Sometimes a man just has to have a hot dog. During the New York Jets massacre this past Sunday against the Oakland Raiders, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez was caught on camera scarfing down a hot dog. For some reason, the announcer took offense to his flippancy. This has apparently become a big story around the web, and I just had to weigh in on this.
The truth of the matter is Mark Sanchez had every right to eat that hot dog. Here are some of the reasons why:
- He was hungry.
- They were playing the Oakland Raiders so respect wasn’t an issue.
- He was hungry.
- The Jets had the game well in hand.
- He was hungry.
- Hot dogs rock!
- He was hungry.
It seems utterly ridiculous to me that anyone would make a big deal about Mark Sanchez eating a hot dog on the sidelines. It is not as though he was sitting there having chips and salsa. it was not a social function. With the way he was diving into that bad boy it would appear that he was simply hungry. I seriously doubt that it was a way for him to disrespect his teammates or opponents.
When asked about the situation, Mark Sanchez actually apologized and explained that he was simply hungry. I would not have apologized for one second. If you’re hungry, then you eat. Especially when you are burning tons of calories out on the football field. What’s next? Are we going to give players that get IVs during the game a hard time?
Will Mark Sanchez Be The Next Big Thing?
On the surface it would appear that Sanchez has been the best in a landslide, but much of that has to do with the players around him. Sanchez is 3-0 as a starter in his brief NFL career, but his defense has as much to do with that as anything that he has done. Do not get me wrong – Sanchez has looked fantastic so far. The thing about Sanchez that is shocking to me is how poised he has been. The guy never looks rattled, and that is a sign of a future NFL superstar at such a young age. He has a quarterback rating of just below 90 which is great and has only thrown 2 picks against 4 Touchdowns. Again, that is impressive.
Stafford has had his moments as well. The problem that Stafford faces is that he plays for the Lions. This guy is already being thrown into situations that create character or destroys young quarterbacks. Thus far, he has stood up quite well though the stats do not seem like it. He is 1-2 with a quarterback rating of 57.0. He has also thrown two touchdowns and 5 picks. This is partly because they have played from behind all season with the exception of that lone win against the Redskins.
All in all, the competition is pretty darn close. I do give the nod to Sanchez for one reason. He has shown an ability to throw the deep ball as he has three passes over 40 yds so far. While not mind boggling, this is certainly respectable for an NFL rookie quarterback that is only now getting their feet wet.
Who will be the better quarterback in the end is anybody’s guess, but I have a feeling they will both be around for a very long time. These are two great young talents. Hopefully they are not snake bitten by their respective teams. They are for real.
Will Favre Be Smiling?
The truth of the matter is that when Favre retired, he retired as a Green Bay Packer. His signing with the Jets was no big deal really in Green Bay. It stunk. It made Green Bay mad. It was odd on every level. Favre signing with arguably the Packer’s worst on field enemy is another story all together. The fact that the Vikings are serious contenders in the Packers own division is just icing on the cake. The Packers are going to be in for the fight of their life to ward off the Vikings this season. Brett Favre could very well be the reason that Green Bay does not make the playoffs this year. What crime could he commit that would be any worse to a Green Bay fan?
Watching this game on Monday night will be like nothing else in recent memory as sports go. The Packers are going to be playing against Brett Favre. No matter how many times you say it, it still has to sound strange. What will it look like? The real question is, will the Green Bay players have it in for Favre? Regardless of the niceties that are sure to be thrown around on Monday night’s pregame, you can bet that the Packers are going to be a little pissed in the back of their minds. They will be coming after Favre hard and fast.
To tell you the truth, I see that as being their ultimate downfall. They are going to be looking for Favre all night long, and Adrian Peterson is going to be running by them while they do. The real weapon in Minnesota is not Brett Favre. He is the decoy now. The real weapon is Adrian Peterson. Given this, the Vikings would do well to sling some shots down the field early against Green Bay. They should get all eyes squarely on Favre. Once they focus in, then they should smash them in the mouth with a steady dose of Adrian. The worse thing they could do is get into a passing game with the Packers.
Aaron Rodgers is actually the better quarterback at this stage of their careers. Physically he is just more put together than Favre. Favre has the experience and the mojo over Rodgers, however. If Favre is going to beat Rodgers, it will have to be between the ears. He will have to shelve his ego, and let the strengths of his team lead the way. To Favre’s credit, he has done so this year so far. This is why the Vikings are 3-0. It remains to be seen if he can do the same against the Packers.
Pull up a chair, and enjoy the ride. This should be a good one.
The AFC East in recent years has been pretty much all about the Patriots for the last several seasons with the lone exception of last year. In a very odd 2008 NFL football season, the mighty Patriots lost superstar quarterback Tom Brady and dropped to second place behind Miami via a tie breaker. This season, Brady is back but does that mean that the AFC East is a gimme once again? Let’s look into the crystal ball for 2009, and see what stares back at us.
New England Patriots
While the Patriots are not the powerhouse they have been in previous seasons, they are still awfully good. This version of the Patriots has just as strong of a chance in winning the division as any, and I expect that Brady will return to form quickly and decidedly. Randy Moss, Brady, newcomer Fred Taylor, and many others will keep the Patriots near the top of the standings all season long. I expect them to reclaim the AFC East crown.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins sprung from nowhere to take the playoff spot in the AFC East last season and they will not sneak up on anyone this year. The Dolphins are a solid football team but they do have some question marks. Will Ronnie Brown be able to hold up this season? Will the wildcat be effective again? Can the Tuna work some more magic? I see second place in this talented division.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills are one of those teams that is really hard to figure out. They have some serious talent and that new guy…. Terrell Owens. They have a quarterback that might just explode now that the Bills have more than just Lee Evans to throw to. It should be fun to watch. The Bills will come in a strong third, and would not surprise me at all to go higher.
New York Jets
The Jets will struggle this season because they seem committed to rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez. He is a fantastic talent and I do see him succeeding in his rookie year, but there will be growing pains for sure. Expect that Sanchez will play alot, and the Jets will win a little. This will be a good thing in the long run for the Jets.
Make sure to check out my other predictions for the league found below:
