Sports fans are by nature traditionalists. Some older baseball fans still bemoan the day that the American League abandoned convention and invented the designated hitter. The phrase “In my day” leading off a sentence is a signal for the younger fans in the room to prepare themselves for a long lecture about how the game has changed for the worse. In some instances they are most certainly right and in some they are wrong,......

After just making the All-Star roster last week, David Wright stopped by vitaminwater's Homers on the Hudson event. The contest gave people the chance to hit a ball off a tee 150 feet into an inflatable glove (on top of an inflatable vitaminwater bottle, of course) on a barge in the Hudson--if successful, they win $1 million. It wasn't very easy, for Wright or Jets safety Kerry Rhodes or any of the non-professional athletes, but......

Don’t look now Jets’ fans, but it sounds like seats at the new stadium are going to cost more- a lot more. In a survey sent to season ticket holders last week, the Jets asked fans if they would be “interested” in paying prices between $1,200 and $30,000 in order to guarantee their seats. The holder of the seat license could then sell that license at a future date for a possible profit. Sounds like......

After the first day of the NFL Draft, the Jets and Giants wrapped up their drafts yesterday by filling some needs and taking some chances. The Jets added Dwight Lowery a cornerback, Marcus Henry a wide receiver, Nate Garner an offensive tackle and Erik Ainge, the QB from Tennessee and the nephew of Danny Ainge. In many ways, Ainge is similar to Chad Pennington, so it is an interesting pick to say the least. The......

Photograph, above, of Vernon Gholston, 6th NFL Draft pick overall, at Radio City Music Hall by Jason DeCrow/AP; photograph, below, of Jets fans cheering the pick by Julie Jacobson/AP Being the sixth-worst team in the NFL has its advantages come April. The Jets had the sixth pick in this weekend's NFL Draft, and, despite hopes that Arkansas running back Darren McFadden would fall to them, ended up taking talented Ohio State defensive end Vernon......

The Jets made a big splash in free agency and they hope to make a big splash in the draft. Sitting at number six, the Jets could go in a number of interesting directions. Darren McFadden, the great running back from Arkansas could be the selection, as could Matt Ryan, the QB from Boston College. Ryan is the top-rated QB in the draft. If the Jets don’t select him, the Patriots (picking at 7)......

For the Giants, the opening of free agency saw them lose three players. Kawika Mitchell went to the Bills, Reggie Torbor to the Dolphins and Gibril Wilson to the Raiders. The loss of Wilson will hurt the most, but remember he was once a fifth-round pick. GM Jerry Reese proved last year that he is very good drafting players and won’t overpay in the free agent market, so don’t panic the Super Bowl champs will......

Photograph of a vacant lot on the Lower East Side by p0psharlow on Flickr Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a bicyclist struck on Queens Blvd. and 55th St. a smoke condition at the Heartland Brewery & Rotisserie At 350 5th Ave & East 34th St. Your name is Leila. You're a Verizon customer. You are receiving every text msg. addressed to Leila across the planet. A science teacher at a Staten Island H.S. along......

Put any thoughts of the new Giants-Jets Stadium being named Mara Field (after the recently deceased and beloved Giants owner Wellington Mara) far from your heads. Sports marketing experts believe that the value of slapping a corporation's name on the arena, which is expected to be completed in 2010 and cost $1.3 billion, could generate revenues of $25 million to $30 million annually for the two teams. In comparison, the Mets are charging Citigroup $20......

Last week, Brett Favre was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. This week, Eli Manning graces the cover of the magazine. If you believe the S.I. cover curse/jinx, then the Giants may be in trouble. In the magazine, Peter King gives the Giants-Packers game the cover story treatment, while Dr. Z decides to pick the Giants to make up for picking against the Jets in Super Bowl III. We're not sure if Manning believes in......

Less than 6 hours until kickoff at Lambeau Field and it's a balmy -6° in Green Bay. With winds at 15 miles per hour, Accuweather's real feel temperatures are -18°. While temperatures will increase by game time, it's still going to be ass-cold. The cold weather and the importance of the game makes it an event that could be one for the ages, something that seems to happen with frigid temperatures. Despite the cold weather,......

You would think things couldn't get worse for Jim Dolan. After all, the Knicks stink and it seems like Isiah Thomas isn't going anywhere quick (perhaps due to Dolan's own doing). But the City Council started to look into Madison Square Garden's $11 million/year property tax exemption today. David Weprin of Queens sponsored the resolution opposing the exemption saying that "It's very unusual that you have a profitable institution like Madison Square Garden that's been......

The Dept. of Homeland Security is funding the installation of a number of anti-missile defense systems on commercial jets flying in and out of JFK Airport. The tests are the third stage of testing of a system that is already used by military aircraft. The defense system consists of equipment affixed to the bottom of the aircraft that electronically jams the heat-seeking component of shoulder filed missiles. The latter are referred to as man......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a bank robbery on 7th Ave. in Brooklyn, a child shot on 224th St. in Queens, and a pedestrian struck on Park Ave. and 39th St. in Manhattan. Through the miracle of digital image manipulation, even one's mug shot can become a glamour shot. After a gameday prohibition on selling beer at the stadium failed to dissuade scores of men gathering at Gate D and yelling for women to......

A Historic Collapse: The Mets held a seven-game lead with 17 to play and were caught looking ahead to the playoffs. What followed was among the worst collapses in history and one that revealed the weaknesses of the players, the manager and the general manager. Jose Reyes and his questionable -- and downright poor -- play summed up the the performance on the field. Manager Willie Randolph's mismanagement of the bullpen came to light......

A timeout and a holding penalty on the Jets couldn't prevent Mike Nugent from hurting the Jets' draft position helping the Jets end a disappointing season with a 13-10 win over Kansas City on Sunday evening at the Meadowlands. A 33-yard make, which set off some premature celebrations, turned into a 43-yard try after Wade Smith got nailed for holding. Nugent made that too, a fitting sendoff for special teams coach Mike Westoff, who told......

While much of the football excitement this weekend surrounds the New York Giants' game versus the New England Patriots tonight, the Jets still have an interesting Week 17 matchup. The game against the Kansas City Chiefs isn't what the NFL had in mind when it drew up its schedule. Both the Jets and Chiefs were playoff teams from a year ago, but the teams have looked awful this season, with young quarterbacks and veterans competing......

Eight of the Jets' 12 losses have come by seven points or fewer. Too many of them have followed the script of Sunday's 10-6 defeat at the hands of the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. Jets fans have to be sick of a banged-up team not expressing confidence in its quarterback -- Chad Pennington wasn't named the starter but played over Kellen Clemens and his sore ribs -- and then going out there and laying......

As admirable as the Jets' effort has been during the second half of their lousy season, don't count on it staying there the final two weeks. Sunday's game against the Titans will mean nothing to them -- though Tennessee needs to win it to have any shot at the playoffs -- and who knows if the Jets will be motivated after their grudge match with the Patriots last week. Their season right now is about......

The Patriots and Jets didn't have the worst weather in the league Sunday, but they still had plenty to complain about. Rain and wind didn't stay the Patriots from improving to 14-0 with a 20-10 win over the Jets in Foxborough, Mass.. It did help the Jets keep the game close and easily cover the record 27-point spread, for those who care about those things. Kellen Clemens' early interception, returned for what WEPN's Bob......

The spread opened at 27 points. It's recently settled at 24 1/2 points, which, if held, would be the largest ever for an NFL game. More went into that spread than a terrible team playing an unbeaten one on the road. The Patriots have been running up the score on opponents all year, and everyone thinks they're doing it to teach the league a lesson after it was exposed -- on the word of jets......

Perhaps it was the near-freezing temperatures at yesterday's Jets-Browns game that kept breasts covered, but that weather didn't stop crowds from flocking to Gate D at Giants Stadium for a halftime ritual - men yelling at women to expose their breasts and throwing bottles or spitting at them if they don't. Despite an attempt to shut down rowdy fan behavior at Gate D, things didn't seem to change that much at all since new procedures......

With the Jets 3-10, the best thing that can be said about them is that they're still playing hard. They seemed insulted that people thought the Dolphins could beat them last week, and, despite playing in front of empty seats in a heavy rain Sunday, the Jets fought back before losing to the Browns, 24-18. Kellen Clemens scored the Jets' only touchdown with his quarterback sneak in the fourth quarter, but his inconsistent play and......

As the Jets look ahed to their game Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, they may be hoping that's where they are in a season or two. Cleveland, like the Jets, is coached by a former defensive protege of Patriots Coach Bill Belichick. Romeo Crennell had a rough go of it during the first few seasons, but he now has an offense filled with playmakers like Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow and run by an unheralded......

Maybe the Jets shouldn't have been underdogs against the Dolphins, but no one figured they'd roll as easily as they did in their 40-13 win in Miami on Sunday. Miami remained winless at 0-12 as the Jets improved to 3-9 -- with two of those wins coming against Miami. Playing without Jerricho Cotchery and his finger injury, the Jets did have Laveranues Coles back earlier than expected from a high ankle sprain. He responded......

Neither the Jets nor the Dolphins have enjoyed their seasons too much. One half of the Jets' wins came on Sept. 23 when they edged the Dolphins 31-28 at home. Now they travel to Miami. They're 0-5 on the road, but Miami has lost 14 straight. Ironically, the Jets stand to gain the most if they lose and somehow pass the Dolphins in the NFL draft pecking order. But shhh! No one's thinking about that.......

"Broadway Joe" Namath (who's now hitting AARP-age) will be larger than life when his life story hits sacks the big screen. Starring as the Hall of Fame quarterback (and ladies man) will be none other than Jake Gyllenhaal, who will likely only have to do a touch of bulking up for the role.While other quarterbacks racked up bigger lifetime stats, Namath became the first football player to achieve rock-star status. The pic will tell the......

In the final year of baseball in Yankee Stadium, the legendary park will host the 2008 All-Star Game. In its 45th and final year, what does Shea Stadium get? A commemorative logo from the New York Mets. Fitting for the multi-purpose stadium that is a relic of the 1960s. Today, the Mets, the stadium's primary occupant since it opened in 1964, unveiled a logo that players will wear on their sleeves during the 2008 season.......

After seeing the Jets take Pittsburgh by surprise Sunday, the Cowboys weren't going to be ambushed. They dominated the Jets in every way in a 34-3 Thanksgiving Day whupping. Anyone who sat down to dinner after the Jets' first two series didn't miss much. Tony Romo led Dallas on a quick-strike scoring drive to start the game, and then Leon Washington fumbled the ensuing kickoff. Kellen Clemens couldn't get comfortable in the pocket when......

When the NFL scheduled the Jets to play the Cowboys on Thanksgiving back in the spring, it had to think it was going to get a good game between two 2006 playoff teams. Unfortunately for the league, only the Cowboys have lived up to expectations this season. Still, the game is better than some of the duds of recent years. The Cowboys look like the best team in the NFC -- which could make them......