I'm Back

Hey Everyone,

So after the long lay-off for my semester in Los Angeles, I am back here running New York Sports Buff and am excited to contribute my thoughts and feelings regarding all the latest happenings in the New York sports world! I had an absolute blast in LA getting to see what another major sports city was like, and I must say, Los Angelinos are crazy about their sports. I'll definitely post an article on my experiences in LA, but if you don't want to wait, check out the blog I kept: Michael in Los Angeles


Ok, moving on, I figured my first post would be about the hottest topic on the NY sports scene right now, and of course, that would be the New York Jets. After a hot start, the team plummeted to 4-6 and then were written off by their own Head Coach, Rex Ryan, after a terrible loss to the Falcons with 2 weeks left in the season.


My how the tables have turned!

The Jets beat the Colts and Bengals to clinch a spot in the playoffs, upended Cincy, on the road, on Wild Card weekend, and then shocked the Chargers, in San Diego, in the Divisional Round. And now sure enough, here are the Jets, about to face the Colts in the AFC Championship Game, 60 minutes from the Super Bowl for just the 2nd time in team history.


And one question still remains: Do they deserve to be here?

Frankly, I'm sick of hearing everyone claiming the Jets "backed their way in." Did they get a gift from the Colts when they removed Peyton Manning and Co. in the 3rd quarter of their Week 16 game? Sure. Did they benefit from Cedric Benson not playing in the season finale? Perhaps. Will we ever know how the games would have played out otherwise? NO! So stop trying to look back into the past.

No matter how the Jets got to the postseason, they got there by playing well enough to win games. Would the Rams or Lions have beaten the Colts second-string? I don't think so, and they are off golfing somewhere. The Jets did their job, and they have proven the last two weeks they could beat Division Champions who played their starters the whole game.

The Jets ended the year with the best defense and best running game in the entire NFL. Sure, they have a rookie quarterback who has struggled, but had their defense and running game not been as top-notch as they were this year, they wouldn't have come close to making the playoffs. Credit the Jets' talent and their ability to take care of business late in the season (they did win 5 of 6 to close out the season) for the reason they are playing in January. Not the decisions of other teams to rest some starters.