Gang Green Feeling Blue

By Tony Mangia

RAVENS PUMMEL JETS

All of the trash talking in the world doesn't win games. The New York Jets learned that the hard way after the team--a watered-down version of their opponents-- took it hard on the chin and lost to the Baltimore Ravens 10-9 last night. Don't let the final score fool you. They were completely dominated in every category--including walking the walk.

The Jets smash mouthed their way into the new Meadowlands Stadium with Super Bowl expectations and a stadium they could call their own. Three decades at Giants Stadium and the organization's pathetic attempts to cover up the Giant blue facade with Jet green on game days made the team feel like sub-lettors. Now, the Jets were the home team thanks to the $1.6 billion stadium's color-changing light system.

First the good news. LaDanian Tomlinson gained 62 yards...um...that's it. What can you say about a team that has more than twice as many penalties as first downs! New cornerbacks Antonio Cromartie and Kyle Wilson were responsible for six first downs alone--on penalties! Newly signed Derrelle Revis held his own but for the rest of the defensive backfield it was a nightmare. All Ravens QB Joe Flacco had to do was toss up the ball and if Anquan Boldin didn't snatch it chances were good a Jets DB would get an interference call.

FROM HARD KNOCKS TO TOUGH NOOGIES

The Jets joined last season's summer training camp television stars the Dallas Cowboys as the new, over-hyped media darlings. Head coach Rex Ryan and his obscenity-laced speeches can't hide the fact that the Jets are undisciplined on defense and the offense is suspect. Fourteen penalties and 1-of-11 on third down conversions don't tell the whole story. It was fitting that any chance for some Jets last minute heroics ended after Sanchez hit Dustin Keller who timidly stepped out of bounds a yard before the first down marker. It was as if he was mercifully putting the Jets out of their misery.

Even the loud-mouth Ryan was humbled after the mauling and said little about the game at his press conference. He did comment about the controversy with Mexican television reporter Ines Sainz. "We never want anybody to feel uncomfortable around our team," the coach said regarding the locker room antics of some Jet players and the sexy reporter. He could have been talking about Jets fans as well. It's a good thing Sainz doesn't do her reporting on the tower ramps leading into the stands. Just imagine what hundreds of beered-up, angry Jetsies would say to the demure correspondent--in Spanish and English.