That large brush fire burning near MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands yesterday consumed over one hundred acres, with flames leaping as high as 20 feet and spewing smoke visible as far as Brooklyn and Queens. Officials shut down part of the New Jersey turnpike for almost an hour as firefighters battled the blaze, which also dumped considerable ash on Brooklyn. In DUMBO, black ash was seen falling across the neighborhood, and one observer tells us, "It was flying down near the Watchtower. It looked like a black twig, and when I stepped on it, it disintegrated!" more ›

We've been getting worried emails from Brooklyn readers who are wondering if that giant black plume of smoke is coming from a catastrophic fire in Manhattan. Turns out that a major brush fire is raging in New Jersey just off the turnpike near MetLife Stadium. The three-alarm fire began around 1:15 p.m. according to officials and has sent smoke billowing high above the Manhattan skyline, making it visible all the way in Brooklyn and Queens. more ›

For nearly three years, the Star-Ledger has been fighting the New Jersey Sports Authority to release contracts and terms negotiated by the company with performers at the Izod Center and what used to be Giants stadium. Those documents have been released, and we now know that the authority charged around $80,000 to rent out the Izod Center, that the company never lost money on a contract there, and that the venues bring a lot of money into New Jersey. What we still aren't allowed to see? Bruce Springsteen's food and beverage requirements. This was all foreshadowed in "Darkness Along the Edges of 12 Pages Of Legally Binding Documents." more ›

Xanadu is the perfectly named New Jersey shopping mall that never was. Though ground was broken on the project in 2004, it turns out that indoor ski slopes are pretty tough to build, and taking loans from a Lehman Brothers subsidiary isn't a great business strategy. Not to mention you need a full-blown opium addiction to appreciate its exterior design (it's been officially declared ugly by 74% of residents). But today's NY Times reveals that Xanadu is BACK, baby! Could a renewed appreciation for the film Xanadu be far behind? (Yes. Very very, far behind.) more ›

We knew that the new Meadowlands had to have a chef in there somewhere but we never really thought about how many it takes to feed a stadium, until now. The answer? According to executive chef Eric Borgia: "For a 1 PM game, we’ll have 200 chefs onboard by 6 AM. But I mean the production starts throughout the week. Like the roast pork production starts on Tuesday, the meatball production is a constant ongoing thing. There’s a crew of about 12 people just literally hand-rolling meatballs. We did have the opportunity for a manufacturer to make them for us, and we did a tasting of them and they’re just not the same." And now you know. more ›

For years there have been rally cries from animal rights protesters whenever the circus comes to town, specifically, whenever the elephants are trotted down the street in anticipation of their run at Madison Square Garden. Well now the NY Times reports that for the first time in 80 years, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus will not be coming to Manhattan for their annual springtime shows... in fact, they won't even be coming to any of the five boroughs. Instead the circus will be banished to New Jersey, where they'll extend their run at the Meadowlands. more ›

You would think NJ Transit would learn their lesson after that nightmarish mob scene which ensued after a U2 concert at the Meadowlands almost exactly one year ago. Could it be they just don't care that thousands of people have to grind together like livestock being herded toward the train platform, where there are too few trains to accommodate the crowd? Judging by the hellish accounts from commuters trying to get to and away from last night's Jets game, they just can't handle it. more ›

As if football tickets didn't cost enough, both the Jets and the Giants are requiring that fans get pre-paid parking passes to park at the New Meadowlands stadium. So anyone looking for tickets online is going to pay a second small fortune for parking. The Daily News reports some single game parking passes are running up to $110 on Craigslist and eBay, and parking to match a 10-game season pass is up to $650. And don't think the passes are just for people looking to go to a game or two; some fans with season tickets are trudging online trying to find parking too. more ›

NJ Governor Chris Christie is delivering on his promises to shake things up in the Garden State: The Star-Ledger reported yesterday he was poised to announce an "unprecedented overhaul of New Jersey’s troubled gaming industry Wednesday — including a complete takeover of the Atlantic City casino and entertainment district, and the sell-off or shutdown of the struggling Meadowlands Racetrack." FYI: Taking over Atlantic City includes taking over police protection and garbage pickup and, for the Meadowlands take over, race tracks could be closed (hello, Nascar?) and the ugly Xanadu wall might go! more ›

The Giants and Jets practiced on their new home turf, the new Meadowlands in East Rutherford, NJ, this week. Unfortunately, things didn't go well for Giant receiver and returner Domenik Hixon, who injured his right knee on during a Tuesday session and is now out for the season. And the new style of artificial turf, FieldTurf, might be the culprit...forget the Swamp Monster—it's the Turf Monster! more ›

Hey, guess who, besides NJ Governor Chris Christie and Daily News columnist Denis Hamill, also wants to make it clear that the 2014 Super Bowl will be held in NJ? Why, the senior Senator of NJ, Frank Lautenberg. He sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last week, first congratulating and thanking the NFL on the decision. Then he got to the point—he doesn't want New York hogging the Super Bowl glory!

I am also writing to ensure that the NFL appropriately describes the site of the game as New Jersey/New York and not simply “New York.” I also urge the league to utilize and promote New Jersey in its marketing and events associated with the Super Bowl. To be sure, the entire New Jersey/New York region has much to offer and will benefit economically from the game. But the reality is that the Super Bowl will be played in New Jersey, and the NFL’s marketing, promotion, and events should reflect that fact. more ›

Now that New York-New Jersey will be hosting the 2014 Super Bowl, expect there to be an interstate fight: NJ Governor Chris Christie threw down the gauntlet yesterday, "I look where that stadium is, and that's New Jersey. When everyone gets on the train, or in their car or on the buses, they're going to be coming to that game in New Jersey." more ›

The NFL team owners have convened and voted the New Meadowlands as the location of the 2014 Super Bowl. As befitting a location in NJ where "New York" teams play, the announcement was a little weird, "Super Bowl XLVIII, in February of 2010, will be played in New York-New Jersey." more ›

To East Rutherford, perchance, to dream: Today, the NFL will vote on the location of the 2014 Super Bowl, and the favorite is New York, as represented by East Rutherford, NJ and the New Meadowlands. As the Wall Street Journal puts it, "The main thing holding the N.Y./N.J. bid back? The weather. One of the best things going for the bid? The weather." more ›

Frank Morocho pleaded not guilty to charges—drunk driving, assault by auto and leaving the scene of a dangerous accident—related to last Friday's hit-and-run outside the Meadowlands. Nine people were injured as they tried to cross Route 120 on the road, instead of taking a pedestrian footbridge after a soccer match at the Meadowlands (Morocho was allegedly the only driver not to stop for pedestrians). A lawyer for Morocho mentioned his four-year stint with the Navy and how he was struggling to find work as a carpenter, "He’s a young man who’s never so much as been arrested before. This was a tragic accident, and we're all praying for the victims’ speedy recovery." more ›

An 18- and a 14-year-old are currently in critical condition after a driver ran down nine pedestrians on Rt. 120 outside the Meadowlands yesterday. Driver Frank Morocho was charged with driving while intoxicated, assault and leaving the scene of an accident. Morocho's dad told the Post his son was a "good boy" and didn't mean any harm. more ›

Bronx resident Frank Morocho was charged with driving while intoxicated, assault by auto and leaving the scene of an accident with injuries after ramming his car through nine pedestrians after a soccer game at the Meadowlands last night. The group was crossing Rt. 120 at around midnight last night when the 21-year-old sped through them in his 2006 Acura, and kept going. more ›

Some very unlucky spectators at Giants and Jets games will be getting a better view of steel beams instead of the field. The Post went on a visit to the new stadium and found, "Each of the two end-zone mezzanine sections has four pillars supporting the upper deck -- unsightly and archaic steel structures that experts say are routinely avoided in modern stadium design. Behind each column are rows of seats where views of the gridiron are fully obscured -- 59 seats in total. Some others have limited sightlines." That should really help selling PSLs! more ›

The Giants and the Jets will both play in their new stadium on opening week, though the G-Men will play first. After tense negotiations between the teams, Commissioner Roger Goodell flipped a coin and decided that the Giants will take the field first at the new Meadowlands Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 12, according to the Star Ledger. The following evening, the Jets will play the season's first "Monday Night Football" game in the stadium. The Giants wanted the first game because the Jets had the final regular season game at the old stadium, and the Jets wanted it because they felt like "second-class citizens in Giants Stadium," the Post reports. The stadium might host the Superbowl in 2014. more ›

After Arizona decided it didn't want to host the Superbowl due to security concerns, the Meadowlands has become the front-runner for 2014's big game. According to the Post, the new Giants and Jets facility is now the leading contender because "Tampa and South Florida—which held the past two Super Bowls—are the only other bidders." more ›

Super Bowl XLIV is upon us and for the 44th time it will be played in warm weather. Every year the game is played in a city with good weather in winter or inside if the game is held in a northern climate. But that may change since the NFL is considering putting the game in the new Meadowlands Stadium. NFL Commissioner Roger Gooddell said "Playing in the elements is central to the way the game of football is played. I think being able to do that and celebrate the game of football in the No. 1 market could have tremendous benefits.” more ›

Despite the sweet warmth of booze in the bloodstream being almost the only thing making a January football game bearable, the Meadowlands Stadium will not be serving alcohol at Sunday night's Jets game against the Bengals. Team spokesman Bruce Speight said that the decision to serve alcohol is made on a game-by-game basis, and factors for this decision include its being a night game, the last game of the season and most likely the last game ever in the old stadium. Ocho Cinco-No! more ›

Two preseason games at the Prudential Center in Newark have been so highly attended that the Nets are considering moving there from the Meadowlands while they wait for a new home in Brooklyn. An October 13th preseason game against the Celtics drew 12,790 fans to the Prudential Center, three times the the size of a typical preseason crowd at the Meadowlands' Izod Center. Then, a game against the Knicks drew 15,721. Those are nice numbers, but getting out of their lease could cost Nets owner and Atlantic Yards developer Bruce Ratner millions. more ›

The buzz was severely harshed last night for thousands of U2 fans making their way back from the Meadowlands to Manhattan. According to multiple reports, the post-concert scene was a total nightmare, with a packed mob left stranded for hours on the platforms. NJT officials tell 1010WINS there were plenty of trains, but there were too few ticket machines to accommodate the throngs of people. But one Gothamist reader describes a different scenario:

It was incredibly disorganized as there were not enough trains to accommodate the amount of concert-goers... At least a couple hundred people left during the encore in hopes of catching an earlier train and avoid the crowd, only to be met with a closed gate at the tracks. The staff didn't open the gates until people were completely pushed up against each other and 500 deep. When they finally allowed us on the platform, people shoved and pushed their way in. It was really unsafe.

Rex Ryan has now coached the Jets for two games and his defense has yet to give up a touchdown. Tom Brady could not find his way into the end zone this afternoon and the Jets stunned New England with a 16-9 upset at the Meadowlands, backing up their big talk all week. more ›

Somehow, three cars in the Meadowlands parking lot caught fire during the Giants' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The State Police believe it was a barbecue mishap, but the cars were easy prey to grieving, seething and probably drunk Giants fans, who decided it was the perfect outlet for their pent-up rage. NJ.com posted these videos of some fans trashing the cars. more ›

Yesterday afternoon, a gas tanker overturned and exploded on the NJ Turnpike near the Meadowlands. Authorities believe the tanker failed to negotiate the curve on a ramp; heavy smoke could be see for miles. Two good Samaritans driving behind the truck helped smother the flames. One, Angelia Mercado, used her coat to bundle up truck driver Rajinder Singh and drove him to a hospital in Newark (she also said Singh gave her phone numbers of family members to call). Singh, a Queens resident, is currently in critical condition after suffering second- and third-degree burns. more ›

Although the Jets gave their fans a partial reprieve from personal seat licenses by not including upper deck season ticket holders in the scheme, the Jets are charging PSLs for 2,000 of the best seats in the new, under-construction stadium. The Jets have launched a new TV ad to entice fans--and it includes a familiar face: more ›

Yesterday afternoon, the Giants and Jets announced it ended talks with Allianz, a German insurance company that was interested in buying stadium naming rights at the new stadium. more ›

As the Giants and Jets consider possible companies to buy naming rights to their new stadium, one serious suitor appears to be German insurance and financial services company Allianz. Some say a 30-year deal could go for $25 million. However, the NY Times' Richard Sandomir has an article about Allianz's "disturbing connections to Nazi Germany. Allianz insured facilities and personnel at concentration camps like Auschwitz and Dachau." It also refused to "pay off the life insurance policies of Jews, and sent cash that was due beneficiaries and survivors to the Nazis. It also became the insurer of Jewish valuables taken by the Nazis." more ›