The Empire

You can always tell who built the empire and who inherited it. Art imitates life on the silver screen in just such a scenario in countless movies we have seen over the years. Too many to list, I can tell you this: Alec Baldwin and Hugh Grant would be the perfect douche-bags to play Henry “Hankenstein” and Hal Steinbrenner. Hank and Hal, in just under three years time, have completely ruined the greatest sports franchise of all time. They have taken away the heart and soul of the most passionate fans in baseball. Leaving most of them on the outside looking in (from the Hard Rock Cafe). To take away Yankee Stadium from Yankee fans is like taking away the Coliseum from Romans. Or like taking away hope from Mets fans. (Aww too soon?) And for what?

A team rich with history and tradition and all its glory now has as much mystique and aura in their “New” park as their kid sister’s place over in Queens. This is worse than when Michael Corleone died, slumped over in a chair at his Palazzo in Sicily in Godfather III and Sonny’s bastard son took over the family. You sit there watching the whole thing in disbelief. Wondering the whole time how could things be so bad and why you have not turned it off yet. You can’t! It’s the Godfather!

You see what I’m sayin? Watch what I’m tellin you.

Hank and Hal have destroyed all that was good about the Yankees. They have made the Yankees everything everyone ever accused them of being when in fact they were not. Worst of all they threw their fans under the bus in the process. In 10 or 15 years Hank and Hal will sell the team to another yet undeserving “collared shirt” who knows nothing about baseball or its history or his responsibility to it as the owner of what once was the greatest franchise in sports.

This I know for sure will never be the case in the “New Yankee Stadium”:  “…nothing is as compelling as walking into Yankee Stadium and taking a deep breath as you feel the chills run through your body at the first sight of that perfectly groomed green checkered grass. Or the feel of Royalty and Excellence that surround and embrace you when seated in the in the dark blue cathedral in the Bronx simply known as “The Stadium”

Identity fraud ala New York Jets

Identity fraud

by The Boinger

What is the identity of the New York Jets? Answer: They have no identity. Not Joe Namath, not the sack exchange and not Fireman Ed. Not even the great Brett Favre is not going to fix nor change that. The Tuna couldn’t fix it and even Belichick saw the writing on the wall and bolted for New England. There is no long succession of great QB’s. There is no history of a strong run/pass oriented offensive/defensive juggernaut. It is just not there. The sack exchange? They have long since been forgotten. No one has stepped up to carry on that tradition. The front office has had one bad draft after another and continues to try pull the wool over the fans eyes with big NO NAME head coaches. They even tried to fool everyone into thinking that they were serious about moving back to NY. Them sharing a stadium with the Giants further entrenches them as the “second team” in this city. When Donald Trump has lunch with Bill Gates do they share a salad? NO! So why should the Jets be sharing a stadium with the Giants that is no where close to their fan base?

It gets harder and harder to even want to root for them anymore. If you are lucky enough to get tickets you still have to drive out to that hole in the swamp they call home. They need a major change. New ownership would be great. A new home IN NEW YORK would be even better. Perhaps they could find some empty space in the Bronx?

The New Bronx Bombers

The New Bronx Bombers

by The Boinger

Imagine heading into the Bronx to watch the game. You get down to 161 and River, walk along the L and down through the gates. You peek out through the tunnel and see the field and the palyers and as you emerge from the belly of the cement cathedral your ear ear drum rumbles when you hear the crowd chant J – E – T – S JETS JETS JETS!!! Come on think about it. The New Bronx Bombers! A whole new stadium for gang green. No more crossing over the bridge (or two) no more sitting in traffic (on the NJTP) and no more “Lets go Yankees”?

The Jets need a new place to call home. A place to call their own. Who knows maybe even new uniforms and a new name. They could call themselves the Bronx Bombers and change their logo to the stealth fighter and make their uniforms black or maybe even camouflage. The “old” Yankee Stadium site would be perfect. Forget about midtown what a bad idea that was. Imagine showing up in the boogie down for some FOOTBALL! How awesome would that be? A new stadium complete with all the fan friendly amenities. The Weeb Ewbank Rotunda. The Emerson Boozer bar. The Gang Green Gridiron Grill. The Mark Gastineau Promenade. O’Brien’s Irish Pub where they only serve green beer. Vinny’s Pizza. Joe Namath Plaza. They could even put in a gay bar and call it the “Sac Exchange” HA!