User:The Writer 2.0/Sandbox

ANI

I hope to come to a resolution in regards to the behavior of PrivateMasterHD. There have been documented concerns about them in the past and I too have become concerned by their habits particularly on National Football League (NFL)-related articles where they have added information that is exclusive to Major League Baseball (MLB) and/or added incorrect information and weasel words. I'm not entirely certain what to do as the user has been unresponsive and the edits have continued. However, some course of action needs to be taken so that the user not only acknowledges their actions but changes their behavior or risk a topic ban or block, if necessary.

I became aware of their activities on June 17 at Nick Folk when they made this edit that I reverted. Nearly a month later, they returned to the article to make two consecutive edits. There was a third edit made by an IP account (69.122.190.4) that I believe them to be using as the edit was a minute apart from the other edits. The IP claimed Folk was "designated for assignment" however, this does not exist in the NFL only MLB. I left a note on the IP's talkpage however, I did not realize that Yankees10 had warned PrivateMaster a month earlier for a similar incident which aroused my suspicions. Knowing that both PrivateMaster and the IP account heavily edited MLB and NFL articles, I thought it could have been a mix-up. However, their respective edit histories seem to suggest otherwise.

PrivateMaster: Jason Babin (There's no "designated for assignment"), Boomer Esiason (In this instance, the majority of the edit is fine but the disbaled list does not exist in football), Kris Jenkins ("eliminated from the 2011"), Michael Crabtree ("disabled list"), Orlando Franklin (Trivial information), Danny Woodhead (Incorrectly stating Woodhead "lead" the Jets to the AFC Championship when he had little playing time), Shaun Suisham ("designated for assignment"), Jonas Mouton ("eliminated from the season"), Billy Cundiff (There is no preseason roster however, there is in baseball), Jeremy Maclin ("eliminated from the season"), Percy Harvin (There's no 60 day disabled list in the NFL only the MLB), David Harris (Subjective: Led the Jets), Rob Gronkowski ("60 day DL"), Physically Unable to Perform (addition of a link to the disabled list which is exclusive to MLB), and Joe Morgan ("eliminated from the season").

PrivateMaster has shown the ability to make constructive edits and even acknowledged the appropriate injury list at one point (see Chad Henne). However, multiple editors, myself included, have left messages for PrivateMaster in recent weeks and they have been unresponsive except to blank their talkpage and continue to make these types of edits.

A look at the edit history of the IP account reveals a similar batch of edits:Darius Slay ("disabled list"), Shawn Nelson ("designated for assignment"), Colin Baxter ("disabled list; designated for assignment), Albert Haynesworth ("designated for assignment"), Dennis Pitta ("disabled list"). Most concerning is an edit made back in May to the Injured reserve list which stated MLB players were placed on an injured reserve list if they were lost for the year. This is not true because the MLB utilizes the disabled list (for example Johan Santana was declared out for the year after undergoing shoulder surgery prior to the start of the baseball season—he was placed on the 60 disabled list as no IR exists in baseball).

For whatever it's worth, in addition to the consecutive edits made by PrivateMaster and 69.122.190.4 at Nick Folk, this occurred again on July 27 at Andre Gurode with the IP adding incorrect information and PrivateMaster adding dates in the section titles which has been a trend in the edits of both accounts (see here and here).

Super Bowl III game summary

The Jets, led by captains Namath and Johnny Sample, and Colts, led by captains Preston Pearson, Johnny Unitas and Lenny Lyles, met at midfield where referee Tom Bell announced the Jets had won the coin toss and had elected to receive the football. The coin toss had been conducted an hour prior to kickoff but this was done for the benefit of the spectators.^[1] Colts kicker Lou Michaels kicked the ball off to Earl Christy who returned the ball 25 yards to the Jets' 23 yard line. Namath handed the ball off to Snell on first down who carried it 3 yards. On second down, Snell carried the ball for 9 yards, earning the Jets' first first down of the game. Colts free safety Rick Volk sustained a concussion when he tackled Snell and was subsequently lost for the game.^[2] On the ensuing play, Emerson Boozer lost four yards when he was tackled behind the line of scrimmage by Don Shinnick. Namath threw his first pass to Snell that gained 9 yards on 2 and 14 however a 2 yard loss by Snell on the following play forced the Jets to punt the ball to the Colts.

The Colts began their first offensive series on their own 27 yard line. Quarterback Earl Morrall completed a 19 yard pass to tight end John Mackey and then running back Tom Matte ran for 10 yards to place the ball on the Jets' 46 yard line. Jerry Hill gained 7 yards for another Colts first down. Morrall's pass to tight end Tom Mitchell gained 15 yards on third and thirteen and saw the ball placed at the Jets' 19 yard line. In scoring position, Morrall attempted to score quickly against a reeling Jets defense. Receiver Willie Richardson dropped Morrall's pass on first down followed by an incompletion by Morrall on second down after overthrowing Mitchell. On third down, none of his receiver's were open and Morrall was forced to run that went for no gain. Michaels was bought out to attempt a 27 yard field goal however, it was wide left, and the score remained at 0.

Starting at their 20 yard line, Namath drove the Jets to Baltimore's 41 yard line before two overthrown passes to receivers Don Maynard and George Sauer, Jr. forced the Jets to punt again. Colts returner Timmy Brown returned Curley Johnson's punt 21 yards to Baltimore's 42 yard line. Attempting a quick score, Morrall threw a pass to John Mackey however Mackey dropped the ball. Jerry Hill gained three yards on second down. Morrall's pass to Richardson was broken up by Johnny Sample on third down and the Colts were forced to punt. David Lee's first punt for Baltimore went 51 yards and was downed at the Jets' 4 yard line. Snell gained 9 yards on two running plays however, the drive stalled when Sauer Jr. fumbled Namath's pass and it was recovered by Colts linebacker Ron Porter. The first quarter ended with Jerry Hill losing a yard at the Jets' 12 yard line.

At the start of the second quarter, Matte gained 7 yards to bring the ball to the Jets' 6 yard line. Morrall decided to pass on third down. His throw to tight end Mitchell was on target however, Jets linebacker Al Atkinson slightly tipped the ball which was enough for it to bounce off Mitchell's left shoulder and allow Jets cornerback Randy Beverly to intercept the pass in the end zone.^[3] The Jets began their third offensive series at their own 20 yard line. Snell ran the ball four consecutive times to gain 26 yards behind left tackle Winston Hill. Namath's pass to Sauer on first down was broken up by Shinnick however, Namath completed his next three passes to drive the Jets to Baltimore's 23 yard line. Boozer gained two yards on first down followed by a 12 yard pass from Namath to Snell to place the ball at Baltimore's 9 yard line. On first and goal, Snell ran for five yards followed by a 4 yard run to score the first points and New York's sole touchdown of the game. Jim Turner's extra point saw the Jets take a 7–0 lead over Baltimore.

Turner's kickoff was returned to Baltimore's 28 yard line. Morrall's first pass to Richardson was overthrown however, his second pass to Matte gained 30 yards putting the Colts in Jet territory at their 42 yard line. Hill ran four yards on first down however, the Colts failed to advance the ball on their next two attempts as a Matte run went for no gain while Morrall's pass to Mackey was broken up by Sample. Michaels was bought out to kick a 46 yard field goal however, the kick was wide.

The subsequent drive began at New York's 20 yard line. Namath threw a 35 yard pass to Sauer Jr. on second down to put the Jets at the Colts' 44 yard line however, after Snell attained another first down, the drive stalled at Baltimore's 34 yard line. Turner came out to attempt a 41 yard field goal however, it was wide. With the ball at Baltimore's 20 yard line with 4:13 remaining in the first half, Morrall threw a 6 yard pass to Richardson. Morrall then handed the ball off to Matte who, aided by excellent blocking, ran 58 yards down field to the Jets' 16 yard line. Hill gained one yard on the ensuing play. Aiming to score a touchdown, Morrall threw a pass to Richardson however, Johnny Sample reached out to intercept the ball, his second of the day, to give the Jets the ball at their own 2 yard line.

Three running plays by Snell failed to produce a first down and the Jets punted. Johnson's 39 yard punt was returned to New York's 42 yard line. With 43 seconds remaining in the half, Hill gained a yard on first down. Then Morrall executed a flea flicker with Matte. When Morrall received the ball back from Matte, receiver Jimmy Orr was wide open down the field however, Morrall did not see him and consequently he threw the ball to Hill over the middle of the field however, his pass was intercepted by Jets safety Jim Hudson at the Jets' 12 yard line who returned the ball 9 yards as time expired in the first half with the Jets leading 7–0.

Baltimore received the football to begin the second half and began at their 25 yard line. Matte fumbled the ball on the first play and Jets linebacker Ralph Baker recovered the fumble on Baltimore's 33 yard line. Namath, Snell and Boozer combined to lead the Jets to the Colts' 11 yard line however, Boozer lost 5 yards on first down and then Namath was sacked by Bubba Smith for a 9 yard loss while his ensuing pass to Pete Lammons was broken up by Logan on 3 and 24. Turner kicked a 32 yard field goal to give the Jets a 10–0 lead. With the ball at Baltimore's 26 yard line, Morrall failed to advance the ball and the Colts were forced to punt. Unitas began to warmup on the sidelines.^[4]

Beginning at their 32 yard line, Namath drove the Jets to Baltimore's 24 yard line. After a one yard gain by Bill Mathis, Namath injured his thumb on an incomplete pass to Don Maynard.^[5] On third down, backup Babe Parilli entered the game however, his pass to Sauer Jr. was underthrown and the Jets settled for a 30 yard field goal by Turner to give the Jets a 13–0 lead. At this point, Morrall was replaced by Unitas, who had been battling a sore shoulder for much of the season, as the Colts began with the ball on their own 20 yard line. Unitas handed the ball off to Matte for a 5 yard gain. Unitas' next two consecutive passes went for no gain and the Colts were forced to punt. With the ball on their own 38 yard line following a 38 yard punt by Lee, Snell ran for 3 yards on first down. Namath, who reentered the game, threw his next three passes to Sauer Jr.: the first was overthrown and the next two gained 11 and 38 yards respectively the latter of which, and Namath's final pass of the game, bought the Jets to the Colts' 10 yard line. Snell gained 4 yards before the third quarter ended.

As the fourth quarter began, the Jets, looking to secure their lead, ran three consecutive running plays that failed to produce a touchdown. Instead, Turner kicked a 9 yard field goal that gave the Jets a 16–0 lead. Unitas and the Colts began at their own 27 yard line and in a span of two minutes and twenty-six seconds, Unitas led the Colts to the Jets 25 yard line.^[6] Unitas, hampered by his erratic shoulder, overthrew Richardson on first down and on second down his pass to Jimmy Orr was intercepted in the end zone by Beverly. With 11:06 remaining in the game at their own 20 yard line, the Jets, looking to take time off of the clock, ran the ball. A 15 yard penalty assessed against Baltimore for a personal foul saw the Jets move to their 44 yard line. The drive stalled at Baltimore's 35 yard line and Turner came out to try a 42 yard field goal however, it was wide.

The Colts began their drive on their own 20 yard line. Unitas' first three passes were incomplete however, on fourth down Unitas connected with Jimmy Orr on a 17 yard pass to bring the ball to their own 37 yard line. Unitas' next two passes were incomplete however on third down, Unitas threw an 11 yard pass to Mackey, an additional 15 yards was assessed against New York for a personal foul thus giving the Colts possession of the ball at New York's 37 yard line. Matte gained a yard on first down then Unitas proceeded to throw a 21 yard pass to Richardson bring the ball to the 15 yard line. Unitas underthrew Matte on first down but connected with Orr on an 11 yard strike that bought the ball to New York's 4 yard line. New York was called for two penalties that saw the ball at their 1 yard line. After two failed running attempts, Hill scored the Colts' first points of the game, cutting into the Jets' lead 16–7.

With 3:19 remaining, the Colts were behind by nine points. They attempted the onside kick and recovered at New York's 44 yard line. With another chance to score, Unitas threw a 6 yard pass to Richardson and a 14 yard pass to Orr on second down. With a fresh set of downs, Unitas threw another 5 yard pass to Richardson who ran out of bounds at New York's 19 yard line to stop the clock. Unitas' next three passes were incomplete and a turnover on downs gave the Jets the ball on their own 20 yard line with 2:21 remaining. Snell ran on six consecutive running plays with New York being penalized for delay of game twice. Johnson punted the ball 39 yards to Baltimore's 34 yard line. With a mere 8 seconds remaining, Unitas and the Colts tried, in vain, to score however the first pass fell incomplete. Unitas' final pass was a 15 yard completion to Richardson who was tackled by Sample to end the game with New York emerging victorious 16–7.

Aftermath

Jerry Magee of the San Diego Sun Tribune wrote of the Jets' victory: "This was a victory not just by the Jets," recalls Magee, "but the whole league. [The Jets] substantiated the league. I know everybody in the AFL felt that way." ^[7]

Drove the Colts out of Baltimore: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-01-22/sports/bal-sp.upset22jan22_1_weeb-ewbank-super-bowl-iii-colts-assistant

A conspiracy: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/192453/20110804/bubba-smith-colts-jets-super-bowl-fixed-namath-morall-shula.htm

Randy Beverly first to INT two passes: http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/records/superbowls/player/ints

Gameplay

The Jets, led by quarterback Joe Namath, took an early 6–0 lead over the Raiders on 44-yard and 18-yard field goals made by kicker Jim Turner. The Raiders, led by quarterback Daryle Lamonica, who had been battling recent back and knee injuries, scored the game's first touchdown and obtained a 7–6 lead on a 22-yard pass to receiver Warren Wells towards the end of the first quarter. The Raiders added to their lead when Lamonica threw a 48-yard screen pass to receiver Billy Cannon at the beginning of the second quarter.

However, the Jets cut into Oakland's lead when Namath drove the offense 73-yards down field and ran the ball in for a one-yard touchdown with five seconds remaining in the first half. The Jets tried to kick an extra point to cut the lead to one point, but the ball was snapped badly: holder and backup quarterback Babe Parilli' tried to complete a two-point conversion pass fell incomplete and the Jets trailed the Raiders 14–12 heading into halftime.

Approximately five minutes into the third quarter, Namath forged another Jets drive that ended with halfback Bill Mathis scoring a four-yard touchdown behind blocking guard Dave Herman to give New York a 19–14 lead. The Raiders responded with an 80-yard drive that saw running back Charlie Smith score his first touchdown of the game on a 3-yard pass from Lamonica. The Raiders took a 22–19 lead after successfully executing a two-point conversion with Lamonica finding receiver Hewritt Dixon open.

The fourth quarter opened with Raiders' running back Smith fumbling the football with Oakland in scoring position. Jets defensive end Gerry Philbin recovered the football at the Jets' 3-yard line setting up a 97-yard drive in which Namath threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to receiver Don Maynard, who was covered by Raiders' rookie cornerback George Atkinson, to give the Jets a 26–22 lead. Turner added another field goal to the Jets' total giving them a 29–22 lead. The Raiders promptly responded with Lamonica orchestrating an 88-yard drive that ended with a 22-yard pass to receiver Fred Biletnikoff with less than four minutes remaining in the game, tying the contest.

Turner made a 26-yard field goal to break the tie and give the Jets a three point lead with a little over a minute remaining in the game. Turner kicked the ball off to the Raiders' Smith who took the kick out of the end zone and to Oakland's own 22-yard line. On first down, Smith caught a 20-yard reception from Lamonica, while a 15-yard penalty was assessed against the Jets when a player grabbed Smith's facemask moving the ball to the Jets' 43 yard line. On the ensuing play, Lamonica threw another pass to Smith who outpaced Jets safety Mike D'Amato, who replaced Jim Hudson after Hudson was ejected earlier in the game, for a 43-yard touchdown. Kicker George Blanda made the extra point attempt which gave the Raiders a 36–32 lead.

With 42 seconds remaining, the Jets still had a chance to score however, on the kickoff, Jets return man Earl Christy fumbled the ball at the Jets' 12-yard line when he was tackled by Raiders linebacker Bill Budness and reserve running back Preston Ridlehuber picked up the fumbled ball and ran into the end zone to give the Raiders a 43–32 lead, deflating any hopes of the Jets coming back to win the contest. Ridlehouse could not remember whether AFL rules permitted advancing a fumbled kickoff return, so tried to make it appear he was entering the end zone with the same motion he gathered in the ball. Oakland kicked off to the Jets again, but they could do little with the ball in the final seconds, and the game ended.

AFC Championship

The Jets hosted the Raiders at Shea Stadium on a windy December afternoon to determine who would play in Super Bowl III against the defending NFL champions, Baltimore Colts.^[8] A physically exhausting matchup, which featured Jets quarterback Namath sustaining a concussion and a dislocated middle finger in the first half, the Jets led the Raiders 13–10 at halftime.^[9] An interception by Raiders rookie cornerback George Atkinson in the fourth quarter saw the Raiders offense capitalize to take a 23–20 lead over New York.^[10]

Namath responded, setting up a 6-yard pass to Maynard with a little over seven minutes remaining in the game to put the Jets ahead 27–23.^[11] Verlon Biggs stalled Oakland's first attempt to score by sacking quarterback Lamonica on fourth down.^[12] The Jets ran the clock down with running plays on the ensuing drive and punted the football however, the Raiders still had enough time to score.^[12] In a Heidi-esque manner, Lamonica, in an attempt to extend the Raiders' drive, lateralled the ball to avoid being sacked however, the lateral was recovered by Jets linebacker Ralph Baker to secure New York's victory.^[12]

A rather poetic summation of the championship game perhaps for the 1968 New York Jets season?

The Jets hosted the Raiders at Shea Stadium to determine who would play in Super Bowl III against the defending NFL champions Baltimore Colts. A windy afternoon at a cool 42 degrees, the stage was set for another memorable encounter between two bitter rivals. The Raiders won the opening coin toss and elected to receive the ball. The Jets' defense staved off Oakland advances while Namath connected with receiver Don Maynard on a 14-yard touchdown to put the Jets ahead 7–0. A field goal by kicker Jim Turner gave the Jets a 10–0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

To begin the second quarter, Raiders quarterback Daryle Lamonica orchestrated an 80-yard drive that culminated with a 29-yard touchdown pass to receiver Fred Biletnikoff. Turner and Raiders kicker George Blanda added field goals for their respective teams and at halftime, the Jets led 13–10. Namath suffered a concussion in the first quarter at the hands of Ike Lassiter while in a pile up his middle finger became dislocated much to the excitment of Raiders defensive tackle Dan Birdwell who enthusiastically pointed out the break.

Namath remained in the game and in the second half the Raiders drove down field however, Jets safety Jim Hudson made three straight tackles at the Jets' 6-yard line to force a Raiders field goal which tied the game at 13. Namath drove the Jets downfield and found tight end Pete Lammons on a 20-yard touchdown despite defensive pressure from nemesis Ben Davidson. In the fourth quarter, Blanda kicked a 20-yard field goal to narrow the Jets' lead to 20–16. Namath had been throwing to Don Maynard for much of the game because Raiders rookie cornerback George Atkinson had struggled. However, on a pass to Maynard, Namath released it poorly and the wind changed its momentum and Atkinson intercepted the ball. The Raiders capitalized on the turnover with a 5-yard run by fullback Pete Banaszak and the Jets suddenly found themselves behind 23–20.

The Raiders kicked off to Earl Christy, who had been responsible for the fumble returned for a touchdown during the Heidi game. Christy took the ball out to the Jets' 32-yard line. Maynard threw a 12-yard pass to Maynard for a first down. On first down at the Jets 44-yard line, Namath connected with Maynard on a 38-yard pass that put the Jets at Oakland's 6-yard line. On first down, Namath decided to call a play action pass rather than to run the ball. Namath faced heavy pressure from Oakland's defensive line and his receiving options were covered. However Maynard was merely pretending until Namath went through his progressions and Namath threw a 6-yard pass which Maynard caught for a Jets touchdown giving New York a 27–23 lead.

With more than seven minutes remaining in the game, the Jets defense came through. Verlon Biggs sacked Lamonica on a fourth down play to stall the Raiders on the ensuing drive. New York's offense, with no intention of throwing the football, ran the ball which the Raiders anticipated and defended. The Jets punted however, the Raiders still had time to score. In a Heidi-esque manner, Lamonica, in an attempt to extend the Raiders' drive, lateralled the ball to avoid being sacked however, the lateral was recovered by Jets linebacker Ralph Baker and the Jets advanced to the Super Bowl.

1st rounders

Perhaps the most famous of the Jets' first round picks came in 1965 when they selected Alabama quarterback Joe Namath who boosted the Jets into the national spotlight with his boisterous personality and lifestyle.^[13] His physical talents on the field helped improve the Jets' fortunes, leading them to a victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III in 1969.^[13] Though injuries hampered the latter of Namath's career, he is best remembered, according to former teammate John Dockery as "a guy that came along and broke a lot of the conventions,".^[13] Namath was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.^[13]

The Jets drafted Matt Snell, an undervalued running back from Ohio State, in the first round of the American Football League's draft in 1964.^[14] Snell, a player with undeniable toughness, excelled as the team's fullback in his first season and won the AFL Rookie of the Year award for his efforts.^[14] Snell continued to have success with the franchise culminating with the Super Bowl victory in which he scored the team's lone touchdown.^[14][15] Snell subsequently was nagged by injuries and he retired following the 1972 season after having appeared in three Pro Bowls and earning All-Pro honors, where votes are cast for outstanding players by position, once.^[14]

In 1971, the Jets selected John Riggins with the sixth overall pick in the draft. Riggins was an excellent athlete who made an immediate impact with the Jets.^[16] A contract dispute, two years later, with general manager Weeb Ewbank distanced Riggins from the team.^[16] Before departing from New York, Riggins became the franchise's first running back to run for 1,000 yards in 1975.^[16] A free agent the following year, Riggins went on to have a successful career with the Redskins that included two Super Bowl championships; he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992.^[16]

The 1983 draft class featured many quarterbacks who would become successful in the NFL, including John Elway, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino and Ken O'Brien.^[17] The assumption amongst the Jets fanbase was the team would select quarterback Dan Marino, a highly regarded prospect from the University of Pittsburgh, drawing comparisons to Joe Namath. Instead, the Jets chose to draft Ken O'Brien from California-Davis, much to the dismay of the fans.^[17][18] Though not of Marino's caliber, O'Brien led the team to three playoff appearances and was even involved in a "shootout" with Marino in September 1986 where both quarterbacks passed for a combined 884 yards, the Jets won 51–45 in overtime.^[17] Despite such successes, which included two Pro Bowl appearances, the Jets have been criticized for passing on Marino in the draft and as a result, O'Brien's name has served as an unwelcome reminder of the Jets's failure to reach the Super Bowl in the 1980s.^[17]

Perhaps one of the most disappointing players in Jets history is running back Blair Thomas. Thomas, who averaged 5.4 yards per carry at Penn State, was an intriguing prospect the Jets were interested in utilizing to help gain momentum on offense.^[19] Confident in their decision, the Jets drafted Thomas with the second overall pick in 1990, expecting him to be a solid runner for years to come.^[19] Thomas ran for only 620 yards in 1990, and failed to meet the high expectations.^[19] By the time Thomas left the team as an unrestricted free agent in 1993, he had rushed for for 2,009 yards and only five touchdowns.^[19] Thomas' career continued to flounder and by his fifth year, he had left the league.^[19]

Defensive lineman Vernon Gholston, of Ohio State, was projected to be one of the best defensive players entering the 2008 draft.^[20] Looking to improve their defense, the Jets drafted Gholston with the sixth overall pick.^[21] In three years with the team, Gholston failed to record a sack under the direction of two different coaches and was released by the team in 2011.^[22]

The Jets had generally successful drafts in the 2000s beginning in 2000, prior to Bill Parcells' departure from his executive position, when the team possessed an unprecedented four first round picks that were used to draft Chad Pennington, John Abraham, Shaun Ellis and Anthony Becht.^[23] The Jets also drafted All-Pro's Nick Mangold and Darrelle Revis both of whom are presently considered to be the best at their respective positions, center and cornerback.^[24][25] Quarterback Mark Sanchez, drafted in 2009 from USC, has drawn comparisons to former Jet Joe Namath.^[26] Sanchez led the team to back-to-back AFC Championship appearances in his first two years in the league.

References

Bibliography

• Chastain, Bill (2010). 100 Things Jets Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. Chicago, IL: Triumph Books. ISBN 978-1-60078-522-1.
• Eskenazi, Gerald (1998). Gang Green: An Irreverent Look Behind the Scenes at Thirty-Eight (Well, Thirty-Seven) Seasons of New York Jets Football Futility. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-684-84115-0.
• Ryczek, William J. (2009). Crash of the Titans: The Early Years of the New York Jets and the AFL (revised ed.). Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. ISBN 978-0-7864-4126-6.
• Sahadi, Lou (1969). The Long Pass: The Inside Story of the New York Jets from the Terrible Titans to Broadway Joe Namath and the Championship of 1968. New York, NY: The World Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-58567-933-1.

Other

Creations for the New York Jets article:

Nick McDonald

Early life

Born Nick James McDonald in Salinas, California, he was one of four children, two brothers; Will and Chris and a sister; Kathy. McDonald's mother died due to complications from cancer when McDonald was fourteen. Shortly following her death, his father abruptly left for Louisiana, leaving the four children to survive on their own. The family lived on their own for sixth months until they were evicted from their Detriot home.

http://packersnews.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20100917/PKR01/100917131/Green-Bay-Packers-offensive-lineman-Nick-McDonald-left-tough-adolescence-behind-to-win-spot-on-roster, http://www.fantasysp.com/player/nfl/Nick_McDonald/1336340, http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/historical/582314, http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/111306179.html

http://articles.latimes.com/1997-01-06/sports/sp-15831_1_curtis-martin, http://articles.nydailynews.com/2000-09-10/sports/18149806_1_parcells-and-kraft-jets-and-patriots-curtis-martin

There was speculation as to whether or not Sanchez was playing with a severe injury for much of the season given his performances. http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/27/sanchez-and-eli-manning-a-year-3-comparison/, http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/don_banks/10/03/ravens.jets.ap/index.html, http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/10364/sanchez-eli-eerily-similar, http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/7477015/new-york-jets-ladainian-tomlinson-describes-rift-mark-sanchez-santonio-holmes

Frank Wydo, Justin Wyatt, Timi Wusu, Kenyatta Wright, James Williams, Jay Williams, Joel Williams, Johnny Williams, Josh Williams, Kevin Williams, Kyle Williams, Connie Zelencik, Emanuel Zanders, Talk:Kenny Zuckerman, Frank Youso, Sid Youngelman, Kevin Youngblood, Willie Young, Eric Williams, Cornelius Wortham, Victor Worsley, Tory Woodbury, Bill Wondolowski, Scott Woerner, T. J. Williams, Basil Wilkerson. Taylor Whitley, E. J. Whitley, William White (American football), Walter White (American football), Leon White (American football), Harvey White, Dwight Wheeler, Don Westbrook, Ralph Wenzel, Mike Wells, Jim Welch, Lee Webb, Curtis Weathers, Chris Watton, Frank Wattelet, John Watson (American football), Courtney Watson, Tavares Washington, Mark Washington (cornerback), Terrence Warren, Scott Ware, David Ward (American football), Larry Walton, Len Walterscheid, Matt Walters, Rian Wallace, Cooper Wallace, C. J. Wallace, Ramon Walker, Gerran Walker, Frank Wainright, Drew Wahlroos, Billy Waddy, Scottie Vines, Talk:Billy Vessels/Comments, Jimmy Verdon, Demetrin Veal, Vickiel Vaughn, Darrick Vaughn, Skip Vanderbundt, Bradlee Van Pelt, Billy Van Heusen, Vern Valdez, Iheanyi Uwaezuoke, Ben Utt, Jim Urbanek, Dane Uperesa, Olen Underwood, Mason Unck. http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/9086/oh-canada-always-grinding-for-jets

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/4305/taylors-unlikely-journey-started-in-pittsburgh, http://www.newyorkjets.com/fanzone/curtis-martin-hall-of-fame.html, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/03/sports/football/03martin.html?src=twrhp, http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/serby_super_sunday_with_bill_parcells_nzrGF4qbIOngsGZDqXisBM, http://levysbakeryproductions.com/2011/04/26/fireman-ed-tells-a-tale-of-two-stadiums/, http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2012/01/jets_cb_darrelle_revis_voted_a.html

ESPN History

Origins and Debut

ESPN was an idea originally conceived by Bill Rasmussen and his son Scott Rasmussen with support from Ed Eagan.^[1] Bill, who had an affinity with sports for much of his life, was fired in 1978 from his position as the communications manager for the Hartford Whalers.^[1] During his tenure with the Whalers, Rasmussen had met an insurance agent, Eagan, who worked for Aetna but displayed an interest in building a career in television. Eagan approached Bill with the idea of creating a monthly cable show covering Connecticut sports and was curious to see if the Whalers would be interested in being the main feature on the show.^[1]

Though discouraged by his firing, Rasmussen and Eagan began to discuss a new course; Rasmussen's original idea was a cable television network (then a fairly new medium) that focused on covering all sports events in the state of Connecticut (for example, the Whalers, Bristol Red Sox, and the Connecticut Huskies) rather than just one team as Eagan proposed.^[1] Rasmussen knew little about cable television at the time and with under 20 percent of homes receiving cable, the task to create such a network would prove to be a daunting one.^[2]

In the summer of 1978, the Rasmussens, along with Eagan and his associate Bob Beyus, owner of a video production company, began to seek out support from cable operators and potential investors for the sports channel which by this time they had come to name ESP, the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.^[2] They began to pitch their idea on June 26, inviting twelve representatives from local cable operators—only five accepted the offer out of courtesy to contacts Bill still maintained in the industry. The representatives were skeptical of the concept and stated it would be impractical and far too costly to take a risk on something that could very well falter.^[2] Despite the setback, the team held a press conference to help spread the word. Thirty five reporters were invited. Only four appeared and were less than enthusiastic about the prospects of the company.^[2] Beyus, who felt the future of ESP was in doubt, immediately departed following the conference.^[3]

In spite of these initial difficulties, the Rasmussens with Eagan incorporated ESP Network on July 14, 1978 for a fee of $91.^[3] The trio still had to find a way to broadcast their new sports channel and began their research at United Cable where they were told about a new means of television communication, satellite communication.^[3] They were then directed to the Radio Corporation of America; the company had experience in satellite communication as they had launched a SATCOM and used the technology frequently in Europe—the concept was still new in the United States and wasn't immediately embraced because it was not something one could see and therefore did not seem plausible.^[3] Al Parinello, who was hired by RCA to promote the new technology, received a call from Rasmussen and wanted to meet the trio in person. With no offices, the group rented a conference room from United Cable.^[4] At the headquarters, Bill explained they were interested in regional sports broadcasting however Parinello explained that with satellite communication, their channel could be broadcasted across the country.^[4] The Rasmussens immediately became excited by the prospect of broadcasting to a wider audience than they had previously anticipated.^[4] Furthermore, when they were informed that buying a continuous 24-hour satellite feed was less expensive than sending the signal across Connecticut via landlines, they agreed to buy the transponder for the satellite.^[4]

With a wider audience to appeal to, they began to retool their original concept and on August 16, 1978, both father and son agreed that the channel would show all types of sports twenty-four hours a day, have a half-hour sports show every night, hire sportscasters and buy a fleet of trucks to travel across the nation covering various sporting events.^[5] Putting together money from various family members and associates, they put down $30,000 for the transponder.^[6] The group then had to search for property to setup their headquarters. They originally began looking for land in Plainville, however due to an ordinance that prohibited satellite dishes, ESP could not settle there.^[7] Instead, they chose to buy a parcel of land for $18,000 in Bristol that had been built on a dump; the satellite signal was uneffected in the area, making it an ideal selection for the ESP headquarters.^[7]

The Rasmussens received financial aid from J. B. Doherty and K. S. Sweet Associates on an interim basis however, the Rasmussens were interested in finding a more permanent investor. Doherty was interested in finding a permanent and corporate investor as well and after several failed attempts to do so, he approached Stuart Evey, a Getty Oil Company executive who was the vice president of non-oil operations.^[8][9] Evey was immediately interested in the venture and brought it to the attention of Getty's finance manager, George Conner. Though a bit wary, the company decided to invest in the project by February.^[10]

With the newly found financial assistance, Bill, aware that ESP would struggle to secure rights to professional sports at the time, felt the company could strike a deal with the NCAA for the rights to rebroadcast their college sports; college basketball at the time was popular and Rasmussen felt rebroadcasting games such as the fast-paced basketball would attract new viewers. Furthermore, by having a contract with NCAA, it would legitimize ESP without Rasmussen having to utilize the Getty name to help further his pursuits.^[10] Rasmussen organized a meeting with NCAA officials and following a hastily put together presentation, negotiations began and eventually both parties came to terms. In the agreement, ESP agreed to broadcast eighteen different NCAA sports, including championship games, in their entirety for two years. The contract was made official on March 14, 1979.^[10]

Though ESP would not begin airing for some six months, the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament had garnered considerable attention, 24.1 million viewers, due to the matchup between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson—the tournament is regarded as having an instrumental part in ESPN's eventual success due to the fact many viewers called their cable operators complaining they wanted "that channel that has all the basketball".^[10] In May 1979, Getty provided $15 million to the company and Anheuser-Busch came to an agreement with ESP for the largest advertising contract in cable television history at the time, valued at $1,380,000^[11]

Rasmussen, realizing ESP needed additional sponsers and advertising, decided to distinguish the network from the "Big Three three-letter networks", ABC, NBC, and CBS, and renamed ESP, ESPN-TV.^[11] After taking the name to a printer, Guy Wilson, Wilson left out the "-TV" portion, making the name solely ESPN.^[11] Evey, who had essentially gained control of the company, sought out ESPN's first president; Rasmussen wanted to hire Dick Ebersol who had been fired from NBC in January 1979 however, Evey had little interest in doing so. Ebersol suggested Chet Simmons, who, at the time was running NBC Sports, but had become increasingly frustrated with NBC chairman Jane Cahill Pfeiffer whose visions conflicted with those of Simmons'.^[12] Evey promised Simmons he would face little interference from Rasmussen, without Bill's knowledge, and Simmons agreed to become the network's first president—an official announcement was made on July 18, 1979.^[13]

With the Rasmussens gradually being pushed out of the company, Evey and Simmons continued to move forward hiring a broadcasting team which included Jim Simpson, George Grande, Bob Ley, Lee Leonard, Chris Berman and Dick Vitale. As the launch date of September 7, 1979 approached, the building that would house the new channel had yet to be completed—the cable which was connected to the satellite was only plugged in about five minutes prior to the launch of the network.^[14]

On September 7th at 7:00 P.M., an estimated 30,000 viewers tuned in to witness the launch of ESPN.^[15] Simultaneously, ESPN debuted their first SportsCenter segment with anchors Lee Leonard and George Grande.^[15] The first words spoken were from Leonard who informed viewers: "If you love sports...if you really love sports, you'll think you've died and gone to sports heaven."^[15] The first score Grande announced was Chris Evert's victory over Billie Jean King at the US Open. SportsCenter lasted a half hour consisting mainly of videotaped highlights.^[15] Following the conclusion of the telecast the network aired a slow-pitch softball game along with other programming including wrestling and college soccer.^[15]

Two days after their first broadcast, Evey issued an ultimatum to Bill, in which he stated Rasmussen had little to do with the company at that point and should remain out of the way. Scott was fired by Evey as there were growing conflicts between Evey, Simmons and Rasmussen.^[16]

1980s

By the new decade, ESPN had been airing any sports games established networks such as CBS, NBC and ABC did not provide on their sports programming shows in addition to their flagship show, SportsCenter. Additionally, since Bill Rasmussen signed a contract with NCAA, ESPN had the rights to broadcast college games which included the widly popular basketball and hockey. Although dismissed as foolish by the established networks, ESPN broadcasted early rounds of tournaments such as the 1980 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament which indeed attract viewers as staff members began to hear stories of people renting hotel rooms just to watch sports on ESPN.

At this same time, ESPN was criticized for doing live cut-ins during games however, Steve Anderson quote p 62

ESPN was still struggling to get on its feet and Simmons was pressured by Getty Oil executives to correct the situation. Simmons had been friends with then NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle and approached Rozelle about airing coverage of the 1980 NFL Draft. Although the idea was met with bemusment, as draft coverage was deemed "hardly spectator material," Rozelle agreed and the first televised NFL draft aired on April 29, 1980. To make it more interesting, as the draft was a long process, ESPN executives gathered information regarding the prospects as well as highlights. (63-64) ESPN was still struggling many of the deals they signed to broadcast games were not cost-effective and prevented the network from pursuing broadcasting rights to the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. (67) Getty was losing $1.5 million a month and ESPN still had a wealth of ad air time that went unsold despite costing $1,000 per every thirty seconds, a modest cost at the time.(77) To remedy the situation, Simmons contacted long-time friend Mike Traeger who contacted an ESPN benefactor, Anheuser-Busch, who had signed on as the network's first major sponser.

A five-year $25 millon contract was negotiated with the brewery that gave Anheuser-Busch the authority to show only their beer commericals on the channel for the duration of the contract. In a little over a year, ESPN's viewership increased from 1.5 million to more than 6 million because the deal helped target a key audience. (78) Additional companies followed suit in purchasing ads including Hertz, Pontiac, Subaru, Mobile, Sears, Magnavox and Getty. While the deal with Anheuser-Busch helped keep ESPN afloat, the contract was eventually amended as ESPN needed more revenue and felt including other brewery makers would help boost the revenue. (78)

Evey bought in Roger Werner of McKinsey & Company to investigate how the company could be run in a more cost-effective manner. Essentially, the biggest flaw was that the network had signed distribution contracts with cable companies that provided them with free access to ESPN therefore, ESPN gained no revenue from broadcasting their network through these companies. (79)

There was still controversey brewing between Bill Rasmussen, Evey and Simmons. Evey made Rasmussen chairman of the company however he had little say in the decisions as Evey and Simmons were essentially in charge. Fifteen months after witnessing his dream come to life, Rasmussen departed the company but kept his share of the companies stock despite Evey's urging to give up the stock. (81-83) Bill's brother, Don, following his brother's advice, resigned from ESPN to work at Enterprise Radio, an all-sports radio started by Bill and Scott that went bankrupt within five months. (84-85)

ESPN continued to seek out additional opportunities to broadcast other sporting events and paid $6 million for the rights to broadcast games of the upstart USFL football league. (102)

ESPN aired Australian rules football and minor league baseball during the MLB strike of 1981, both of which were highly popular especially minor league baseball due to the strike. (86-87)

Simmons left the company after Evey refused to make concessions and he went on to become the USFL's first commissioner. Simmons was replaced with Bill Grimes who offered Werner the COO position which he accepted. (92-93) (106) Tensions grew between Simmons and Evey, who was very demanding and controlling as ESPN began legitimize itself in the television buisness. (103)

ESPN was still losing millions of dollars and Evey began to circulate rumors that Getty was going to sell ESPN in an attempt to pit ABC and CBS against each other. ESPN and ABC came to an agreement in which ABC would own a 10 percent stake of the company with the option of owning 49 percent of the company within five years. With ABC a co-owner, ESPN was saved from liquidation for the moment. (104) In 1983, multiple contracts with cable companies began to expire and ESPN, who had essentially been providing the companies service free of charge, wanted to draw up new contracts in order to bring in more revenue but maintain a healthy relationship with the companies. (111-112)

After promising twenty-four hour coverage, it came to frutition on September 1, 1980 as ESPN began to air all day, seven days a week. (77)

Referneces

Bibliography

• Miller, James Andrew; Tom Shales (2011). Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-04300-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)