Each member of the 2000 draft class- Left to Right- Anthony Becht out of West Virginia, Chad Pennington out of Marshall, John Abraham University of South Carolina, Shaun Ellis University of Tennessee
I am writing one of my last blogs today and I couldn't think of anything to write. Finally after hours of thinking, I've decided with the 2016 NFL draft coming up it'll be only right to write about who I believe was the Jets best draft class. I would have to say the Jets best draft class was the 2000 NFL draft. This year, the Jets had four first round picks which is still an NFL record today. They received defensive end Shaun Ellis, one of the Jets best defensive players ever, Quarterback Chad Pennington, tight end Anthony Becht, and linebacker John Abraham. The Jets also made a huge pick with a great wide receiver in Lavernaeus Coles who had three great seasons with the Jets before being traded to the Washington Redskins. Coles was also a Jet from 2005-2008 and came back to the Jets in 2010. John Abraham and Shaun Ellis became the second and third all time sack leaders in Jets franchise history. Chad Pennington, draft pick out of Marshall, is fourth in passing yards for the Jets while Coles is fifth in all time receptions for the Jets. This draft was a huge impact for the Jets as it turned their previous season around helping them make the playoffs in 2001, 2002, and 2004. This draft was all put together by then general manager Bill Parcells. Their top five picks each played at least ten years in the NFL which is very rare. Lets take a look at their drafts picks.
Shaun Ellis out of Tennessee my favorite out of the 2000 draft class
Peyton Manning rode off into the sunset this year as he finished his career with another Super Bowl ring. Peyton had some pretty interesting priorities he said he needed to partake in after the game. After he told reporter Tracy Wolfson he was going to kiss his family he concluded with the statement "I'm going to drink a lot of Budweiser tonight Tracy, I promise you that." Peyton also added he was going to drink Budweiser on the stage of Super Bowl 50 when he was asked by a reporter.
Since Peyton's Budweiser comments, Budweiser's Anheiser Busch sales went up 3.2 million dollars according to Apex Analytics. Any company that pays for 30 seconds of commercial time during the Super Bowl is costed $5 million dollars. Pretty crazy huh. The media jumped all over this huge business increase and questioned Anheiser Busch to see if they might've paid Peyton to mention them. That was not the case though. Anheiser Busch explained they had nothing to do with Peyton's comments but they were pleased and delighted by them. Peyton does own two Anheiser Busch distributors in his home state of Louisiana. I don't think Peyton saw it as a business opportunity I truly believe the man just wanted to celebrate with the king of beers(Budweiser's slogan). Either way, whether he saw it as a business opportunity or not, Peyton is clearly a fan of Budweiser and I hope he cracked a few open in the locker room after the game. I think that's a legendary way to go out and I liked how he said teammate Von Miller was buying them. I also think Peyton used the Budweiser comment to hint at his retirement when asked because NFL athletes are not allowed to do endorsements with alcohol but that wouldn't be a problem if he is no longer a player. I don't think this is the end of seeing future hall of famer Peyton Mannig alongside with Anheiser Busch's Budweiser beer.
The Jets have been making moves this offseason. They're hoping to embark on a better season then their impressive 10-6 season last year. Unfortunately, they still missed the playoffs but some of the acquisitions they've made this offseason seem to better both their offense and defense. We're still waiting on more news at the QB position as Gang Green still have not signed QB Ryan Fitzpatrick who is coming off a very impressive season with the Jets. The details to this decision are mainly based off Fitzpatrick wanting to be paid a lot more than his worth. Either way, the Jets have to figure out their quarterback decision fast as the Broncos picked up both QB Mark Sanchez and QB Johnny Manziel. QB Colin Kaepernick visited with the Jets two weeks ago but he has also visited with other teams. I personally think we should negotiate a fair contract with Fitzpatrick or look another way in the upcoming draft as we have the number 20 pick. Paxton Lynch of the University of Memphis could be a great prospect at the QB position as he is 6 foot 5 and a very versatile quarterback.
1 seed North Carolina faced off against 2 seed Villanova for the National Championship game in Houston on Monday. Both teams battled all the way until the end for the most hard fought and most exciting National Title game in NCAA history. Villanova's forward Kris Jenkins was the hero of the night as he hit a 3 point shot at the buzzer to win the game. Everyone who watched the game had to feel bad for UNC as they battled all game making big shots to keep the game tight. A HUGE shot came from point guard Marcus Paige who hit a ridiculous double clutch 3 point shot to tie the game with 4 seconds left (first picture). Villanova's guard Ryan Arcidiacono then took the ball down the court and made a big game time decision to dish it off to his teammate Jenkins for the game winning 3. Here's what guard Ryan Arcidiacono had to say after the game. Hard fought game for both teams which showed us how great college basketball is. This game will go down in history.
Villanova fans react to amazing win.
Head Coach Jay Wright had a different reaction then most.
As you should all know, quarterback Peyton Manning retired from the NFL after 18 illustrious seasons. Peyton certainly did go out with a bang winning a Super Bowl in his final year with the Denver Broncos. There hasn't been much news about how the future Hall of Famer's retirement has been going but there was a hilarious video that went viral of him singing and enjoying himself at the Winners bar in Nashville Tennessee. Peyton Manning, a Tennessee Alumni, was joined by Grammy nominee Lee Brice as they belted out the country song "Rocky Top". Two-time Super Bowl champ seems to be enjoying his retirement and we would like to see much more from him.
This Sunday March 13 the 2016 March Madness bracket was officially released. There was a huge controversy over some of the teams who made the dance and those who didn't. Many expert analysts think it's ridiculous that Monmouth did not make the tournament and a team like Tulsa did. This year's tournament was not picked by conference wins but by RPI. Which I think is a valid reason why the Monmouth Hawks did not make the tournament although they had a very impressive run this year. Others were more upset by the seeding the teams earned this year. Here's the University of Kentucky's head coach John Calipari showing his frustration with his team's seeding.
I believe head coach John Calipari has a good reason to be upset about his team's seeding. He brings up a good point that it doesn't make sense that his team is a number 4 seed while Texas A&M is a 3 seed and Kentucky just beat them in the SEC conference championship game. Winning your conference guarantees you a ticket to the tournament but I guess it doesn't guarantee you the best seed which makes sense considering Seton Hall is a number 6 seed entering the tournament when they won the Big East conference. There are two other teams in the Big East that are ranked lower than Seton Hall.
UFC superstar and featherweight champ Conor Mcgregor took on a fight opportunity against welterweight Nate Diaz in a non title fight at UFC 196. Mcgregor took this fight after he lost the opportunity to fight Rafael Dos Anjos in the heavier lightweight division. Mcgregor is famous for his remarks regarding that "he is bigger than the sport" and he even predicted a first round knockout. Above is all the trash talking that went on before the fight which mostly consisted of Mcgregor ripping Diaz apart. The weigh-ins before the fight got a lot more interesting as Diaz made Mcgregor flinch and Mcgregor took a swing at Diaz. Video of the weigh-in below.
The first round was a complete annihilation by Mcgregor. Mcgregor traded vicious shots almost knocking out Diaz in the first round. By the second round Diaz's left eye was completely swelled up and there was blood all over his face. Diaz caught Mcgregor with a hook late in the second round that dropped him. Diaz then got Mcgregor in a choke hold and Mcgregor tapped the mat and Diaz won. Mcgregor surprisingly took his defeat with humility. Maybe he should think twice next time about trying to fight two weight classes up. Highlights of the fight below.
There were many upsets that occurred this past weekend in college basketball. One huge upset came by the Seton Hall Pirates defeating the number 5 team in the nation and fellow Big East rival Xavier. The Pirates were led by an incredible performance by Forward Desi Rodriguez who came up with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists. The unranked Pirates should be getting more attention after this huge in-conference win.
Another big upset came in the Big Ten. Unranked Ohio State buckeyes defeated the number 8 ranked team in the nation the Iowa Hawkeyes 64-68. Forward Keita Bates-Diop had a huge game with 19 pts 6 rebounds and 1 assist.
The number 15 ranked team in the nation the Duke Blue Devils were also upset by an unranked team this weekend. The Pittsburgh Panthers led by forward Jamel Artis who had 17 pts 5 rebounds and 4 assists helped them beat the Blue Devils 76-62. Duke's guard Grayson Allen did add 22 pts of his own after many thought he should have been suspended for his "tripping antics" that have been made famous recently. The first video shows Allen intentionally tripping a Louisville player late in the game as he was called for a flagrant foul. The second video shows him tripping another player in which he got away with it claiming he was stretching.
New England Patriots' start tight end Rob Gronkowski and his family held a three-day party ship cruise this weekend. Famous rapper Flo Rida even attended the Gronkowski party cruise. Gronk's famous party antics were captured this weekend and social media went viral. A hilarious video of him dancing to Flo Rida's "It's going down for real" was shared all throughout social media. You can't possible hate Rob Gronkowski. Who wouldn't want to party with this guy and his brother. His brother and father were also captured on the stage with him and dancing according to http://mweb.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25490537/look-gronks-party-ship-is-one-big-loud-shirtless-twerking-gronk-fest. If I could party with any sports player it would have to be Rob Gronkowski and his family. They hosted over five bands/rappers on their party ship this weekend.
The 2016 NBA dunk contest had to be the best one to date so far. The showdown between Minnesota Timberwolves' guard Zach Lavine and Orlando Magic's small forward Aaron Gordon was nothing short of amazing. These two young guys (both age 20), put on the greatest dunk contest of all time in my opinion. Their duel seemed more exciting and more creative than that of the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins in which many refer to as the greatest dunk contest of all time. What do you think?
After the showdown between Lavine and Gordon Saturday night many famous people and athletes went to social media to express how they felt. Many people were saying Aaron Gordon got robbed out of the win causing a huge social media controversy. Either way it was up to the judges to make that call and I am sure pretty much everyone can agree this was the greatest slam dunk contest of all time.
Zach Lavine taking flight on a dunk in the 2nd round
Aaron Gordon with the HUGE dunk over mascot on hoverboard
Lavine goes back to back. Takes home second dunk title in two years.
The New York Jets are going to have to make big decisions this 2016 off season. There is some HUGE impact players whose contracts are up and will be headed into free agency, These include defensive end Muhammed Wilkerson, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, 2016 prow bowl running back Chris Ivory, RB Bilal Powell, OLB and long time veteran Calvin Pace, and defensive tackle Damon Harrison. The Jets haven't signed any of these players back yet and Jets fans are awaited on huge decisions for next year as they try to decide to keep their QB or head in another direction. The Jets also have to decide on whether or not signing star DT Muhammed Wilkerson back who suffered a broken leg against the Bills week 17. I will now keep my followers up to date with all things Jets and all things sports with the 2016 football season now over. Big things to come.
The Jets head into week 17 against former Head Coach Rex Ryan. It is a must win for the Jets as they could be guaranteed a playoff spot with a win against the Bills. The Bills recently defeated the Jets in week 10 of the regular season 22-17. In the very first quarter the Jets hold the Bills to a third down on their opening drive but they convert it for a first down. On the next set of downs, the Jets stop the Bills offense to a 3rd and 3. Bills QB Tyrod Taylor can't find a receiver but he evades the Jets defense and scrambles for a first down and more. Tyrod Taylor puts the Bills on top 7-0 in the first quarter after his 18 yard touchdown run. The Bills stop the Jets offense on the following drive and they march all the way down to the Jets 3 yard line. The Jets tough defensive front stops them and brings up fourth down. Head Coach Rex Ryan decides to risk it all and go for it on fourth down. Tyrod Taylor hands the ball off to RB Karlos Williams and he fights for the first down and more. The Bills go up 13-0 on the Jets after Karlos Williams' touchdown run. The Bills miss the extra point on the following play. On the next Jets drive, pro bowl RB Chris Ivory breaks out for a huge 45 yard run. The following play is a deep 25 yard pass from QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to Brandon Marshall. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick then fires a 15 yard touchdown strike to WR Brandon Marshall. The Bills go up 19-10 after three straight field goals late in the third quarter. With one minute left in the third, QB Fitzpatrick steps up in the pocket avoiding a sack and delivers a nice 23 yard touchdown pass to WR Eric Decker. The score is now 19-10. The Jets battle back in the fourth quarter with a touchdown but later fall to the Bills 22-17 crushing their playoff chances for the season. It was a very tough loss for every Jets fan because they went 10-6 and didn't make the playoffs due to ex head coach
Rex Ryan and the 8-8 Buffalo Bills.
Here's what QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had to say after wrapping up his first season with the Jets, "It's the hardest and most difficult end to a season I have ever had," Fitzpatrick said. "There's not a whole lot of talking in there right now. It's hard to come up with words." It was clearly a very tough loss for QB Ryan Fitzpatrick whose contract is up following this season and the Jets have to decide if they want him back. Fitzpatrick had a very good season although he threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter against the Bills. The 10-6 Jets look to rebuild this off season after an upsetting result to their season.
This was no doubt the most important game of the season for the New York Jets. They go up against thier division rival and power house New England Patriots. The Jets need to win this game and either need the Chiefs to lose to the struggling Cleveland Browns or the Steelers to lose to the awful Baltimore Ravens. The Browns have QB Johnny Manziel starting for them who has been having a tough year on and off the field. So it is not looking to bright for a Chiefs loss. The Baltimore Ravens are starting QB Ryan Mallet who is coming off the couch basically as he has not started for a team all year and has been been bounced around from team to team. The Jets are down a touch down after leading all game late in the 4th. Jets are leading due to WR Brandon Marshall's 8 receptions for 126 yards and 2 touch downs. The Jets are down 20-17 late in the 4th and are not driving the ball too well.
As I was watching this game in the Dominican Republic I heard the announcers say that the Baltimore Ravens just defeated the Steelers due to QB Ryan Mallet's impressive display of passing. As soon as I hear the announcers announce that the cameras start shaking as Metlife stadium erupts. The Jets fans know that if they can pull out this win there playoff chances are pretty much a lock as long as they can beat Rex Ryan's Buffalo Bills next week. Jets pull out the win by an impressive game winning drive coming off of Quincy Enunwa's 33 yard reception and then a great play call out of the shotgun formation. Fitzpatrick scrambles to the right and finds Decker in the corner of the end zone. Decker places his two feet in bounds and the officials rule it a touch down. Metlife stadium erupts as the Jets grab the 26-20 win in over time and WR Eric Decker jumps into the stands and celebrates with some fans.
