Thanksgiving wasn’t the first time that the Jets have been humiliated by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots and it probably won’t be the last either. What made things abominable was how the Jets, and particularly QB Mark Sanchez in particular, looked like the Keystone Cops of the silent film era as they gave up an incredible three touchdowns in 52 seconds the second quarter in front of a national television audience. The middle score will be on blooper reels for years as Sanchez fumbled the ball after running into the derriere of his fellow Jet, guard Brandon Moore.
Jets head coach Rex Ryan’s future is shaky not only because his team has been blown out of numerous games this season but because of a questionable personnel decision prior to the Patriots game. Tim Tebow apparently had suffered broken ribs in practice. Common sense called for him to be deactivated and for Greg McElroy to serve as Sanchez’s understudy for the night. McElroy is in the doghouse because he went public with the dissension that wracked the team last year and Rex is apparently still nursing a grudge.
The Jets’ horrible season may spell the end of an era for its most famous fan, College Point’s “Fireman” Ed Anzalone, who left the game at halftime. Anzalone says that he is tiring of the role.
Jim Rome, the witty and occasionally acerbic LA- based radio and television sports air personality, debuted his newest weekly vehicle simply and accurately titled “Jim Rome on Showtime” last Wednesday night at 10 PM. Showtime is hoping that Rome’s show will do for it what “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” has done for HBO.
The opening episode looked promising as Rome was able to land an interview with LA Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, who rarely agrees to such sit-downs, and had a light-hearted Playboyesque pop culture “10 Questions” bit with Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. Borrowing from HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” Rome dissected the sports issues with a panel of three that consisted of former Giants running back Tiki Barber, NBA Players Association president Derek Fisher, and Golden State Warriors owner Peter Guber. He also discussed hot sports topics with Forest Hills native and NBC Sports Network reporter Erin Sharoni.
Big East Commissioner Mike Aresco had a Tuesday to forget last week. Rutgers officials announced that day that it had become the latest college to bolt the conference for the greener television bucks of another conference, in this case the Big Ten. Adding insult to injury was later that night the mediocre Columbia Lions men’s basketball team went down to the Main Line and blew out Villanova which is one of the Big East’s flagship schools. At least St. John’s is still part of the Big East–for now.
Former Knicks center Jared Jeffries was back in the area last Sunday as his new team, the Portland Trailblazers, were in Brooklyn to take on the Nets. Jeffries, who was always a pleasant interview during his two stints in New York, broke into a broad smile when I mentioned that he is too young to be a member of the Knicks these days.
He has also adjusted well to life in the Pacific Northwest. “I am living in a two-bedroom, two-bath, 24-hour doorman building in downtown Portland and the rent is not even a quarter of what I was paying in Westchester. Downtown Portland reminds me of the Lower East Side. There is a bohemian feel there and many restaurants stay open until midnight,” said Jeffries who is looking forward to checking out the wineries in the Willamette Valley when he gets a free moment.
Nets guard Jerry Stackhouse says his wife, Ramirra, is a fashionista and therefore is very much at home in New York City. She is an entrepreneur as well as she has started 31: Ten, a t-shirt line that features proverbs from the New Testament.
At the recent Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association event held at the Marriott Marquis, former Yankees pitcher Brian Boehringer told me that he is thrilled when the Yankees invite him every few years to their Old Timers’ Day ceremonies. He couldn’t believe it when I informed him that the Mets did not have a day to honor the surviving members of their inaugural season in spite of all of the hoopla over their 50th anniversary.
It’s easy to get jaded about sports so it’s important to notice when athletic events are used to raise money for worthy non-profits. The weekend before Thanksgiving produced two college basketball tournaments that benefitted a pair of great causes. Madison Square Garden hosted the 2K Classic for Wounded Warriors that helped disabled veterans while the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament was taking place at the Barclays Center.
A number of National Hockey League players who have been idle because of the latest lockout decided to put their skills to good use last Saturday night at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy. The New York Rangers’ Brad Richards and the Philadelphia Flyers’ Scott Hartnell captained opposing teams as part of Operation Hat Trick and over 10,000 spectators cheered the exhibition in the refurbished Boardwalk Hall.
Operation Hat Trick also helped spread the word that Atlantic City, despite having sustained some damage, is back in business. Caesar’s, which was a major sponsor for Hat Trick, clearly wanted to get the word out that it’s business as usual at AC’s casino hotels.
We don’t want anyone to get into trouble, but if you are caught with a DWI this holiday season, call a Long Island DWI Attorney immediately. John Powers in Deer, Park, NY is excellent at this. Call him at 516-667-7100.
Ski season is quickly sneaking up on us. Log onto www.skivermont.com to check out discounted December deals at the top resorts of the Green Mountain State. Queens’ own JetBlue Airlines has plenty of service between JFK and Burlington, VT.
When you are on the slopes it’s imperative to have the best equipment and look fashionable at the same time. Columbia Sportswear and Eddie Bauer are two well known manufacturers of non-bulky ski parkas. Buffalo is a new competitor in the ski jacket business and their hooded zip front quilted jacket is available at a very good price at www.ideeli.com, a retail website that is quickly taking market share from the likes of Amazon, QVC and HSN.
Sunglasses are thought of by most as a summer item but the truth is that it’s far more crucial to wear them in the winter when the rays of the sun are lower and therefore create havoc with the glare from the white snow powder. Carrera aviators do the trick and make practically all of us feel (if not look) like Robert Redford in “Downhill Racer.”
A durable waterproof watch is a very smart accessory to possess since tumbles are part of the ski experience. Times, the folks who coined the phrase “takes a licking but keeps on ticking,” has a wide assortment of budget-friendly timepieces. A new company, HOH Watches, founded by Forest Hills native Lawrence Leyderman, has a Bedlam line of water-resistant watches with stylish leather straps that look great on the wrists of guys and gals. Unlike G-Shock and so many others, you don’t have to be an MIT engineer to adjust the time. HOH, incidentally, stands for House of Horology. OK, put those naughty thoughts away. Horology is the art and science of timekeeping.