preview week 2:

The rivalry of rivalries begins a new chapter this week with our first of two regular season meetings with the New England Patriots. In some ways it is a huge game, but it's also important to not make it bigger than it is. We need a win if we plan to be a contender. However, if we do win we shouldn't celebrate like it's the Superbowl, and if we loose we shouldn't feel like the season is over. It's only one game.

So, why is there so much hype? Well, you have two head coaches who are respected as great defensive minds, but couldn't be more different in their overall approaches. You have the best active QB in the NFL today going head to head with the #1 draft pick from USC who has been making all the headlines. Two savvy offensive lines, two defensive lines in flux, and two revamped secondarys. These two teams are as much alike as they are different.

New England has a much superior passing game and of coarse their head coach is far more accomplished and experienced. But, the Jets hold the advantage in most other areas. I think our offensive line and assistant coaches hold a slight edge on their Patriot counterparts. I think our D-line, with a healthy Ellis and Jenkins, is better, as is our secondary. Our running backs are far superior and the Pats defense minus Vrabel, Bruschi, Mayo, and Seymore is no match for Jones and Washington.

I am totally perplexed by Belichicks decision making process this offseason. He had no control over Bruschi's decision to call it a career, but trading Seymour and Vrabel looks really foolish when you loose your top young LB in Gerard Mayo week 1 with a significant injury. They also dumped Matt Cassel and they didn't score a decent veteran QB in free agency. So if Brady and his HUGE left knee brace go down, the Pats could be looking at their first sub .500 season in a long time.

Who do I need to see step for the Jets in this game? The first name is Rhodes. Yes, Kerry Rhodes and his machine gun mouth need to start walking the walk. He is so intent on "embarrassing" the Patrots and the best passing attack in the NFL, he better focus on not embarrassing himself. If you want to have your picture in the paper and give all the sound bytes you better be able to back it up. Players like Troy Polamalu keep their mouths shut and do all their talking on the field. I hope Kerry spent as much time in the film room as he did updating his twitter account.

Next up on my list of players who need to make a big impact, Shaun Ellis. Nine seasons with this team, a former first round pick, and the big multi-million dollar contract. He's coming off a one game suspension so I'd like to see two games worth of effort this Sunday, he should be well rested. I am looking for our two yong LB's Gholston and Westerman to cause some havoc, and our two 4th round draft picks, Washington and Cotchery, to continue making plays. One other guy on my radar is Dwight Lowery. I have a feeling that as the nickel back he will have a great impact this week. He will either make some big plays or he may get beat big.

Because of the Pats superior passing attack I would try to take some of the pressure off of our secondary by blitzing Brady as aggressively as possible. I'm sure that wouldn't be a tough sell to Ryan and company. I'd also challenge that Patriot D-line. Our running game should be able to to dominate especially with a one two punch of Jones and Washington. One final request, please take a few shots with Clowney! He needs to get some touches. If you get him in single coverage let the ball fly, make them respect the deep ball.

I have already predicted this game as a loss. I would say it will be something like 31-17. Neon Leon will score, our defense will score and the Pats light it up in the second half. Lets see how our coach and young QB respond to their first loss. This can actually be a good thing for us. If we loose this week and come back and fight strong against Tennessee and the Saints it will show we are the real deal.

I will be praying for a win, but I don't think we have enough experience yet to get it done.

$125k in fines because of Tannenbaum's man crush...

Mike Tannenbaum and Eric Mangini were both fined 25k each for not reporting Bret Favre's elbow injury........ LAST SEASON! I love it, our GM gets spurned by his former man crush. It doesn't get much better than this. That ridiculous trade last year was a complete abortion, and karma is a bitch. Brett has decided to make absolutely sure he consistently burns any and every bridge he possibly can. The Jets were also fined 75k as a team. Maybe now Woody Johnson will stop wearing that #4 jersey to bed every night.