Florham Park's Bigger Perv: Rex or Brett?

With this week’s revelation of a foot fetish video starring Rex Ryan and his wife, the Jets franchise took another step away from being a credible NFL franchise, and towards being a low budget softcore porn hub. Deadspin is becoming the proverbial thorn in the Jets side, albeit somewhat by their own doing. The recent surfacing of Rex’s scandal begs the question: Who was/is the biggest pervert in recent Jets history? The following narrative is an account of the argument FOR and AGAINST each previously proud man.

Brett Favre's "situation" with Jen Sterger blew up earlier this year.

BRETT FAVRE – HE’S A PERV

Earlier this year, the story broke about Brett Favre’s flirtatious texts with Jets media affiliate Jen Sterger. The married Favre had sent texts to Sterger hoping for a rendezvous off hours. Adding insult to injury, Favre’s wife Deanna is a cancer survivor, and fought a very public battle with Brett painted (by ESPN) as the perfect, supportive husband. The icing on the perv cake is the fact that Brett actually sent Sterger a picture of his genitals - the picture "leaked" out (at a convenient time for Sterger). Adding insult to injury for Favre is the fact that the Brett's package was apparently an itsy bitsy teenie weenie shriveled little... - you get the picture. 



HOT DOG! Brett sent a different version to Jen Sterger

BRETT FAVRE – HE’S OK

Brett is being exploited (and some would say extorted) for his money and fame. This is a fact, no matter how much you think Brett is terrible. Jen Sterger clearly baited Favre by waiting almost 2 years to leak the pictures to Deadspin. Let me guess, Jen, you were spending the last 2 years recovering from the trauma of looking at Brett’s junk. Plus, boys will be boys, and Brett had spent a lot of time away from his wife that season with the New York Jets. His flirting was a product of that.

And here I thought Rex was just really into role play. Turns out he's a foot fetish guy.

REX RYAN – HE’S A PERV

A foot fetish? That’s some serious sexual stuff. Most guys are into their wife’s face and body….but her feet? Rex became an icon  to any sick foot-loving bastards that might be out there. He’s got somewhat of a brain in his head….enough to know how stupid it is to hold a job as a coordinator/coach and post videos of himself online that show him doing what he was doing. Let’s call a spade a spade…That was pretty embarrassing.   

Is this what Rex's life is like on the Jets bye week? Or is this just the best picture I could find when I Google Imaged "foot fetish"

 REX RYAN – HE’S OK

He’s a good motivator who has his team at 10-4 on the season.  The video that surfaced was Rex with his wife. HIS OWN WIFE. America can pass judgment on just how sick a foot fetish might be, but ultimately that’s his business with his wife. If he and his wife want to dress up and do freaky things, they can do so, because it’s his wife.

THE VERDICT:

Brett Favre is clearly a bigger pervert. He sent texts to a woman who was not his wife, after his wife had been battling cancer. Even though the texts stayed dormant for 2 years, they still happened. Rex’s deal was pretty embarrassing (especially because of the bravado that follows him), but at least it was with his own wife.  Why is Brett still lauded, revered, and respected on TV? (mostly by ESPN) Oh, that’s right, he has a southern drawl, charm, and fellates Chris Berman on a regular basis.

"Dear Diary"

After updating the blog twice in a 4 day period, I came under criticism for blogging too frequently. My friend from Long Island told me so. My blog followers cried too much, too soon. My wife began to crack “Dear Diary…” jokes, and questioned whether I was spending my time properly. Truth be told, it does not take me very long to finish one of these, once I get rolling.

In addition, my self-indulgent fantasy football blog rubbed quite a few people the wrong way. The presence of a few of my own players in the breakout discussion was enough to steer some away.

Given these high demands, and the increased scrutiny that the blog’s strong start (...more self indulgence) got off too, I spent many a minute over the past week shuffling through topics for my next blog.

Many pleaded with me to blog about the fantasy football playoffs. A few wanted a blog about the Patriots-Jets. One bowling coach wanted me to blog about the New York Knicks (who knew?).

I decided that since I had opinions about all of these things, and since they are all going on right now, that I would write a "potpourri" blog to deliver my take on everything.

P.S....the same friend from Long Island who told me that I was blogging too much just recently told me that he was yearning for a blog from me. Ask and you shall receive.

The New York Yets Crash in New England

Fireman Ed wasn't leading any cheers last Monday Night.

“Y…E…T…S…Yets, Yets, Yets” … as in, we haven’t done anything, “yet”. The game was one of the most hyped regular season games in NY Jets history. The Jets and Patriots both came in at 9-2 with a chance to take a commanding hold of the lead in the AFC East. The Jets came out and absolutely spit the bit (this is a PG-rated blog). They were outplayed in every way, shape, and form. Rex Ryan was exposed in the spotlight by challenging a puzzling spot on the first drive, before going for it on 4^th down (If you knew you were going for it anyway, why challenge the play?). He also lined up Nick Folk for a 53-yard field goal attempt in swirling winds on a cold night. It was a rough one for Rex.

I still am a fan of his confident, “we got swag’” style. I think his team eats it up. I think he has to be smarter about it. He had the right angle in his Tuesday media address, in terms of the team moving forward and putting the loss behind them. Then he compared them to the ’85 Bears. Come on dude…use your head.

Jay Cutler gets Suh-ed by a Lion

I’m lukewarm on the NFL’s new emphasis on illegal hits. I see plays on which defensive players launch themselves at receivers in a manner that can be very dangerous. It’s one thing to lay a big stick to jar the ball loose. It’s another to do so with intent to injure. Jameel McClain’s hit on Heath Miller last week on Sunday night was completely out of line. I thought it was one of the worst hit’s I’ve ever seen.



How does that turf taste? Maybe now you'll wipe that stupid frat boy smirk off your face.

 That said….what the hell was up (I can say “hell” in a PG blog) with the personal foul call on Ndamukong Suh? Jay Cutler was running with the ball in open space as Suh chased him down from behind. Suh violently shoved him down from behind, contacting his upper back. He was flagged on the field for Unnecessary Roughness. I think it was BS, but the aftermath was even more puzzling. After the replays showed that Suh CLEARLY had not contacted Cutler’s head, the league still fined him $15,000. It’s not his fault Jay Cutler fell down like a dish rag. Damn I can’t stand Cutler (see previous blogs....and the photo above).

Jeter and Yanks Work It Out

We get to see the Jeter fist pump for at least 3 more years.

Phew. I never really thought Jeter would sign elsewhere, but I grew uncomfortable as the negotiations progressed. I’m glad they came to an agreement, and I’ll get to see Jeter play the next 3 years in pinstripes. He deserves every penny.

Jeter spoke candidly about the process. Making it very apparent that he was not happy with the Yanks saying he should test the market. His agent kinda started it, but regardless, I don’t want to see DJ unhappy. Hopefully this blows over. Winning cures a lot.

The New Evil Empire?

The Boston Red Sox had a down year last year. Yes, they finished third in the AL East with an 89-73 record. However, they lacked the offensive firepower to drive in runs consistently. Pedroia, Youkilis, and Ellsbury were out injured for significant portions of the year. They had to give consistent at bats to guys like Bill Hall, Daniel Nava, and Darnell McDonald (who resurfaces on a roster every 3 years). While Boston certainly had its pitching issues (see Beckett, Josh and Papelbon, Jonathan), the offense was something that surely lacked in 2010.

I didn't know that Dunkin Donuts sponsored the Red Sox. Maybe I'll get my coffee elsewhere in the morning.

Here we are in early December at the winter meetings, and Theo has opened up the pocketbook, scraped up some loose change, and made the two biggest splashes of winter free agency. They traded for the only valuable Padres offensive player in the last 10 years, Adrian Gonzalez. The Sawx then made Carl Crawford, who will turn 29 next year, one of the richest players in MLB history. His contract is the largest ever for a position player who has never hit 20 home runs. There is $20 million a year hoping his legs hold up.

Once featured on a Topps card together, the Red Sox hope that Crawford bares a resemblance to Henderson when it comes to durability over time. Rickey was a productive player well into his mid-to-late 30's.

If they do, he’s Rickey Henderson in 2017 when the contract is up. If they don’t, he’s Vince Coleman. OK, that comparison was a bit much, but you get the idea. If he doesn’t have stolen bases as part of his game, he is a very good outfielder, but not a $140 million player. Right now, he’s got them. Let’s see what the future brings.

My take.....OVERPAID, BAD CONTRACT

Break Up the Knicks

Here we go. I’m actually doing it. What good blogger doesn’t respond to what his people want. Without further ado, a blog on the New York Knicks.

When approached by my 2^nd favorite Spotswood Charger (Trg Bone #1) last week to blog about the Knicks, I tried to think of players that I knew on the team. Amare was obvious. I had heard in the off-season they had acquired Raymond Felton. I knew they had lost David Lee to the Warriors. I also knew they had Danilo Gallinari. I knew that Mike D’Antoni was their coach, and that they didn’t play any defense.

The first time I saw what Landry Fields looks like was when I Google-imaged this picture!

Admittedly, the NBA has been a virtual non-factor for me for quite awhile. I don’t like that players get paid a ton of money, while being unpolished with little social awareness (see Arenas, Gilbert). I don’t like how nobody plays defense, and how I can never tell what a foul is. Most of all, I don’ t like that the Knicks stink every friggin’ year. Maybe things are changing.

Since the blog plea, I have paid special attention to the Knicks. I looked up their roster that day and found that they had an impressive, overachieving rookie named Landry Fields who was a major spark plug. I began to watch parts of games. If things continue to go well, I could be watching full Knicks games by the end of the month.

I’m not going to go into a lot of detail here for two reasons – #1 I have yet to watch a full game, and #2 I don’t want to get too excited too soon. The Knicks are currently 14-9 and in 2^nd place in the Atlantic Division. I’ll be honest, until I wrote this blog I had forgotten it was called the “Atlantic” in the NBA and not the “East”. I heard on WFAN the other day that this is the first time in 10 years the Knicks have been 5 games over .500. Sounds about right.

Keep it up Knicks…and I’ll dedicate a full blog to you after the Super Bowl. For now, this is as much as you’re getting.

The Devils SUCK

The headline says it all. Can’t score, can’t play defense. Getting out-hustled. Marty’s aging and banged up. All the things they say about a team when they are reeling, can be said about the Devils.

I have a $250 Devils jersey (unsigned, with no name on the back, by the way) that I have yet to don this year.

Damn...I could've gotten this jersey for $100 cheaper than the one I have now.
I'll always remember my first Devils-Flyers game. Wait...I think I mean "never" instead of "always".

It’s hanging up in my basement next to my Cowboys jerseys and my Rutgers football and basketball jerseys. A de facto “Wall of Shame”…

2010 Breakout Players - A Fantasy Football Fable

Back up in time, if you would, to late August, 2010. It is the day of your fantasy football draft. Your friends assemble at the commissioner’s house for the annual draft. The draft order gets picked, and you’re sweating bullets (and not because it’s 80° in the house). You’ve drawn the last pick, which means you get the 12^th and 13^th picks, respectively. You hope and pray that a front-line running back makes it to your draft position.

Meanwhile, the guy with the 11^th pick is the one guy in the league who everyone knows does not do his homework. One year he drafted a defense in the 4^th round. Another, a kicker in the 8^th. He’s a fantasy football disaster and everyone looks forward to playing his team. You’re feeling confident that he will not snag any of your target players, as he is screwing up his draft.

Every group of friends has that one person who everyone thinks knows nothing about football.

The draft begins and the big names start flying off the board…Chris Johnson, Ray Rice, MJD, Gore, Steven Jackson, Rashard Mendenhall all gone. The 11^th pick comes and the clueless wonder takes Arian Foster of Houston….who? Nobody has him ranked in their first 3 rounds, and you rejoice at your fortune.

You can’t believe your luck, as you select Ryan Grant and Matt Schaub on the wrap around.

On the way back, with receivers starting to go off the board, he declares “I need to nab a top WR”, and subsequently picks Dwayne Bowe of Kansas City. You laugh to yourself (because he is your friend) and take sleeper Ryan Mathews and Arizona feature back Beanie Wells. You’re feeling great about getting 3 of the top RB’s and a top flight QB.

As he nabs Hakeem Nicks and Kevin Kolb with his next two picks, your “clueless” buddy continues to make head scratching moves throughout the draft. True to form, he takes Pittsburgh D/ST in Round 5 and Stephen Gotkowski in Round 6. As you figured, he is left with a paltry pool of players to select from for the remaining rounds, and ends up with a suspect roster of skill position players.

You had exactly ZERO of his players targeted on your radar. He grabs some mid-range wide receivers late in the draft, and even takes Michael Vick to “handcuff” Kevin Kolb. You spend the next few days laughing with other league owners about how screwed up his draft was.

OK, now fast-forward. The “clueless” wonder is 10-2. Your team, led by Matt Schaub, Brandon Jackson (picked up when Ryan Grant went down), Beanie Wells, and Ryan Mathews, is 3-9 and has had a disasterous season. Meanwhile, your boy has the following lineup in place for the playoffs:

QB Michael Vick                                                33.0 ppg              

RB Arian Foster                                                  24.5 ppg

RB Peyton Hillis                                                  20.5 ppg

WR Dwayne Bowe                                            19.0 ppg

WR Hakeem Nicks                                            17.0 ppg

FLEX Brandon Lloyd                                         18.5 ppg

TE Marcedes Lewis                                           10.0 ppg

K Shayne Graham                                              8.0 ppg

D/ST Steelers                                                     10.5 ppg

*Numbers when all players healthy

Now, be honest. NOBODY wants to see this guy’s team in the playoffs. This lineup averages 161.0 ppg!

His team is laden with fantasy football (and “real” football) breakout players.

Pep’s Vibe – The BREAKOUT Players

Michael Vick is playing out of this world, and has re-emerged on the fantasy radar as a much more consistent (and, incidentally, more valuable) player than he ever was in Atlanta.

Michael Vick has matured - both on and off the field - since his days in Atlanta.

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Arian Foster was projected by many to have a solid year, but best running back in football? Nobody saw that coming – even owners who drafted him in the first 5 rounds of this year’s drafts.

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Peyton Hillis was on nobody’s radar prior to the season. Jerome Harrison was handed the reins to the Browns rushing attack, and Monterio Hardesty was a sexy “sleeper” pick for those without faith in Harrison.

Peyton Hillis was given away by Denver for Brady Quinn and draft picks. Its debatable whether Browns fans or fantasy owners are more giddy about that trade.

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Dwayne Bowe looked to possibly be heading the route of Michael Clayton after Week 5 (breakout rookie season, followed by methodical fade away into oblivion). Since becoming BFF with Matt Cassel, Bowe has played out of his mind – at a level above what anybody, anywhere, at any time, ever thought possible.

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Hakeem Nicks had upside prior to the season, but was hampered by an injury-plagued rookie year and existence in a Bradshaw/Jacobs dominated offense, with returning Pro Bowler Steve Smith as the primary receiving threat. He has emerged as one of the most explosive WR’s in football and is a bona fide star.

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Brandon Lloyd was a much-traveled, much-overhyped wide receiver entering this season (stops with the 49ers, Bears, and Redskins pictured below). He was on his last legs in the NFL, having busted in quite a few places. In 2010, he has become a better Brandon Marshall than Brandon Marshall himself.

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Mike Williams of Seattle would not be in the NFL if Pete Carroll did not abandon USC for the Seahawks. A poster child for the term “draft bust”, MWSEA was always big, but lacked speed and work-ethic. He has come out of nowhere (propelled by trades of TJ Housh-ma-zoad and Deion Branch) to become a top level WR.

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Mike Williams of Tampa Bay was taken late in the 2010 NFL draft because of off-the-field issues. He quit the football team at Syracuse, and was even the second rookie WR drafted by the Bucs (behind Arrelious Benn). MWTB has emerged as a consistent producer and his rise has coincided with that of Josh Freeman.

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Danny Amendola was a practice squad player who was cut by several NFL teams. He was athletic but lacked the “look” of a prototypical NFL wide receiver. St. Louis has found a way to use his speed, and he has emerged as one of rookie phenom Sam Bradford’s favorite targets.

When he was a practice squad player with the Cowboys, few believed Danny Amendola  would develop into a fantasy PPR machine.

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Marcedes Lewis was a big tight end with a below average QB. He played in an offense that consistently struggled to move the ball and create plays in the passing game. Notice the previous two sentences were written in the past tense. Lewis has been a revelation this year on a surprising Jaguars team that is in control of its own destiny in the AFC South.

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Concluding Thoughts

All fantasy football players realize that much will change from draft day throughout the season. However, it is difficult to remember a season in which so many unforeseen players have emerged as “must-start” players in all formats.

In addition to the players mentioned, the following players could be considered “Honorable Mention” fantasy surprises:

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, NWE

Danny Woodhead, NWE

Matt Cassel, KC

Josh Freeman, TB

Sam Bradford, STL

Steve Johnson, BUF

Mike Tolbert, SD

Jacob Tamme, IND