Video: Times Square Obama Afghanistan Protest Arrests
New Photo Brings Flying Overweight Debate Back
AA's "Fat Flier" Got Whole Row
State Sen. Savino Gets Noticed For Impassioned Gay Marriage Speech
Teen Gets Two Years For Killing Kitten
Even for people who don't know football, the Jets' 20-17 overtime win in San Diego in an AFC Wild Card game Saturday night had a little bit of everything, particularly of the extracurricular variety.
First, the Jets played well enough to win. Then, at the latest and worse possible moment, a single player's costly mistake (Eric Barton's personal foul on Drew Brees after an incomplete pass that otherwise would have effectively ended the game) singlehandedly allowed the Chargers to tie the game and force overtime. Had San Diego rookie Nate Kaeding's 40-yard field goal attempt in overtime been good, Barton would be seen as a 'Bill Buckner' of football - in New York, no less. Anyhow, Barton ultimately would be off the hook (another similar story), after Doug Brien converted on a 28-yard attempt in the extra period.
Also, earlier in the game, coach Herman Edwards and running backs assistant coach Bishop Harris had to be restrained from one another. At issue is believed to be the assistant's altering of the balance of the rushing load between NFL rushing champ Curtis Martin and solid (yet second-string) LaMont Jordan.
As if all of this wasn't enough, John Abraham sat out, despite having practiced earlier in the week as he returns from an injury. When asked (before he would make the decision), he gave an honest answer, admitting that it was primarily due to the fact that he doesn't want to risk injury prior to his upcoming free agency payday in the offseason. So Barton would not have been alone in NY sports villany/Buckner-dom.
Gothamist takes a bow for making a 24-21 prediction for a Jets win, and starts getting buckled in for Gang Green's visit to Pittsburgh fo an AFC Divisional Playoff game Saturday 4:30 p.m.
Photo by AP/Kevork Djansezian
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
Moe, your brave prediction must be credited, as everyone thought the Chargers would win this. It was as torturous a game as any Jets fan would know. My favorite Jet is now Jason Ferguson, who got the penalty for starting before San Diego snapped the ball - he has a big Buddha belly!
Thank you. I must admit at the end of the game, I was really pulling for Drew. He is the smartest good athlete I have ever met and he actually was in legitimate management classes and earned a 3.5 when I went to school with him.
Wish I could say the same thing for LaMont...
I find the extensive sports coverage on this site a bit odd...
Hey, "Gothamist is a site about New York" - and with that comes whatever people here are talking about.
Maybe I'm a renaissance man, but I am interested in a bit of everything.
Ditto... while some people come to Gothamist for style or food, others come for sports posts. To each his/her own!
An announcer on a different playoff game (it might have been Troy Aikman but I never pay that much attention to who's announcing) was talking about the Edwards/Harris fracas. His theory was that the running backs coaches are usually also in charge of "personnel" and since, just before the argument, the Jets ran two defensive plays with only ten guys on the field, Edwards might have been telling Harris to get it together. But no one ever confirmed whether or not Harris actually had that responsibility.
And I like reading sports here. It's one of the few places you can get all the facts without all the self-promotion of the other sports sites.
Mind Gap may have been referring to the concentration of today's sports coverage. but sports generally go down more on the weekends, and today is a monday. but between beltran and the jets, this was a really big weekend for sports around here.