Not since Joe Namath tiptoed in the pocket in white shoes and strolled down Broadway in a full-length fur coat have the New York Jets sparked this much excitement.
The J-E-T-S have quickly become the team America loves. Or loves to hate.
God bless ’em. In the sanitized world of the NFL where so much is prepackaged and censored, and where boring “coachspeak” has become an art form, the Jets are a blast of hot air.
It’s refreshing, in a perverse kind of way. And, admit it, they are a heck of a lot more fun than your staid and proper, buttoned-down, “we take them one game at a time” Broncos.
New York’s Gang Green is a trash-talking bunch led by fun-loving coach Rex Ryan who, quite obviously, doesn’t know how to zip his lip.
Ryan’s been criticized by everyone from Tony Dungy to his mom for using foul language on HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” But at least Ryan, who looks like he belongs on a bar stool next to Norm at Cheers, is genuine. And he’s entertaining to boot.
It’s been 41 years since Joe Willie shocked the world with his Super Bowl guarantee, then went out and backed it up by shocking the mighty Colts in Super Bowl III. But the Jets have their swagger back.
Just how cocky are they? Check out some of the comments from a
It’s going to be interesting to see how the Jets perform with a bull’s-eye on their back.
Trivia time
Which NFL teams have never played in a Super Bowl? (answer below)
Polling
In Wednesday’s “Lunch Special” poll we asked readers to vote on which Rockie has the best chance to capture a major award. About 59 percent said Carlos Gonzalez has a chance to win the National League MVP, compared to about 41 percent who said Ubaldo Jimenez has a chance to win the NL Cy Young Award.
Quotable
“The only danger is writing a check you can’t cash. That’s pressure on his players. Rex can talk all he wants to, but Rex ain’t putting on the pads. … At some point, you put that bull’s-eye on your head. They’re doing all this talking, like they’re in the Super Bowl. OK, do what you do, but come Monday night, the whistle is going to blow and somebody is going to get hit.”
— Baltimore Raven linebacker Ray Lewis,
Kind of funny, don’t you think, for Lewis, a trash-talking king, to be jawing about the Jets.
Reader’s rant
“It’s pretty simple. If you want your players to win individual awards your team must win the division once in awhile. Until that happens anything we do (individual or team) will be considered to be some kind of fluke by the mainstream baseball media.” — Tom L, posting on about the double standard the Rockies must deal with playing at Coors Field.
In case you missed it
Pete Rose is back in the news. Saturday, for the first time since 1989, he will step onto the Cincinnati Reds’ field.
He’ll do so in commemoration of the the 25th anniversary of his major league-record 4,192nd hit.
Now for the twist. After much backroom discussion and logistical hassle, Rose said he could make it to Great American Ballpark.
As ‘s Paul Daugherty writes: “Good thing Hollywood Casino is just 23 miles down the Ohio River, in Lawrenceburg, Ind. Otherwise, the day would have passed without notice. Except, perhaps, to those at the casino, where Rose is scheduled to be “roasted” from 6-10 p.m. On the 25th anniversary of his signature achievement, Rose is going to be laughed at. For a fee, naturally.
“As it turns out, the casino will allow Rose time to take a bus to Cincinnati, stand on the field a few minutes and wave to the masses. Then he’ll be whisked back to Hollywood-on-the-Ohio, in time for the roast and, no doubt, more autographs for the idolators at the gaming tables.”
Rose, now 69, remains banned for life from Major League Baseball for betting on baseball, but his appearance in Cincinnati on Sunday was planned by the Reds owners and got the OK from commissioner Bud Selig.
It will be only the third time Rose has been allowed to take part in an official MLB ceremony. In 2000, he was honored as a member of baseball’s All-Century team, and at the 2002 World Series, his Sept. 11, 1985 single that broke Ty Cobb’s career record for base hits was recognized as one of baseball’s “10 Greatest Moments.”
Trivia answer
The teams that have never been to a Super Bowl: Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1720 or psaunders@denverpost.com
