Giants and Jets Staying Sort of Calm Before Saturday Night's Storm

In New Jersey, the two biggest forces of wind which are beyond control come from two sources-- Mother Nature and Governor Christie.  This weekend, one of those hurricanes is expected to pound the Jersey shore and the other will be hunkered down trying to keep surfers and "bennies" off the same beaches.

There is one more storm headed to the Meadowlands and its name isn't Irene.  Its tropical storm Rex.

Jets head coach Rex Ryan has looked like a comparative summer breeze to Irene in the days leading up to the Jets-Giants game at MetLife Stadium this Saturday.  The normally brash Ryan has just been downgraded to a Category-1 storm.  Call the National Weather Service for a sound bite.

Even Ryan's offseason remarks that the Jets (1-1) are no longer the little brothers of New York football have done nothing to turn this game into anything more than it is-- an exhibition game.  The two teams meet in a regular season game on Dec. 24.

It's not to say that the outspoken Jets head coach is going be welcomed with open arms by the "home" team-- the Giants.

Ryan still resents the Jets being considered squatters in the new MetLife Stadium and living under the shadow of the Giants (1-1) for the past three decades.

After two straight AFC championship games, Ryan believes the Jets are the superior team and he is ready to paint the two-year old stadium Jets-green.

In his book Play Like You Mean It, Ryan stressed that the Jets are now the "big brother" in New York and "are going to remain the better team for the next ten years."

"When people ask me what it's like to share New York with the Giants," Ryan wrote.  " My response is always 'I'm not sharing it with them-- they are sharing it with me.'"

Even the new name at the old New Meadowlands Stadium has a Giants' tint-- literally.  The MetLife logo is the same color as Giants blue.

This whole stadium brouhaha  has been a thorn in the Jets side since they took residence there in 1984. It came to a head last year after the teams argued who would get to host the first game in their shared home field.  It didn't help when NFL commissioner Roger Goodall allegedly had a "secret' coin toss-- with out any team representatives-- before awarding the first game at the $1.7 billion stadium to the Giants.

Jets fans claim the toss was rigged.

Giants fans gave their little brother a nougie and said quit bawling.

"I'm glad MetLife came forward as a sponsor," Giants captain Justin Tuck said yesterday.  "But to me it'll always be Giants Stadium."

To Tuck and any fan over the age of seventeen who grew up in the area.

It seems like revenge ought to be more of a theme for this week's game than city supremacy-- even though the players say it isn't so or they just won't admit it.

Plaxico Burress, the former Giants Super Bowl hero who snubbed the G-Men and signed with the Jets after a 20-month prison stay, blew off the notion he was seeking the Big R.

"There's nothing extra, no added incentive, juice or whatever you call it," Burress said.  " I'm more concerned about me going out, playing better, getting better."

Maybe Giants quarterback Eli Manning will go the eye-for-an-eye route.  After all, he was the one who wobbled off the field during last year's pre-season meeting sporting a gash on his forehead that required 12 stitches to close up.

The second quarter hit by Jets linebacker Calvin Pace sent Manning's helmet flying and his exposed mug into safety Jim Leonhard's facemask.  Manning's Y.A. Tittle moment was the result of a clean hit, miscommunication with Brandon Jacobs and looked worse than it was.

"I don't think about it to bring back good times," joked Manning yesterday.  "I can deal with it...it didn't hurt too badly."

Okay, no animosity there either.  I guess we'll leave it up to Mother nature to wreak some kind of havoc.

The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST and Irene is expected to bring wind gusts of up to 70 mph.  In the Meadowlands that's a light breeze.  Com' on Irene.

The Giants VP of Communications, Pat Hanlon, said the game will go on as scheduled.

"Based on everything we've seen and heard, it sounds like the brunt of the hurricane isn't expected to hit our area until Sunday," he said.

"I go about it just like I would any other game," said Tuck of the exhibition game.  "Is it more intense than what the rivalry was with the Jets before Rex got here?  In a preseason game, no.  But come that game right before Christmas, that might be a different story."

No hurricane until Sunday, no Rex Ryan bombast and no revenge.

Can't wait for the regular season.

Favre Gets Off Easy For 'Not' Cooperating With NFL

The NFL let Brett Favre off the hook yesterday by ending its investigation into the quarterback allegedly sending suggestive text messages and graphic photos to female sideline reporter Jennifer Sterger .  The former New York Jets signal caller and alleged sext message sender was fined $50,000 by the league who admitted they couldn't prove he sent the dirty texts and photos.  It looks like the league basically swept the case under the ice-covered turf inside the Metrodome.

In a press release, the NFL announced that commissioner Roger Goodell, after analyzing forensic evidence collected over a two years  span, "could not conclude that Favre violated league policies relating to workplace conduct" after Favre hindered the league's investigation.

"Our investigation took longer than might ordinarily have been the case due to difficulties in arranging to speak with certain key individuals," the NFL statement said.

The NFL let Favre slide on the more serious charges of violating harassment rules, partly because of his stalling tactics.

Forget what is "Ripped from the Headlines" and seen on "Law & Order," admitting your guilt and copping a plea is for chumps--at least in the NFL.  All you have to do there is stall, then retire.  Detective Lennie Briscoe must be rolling in his grave.

The NFL fined the married Minnesota Vikings QB a token 50 G for not being "candid" with the investigators about the accusations he sent the sexually-explicit photos and suggestive texts to the 26 year-old Sterger in 2008 at the Jets training camp.

Goodell determined that Favre's behavior during the probe resulted " in a longer review and additional negative public attention for Favre, Sterger and the league."

The ongoing saga has taken some wild twists and turns.  Favre has admitted to sending the text messages,  but has denied sending the nasty images but the website, Deadspin.com, which first published the photos in October said they all came from the same phone number.  Sterger has left many people questioning why it took her two years to make the incident public--even after Favre left the Jets in 2009.

The commissioner has been criticized for moving the probe at a snail's pace and his delay in making a decision on the case.  Many felt Goodell was protecting Favre, the all-time consecutive games played record holder and NFL icon, until the quarterback retired at the end of this season when a suspension would mean nothing.  Favre had his 297 game streak broken earlier this month and is questionable for the last game of this season--and his career--this Sunday.

The fine is little more than a token nuisance to Favre, who made $10 million this season.  In his world, the penalty takes about three minutes worth of game salary from his paycheck.

Favre may not be fist-pumping after this decision.  Sterger's lawyer, former federal prosecutor Joe Conway said he was "extremely disappointed" in the decision and wouldn't discuss his client's next move.  He said Sterger has not ruled out filing a law suit but preferred no to sue the NFL, the Jets or Favre.  Who's left after them?

Goodell met with both Favre and Sterger earlier this month to discuss the sordid allegations which has centered on the photos of male private parts that the sports website published.  Deadspin.com has been steadfast in claiming the images are self-portraits that  Favre sent Sterger.

Favre, 41,  says he intends to retire after a tumultuous season filled with injuries and other sexual accusations which cannot be confirmed.  The NFL will not have jurisdiction over Favre if he leaves.

The Jets issued a statement saying the team considered the matter over and done with.