Jets Back in AFC Championship Game

In a game few expected them to win, in the same stadium where the Patriots humiliated them by 42 points last month, the Jets bullied New England, battered Tom Brady and advanced to the A.F.C. championship game with a 28-21 triumph.

...With a second-year coach in Ryan and a second-year quarterback in Mark Sanchez, the Jets advanced to their second straight conference title game. They travel to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers next Sunday, on the same field where they narrowly beat the Steelers last month.

Being a lifelong Jets fan but only three years old when they last made a Super Bowl appearance, this was one of the sweetest victories I can remember.

Jets Fire Mangini

I am one of many frustrated Jets fans who watch their team fall apart in December year after year.

NY Times: The Jets have fired Coach Eric Mangini, hours after the team completed a late-season swoon and was eliminated from playoff contention with a loss at home to the Miami Dolphins.

I'm used to seeing this, but it was especially greuling this season. The Jets went out and signed 87 year old Brett Favre to turn the team around after the quarterback injured team went 4-12 last season. The playoffs were in their sights after crushing an undefeated Tennessee Titans team 34-13 in Week 12 to take their record to 8-3.

And then the December collapse. They lose to Denver at home and San Francisco on the road. They squeaked out a win versus Buffalo with a last second defensive touchdown but then proceed to lose at Seattle to set up the Chad Pennington revenge scenario that took place yesterday.

The firing was deserved in my opinion. Eric Mangini looked like a deer in the headlights when it counted and had no second half adjustments to throw at his opposition. And even though the loss to the Dolphins was academic (the Jets needed to win and a Balitmore loss to get into the wild card slot), Mangini was stupid enough to admit that even though they were playing the Seahawks in Week 16, he was prepping for the Dolphins game for two weeks! He bypassed Seattle, and they wound up kicking the Jets around in the snow 13-3, and still lost to Miami with two weeks of preparation?! Unacceptable.

Congratulations to Chad Pennington and the Miami Dolphins for not only deserving to be in the playoffs, but knocking the New England Patriots out of the playoffs in the process. I hate those fuckers. It's of little solace but it does soften the blow just a bit.

One more thing: 48 days until pitchers and catchers. LET'S GO METS!

The Greatest Upset Ever

I'm in shock. The underdog New York Giants have beaten the heavily favored and undefeated (until this game) New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII (that's 42 for you non-Romans) 17-14. The Pats were favored by 13 points.

As I was driving to work this morning, I flipped on WFAN, the all sports station in New York and all I heard was the following (paraphrasing): "Let's face facts. After all the hype of the last two weeks, and after everyone has calmed down and faced reality, the Giants really have no shot at winning this thing." And I thought, "Well, hell. Why don't they just forget all about playing the game and just give the trophy to the Patriots? After all, why play? Someone could get injured and if there's no sense in trying to win the game, if indeed it's a foregone conclusion, then just give up now."

Now as I've said before, I'm not a Giants fan. But I am a fan of the underdog. Just as I'm a fan of Dennis Kucinich and John Edwards. They didn't make it, but the Giants did. JumpyPants, a guest blogger over at Bob Cesca is equating what happened tonight to what may happen on Super Tuesday.

I'm sticking with my predictions for Obama on Tuesday night. And I'm sticking with the parallels I drew: that the Giants had the heart to win this Super Bowl, just as Obama has the heart - and skills and determination - to carry this nomination...and the general election.

Do I think the fix is in? No. Do I believe Obama has major hurdles to climb in a racist United States? Absolutely. Do I believe Barack Obama can pull out Super Tuesday and make a run at the nomination? After a $32 million month and watching the California debate, I'm a believer now.

Congratulations to the New York Giants and all Giants fans!

SUPER BOWL FUCKIN' CHAMPS!

And just a reminder: 12 days until pitchers and catchers.

Super Sunday

Well, in a few hours the two weeks of hype will finally be over and we'll have a game and a winner. I'm not a Giants fan. I'm a Jets fan (a sorry one at that), but my hatred for the New England Patriots over the last few years has superceded my disgust for the Miami Dolphins so I'll be rooting for the underdog Giants tonight.

Why do I hate the Patriots, you may ask?

1 - Bill Belichick. Let's not forget that this bastard was handed the New York Jets head coaching job. Yes, my sorry, sad sack, maligned, beloved Jets. One day later, he resigned. That put the Jets franchise into a tailspin that they haven't recovered from, lo these eight loooong years later.

2 - The three time Super Bowl Champs were caught cheating. If this has been the case over the last few seasons, it taints the whole dynasty for me.

3 - Patriots fans piss me off.

There are a myriad of other issues I have with the Pats, but I'll just leave it there and hope for the greatest upset in the history of football. GO GIANTS!

Superbowl XLII: Patriots vs. Giants

Wow! What a shock to see the Giants make it to the Super Bowl.

Tynes’s 47-yard field goal 2 minutes 35 seconds into overtime gave the Giants a 23-20 victory in the National Football Conference championship game. The Giants will next head to Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Ariz., where they will be two-touchdown underdogs to the undefeated New England Patriots on Feb. 3.