London in New York

NY JETS ACQUIRE PROVEN WINNER

Tebow-mania has hit New York.  As reported in the NY Times: “In a move that diversifies their offense but threatens to undermine Mark Sanchez, the Jets on Wednesday agreed to a trade for Tim Tebow, the popular but polarizing quarterback from the Denver Broncos. The deal is pending N.F.L. approval.”

The Denver Bronco’s signing of Peyton Manning made Tebow expendable.  Despite Tebow’s infectious winning ways and his leading the Bronco’s to a victory in the playoffs over the Pittsburgh Steelers last season,  it was perhaps too much for the Broncos leadership team to pass up the chance to retain the services of  Peyton Manning, widely regarded as one of the best quarterbacks of this era.   Hall of Fame quarterback and Bronco’s President John Elway signaled that he wanted to go with ‘Plan A’ and in letting go Tebow he acknowledged ‘We Don’t Have a Plan B’.  Elway in explaining his belief that Peyton Manning was the man best able lead the franchise in its  pursuit of another Lombardi Trophy, paid Tebow a great compliment.  As reported in the Wall Street Journal, at a news conference introducing Manning, Elway offered that he was exploring all options for Tebow:

“Tim Tebow is a great kid. If I want someone to marry my daughter, it would be him,” Elway said. “But I think with the opportunity to have Peyton Manning’s services, we had to take advantage of that. Now that it’s happened, we have to go back and address Tim and see what the best situation is for the Denver Broncos, as well as him.”

To some it  was perhaps a no brainer for the New York Jets brass to acquire the former Heisman Trophy Winner. After all, he did lead the Florida Gators to a victory in the BCS National Championship Game over the top ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in 2007 and has two NCAA Championships to his credit.  Tebow also lead the Broncos past Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets late last season, into the playoffs where in a ‘Mile-High Miracle’ the Broncos upset the Pittsburgh Steelers in dramatic fashion.  Media reaction has been mixed. ESPN New York has labeled the trade ‘A Logic-Defying Move.’ Critics like the New York Post’s Steve Serby stated that the Jets should ‘Take a pass on a QB who can’t’.  Joe Namath labeled the acquisition a ‘publicity stunt.’ Questions remain whether Tebow will diversify the Jets offense, serve as a compliment to Mark Sanchez or a distraction. Or as postured on ESPN,  ‘Mark Sanchez is the key to Tebow-mania’. To his credit, Mark Sanchez stated on a radio show ‘Tim Tebow will do great ‘no matter what happens.’

Tim Tebow is a winner. It is plain and simple. Any discussion about Tim Tebow should begin first and foremost with the fact that he is a proven winner. Tebow is a man who gets the most of his god given talents. Some will argue that there are more purely talented quarterbacks in the NFL.  Few consider him a franchise QB in the same vein as Peyton Manning, Eli Manning or Tom Brady;  ‘All he does is win’.  You would get no argument from me on that score and I suspect even Tim Tebow knows that he still has to develop and fight to create a legacy as well as simply maintain a job in the competitive NFL.  Tebow is young and has proven relentless in his commitment to improve every aspect of his game, to prove doubters wrong and to otherwise simply be the best that he can be while he ‘LEADS’.  Doubters point to his passion for his Christian faith as it if that is emblematic of his problems. Last I checked, New York counts among its citizens and sports fans people of faith and I believe that we even have a few churches here in Manhattan. A belief in god is only a disqualifying credential among the soul less. But that is besides the point, Tebow can play.

As Sinatra famously said, ‘If I can make it there, I will make it anywhere.” Tebow has presumably taken the doubters with a grain of salt by now. New York is for winners. Winners come here. Winners want to compete here. It is awful when you lose in this town.  But for those who have witnessed the championship runs of the New York Yankees and New York Giants in recent years, it is quite special to have that media glow and millions of fans behind you. The light is about to shine even more brightly on a man who has come to the world’s biggest stage.

As a New Yorker, born and raised in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan with a stint outside the city in my adult years in Westchester County and as one who lived through the torturous 70’s and 80’s drout, I am only to pleased to have in our city, Tebow, a man I met and photographed several years ago during the Heisman Trophy Awards week in Midtown. And I pray he sticks with the New York Jets, even if he may have a hankering for Jacksonville and even if still others may wish he goes back there.

Welcome to New York City Mr. Tebow. Let’s hope god is a Jets fan cause I already know he is a Tebow fan.

SUPER BOWL XLV will be a battle of “Will & Grace”. A ‘bittersweet symphony‘ it shall be. The Steelers have the ‘Will’ led by Ben “the Milledgeville Mauler” Roethlisberger and Steelers mega-safety Troy Polamalu who unlike Ben at least limits  his mauling the opposition to the football field vs. The Green Bay Packers led by Aaron “the Philanthropist” Rodgers whose destiny is to return the Lombardi Trophy to its rightful owners and founders. The Brooklyn born Vince Lombardi may be having a fine run on Broadway but I suspect that my Paisan wants to go home to Green Bay and celebrate once again with Packer Nation. To my friends in Pittsburgh, I love ‘the burgh’, the people, the soul and the history. But in the end I just can’t pull for the Milledgeville Mauler over the “Grace”–patience, precision and discipline of the graceful gentleman Aaron Rodgers and a historic franchise who’s history is tied to an Italian-American guy from Brooklyn. One would suspect that even Mr. Brooklyn is pulling for the Packers.   Today, this New York Jets fan puts down the green and white (sorry Woody Johnson, Mike Tannenbaum, Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez) for the green and gold.   TODAY I AM A CHEESEHEAD and will join the good folks of Green Bay, Wisconsin in saying: Go Packers! Prediction: Packers 35-21 over Steelers

I am a New Yorker.  Queens, Brooklyn & Manhattan are where I have spent most of my natural born life except for brief stints in Boston where I attended Boston University and practiced law for 5 years after attending the University of Pennsylvania Law School in Philadelphia.  After law school I commenced my legal career in the legendary Bankruptcy Department led by Harvey Miller at Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP here in New York City, at 767 Fifth Avenue.  During law school, however, I left the ‘City of Brotherly Love’ after completing my second year and took a Summer Associate job in Pittsburgh, trading in Pat’s King of Steaks,  Geno’s Steaks and Jim’s Steaks (cheese-steaks that is)  for Primanti Bros and late nights at “The Dirty O” on Forbes Avenue near University of Pittsburgh.

Rand McNally had just ranked Pittsburgh one of the most livable cities in America. Why did I care about this? I was in my early 20’s and yet I was contemplating how I might best live a full, complete life balancing the interests of career and family and home ownership. I wanted to start in a place that I could  start building the American Dream. The idea of returning to New York City permanently, especially during the Pre-Giuliani era, unless I decided to practice criminal law, seemed quite intimidating. Despite Frank Sinatra’s tag line that ‘if I can make it there you can make it anywhere’, I was not exactly sure I could make it there. Until the Prince of the City took over, crime was high and New York City seemed unlivable in many ways and maybe before I had the opportunity to learn the secrets of my success, hardly worth the challenge; at least until my third year of law school when I blinked.  The lure of the ‘Bright Lights Big City’, which I got a brief taste of at the Surf Club,  Dorrians Red Hand on the Upper East Side and The Odeon in, pre-Tribeca Film Festival, Tribeca in the 1980’s was too much; as was the opportunity to be a player, albeit a mini one, in my hometown and read about the historic matters I worked on in the Wall Street Journal and maybe just maybe to some day be profiled in the New York Times, was too hard to walk away from.

During my first semester second year of law school, I went on a LeBron like tour of America’s top cities, or at least to me it seemed Lebron like.  I was invited to interview in a number of legal markets around the country from Chicago, Dallas, Minneapolis, Miami and L.A., I took one interview with a Pittsburgh law firm, or more correctly, “THE” Pittsburgh Law firm, Reed Smith Shaw & McClay, now known simply as Reed Smith LLP which traces its founding back to the Carnegie, Mellon & Frick families. Many ofthe region’s cultural and educational institutions like the Carnegie Museum of Art and Carnegie Mellon University bear the name of these American families. I received a callback and ultimately a job offer.

Summer of 1986 in Pittsburgh turned out to be one of the more memorable growth experience of my life. I rotated and took assignments from mostly Real Estate, Corporate and their nationally recognized Labor & Employment department, although an assignment from Trust & Estates and a Pete Rose/Ray Fosse like collision at home plate in the Partners vs. Summer Associates Softball game where I leveled a rather important Partner’s son in that department turned out to not be entirely helpful to my cause. If my base running skills were a little more like Roberto Clemente the play might not have been as close, but unfortunately I ran more like my idol Johnny Bench.   My experience at the firm, while mixed (see previous sentence), was challenging and ultimately made me fall in love with the idea of being a lawyer. The assignments were rigorous and educational. I had the guidance of an amazing mentor in a gentleman by the name of Gregory Jordan who is now ironically, but not surprisingly, the Global Managing Partner for the firm. Yes, the firm has truly become a preeminent International law firm. I worked with nationally regarded attorneys like Eugene Connors in Employment & Labor and Ruth Perfido in Real Estate, professionals who took a genuine interest in painting a vivid but accurate picture of what it was like by giving me multiple ‘days in the life.’   Polished and accomplished all of them, but they were also committed, approachable professionals who took their role in tutoring future members of the profession seriously. Long before the tech boom, the firm with a steep tradition in the history of Pittsburgh was truly ahead of its time technologically speaking, in terms of the provision of the necessary amenities to make lawyers more efficient.

That summer I got to see first hand why Pittsburgh was one of the most livable cities. It was not just the more affordable housing, scenery or the region’s rich historical tradition dating back to the Industrial Revolution. It was the people of Pittsburgh. Sure, perhaps living in an exclusive zip code for the summer and even more exclusive one when I house sat for a partner in Squirrel Hill and being shepherded to the finest venues in the area might have given me a distorted perspective of reality, or that I roomed that summer with a law school classmate who grew up nearby in Sharon, Pennsylvania and before going on to becoming quite successful himself (Hi Dan O’Meara!) had internal social GPS system for the best bars in Pittsburgh.  That I had cash to burn meant I could take out every girl that I was able to gain the attention of was also not exactly a bad thing either. Dan however did not seem to need the cash…or to even take them out but that is another story. I even went skydiving in Beaver PA. Yes, I really did jump out of a plane, on a bet with a partner, the evening before, after enjoying my first Martini.  But it was the evenings and weekends I mixed it up and made fast friends with locals, including some unforgettable ladies at places like Doc’s Place in Shady Side where my drink of choice was Iron City Light Draft Beer or simply IC Light. Ultimately, however,  my destiny was not in Pittsburgh, a city which I have not returned to again since the glory daze of the Summer of 86.

Fast forward to present.   My hometown New York JETS with their impressive victory over two of the NFL’s elite teams and Quarterbacks in Peyton Manning and the Colts and Tom Brady and the Patriots, have literally lifted this metropolitan region.  From Long Island through all five boroughs of New York City and New Jersey, this region which has been hard hit as any by the current recession is looking with a great sense of optimism pride at the  JETS who are on the verge of their first Super Bowl appearance since Joe Namath predicted and delivered a victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Having attended Joe Namath’s last game as a New York Jet, having met one of my favorite New York Jets of the modern era in legendary receiver,  Guardian Angels honoree and now a member of Morgan Stanley’s Moldaver Chrebet Group, in Wayne Chrebet, being a New York Jets fan has nevertheless  been a tormenting experience for the better part of the more than 30 years since that Super Bowl victory.  Underlying every New York Jets fan’s enthusiasm is a degree of anxiety.

Yes this is absolutely a historic and important game for my beloved New York Jets. This team has been skillfully rebuilt by visionary owner, businessman and philanthropist Woody Johnson. It begins with the management structure with G.M. Mike Tannenbaum at the helm down to Coach Rex Ryan who’s dad is the legendary Buddy Ryan. These folks have created a system and assembled, trained and massaged a uniquely talented squad and given them not just the hope but the tools and confidence to succeed. The Jets are not lacking in energy or enthusiasm.

The AFC Championship game will be held at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. To win this game and get to the Super Bowl my team will have to go through another Super Bowl Champion quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger who many prognosticators believe ultimately poses ‘the biggest problem yet for the New York Jets’, far greater than Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. I will be in New York City. I do not have tickets for the game nor a flight to ‘the burgh.’  I won’t talk smack, however, because I know how much the Pittsburgh Steelers and their legacy, well maintained by the Rooney family, means to the city of Pittsburgh and Steeler nation. The mutual respect these organizations have for one another is real.   I am simply looking forward to a great game between a member of the NFL Elite and my team’s attempt to join the NFL aristocracy, while ignoring the press hype.

Bottom line, if I could not be at Heinz Field, then I wish I could be at DOC’S PLACE in Shadyside drinking IC Light and live blogging the game.  I would toast to the character of two great historic cities and hope that ‘may the best team win.’ The only caveat is that I hope this year that team is my New York Jets. But in my heart I know win or loose, it is an honor for my New York Jets to have the opportunity to pursue their historic quest through one of the NFL’s classiest and legendary franchises in the Steel City.

Empire State Building in Jets green & white

The Empire State Building, the city’s 102 year old landmark building, was illuminated in Jets’ green and white on Friday evening. After exiting a business meeting in a building on one of my favorite blocks in midtown Manhattan, West 44th Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue (Avenue of the Americas), I turned on to Sixth Avenue walking towards Bryant Park to catch the F Train to the Lower East Side, when looking up there I saw it in all its glory. Before descending down into the subway, I held up my blackberry on the corner of West 43rd Street and took a couple of snaps immediately posting them to my Facebook page.

The lighting served to remind me of the significant progress made by the JETS owner Robert Wood Johnson IV (‘Woody Johnson’) since he took over the franchise in 2000. Most knowledgeable  New York JETS football fans, especially this life long Jets fan, appreciate the very careful and deliberate work done by their gentleman owner, to rebuild the foundation of the franchise with a management structure that includes GM Mike Tannenbaum and Head Coach Rex Ryan to position it to contend for the long haul. Woody Johnson has brought the JETS to the doorstep of the NFL elite. Beyond the hype and smack talk, there is an air of legitimacy surrounding the JETS, as well as a realization that their climb to the doorstep of the elite is no fluke, but was a result of going to the school of ‘Hard Knocks.’ That will continue to be the case regardless of whether the JETS are able to get past the NFL juggernaut New England Patriots led by Belchik and Brady.  Make no mistake, the JETS will continue to evolve and be perceived as a credible contender  for the foreseeable future. Fact is that things have not been this exciting for New York Jets fans since the Super Bowl III title days of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath.

This year was especially tough given some off the field distractions including the scandal involving former interim Jets Quarterback and NFL legend, Brett Favre and Jenn Sterger and some embarrassing details which surfaced regarding Jets coach Rex Ryan’s private life.  Foot fetish videos apparently involving Michelle Ryan, Rex Ryan’s wife, surfaced on the internet. Voice recognition experts postulated that the individual filming said video sounded identical to Rex Ryan.  Notably, however, the videos did not involve any nudity, sexual activity or parties other than Ryan or his wife and were filmed before Ryan was coach of the Jets.  Yet, their disclosure was  a distraction and a cause of personal embarrassment for Rex Ryan, and even now continues to subject him to ridicule.  But it did not impact the character of the man or disable his exuberance in trash talking opponents to fire up his team and allowing him to absorb most of the heat for their falling short in some games.  Sometimes, it left Rex with his own foot in his mouth rather than his wife’s, and it probably did not taste quite as good to the big guy.

According to Wikipedia:  Foot fetishism “is the most common form of sexual preference for otherwise non-sexual objects or body parts.” Foot models are quite prevalent, and some like Jamie Daniels are in quite high demand in the fetish world.  It is the latest rage perhaps in an highly sensual society looking for safer outlets for sexual expression.  Rex Ryan’s alleged fetish is not weird; it is just uncomfortable that  it became public. After 23 years of marriage, at least the woman who he is most obsessed, in love and clearly in lust with is his wife and every aspect of her feminine beauty.  Consider that in some quarters, or at least with some judgmental fools, it is now even  scandalous for a man and his beloved wife to be just so creepily into each other that even after 23 years of marriage, a big teddy bear like Jets Coach  Rex Ryan becomes  good to go officially when ‘It’s Toe Time’ and his wife takes off her shoes.  Even I have to acknowledge that the soleful lady had some mighty fine peds, among other things. Women are beautiful creatures who become even more beautiful when you are in love with and committed to them and they are equally so. Real men come to appreciate everything from their dimples to their subtle curves that drive us mad, and yes maybe even their damn feet. Lick ‘Em? You betcha! Let those who would ridicule a man for having a fetish for his wife be damned.

‘IT’S GO TIME’ has certainly aroused the passion of the faithful but if it will lead to the JETS to victory today, I hope that Rex Ryan will consider should the Jets successfully go toe to toe with the Patriots and some how pull off a victory in today’s game,  ‘It’s Toe Time‘ when he gets home to Mrs. Ryan this evening. May that not only serve as proper motivation for Rex but then also perhaps  some folks will chill out and leave Rex alone.