RSS Feed for this Blog

Monday, January 24, 2011

Gang Green is Glum

A fellow Jets/racing enthusiast wrote that Sunday's Jets game was kinda like Zenyatta's Breeders' Cup: Broke bad, slow to get into stride, checked badly at he half mile pole, then rallied strongly but fell short. If it was really like Zenyatta though, the Jets would have gotten voted into the Super Bowl on the basis of having beaten better teams, and because having a New York team in the big game would be better for the sport.

No such luck though; the season is over for Rex Ryan's crew. It was fantastic knocking off the Colts, awesome dominating the Pats. But the overall emotion for me is one of disappointment. A lot of things have to fall into place for a team in the NFL to make it as far as the final four, and I think you gotta take advantage of the opportunity. For two seasons, the Jets got their fair share of good fortune (particularly just to get into last year's playoffs) and stayed relatively healthy as far as that goes in professional football. They could have a great off-season (or two, depending on the labor situation), be a better team on both sides of the ball, and still hardly be guaranteed that they'll be in the same position next time there's a season. It's a nutty game, subject to random bounces and the whim of well-meaning but overmatched officials trying to officiate an un-officiatable game. In a single elimination playoff format, there's no assurance that the best team will win. If it has the things fall into place it needs to in order to get to the playoffs in the first place.

So, it was a blown opportunity and a bummer. But yeah, as least they beat the Pats. I hope that Tom Brady enjoyed whatever Broadway show he decided to check out this week.

21 Comments:

Valerie Grash said...

"...and because having a New York team in the big game would be better for the sport."

Nice try, Alan, but there are FAR more fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers across this country than the few New Yorkers who worship the Jets, so I guarantee the NFL is extremely satisfied that the six-time Super Bowl champions will be matched up against the second-oldest franchise in the NFL, in what promised to be good old-fashioned smash-mouth football.

SaratogaSpa said...

The term "Any Given Sunday" really applies so well to Football.

Really got a kick out of Big Ben praying and thanking God after the victory. Who is he fooling exactly?

Anonymous said...

i always respected you until this comment...you vote for horse of the year....if they decided to make the breeders cup winner the horse of the year i am fine with that but they do not...everyone gets a vote and can choose whatever criteria he or she wants...i would have voted for zenyatta but that does not make me right...it is just who i think deserves it....your mocking tone stinks as does your analogy...

DiscreetPicks said...

Just curious. Do you really believe that Zenyatta wasn't the best horse in the Classic? Blame got to the wire first, just barely, deserved to wi the race, and perhaps deserved to win HOTY. But to hear some of the Blame supporters in the media talk, you'd think that he beat Zenyatta by 5 lengths. He didn't.

My personal opinion is that Zenyatta was unlucky to lose, although that bad luck might've been her own fault, due to her late-running style and the large field she forced to navigate. In fact, that was my primary concern going into the race. I didn't doubt that Zenyatta was the best horse, and i still don't. That's just my opinion, take it for what it's worth.

And also, for what it's worth, i think it's pretty self-serving (and pretty comical) that a lot of the same people who maintain that Blame is the deserving winner of the award based on his Classic win are also the same people who completely ignored the Classic result last year when voting for Rachel Alexandra. Funny how that works...

Figless said...

DP - I think a lot of the people that voted for RA last year actually voted for Z this year, partly out of guilt for robbing her in 2009.

I defended Z and would have voted for her in 2009 (with Gio Ponti second), and would have voted for Blame this year.

Figless said...

Valerie, you are right that there are more Steeler fans nationwide than Jets fans, but the NFL will always prefer a NY team, especially a controversial team like the Jets, play in the big game.

The last two JETS games set all time viewing records, and this is all about ratings.

alan said...

Sorry, didn't really mean to get into the whole HOTY debate again....just couldn't resist a little snark, bitter as I am over the Jets loss. As far as Discreet Picks' question: Yes, I think Zenyatta is the better horse; No, I do not think that she was that day.

As far as Valerie's comment goes, yes, I'm sure there are plenty enough front-running "fans" around the country to make the Steelers' appearance attractive enough to the networks, but there's little question in my mind that Jets-Bears would have been their preferred matchup. (Remember when the first round losers in the old NFL would play in the runner-up bowl?)

El Angelo said...

This is the last time I'm writing about the 2009/10 HOTY debate. The question of whether or not RA ran in the Classic last year is completely irrelevant. Her campaign last year included winning 2 Grade 1 races against 3yo fillies by a combined 40 lengths, the Preakness and Haskell over males, and the Woodward over older males, and 8 wins overall. Her body of work was tremendous. Much like Mineshaft in 2003, the Classic would have been the cherry on top, and added little. Had Zenyatta had a campaign that remotely approached RA's, the vote would have been closer and she might have won.

By contrast, neither Blame nor Zenyatta ran a remotely ambitious campaign in '10, making the Classic, for all practical purposes, the showdown race. And Blame won. You can say he had a better trip, the margin of length was decreasing, Smith gave Zenyatta a bad ride....bottom line, he won, she lost.

Easy Goer coulda/woulda/shoulda against Sunday Silence three times in 1989 but didn't win, and lost HOTY. The result should have been the same here.

wmcorrow said...

You commentators above, and all the others out there who have commented on Zenyatta's performances, just what has the HOTY done for your bankroll?

Aren't you in this 'game' to make money, or to worship a horse? Meanwhile, the owner, trainer, and jockey of Zenyatta have made a deposit to their bank account. Have you?

Anonymous said...

Glad Zenyatta was HOY; glad that the blowhard Jets are done. Even better it was done "dagger in the heart style." For the Mets/Jets fans, enjoy the off season. Again.

steve in nc said...

I nominate El Angelo's for "best and most reasonable HOY post" of the season.

Alan gets the nod for "best stinky mocking tone" (boy, am I jealous) and the Good Caberneigh Award for best whine-producing analogy on a horsie blog.

And based on what the Steelers' running back Rashard Mendenhall did in the first half against the Jets, he could be the official "Pick the Pros and Ponies" frontrunner for Horse of the Year, 2011. I know he only runs on turf, but did Zenyatta or Blame ever have to deal with linebackers?

DiscreetPicks said...

So when Zenyatta beat all comers in Breeders Cup Classic, becoming the first female in history to win that race, her campaign is considered inferior. Got it.

Tell me, who did Rachel beat, exactly? Summer Bird? Mine That Bird? Pretty sure Zenyatta beat those horses as well, in a much bigger race i might add. Unless the Preakness or Haskell trump the BC Classic, which i'm pretty sure they don't.

Anonymous said...

yes steve in nc and you get the award for "PUTZ" of the new year.

Anonymous said...

The right horse won HOY in 2009 and in 2010, IMO. Great job, voters! -jp

steve in nc said...

Anon, 9:03, are you too chicken, or will you man up and give yourself a name and stick with it, so everyone who reads this board can see what OTHER opinions you have? (My money's on chicken.)

Are you the innocent who calls Zenyatta "Queen" or the sharpie who fixates on Alan's hunch bets? Come on wizard, get out from behind that curtain and take credit for your brilliant insight!

But first find a real wise-ass 12-year old to help you with some new insults. Calling people putz over and over makes you come off like Al D'Amato, and that's no compliment. If you don't know what I'm talking about, for a few bucks, maybe that 12-year old will help you look it up.

Anonymous said...

You're probably best off just not responding to that nonsense, steve-o. -jp

Anonymous said...

West coast based Zenyatta wins HOY and the West Coast is rewarded with Sunny skies and 75 warm degrees.

Blame loses HOY, and the Jets lose again and the east coasters get another dumping of snow.

I think that is fair.

Theiman (in shorts today):)

Alan Mann said...

>>Blame loses HOY, and the Jets lose again and the east coasters get another dumping of snow.

I think that is fair.>>


At least the Rangers are doing well!

And, btw Theiman, eat my shorts! :-)

Anonymous said...

He's a moron that's why he responds.

steve in nc said...

Beautiful grammar, smarty pants.

Go Knicks!

Anonymous said...

One of the rare occasions I seem to agree with El Angelo's take. Zenyatta was a West Coast synthetic track campaigner with a Hollywood agent carefully managing her performance to win the Oscar. And it succeeded. But I still have reservations about Zenyatta since she never shipped to NY to run against the top Grade I's here.That will always be the asterisk* in her record from my standpoint. /S/greenmtnpunter