Jets’ Owner Unhappy With Coin Flip Results

I can understand the frustration of Woody Johnson (Robert Wood Johnson IV to you bluebloods) over the loss of the now infamous “coin flip”.  He is, after all, from one of America’s wealthiest families and is not accustomed to losing.

That being said, as owner of the New York Jets, that attitude will leave him bitterly disappointed most of the time regardless of the relentless branding efforts of his underlings.

In 1984, then-owner Leon Hess agreed to move the Jets from baseball-centric Shea Stadium to the Meadowlands in a deal that would eternally deem them as sub-tenants.  Like many Jet decisions of the past forty years, it was a small-minded, short-sighted solution.

I remember back then a bar patron saying it would be too expensive to build their own stadium in NYC. “They would have to move mountains”, he said.   To which the bartender answered, “Hess owns an oil company. Moving mountains is their business.”

Johnson is miffed over the coin flip (which seemed on the level) because no Jets representative was present.  Big deal.  If it’s prestige you want, Woody, you’ll have to earn it. Win a Super Bowl and get back to us….as it turns out, both teams will end up playing home Week One….

Giants Begin Off-season Conditioning Program

The Giants convened as a team for the first time since January, when they said their sorry goodbyes to the 2009 season.

Yesterday, at the Timex Performance Center, Big Blue began their voluntary (code for “mandatory”) off-season conditioning program.  After collapsing under the weight of massive injuries after a 5-0 start, the Giants feel they have something to prove.

DT Chris Canty, a free-agent signed before last season, is finally healthy and ready to help his new team.

“I think guys understand after the season that we had, which was a disappointment, that we have to work that much harder in order to make this season a success….it’s reflective of how many guys we have here on the first day. There are guys that have been here for a couple of months now. Guys understand what’s at stake and how hard we have to work.”

Newly-signed QB Jim Sorgi was in attendance and ready to start work as a backup to his second Manning brother.  Sorgi spent the last seven seasons as Peyton’s understudy in Indianapolis.  He is eager to do the same for Eli.

Eli had this to say about Sorgi……“I know Jim. We’ve been around each other a few times over the past few years. I’ve never worked with him, but Peyton speaks highly of him. I’m excited about having him here. He knows football and he’s been in the league for a number of years. I’m excited about working with him and seeing how we can improve…….Jim’s a smart guy and a guy who studies and prepares and does everything he has to do, not only to get himself ready, but he helped get Peyton ready, also. He watched film and offered his ideas, so I’m looking forward to working with him to see what we can do to help out the team.”