Patriots Football

Rick Grantham asked:


Sports memorabilia has become big business. You can use a shadowbox to safeguard your investment in sports items.

Sports are big, but how big is the sports memorabilia business? Experts estimate that it is currently worth over $2 billion. Fans who are not satisfied merely to watch games and track statistics of their favorite teams (such as the New England Patriots) collect all types of sports memorabilia items. This can be a hobby, or even a full-time job.
One of the main concerns when collecting any type of memorabilia, such as sports memorabilia, is keeping the items in top-notch condition. Use a shadowbox to protect your items from dust, dirt, moisture, etc., in order to maximize the items’ value. Here are some easy steps to construct your own sports memorabilia shadowboxes:

Step 1: Collect and prepare the materials

? 8″x10″ maple 106 natural frame

? 8″x10″ mounting board

? 8″x10″ papermat mat board

? 8″x10″ plexiglass

? 786 Slate Blue

? Flat-head screwdriver

? Sharp cutting blade

? Kraft paper.

? Adhesive transfer tape

Determine the size of the sports memorabilia you want to include in the shadowbox, and then allow for about two inches from the item, to the border.

Step 2: Use the mat board

Attach the memorabilia to the mat board, using one of a variety of items, such as glue or adhesive transfer tape. Then cut 12 stripes from the two remaining sheets of mat board (6-8″ strips and 6-10″ strips). Attach the strips in stacks of three, utilizing the adhesive transfer tape. You should have two 8″ strips, and two 10″ strips. This will serve as a buffer between the sports memorabilia and the plexiglass.

Step 3: Start constructing the shadowbox

Place the frame face-down. Peel off one side of the protective paper, and then place it into the frame. Then peel off the other protective paper. Attach the strips of mat board to the inside region of the frame, using adhesive transfer tape. The mat board should be flush against the plexiglass and the frame.

Step 4: Putting everything together

Position the sports memorabilia item and its attached board, inside the frame. Next, place all the pieces from Step 1, face-down, atop the strips of mat board. Position the mounting board inside the frame. Use the screwdriver to attach spring clips to the frame.

Step 5: Add finishing touches

Your next mission (should you wish to accept it), is to attach a dust cover and hanging hardware, to the shadowbox. Attach adhesive transfer tape onto the frame’s back, and then put Kraft paper atop it-to create a dust cover. Use a dust cover trimmer to cut away extra paper. Spray water onto the paper, to tighten the paper. Finally, attach a wire or saw tooth, and “hanging hardware” to the back of the shadowbox.

Regardless of which NFL team you cheer on during the season, you may have sports memorabilia that you want to display. Use a shadowbox to show off your items, while protecting them from harmful substances. Shadowboxes erase any shadow of a doubt that your sports memorabilia is not safe and secure!



MERLIN

Julie Cudney asked:


It takes a special player to go from being cut before the regular season to starring on a team’s offense, but that is exactly what BenJarvus Green-Ellis has done with the New England Patriots this season. When the Patriots cut Green-Ellis during the last cut of the preseason, the choice seemed a logical one. The Patriots already had running backs Heath Evans, Laurence Maroney, Kevin Faulk, LaMont Jordan and Sammy Morris. The Patriots chose to pick him up again to their active roster before the fifth game of the season. Even then, though, it still seemed like Green-Ellis would be sitting the bench for some time. That was before Maroney had a season-ending injury, Jordan injured his calf and Morris hurt his knee.

Coincidentally, the man that the Patriots were unsure if they wanted on the roster has now become their primary ball carrier. Green-Ellis first took the field for week six’s game against the San Diego Chargers, but he only had one reception for nine yards. The next game against the Denver Broncos, he had 13 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown. He had another touchdown in week eight’s game against the St. Louis Rams as well as 16 yards on nine carries. He continued with his contributions during week nine against the Indianapolis Colts as he had 57 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown as well as one reception for eight yards. The Patriots’ game against the Buffalo Bills during week 10 was Green-Ellis’s best game yet with 25 carries, 105 yards and one touchdown.
Hardly anyone would be guessing this undrafted rookie would be making fans get out and buy New England Patriots tickets, which you can get at http://www.stubhub.com/new-england-patriots-tickets/. He was, however, a successful running back at both of the colleges he attended. He spent his first two years of college at Indiana University. His freshman year, 2003, he rushed for 938 yards and seven touchdowns on 225 carries. The next year, he had 794 yards and five touchdowns on 231 carries at Indiana. He switched to Mississippi in 2005 and redshirted that season. In 2006, he had 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns on 234 carries. His senior year, he had 1,137 yards and six touchdowns. He went undrafted in this year’s draft and the Patriots picked him up last May before cutting him.

As of week ten, the Patriots are 6-3. They have some tough opponents to end out the regular season as well as a couple that they should easily roll over. This season has truly tested the Patriots as they lost star quarterback Tom Brady during the first game of the season. Since then, the team has suffered some surprising losses like a 38-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins and a 30-10 loss to the Chargers. Tom Brady has reportedly been back in practice lately, meaning that the Patriots may have him back at 100 percent next season. Until then, they don’t seem to be faring too badly with backups like Green-Ellis and quarterback Matt Cassel.



MATT

Macie asked:


Based in the New York metropolitan area, The New York Jets are a professional American football team. They are members of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). They play their home games in East Rutherford, New Jersey at Giants Stadium, named after another NFL team, the New York Giants. The Jets officially refer to the venue as “The Meadowlands,” a name used on all official NFL and team game notes regarding Jets’ home games.

The club’s headquarters are located at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York on Long Island. They are constructing a new training facility and corporate headquarters in Florham Park, New Jersey.

The jets began in 1960 as a deed member of the American Football League under the name New York Titans. Renamed after Sonny Werblin bought the team in 1963, it later joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL Merger.

The Jets hold the characteristic of being the first AFL team to defeat an NFL club in an AFL-NFL World Championship Game when they crushed the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.

Franchise history

Originally known as the New York Titans, the team played home games at the Polo Grounds. After a 5 to 9 season in 1962, the team’s future was in doubt. A group headed by MCA head Sonny Werblin and Leon Hess, bought the team from Harry Wismer on March 13, 1964, saved it from ruin. Hess eventually bought out his partners, and kept sole ownership until his death. His estate then sold the team to Johnson & Johnson heir Robert Wood Johnson IV in 2000.

After they took over, the team was renamed the New York Jets to transfer from the Polo Grounds to the New York Mets’ Shea Stadium one year later. Shea Stadium lies so close to LaGuardia Airport that the sound of jets roaring overhead was a common sound heard during games played there. The team’s colors were also changed from blue and gold to kelly green and white, which also were the colors of Hess’ gasoline stations.

Exactly one month after the sale of the team, the Jets hired Weeb Ewbank as head coach. He had won back-to-back NFL championships in 1958 and 1959 with the Baltimore Colts, and was one of the most respected coaches in the game.

2005

The 2005 season started out with the Jets reacquiring WR Laveranues Coles from the Washington Redskins and getting CB Ty Law from the New England Patriots. They also acquired free agent quarterback Jay Fiedler of the Miami Dolphins as an expert backup for the starter, Chad Pennington. During the Draft, the Jets traded their first round selection for Raider’s Tight End Doug Jolley. The Jets used their first selection (2nd round, 15th pick) to select Ohio State Kicker Mike Nugent to replace the departed Doug Brien. The Jets allowed several key role players to leave through free agency or traded them for underachieving players. These players included LaMont Jordan, Kareem McKenzie, Sam Cowart, Jason Ferguson, and to a lesser extent Anthony Becht.

The Jets entered the season with high hopes of competing for the Super Bowl, but in week three against the Jaguars when Chad Pennington reinjured his shoulder. Their backup quarterback Jay Fiedler was injured six plays after Pennington. The injuries caused previous third-string quarterback Brooks Bollinger to take the role as the team’s starter and Vinny Testaverde was brought back out of retirement as Bollinger’s backup. After a poor showing by the Jets’ offense in a loss, Testaverde would start the Week 5 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His steady hand led the offense, and Curtis Martin scored two touchdowns, giving the Jets just enough to earn a 14 to 12 victories over the earlier unbeatable Buccaneers.

2006

On January 17, the Jets-Patriots coaching pipeline reared itself yet again, as New England defensive coordinator Eric Mangini was hired by the Jets and became the youngest head coach in all 4 major American sports, turning 35 on January 19. Mangini’s first order of business was to reorganize the coaching staff. Offensive Coordinator Mike Heimerdinger and Defensive Coordinator Donnie Henderson were both released from the Jets staff. Special Teams Coordinator Mike Westhoff was retained. A full staff was announced on February 20. Linebackers coach Bob Sutton was named defensive coordinator and the team signed Jim Herrmann to replace Sutton as the linebackers coach. He was the defensive coordinator at the University of Michigan for twenty years before arriving in New York. Eric Mangini then installed a 3-4 defense.

General Manager Terry Bradway announced that he was stepping down as Jets GM on February 7, 2006. Assistant GM Mike Tannenbaum was named the new GM on the same day. Bradway continue to be employed as an investigation consultant.

The Jets finished the regular season with a record of 10-6, having defeated the Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, and the Oakland Raiders in their last three games. They earned the 5th AFC Wild Card spot in the playoffs.

Current staff

Owner - Robert Wood Johnson IV

General Manager - Mike Tannenbaum

Head Coach - Eric Mangini

Assistant Head Coach - TBD

Radio and television

As of 2006, the Jets’ flagship radio station was WEPN, ESPN Radio 1050, with Bob Wischussen as the play-by-play announcer. Any preseason games not nationally televised are shown on WCBS, channel 2, and rebroadcast on SportsNet New York. Ian Eagle calls the action on those telecasts.

Notable past play-by-play announcers for the Jets include the legendary Marty Glickman and Howard David, who has called the Super Bowl and the NBA Finals for Westwood One and ESPN Radio

For more information about New York Jets visit:

http://www.ticketluck.com/sports-tickets/New-York-Jets/index.php



BRYON

Freddie Brister asked:


The world has endless cases of cheating. A man, who was once head over heels in love with his wife, might cheat on his wife to get some action and spice in his life. A person not contented with one girlfriend, may find another girl so that he can have different flavors in a week. These are instances where cheating is on the personal level. However, when you cheat on work, it is pretty low and disgusting, especially when everybody looks up to you.

Professional sports are prone to cheating. There are not only one or two instances, wherein players and coaches, do something to get ahead of their opponents. Part of the cheating is the use of drugs that are stimulant. Stimulants like steroids are performance-enhancing drugs that will not wear you out while you are in the competition. There were many players using these drugs in NFL. Now, they banned it because this is a way of regulating the competition. This also ensures a fair fight among players because from the looks of it, nobody gets to be a superhuman just to win the game.

There are forms of cheating in sports that can be lowly. Moreover, this type of cheating has been recently done by the New England Patriots. Yes, this three-time Super Bowl Champions have cheated their way by capturing the defensive signals of the New York Jets with a use of a video cam. This scandal was called Spygate. They uncovered the incident in 2007. This put them in a situation wherein everything about them is doubtful. It will change the perception of their fans and the people who they convinced that they could be one of the best in NFL history. Sad to say, despite the fact that Bill Belichick is supposed to be one of best coaches in NFL, he becomes unworthy of becoming one.

Other forms of cheating in professional sports may have to do with manipulating the object using for playing. This is common in baseball since a pitcher can single-handedly manipulate the movement of the ball through application of grease. Some even deface one side of the ball so that the pitcher can have a better grip of the ball. Some might say this is not cheating since every pitcher does it, however, it can alter the chances of the batter.

So as you can see, cheating is everywhere. It is not only prominent in school or within the bounds of your homes. It gets worst especially when titles are at stake (especially when the team knows what the win can do for them). It is just sad to see that some of the respectable teams like New England Patriots or talented athletes like Ben Johnson can miss their chances because of doing something which is knowinly illegal. The worst thing that could get hurt in here is the integrity of the team or the person.

A lot of kids look up to athletes because it is has always been a belief that they have the discipline. They also believe sports can change the future of the kids. However, how can this be a key for betterment when the most respectable athletes are caught doing the cheat? In the years to come, when you look back, you will realize that you never actually beat your oponents fairly and that was not actually a win at all.



ROD

Payton Brooks asked:


Last year when the New York Giants faced the New England Patriots who had been, at that time, undefeated for the regular season and the post season, there were few people out there - other than die-hard New York Giants fans - who thought that Eli Manning and the rest of the team would be returning with the championship trophy.

New England fans thought that their team’s ability to win the game was nothing short of a given and many joked that they did not even need to watch the game to anticipate the outcome.

Imagine their surprise, of course, when the New York Giants ended up winning the game. In the span of a few short hours during which the game was played, companies fought to air the best commercials and bands rocked the half-time show, Eli Manning proved himself to be following in his older brother’s footsteps as a talented professional quarterback.

The New York Giants proved that they were prepared on both offense and defense and went on to show that they were the team of the night.

Of course, just because the New York Giants are the reigning champions of the NFL does not mean that they are shoe-ins to go back to the big game at the end of the new season.

The New York Giants did play in the first game of the 2008-2009 season and Thursday, September 4, 2008 - and in that game they defeated the Washington Redskins. Still, there are those who are fans of the New York Giants who are not ready to breathe a sigh of relief and to continue to believe in the season.

In part, this is due to the fact that the New York Giants scored all of their points in the game during the first half. While the team shut out the Redskins in that first half, the New York Giants were not able to hold them off completely.

This has led to some commentators believing that there could be challenges for this year’s New York Giants team - as well as to a number of fans thinking that, against a better team than the Redskins, there may be challenges.

No season would be complete without some ups and downs; the reality is that the New York Giants are bound to have both wins and losses throughout the season. As time goes on, New York Giants fans, critics and sports commentators alike are going to have their say; they’ll have both pride in the team and disappointments.

Those who are watching to see what Eli Manning will be able to do this season are likely to see him make some great throws and some that are disappointing as well.

It’s all just a part of the game and of the NFL season. Still for those who are fans of the New York Giants, the way in which they are starting the season does bode well; those who are hoping for a repeat Superbowl performance will have to just wait and see.



CLAY

Rick Grantham asked:


For over 80 years, the New York Giants have represented the Big Apple, in a big way. Since 1925, the team has played in five stadiums, won three Super Bowls, had 27 pro football Hall of Famers, and retired 11 players’ jersey numbers. There have been several memorable moments in over eight decades of Giants history. While it is quite difficult to define ONE as most memorable, several of them are certainly noteworthy:

1. 1925 Season

According to reliable sources, Tim Mara bought the Giants for $500. Mara was a businessperson and promoter. At the time, the NFL (and subsequently the Giants themselves) was struggling. However, the Giants encountered a huge turning point during their first season. On December 11th, the Giants faced the Chicago Bears. Roughly 70,000 fans watched the game live! The Giants would split a two-game series with the Bears, ending the season with a record of 8-4.

2. 1986 Season

During the previous season, the Giants had lost to the Chicago Bears (21-0) in the NFC championship game. This season, they were ready to stomp the competition! The Giants completed the regular season with an outstanding 14-2 record. In the playoffs, they demolished the San Francisco 49ers (49-3), and then blanked the Washington Redskins (17-0). In Super Bowl XXI, the Giants nearly doubled the Denver Broncos score (39-20). Coach Bill Parcells’ “Gatorade Bath” completed the Giants’ larger-than-life season.

3. 1990 Season

The Giants played yet another solid season, ending with a 13-3 record. After losing their starting quarterback, Phil Simms, everyone wondered how deep the Giants would proceed in the playoffs. Quarterback Jeff Hostetler answered. The Giants demolished the Chicago Bears (31-3), and then edged the San Francisco 49ers (15-13), after adding Joe Montana to their list of Quarterback casualties. Super Bowl XXV was another tight game, with the Giants sneaking past the Buffalo Bills (20-19).

4. 2007 Season

While the Giants started on rocky ground, they soldiered out the season, ending with a 10-6 record. In the playoffs, the Giants sank the Tampa Bay Bucs (24-14), defeated the Dallas Cowboys on an endzone interception in the final play of the game (21-17), and then edged the Green Bay Packers in OT (23-20). In Super Bowl XLII, the Giants faced the New England Patriots, who were attempting to complete a perfect season-literally. Tom Brady and the Patriots had become renowned for winning close games in the Super Bowl. However, it was the Giants’ QB, Eli Manning, who delivered on his team’s last drive of the game. Scoring with 39 ticks on the clock, the Giants won their third Super Bowl trophy. The 1972 Miami Dolphins remained the only unbeaten team in the history of the NFL.

The New York Giants have had enormous seasons throughout their history. Certainly, their Super Bowl victories have been in some of their most memorable seasons. Giants fans hope that their favorite NFL team will earn more NFL championships. Use New York Giants merchandise to cheer on the team to another gargantuan season!



GUILLERMO

Freddie Brister asked:


Football is a rough game but men and the Americans just love it. Everyone waits for it on televisions or they watch it live (if it is being played on their hometown stadium). If baseball is the favorite past time of America then Football is known to be the love of the Americans. No matter how rigid the game is, people still watch it. They sell-out a lot of tickets and the ratings on TV speak for it.

The world of football can be unpredictable. The once always the champions might not be the champion tomorrow. If you check out the history of NFL, you can see that almost every year, the winning team changes. Well this is not only exclusive in the world of sports. Anything is possible with these days. However, with good players, coaches and trainer, the once who made little in football can be the next big giants of the game. Technically speaking, the best team can be the one who wins the most championship rounds. That just clearly shows, how effective the management of the team is and how well the players execute their play. One of the best teams in the history of football is the New York Giants.

Just like any other teams, they also experienced a period of shutouts. However, they also have their own powerful rebounds. The team ranks third on the most number of NFL titles, to which they have 3 Super Bowl titles (including this year match that they won). They also have a bunch of players who made it to the Hall of Fame. They were the team who beat the New England Patriots who was labeled as one the perfect teams in the history of NFL. Because of the Pats loss to them, they lost the title and Miami Dolphins became the only team to have a perfect season.

Starting 2004, Tom Coughlin was the head coach of this team. He held it through discipline and paying attention. When they won the Super Bowl this year, the real deal about this team is their quarterback, Eli Manning. He was the most deserving for the Most Valuable Player award as he made a great pass to Buress who was waiting at the end zone. It was a heartbreaking game to watch for the Patriot Fans. However, thanks to Manning with his keen sight and quick thinking, victory was in no doubt for the New York Giants this year.

It was not enough for the perfect team with perfect seasons to hold on to the title of being one. It takes a good leader in every team to make the team best. Although The Giants have so much to be the repeat champions for 2009, their win for this year is one of the best for the team.

However, their record of accomplishment way back shows clearly that anything could happen. As many people doubt their ability to make it this season, we can never tell what the core of their team can do just to score.



ANDY

Jake Truman asked:


They won the last 6 games of the season and the media is all over themselves for the Miami Dolphins. Is this team really that great? Many analysts seem to think so. The Dolphins finished out the 2005 campaign by rattling off six straight wins against the Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots. Could this be the year that Miami returns to glory? Is their schedule soft enough to yield an easy 10+ wins and take the NFC East?

The NFC East has been owned by the New England Patriots for a good while now. The Miami Dolphins want to change all that. Last season, thanks to their last season push, they finished with a 9-7 record. This year, they are hoping to take the next step and get into the AFC playoffs. Their key additions include: Daunte Culpepper, Andre Goodman, Sedrick Hodge, Will Allen, Fred Beasley, Kelly Campbell, Justin Peelle, L.J. Shelton, Renaldo Hill, Deke Cooper and Mike Pearson.

Their offseason losses were somewhat mild. This offseason they lost Sage Rosenfels to Houston, Sam Madison to the Giants, Bryan Gilmore to the 49ers, Reggie Howard to Carolina, Matt Turk to the Rams, Gus Frerotte to the Rams, Kiwaukee Thomas to Buffalo and Tebucky Jones to rival New England. Their schedule could be a little challenging this season. Here’s the breakdown.

Week One: @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Two: Buffalo Bills

Week Three: Tennessee Titans

Week Four: @ Houston Texans

Week Five: @ New England Patriots

Week Six: @ New York Jets

Week Seven: Green Bay Packers

Week Eight: Bye

Week Nine: @ Chicago Bears

Week Ten: Kansas City Chiefs

Week Eleven: Minnesota Vikings

Week Twelve: @ Detroit Lions

Week Thirteen: Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Fourteen: New England Patriots

Week Fifteen: @ Buffalo Bills

Week Sixteen: New York Jets

Week Seventeen: @ Indianapolis

The Dolphins season opens up pretty soft. The first big challenge will be the Steelers, but they will be without their starting QB Big Ben. Presumably, their next tough game doesn’t come until week five against the Patriots. However, the Bills might pose a challenge. They always play the Dolphins tough, so you can’t write them off just yet. It will be tough for this team to put together win streaks of more than a couple games. Their schedule is mixed up well. They could be in trouble if they are one game out going into the last game at Indy, unless the Colts



RICHARD

Rick Grantham asked:


The New England Patriots were caught in a controversy last year as they were caught stealing signals using electronic means which violated the league rules. The team reportedly videotaped defensive signals of the New York Jets’ coaching staff who were their opponents then. NFL security officials was able to confiscate a camera and a videotape from the team’s video assistant who was thought to be recording the Jet’s defensive signals on the sidelines. Visual evidence confirmed the suspicion of this act.

The Patriots have been suspected of similar incidents in the past although it hasn’t been proven until the said incident. They were sanctioned severely for doing so and have marred their name for cheating big time in the National Football League. But past is past and the Patriots are getting their act together, hopefully. Now, the team is focusing on playing their games clean lest they have another incident similar to last year that made their image look really bad in the NFL.

As part of their community involvement this year, the team is supporting the Patriot’s Place coat drive for Christmas. Patriot Place retailers collect winter coasts for homeless and poor children from fans on the remaining games for the regular season of the New England Patriots. This community drive is done by the Patriot Place to benefit the Cradles to Crayons. The team is encouraging their fans to donate new or slightly used children’s coat on game day.

The team knows that fans warm themselves up with layers of clothing before coming to the game and they would like everyone to share a portion of their blessings by bringing a children’s coat that will keep a child warm and safe during the winter season. The fans can drop off coats which are suitable for infants up to children aged 12.

Local charity Cradles to Crayons is in charge for the distribution of these coats to low-income and homeless children. The Cradles to Crayons is a charity whose efforts focus on providing the needs of poor and homeless children from birth to pre-teen stage. These needs are the common necessity that a child needs to be safe, warm, and valued.

The Patriot Ladies jumpstart the event by donating hundreds of coats that were collected by Patriot players, coaches, and their families. Free admission to The Hall at Patriot Place is one of the incentives of donating a coat. Aside from this, Patriot Place retailers offer discounts and prizes for those who donate coats for this particular endeavor.

With the community involvement the New England Patriots are showing, the ugly marks of the past will eventually be erased from people’s memories. Cheating is not good but if the team is willing to change the way they play their game by playing clean and abiding by the rules, everything will be just fine. Strategy-wise, the Patriots have something to show their fans, it’s just sad that they have to resort to cheating last year. Hopefully though they have reformed their ways and continue to be involved in the community to improve their image.



LUCIO