The Final Score

Michael Turner, Homer Simpson, Fritz Peterson and Chicago Norm have something in common.

The other three of these Northern Illinois U. products are not surprised that Burner Turner ran for 220 yards for the Falcons against the Lions on Sunday. We knew that all he needed was the be released from the shackles of being LaDainian Tomlinson's backup in San Diego.

What the heck is he talking about, you ask? And don't bore us with Michael Turner's NIU stats.

Well, Fritz Peterson starred at NIU and later became my bowling instructor (great story if you hadn't seen it before) before swapping families with Mike Kekich.

And Homer? Well, he's voiced by Dan Castellaneta, another NIU grad. I guess that also makes Krusty the Clown one of ours, too.

First, she says her injured and apparently depressed son may not want to play football anymore.

Then she tells the The Tennessean:

"He will be fine if people are prayerful and help my baby boy out."

This is the point where Vince Young goes, "Mom! You're embarrassing me!"

I don't get it, but if you click on the jump you can read the Topps press release.

No doubt about, Brett is a Jet.

I drove past one of the remaining Blockbusters this morning and saw a huge Madden 09 poster portraying Mr. Favre as a Packer and thought, "This is so wrong."

Isn't it funny what difference a couple of months make?

Tony Romo needed 13 stitches to close the gash on his chin but he had a big day in the Cowboys' 28-10 victory over the Browns.

Don't worry about Tony. He has Jessica to help him lick his wounds.

And maybe she'll even write a new country song about it and sing it Oct. 17 on the main stage at the Texas State Fair. (Yes, she's a headliner at the State Fair.) The Cowboys play in St. Louis but maybe Tony will hang around to watch her perform before catching a flight to Lambert.

Romo (24 of 32 for 320 yards and a TD) proved he's a tough guy for Jess by playing the entire game despite his gushing chin.

"Tony is just tough as nails," said Jason Witten who caught the TD pass. "I could never see him coming out unless something is really wrong. That's him."

"Tough as nails." Now that sounds like a great name for a country tune.

The Colts opened Lucas Oil Stadium with Johnny Mathis singing the national anthem, the roof being cranked open for a flyover by Army helicopters and ...... a 29-13 loss to the Bears.

“It’s sickening,” said Peyton Manning, who missed all of training camp and the five preseason games recovering from knee surgery. “First game new stadium, 15th game of the season—same stadium. It’s really disappointing to lose.”

Manning completed 30-of-49 pass attempts for 257 yards and one touchdown but kind of looked more like Kyle Orton than Peyton Manning.

And reformed party boy Orton directed a Bears offense that didn't turn the ball over, although he did fumble fumble Olin Kreutz's very first snap.

I know, you're saying more Chicago stuff from Chicago Norm. But this time it's just a coincidence because, as Anthony joked, our allegiance remains with the Chicago Cardinals, may they rest in peace.

The awful real estate market continues to hit Vinny Testaverde.

His Oyster Bay Cove home, listed at Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes & Estates, remains on the market with an asking price of $5,900,000. I believe at one point he was looking for close to $7 mil for his mansion.

Anyway, if only I checked this link yesterday, I would have known he was having an open house from 3 to 5 this afternoon. Would have been cool to attend, no doubt.

Vinny Testaverde, anyone?

So what if Mr. Long Island turns 45 in November! Doesn't it seem that anytime a starting quarterback goes down with a season-ending injury - like Tom Brady reportedly did today - it's always Vinny Vidi Vici coming out of retirement to the rescue!

Okay, okay, probably not happening, I know. There's Chris Simms and Daunte Culpepper out there, to be name two. But we're hoping the pride of Sewanhaka gets the call. (BTW, Vinny enters this season having thrown a TD pass in 21 consecutive seasons, an NFL record.)

This comes to us from old friend Chad Johnson errr... Chad Ocho Cinco errr... Chad Johnson.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
6:17 PM EDT, September 7, 2008

"He will wear the name Johnson on his jersey today and will be referred to as Chad Johnson on the official play-by-play sheet," the statement said. "Further questions should be directed to the league office."

OK, maybe he had a few crappy moments later on, but that first one was pure gold.

Chad looked pretty darn good, too.

Too bad there were so many empty seats. I know a lot of Jets fans would have loved to have been there.

Our co-worker, Lubes, says Lucas Oil Stadium looks like a factory.

Can't argue with him. Don't like the name, either. But it's better than Conseco Fieldhouse, which reminds me of Jose.

Boland? Glauber? Best? Rock? Paper? Scissors?

Nah. When the NFL season (other than the Giants) is 48 hours away, who does Newsday turn to for its coverage?

That's right, Baumbach and Rieber, The Final Score boys who took over Newsday's Jets-Dolphins coverage on Friday.

Bamubach made the drive from Long Island to Florham Park to chronicle Gang Green's final day of preparation before the season opener.

Rieber drove from St. Petersburg, Fla., after covering the Yankees-Rays series, to Dolphins camp in Davie and filed this report on the Dolphins' plans to stop the Jets' offense.

Baumbach drove about 70 miles one way. It took him three hours.

Rieber drove about 240 miles one way. It took him three hours.

Chicago Norm is driving to Chicago Cardinals camp tomorrow.

Breaking news from CN: My Max Boydston rookie card is autographed.

Many months ago Anthony made a rule on this blog that we can't complain about our own travel issues, and that makes sense. No one wants to read about a sports writer having trouble catching his or her flight after watching a game.

That said, I am sitting here in the Jets' new practice facility in Florham Park, N.J. and I feel a responsibility to report back to you with this nugget of news: it's really, really, really far away. Took me about two hours to get here today, largely because I drove right into morning rush hour. But at least it's new and nice and all.

So if you ever went to Hofstra and watched the Jets during training camp, savor those days. Because chances are you're not going to want to make this trek. It's Jersey's team now.

I don't know what to say about this story. I'm at a loss of words.

CINCINNATI - The Cincinnati Bengals say No. 85 is officially Ocho Cinco.

He changed his name last month in Broward County, Fla.

What's next? Are players going to hail from parts unknown?

It would've been much bigger had the Jets voted for someone else other than Favre.

George O'Leary's weekly conference call with reporters was scheduled to take place today. But when reporters called the number the Central Florida athletic department handed out, it brought them to ... a phone sex hotline. Here's a firsthand account to one reporter's attempt to dial in to O'Leary's call. O'Leary hails from Long Island, by the way.

If you think that sports fans are stats-obsessed then you should see some of the numbers that sports marketers watch.

For instance, Giants fans are more likely to celebrate a victory with vodka while the alcoholic beverage of choice for Redskins fans would be cognac.

At least that's what the researchers at Scarborough Sports Marketing say, and they must know. Although I know a few Redskins fans who don't even know how to spell - or pronounce - cognac.

I guess that an adult child from a mixed Redskins-Giants marriage would drink Hpnotiq, a French beverage that includes vodka, cognac and fruit juices.

The Scarborough research does point out that both Giants and Redskins fans are higher than average beer drinkers.

Hit the jump for Giants-Redskins tale of the tape, courtesy of Scarborough:

If I were a fan of America's team, I'd give up right now.

Jessica Simpson has told People Magazine that Cowboys QB Tony Romo is the love of her life.

According to the mag, she has changed her cell number and e-mail address keep her ex-boyfriends and ex-husband from contacting her. Yup, that'll stop 'em.

Sorry, Nick, Jude, Dane and Leonardo.

And sorry Cowboys fans.

For half a century, the Jets have enjoyed a heroic and deeply devoted fan base. Through thick and thin, you have stuck with us as we have migrated around the metropolitan area from one field to another, to another. Of course you are hungry for - and deserve - another championship. But you also deserve a home that you can call your own. Our goal with the New Jets Stadium is to create the best home field in football and provide a range of seating options so that Jets fans can enjoy the biggest upgrade in NFL history. In 2010 that goal will be realized, when all Jets fans can say, finally, we're the home team.

While a PSL program is necessary to help finance this new building, we listened to our fans in designing the plan. We recognize that PSL ownership is not for everyone. That is why we decided to have no PSLs in the entire Upper Bowl - 27,000 seats including those on the 50-yard line. It is important to us that every season ticket holder who wants to buy a seat in the new building may do so. Seat selection priority will be based on how long a fan has been a season ticket holder. There are three options we are offering: No PSLs in the Upper Bowl, PSL ownership in the Lower Bowl and Mezzanine end zones and Club Member PSLs that include membership in one of four different clubs.

Membership in the Coaches Club, located between the 40-yard lines behind the Jets bench, will be sold in an auction open to anyone, giving every Jets fan the opportunity to bid on the 2,000 best seats in the house. Those who become members of the Coaches Club will have unique amenities and unprecedented access including on-field behind the Jets bench, complimentary premium parking, the ability to watch the post-game press conference live from inside the club area and other amenities. A seat in the Coaches Club is the closest thing to having a spot on the roster.

Those fans who choose to become PSL owners will enjoy benefits far beyond their wider, more comfortable premium seats. PSL ownership includes the right to buy VIP reserved parking closer to the stadium, access to tickets to other events and concerts in the building (subject to availability), and the ability to finance their PSL over a five-year period.

Every current season ticket holder who wants to purchase seats in the new building will have the opportunity to do so. Details about our entire seating and pricing plan, including a timeline and process for the auction, will be available at www.newjetsstadium.com.

Thank you for your support of the New York Jets. We hope you will join us on opening day 2010, when, finally, we'll truly be the home team.

Let's Go Jets!

Yours,

Robert Wood Johnson IV

Good for the Jets.

If there is a middle ground to what the team claims is a necessary evil, then this is it: no PSLs for fans with upper-deck seats.

The upper deck at Jets games, unlike Giants games, is filled with fans who just recently made it through the waiting list to buy season tickets. Obviously the Jets realized that by charing these guys PSLs, they would have chased many of them away.

The Jets handled this the right way.

What in the world is EA Sports thinking?

Check this out.

As part of their publicity push for Madden '09, you can have Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens place a call to one of your friends.

Of course this is the same guy who accepted a plea deal to plead guilty to obstruction of justice in a case that involved someone's death. Lewis, you know, was originally indicted on murder and aggravated assault charges.

Forget having him call my friends.

I think I might have him call my enemies.

(Shout to www.cantstopthebleeding.com...)

Speaking of Michael Strahan and Brett Favre, doesn't everyone agree that that was a bogus final sack by Michael Strahan that set the NFL's single-season record with 22 1/2?

Of course it was a gift from Brett Favre.

When Favre was asked if that was a late Christmas present, he said he did not allow him to sack him. "That was a keep pass," Favre said. "I tried to get the edge but he got through."

I wonder if people still believe that was a real sack. Even Lomas Brown, Strahan's teammate, said "that was a classy of Brett to do that."

I don't blame Strahan for accepting the gift. He did what he should have done. But it still doesn't change the fact that was a gift.

Not sure if he still is, but in February the news broke that Osi was dating this Victoria's Secret model.

Osi Umenyiora is out for the year, Newsday's Tom Rock reports on his Giants blog.

The obvious question, of course, is whether this devastating means Michael Strahan will make a triumphant return.

When Newsday's Bob Glauber asked Strahan that question via text message, Strahan responded by issuing a 'No comment.'

He could have just said 'no.'. Sounds to me like we're going to be seeing Strahan back pretty soon.

If NBC brass decides to "re-assign" Tiki Barber for (allegedly) saying that bad word to Jenna Wolfe on live TV, we have a few suggestions:

-- Host a show called "Countdown with Tiki Barber"
-- Star in a remake of "The Count of Monte Cristo"
-- Sing the chorus of the Counting Crows' hit "You Can't Count on Me" really fast;
-- Do a segment on "Sesame Street" with Count von Count. Say his name 10 times fast.

This is from Erik Boland's fine Newsday Jets blog:

No word on Justin Miller, who left the game late in the second quarter with what was announced in the press box as a “foot injury.” Miller sustained the injury coming up to make a tackle on Giants running back Derrick Ward. Asked for details after the game, Mangini said, “It is his foot.”

Jerky. No other word for it.

So I just realized the painkiller I'm taking for my recovery from wisdom teeth extraction surgery - Vicodin - is the same painkiller that Brett Favre had an addition to back in 1996.

Here's a crazy story detailing Favre's addiction to Vicodin.

Is it in poor taste to blog that I'm taking the same painkiller that Favre was addicted to over a decade ago? I don't know.

But if it is, let's just pretend I didn't write this post. You know, like how NBC, Tiki Barber and co. are pretending he didn't say a bad word on the air.

This one is entitled "Tiki Barber: A consistent approach to success"

The one from yesterday is entitled "Tiki Barber: It sounds like I said it, but that's not what I said."

So a female acquaintance of mine who I expected to go all freaky-deaky over Tiki Barber's alleged use of a very, very bad word on national TV had this take (I am paraphrasing):

"If that's the way he and Jenna Wolfe joke around with each other off-stage, then the only crime he committed was using that locker-room language on TV. The only one who can judge him is Jenna Wolfe, and no one knows yet what her take is on it."

Jenna?

I heard about this earlier today but refrained from commenting on it until it apearred on Newsday.com in news story form, which it now has.

After listening to the YouTube clip more than once, my ears tell me he said it. But my brain tells me there's no way he could have said it.

As one of my old colleagues at Newsday used to say: "Mind eraser!!"

Jessica Simpson will soon be the spokesmodel for some beer called Dallas Stampede Light Plus.

I think it's supposed to appeal to Cowboy fans who need extra vitamins.

“Yes, I work out and take care of myself, but I also like a cold beer once in a while,” Jess was quoted as saying.

According to reports, this brew contains an additive (STP?) and bills itself as a beer for active people.

Lawrence Schwartz, Stampede's president and chief executive, says Simpson is the now face of the brand.

Today's Google search for the lyrics to "You're My Sunday," Jessica's country love song about Cowboys QB Tony Romo turned up a number of websites purporting to have them.

And yet, nothing. Two of them came up with apoligies that promised they could deliver the lyrics if I, the Googler, would submit them.

And so, the search continues.

Has anyone even heard the song? C'mon, help me end this stupid quest.

The first thing you'll hear is: "At quarterback, the most anticipated debut this side of Brett Favre...Chad Pennington."

One man's trash is another's treasure.

Here's a story from the Tribune Florida papers on Chad, who had become a real team leader for the Dolphins.

The former Jets QB hasn't been named to start yet by Fish coach Tony Tony Sparano, but that announcement appears imminent.

And I keep stopping myself from typing the coach's name as Tony Soprano.

Yes, a practice jersey worn by Eli Manning last year could be yours for just...

...drum roll...

$900!

Crazy, eh?

Don't everyone bid at once now.

Here's another weird thing: in the title it's called a game-worn practice jersey. So he wore a practice jersey in a game?

I'm confused. But, hey, if he gets $900 for it, he's smart and I'm a fool.

Happy bidding.