New York Jets By The Numbers: # 23 - The Reminder

The Jetskins Saga continues with the entry of two-year player, #23 Derrick Blaylock. He was released to Washington at the beginning of last season, and despite finally reaching an agreement with them, he was eventually released without playing a game. He is currently a free agent. What does a football player who gained a couple of hundred yards a season do in the meantime, waiting for the call that might never come? It is a reminder to all of us, perhaps.

While on such subjects, here's a remarkable collection of details about running back, #23 Dennis Bligen who played for the Jets from 1984 to 1987, mostly as a special teams player. He is the first NFL player from St. John's (the basketball friendly Red Storm when they were "Redmen" St. John's, not the famous program in Minnesota), was the fourth best rusher on the Jets in 1985, and never played football in high school. I'll repeat that: Never played football in high school but played football for a school that I never even knew had a football program. According to Gerald Eskanazi, the Jets sent Bligen off to Tampa Bay before the 15th game of the 1986 season, just as he was coming off injured reserve, and he might have been there for a crucial short down conversion (one of his specialties) late in the fourth quarter of the infamous Cleveland divisional playoff of January 1987 had he not been sent South. Instead, the Jets called an ill-fated Ken O'Brien QB sneak, gave the ball, and two overtimes later the game, back to Cleveland. He returned in 1987 for one season, too little too late. Mystifying, really. Here Jets fans can appreciate what real scholars of History are always bound to learn - that that great collapses always include the absence of such little nuts and bolts.

Number 23 Jerry Davis played six games in 1975. In the same jersey, Mike Harmon played nine games in 1983. Nothing else can be found of their presence in the NFL. It can sometimes be a short span.

In the same vein as a previous recipient of the Booth Lustig Special Award for Dicks, let us not neglect Dick Felt, the first #23 in our organization's history. After a standout career with Brigham Young, he came east to play in Gotham for the Titans and then for the Boston Patriots from 1962 to 1966. Young men just aren't named Dick anymore, are they? What a shame. Is it Nixon's fault, or does one put the blame on the merciless, unforgiving course of slang? Perhaps that thousand yard stare that accompanies this photograph is the only natural expression remaining for a man who has been reminded all his life that his name is the terse, passive construction that expresses an action performed on a noun. Ah well.

Jamie Henderson played in #23 for the Jets from 2001 to 2004. Still in the thick of a somewhat promising first couple of years, he suffered a motorcycle accident that, it would seem, ended his career. It is telling of the time that most accounts of this accident took pains to point out that Mr. Henderson was not speeding, was wearing a helmet and was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time. Neither was he racing. On the Wacky, Jamie Henderson is now mentioned as a defensive backs coach for Georgia State, though one suspects what he himself suggests in his own peculiarly poignant website - that someday he would like to coach at his alma mater, Georgia. Memo to self: I never want to ride a motorcycle.

In the average span of an average career in pro football, Mark Johnston's in the AFL is pretty average. He managed four interceptions in each of his first three years with the Houston Oilers, then one with Oakland and then one with the Jets in #23. As the Jets database so bluntly puts it, "Played eight games with the club during the '64 season and tallied one interception." Though factual, it sounds dismissive. It's a reminder that despite our best intentions and efforts, the truth of our lives can often be as bland as it sounds. A Jets fan understands such verities.

New York Jets By The Numbers: # 21

Twenty-one. A number with so many interesting connotations outside the football world, yet so few within it. There is LaDanian Tomlinson #21, whose name is so remarkably funny that he can only be an exception to every rule, anyway. I like funny names. (Which is why it's, well, reasonably amusing that when I wrote that above, Tomlinson was not a Jet. "Treg Songy" still has to be considered the funniest among #21's, however LT's funny name quotient goes through the roof if he's a bust, like "Brett Favre." I'm liking those odds).

Like Aaron Beasley. Any name with "Beasley" in it is funny. He had six interceptions in one season with the Jacksonville Jaguars and five in two seasons with the Jets, 2002 and 2003 and four in his final season as a pro in Atlanta. He wore #21. He is originally from Pottstown, PA, which is not far from where I live. According to Wackypedia, Beasley is currently the founder of Fever Sport Drinks, based in Maryland. Oh, the things that athletes do after they are done with the greatest of games.

If you want to know what Napoleon Kauffman is doing lately, you might find him at the annual Sheldon Canley Football Camp held in July at Huyck Stadium in Lompoc, CA. This is another thing ex-football players do - they train the next generation for a nominal fee. It's not exactly Jedi training, but it pays the bills. Once upon a time, Sheldon Canley wore #21 for the New York Jets in 1992 after serving what seems to have been a nearly undistinguished two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. His Jets stats? Four attempts, nine yards. The extraordinary thing is he tied a record for touchdowns in a single bowl game for San Jose State in 1991. It reads like an Arthur Miller play.

What will become of Andre Dyson? The Jets released him in February. I had just recently become used to him at cornerback after many years of seeing #21 Victor Green in that position. These were years where the Jets were bad, worse and better, then a little worse than better. In 2000, Green had six interceptions. He, Otis Smith and Aaron Glenn were fixtures of that strange time of promise, and the more I think about the heartburn of that time, the more I realize that I spent lots of Sunday afternoons terrified of the long pass they would give up. That may not be a fair memory of him, and Victor Green was, in particular, the most effective of them all. But I'm confused. Does this mean Justin Miller now gets Andre Dyson's number?

In the bleak 1976 season, #21 Clark Gaines was a bright spot as a rookie out of Wake Forest. He gained 724 yards that season, and not all against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. To me, he was probably the best running back in the NFL. He wasn't even in the top ten for the AFC, of course, but to a little seven year-old depressed by the departure of John Riggins the year before, Clark Gaines was the near best thing that could happen to me. That's sad. I mean, I knew that Joe Namath was not what he once was in the same way that a teenager looks at his parents for the first time with a clear sense of their mortality and fallibility. I needed a replacement for my heroes, and running back Clark Gaines did the trick for a little while. His best season was 1979, when he was 95 yards shy of the 1,000 yard mark.

Sid Lewis? you ask. Yes, #21 Sid Lewis. Who else? Not the Sid Lewis who came from Penn State and played defensive back during the strike-ridden 1987 season, with absolutely no record of his performance? Not him? The very same, my friend. The very same.

Number 21, Don Boyd Odegard. Say it loud and proud. Say it fast and you utilize most of the short vowel sounds in the English language. He's also known as Don Odegard, which takes him out of the running for the Booth Lustig award because it's not as funny without "Boyd." This fellow is one of those rare characters, a kicker and a cornerback; he played special teams for the Jets between 1990 and '91. According to my crack research, he is today he is the President and Director of Operations for the Watts Brothers Farming and Frozen Foods Company. What a world.

Submitted for your approval: Kirk Springs #21. I remember Kirk Springs returning kicks and making two interceptions in 1981, his year-high in a career that spanned five years. Or six. According to jt-sw.com, Springs played from 1981-85 with the Jets and only the Jets. The NFL record books agree. The Times mentions that Springs was traded to the Indianapolis Colts for an "undisclosed draft pick" in April 1987. Which is correct? Did he ever make it to Indy? Was the draft pick ever disclosed? Did the Jets fork over a draft pick after forgetting that Springs had retired the season before? Probably.

When I look up the name of #21 Treg Songy on Google, it asks, "Did you mean Treg Songz?" Hmmmmmmm? No, I did not. I meant Treg Songy, and when I look up Treg Songy on www.pro-football-reference.com, I discover he played in two games in 1987. That can mean only one thing: REPLACEMENT PLAYER!!!! Treg's in charge of refreshments for the reunion this year.

And finally, Steve Tannen, #21. Look at that 1973 Topps card. Is this guy also a Saturday afternoon Channel Five Hong Kong kun fu villain's henchman or what? Look out, baby. Pay attention. Tannen played cornerback for the Jets from 1970-74, and he grabbed seven interceptions in 13 games during the 1972 season. That should have been a Pro Bowl appearance, my friend, and that would have gotten him a gig in kung fu cinema. Miami's Jake Scott had five interceptions at strong safety that year, and he went to the Pro Bowl. Typical bias in favor of the Filets. Nice job, anyway, Steve.

Die Draft Schadenfreude

Football's a funny game. Whereas baseball seems to produce surprises among teams, especially in terms of individual growth and performance (those naturally enhanced, mind you), football really is a game that is about a player's proscribed role in a given position, with a given team. Actually that's not that funny. It speaks to how limited the game is, I suppose. Nowhere is this more true than when one watches the draft, where it seems choosing the absolutely the right player is essential. Vernon Gholston is a good choice because he fits with the 3-4 system. Dustin Keller is a surprising tight end who can fit into the Jets' need to pay someone other than Chris Baker for the job. As many Jets fans know, Bubba Franks is getting paid more than Baker for being his backup. Ah, Mangini. He is ruthless about money, isn't he?

There are other fits. The secondary. Wide receiver (over 6'0", please). And quarterback. I'm glad all the commentators and writers are in less denial than the organization itself. We still need a quarterback. And of course, right on cue, Mel Kiper of ESPN said that Gholston is grossly overrated. Sigh. So let the funny game begin. I'm getting very, very ready.

NY Jets #20 - Part 1

Number 20 has sixteen entries. For the sake of sanity, I cannot possibly mention something brilliant, pithy, erudite, droll, witty, and prescient about them all. I have limits, and the number 20 has shown me how deep mine go. I will try, though. I will try.

First, let's begin with Leon Washington's precursor, Richie Anderson, who delighted us in #20. In truth, Richie was wildly versatile and likable, although occasionally susceptible to fumbles. He had more receptions than Wayne Chrebet in 2000, and spent ten seasons with the Jets, which is saying something, considering he endured seasons with Coslet, Kotite, Parcells, Groh, and Edwards. He is one of those fellows that Parcells himself pulled from team to team. However, a recent job as receivers coach with the Arizona Cardinals ended when he was caught soliciting a prostitute, a criminal violation to which football players seem particularly susceptible.

Michael Bates was #81 and #82 with Seattle, Cleveland, Carolina, the Redskins and the Cowboys, but when he came to the New York Jets he became #20 for one (his last) season. It could happen to anybody. But neither you nor I was selected to the NFL's All-1990's team, and Michael Bates was. I don't mean to offend you. Don't be sad. He also won the bronze in the 200 metres in Barcelona in 1992. Now I know that didn't happen to you. How do I know? I know because I was sitting in a horrible apartment, paying more than I was originally assigned for campus housing in graduate school, wondering what in hell I was doing in North Philadelphia, sharing space with a morbidly depressed roommate who punched holes in the walls of our place every time there was a wrong number, all the while ignoring the scurrying rodents and roaches by watching - God help me - the Summer Olympics. I remember. Now why can't I forget?

With an excellent afro and, later, a juicy fu manchu, Delles Howell played cornerback in #20 for the Jets from 1973 to 1975. Delles Howell was a part of a famous trade that brought Richard Neal to the Jets in lieu of several key draft prospects. This did not prove to be a good idea; however, as the Jets' yearbook pointed out, he was certainly one of the tallest cornerbacks of his time at six foot two.

The Jets' All-Time Roster lists Don Herndon as the first #20 in the organization's history. Nothing beside remains, except for the fact that he played in only one season for the Titans (somebody had to be a halfback) and he was originally drafted by the Giants. That was his career. Damn.
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"Leander" is one of the lovers in Midsummer Night's Dream, and Leander Knight played 13 games in 1989 for the Jets at cornerback in #20. He wins the Booth Lustig Award for Funny Name, but is it fair to call someone's name funny just because it doesn't sound like a football name? You're free to disagree as you please.

Obviously we are mostly in the secondary with #20. Does the constant grind of the game ever get to these guys? A few punt returns, some kickoffs, one interception in one year. Three interceptions the next, maybe. Then, no more. Other than that, there is the constant repetition of coverage, play after play, where the ball doesn't even really get thrown in your direction. You constantly feel out of the play's control. You're not a mind reader. Davlin Mullen played four seasons in the NFL, all in #20 with the Jets, drafted as he was in the fateful year of 1983, finishing his career in 1986. He had three interceptions - his season-high - in 1985.

There are very few things that I knew by the time I was a third grader on Long Island, but it's interesting to think about the range of my limited knowledge. I knew that the statue of Christ outside our local church signaled a touchdown, I knew that Richard Nixon ate cereal without milk (or so my mother said), and I knew that Steve O'Neal held the record for the longest punt in NFL history at 98 yards. He played from 1969-73 at punter for the Jets and wore #20.

This record still stands. It happened in 1969, and one wonders if it will ever be broken. In the thin air of Denver's Mile High, on the same day that the Denver front line reduced Joe Namath to a quivering mass in a 21-19 loss, Steve O'Neal's punt was estimated to have gone at least 70 yards through the air and then took an endless Jet bounce, culminating in a slow roll. A generous bounce is a nice surprise but not that extraordinary of an event on a punt, so the kick itself must have beyond category. There are no films of the event, no remaining evidence other than the awe that Denver's returner Billy Thompsen says he felt when he saw it sail way, way over his head and eventually stop at Denver's own 1. To this date, no one knows where Steve O'Neal actually is, if in fact he still is. One senses that if a record-holder does not even try to cash in on his moment of glory, then he must not have come to a good end. I dunno. Via cum dios, Steve O'Neal.

Gholston Schmolsten

And yet now the Jets are giving Arkansas' RB Darren McFadden the tour of the city, which could take at least a week if you include trips to the Cloisters and Grant's Tomb. There are a number of neglected sites in Queens, of course. May I recommend its highly underrated Museum of Art? Would he benefit from a walking tour around Park Slope in Brooklyn? According to a Los Angeles Times article, his mother does not like New York for its sheer size, so maybe we should just show him Hofstra.

I'm still hoping the Jets will choose Vernon Gholston. If you are to believe Newsday, the Jets have more needs than a set of draft picks can solve. The Times seemed to think the Jets have done nearly enough in the free agent market. Sounds like Jets coverage to me. As I recall, the Jets already have two fairly able running backs. I'm going to also suggest drafting, getting, training or creating from insubstantial elements a quarterback. Am I wrong for refusing to pretend that Kellen Clemens is the answer?

Two Teams, Both Alike in Quality...Kind of...

Two teams will occupy one space at the Meadowlands in the future, just as they do now. Jets fans feel mixed about this, but just imagine how great it is imagining the area's supposedly elite team having to come back home to move back in with their metaphorically wayward, mulleted blue collar cousin in green? "Hey. Welcome back, Blue. Mr. Hot Shot. I saved ya a Schlitz. Oh, wait. No I didn't." And, the deed isn't in Blue's name alone because it isn't his neighborhood anymore.

However, both Big Blue and Gang Green are doing something that generations of intermingling New York-based teams have done in the past - fight, hate, play on the same fields as each other and co-exist. Here we go:

Originally, the New York Giants used to originally play in the Polo Grounds, just as the baseball Giants used to. But then the football Giants moved to Yankee Stadium in the late 50's, just about the time that the baseball Giants moved to San Francisco; there are, in fact, two Yankee Stadiums today - one in use, one being built next door. Professional football is not played at Yankee Stadium any more because in 1976 the Giants moved to Giants Stadium, which is right next door to the newly carved foundation of the New Meadowlands Stadium. However, a year before they moved to the Meadowlands, the Giants played at Shea Stadium (image taken from www.stadiumsofnfl.com) for one season in 1975 while Yankee Stadium was going through refurbishment (the Yankees played at Shea during 1975, too). A few years after the Giants moved from the Polo Grounds, the New York Titans began playing there; they then became the New York Jets, who moved in 1964 to Shea Stadium, along with the New York Mets, who still play at Shea, unlike the Jets, who moved from Shea in 1985 to Giants Stadium, which they currently share - just as they will with the New Meadowlands - with the current Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. Although Giants Stadium is busy throughout all sixteen plus weeks of the football season with both teams alternating home games, the Stadium remains the titular property of the Giants. Coincidentally, the New Meadowlands Stadium is being built at the same time the New York Mets are also building a new stadium, a quarter of a century after they forced the Jets out of Shea. This will be called called Citi Field (the final "i" in the field's name indicating its corporate name), a park that is designed to look like Ebbets Field, the park where the Brooklyn Dodgers played until they moved to Los Angeles in 1957, the same year the Giants (baseball) moved to San Francisco. By the way, competing with the football Giants back in the 1930's and 40's were an NFL Brooklyn Dodgers football team who also played at Ebbets Field. So did Biff Loman.

As for the Jets, well, they nearly abandoned the dubious distinction of being a part-Empire State, part-Garden State club but were unable to get approval from Manhattan's politicos for a West Side Stadium of their own. This was a blow to the Jets organization, our fans, our team, and we can't help but wonder if the Giants would have gotten it had they asked for it.

So there we are. A regular Wagnerian Ring Cycle, huh?

NY Jets By The Numbers: #19 (Rated R)

If the Gods of Wiki are to be believed, when the Baltimore Orioles offered Chris Farasopoulos a baseball contract, they asked that he shorten his name. He refused. So he chose football. Can you imagine a team trying to pull that today? Ask Troy Polamalu. While he hasn't been asked to change his (uncharacteristically short) South Pacific name, the NFL has only just tabled a rule on whether or not a player's name on a uniform should be permitted to be covered by a mane of hair that flows from his helmet. This was a smart rule given that the league might have been seen as racist in doing so, a concern not so profound when Chris Farasopoulos was a defensive back from 1971-1973. Luckily, the New York Jets were a team that welcomed eccentrics and individualists, as they already had one for a quarterback. Chris wore #19 for the Jets.

Once while riding Amtrak from Philadelphia to NYC in the spring of 2000, a man of Caribbean origin was in the seat directly behind me, insisting to the person on the other end of his cell phone that "Dat bitch has tayken all ma fahkin money, mon. All of eet. Shit, mon. What da fuck am ah ganna do?" The whole way. He was upset. The bitch took his money.

As he and I egressed at Pennsylvania Station, he caught sight of my Jets t-shirt and addressed me in the same distressed tone, as if it were part of his ongoing troubles:

"Oh mon! Ha could dey let Key-shahn go like dat, mon! What da fuck day gonna do now, mon?!?"

Well, we know what Keyshawn Johnson did. He won a Super Bowl that the Eagles should have been in. I still resent him for it the way that I resented John Riggins for leaving the Jets for more money, more respect, more chances at a ring (and got all of them). And then #19 Keyshawn went and got kicked off the Bucs. He was the first player of this era to whom I had ever heard of that happening. But then Keyshawn was always special. First, he was tall as hell, and the Jets have not had a receiver of his caliber and height since then, so indeed, my friend on the train was not off the mark with his rhetorical question. He also made a mark by being a petulantly difficult author/rookie on a 1-15 team. That takes something special. The only thing he really did wrong was to slam Wayne Chrebet in his book, which was both a tasteless and a poor call. But then no one will retire his #19 anywhere because he played in too many different places.

Bobby Riley was a replacement wide receiver with the #19 for the scab New York Jets of 1987. I wonder if the squad has reunions.

Well, if we are going to be profane, then what better way than to celebrate the legacy of the Jets' first regularly starting quarterback, #19 Malcolm "Dick" Wood. Yes, among Dicks he may be a lesser figure, maybe a little less important than Dick Trickle, though certainly only in stock car racing. Then there was Dick Pole of the Red Sox and Mariners in the 1970's. Interestingly, after quarterbacking throughout the AFL, Wood coached his way back to the Jets, where he was running backs coach. Sadly for him, this was in the Kotite era. Sort of like being the Education Secretary in the Bush Administration.