Postet af Bundgaard - 07 august 2010 01:26
As you all probably know we have a tradition of inviting other Jets bloggers/writers/podcasters/fans over to talk some Jets football. This time around I'm very happy to introduce Max Vande Vaarst from the relatively new Jets blog Jets Kvetch.
When I first stumbled upon the Jets Kvetch (I think it was a couple of weeks before the draft?) I imidiatly fell in love with it's humorous tone and often untraditional take on everything Jets.
Anyway, I'll let Max intoduce himself and the Jets Kvetch!
Tell us about the Jets Kvetch.
Always nice to start with a softball! The Jets Kvetch, as one could guess, is my personal football opinions repository, and can be found at http://www.jetskvetch.com. My initial plan, however, was not to launch a traditional team blog such as your own, but rather a site dedicated to following my work on a short story about growing up as a Jets fan, specifically during the Parcells years. It operated in this capacity (and under the name "Outstanding Losers") for about a year, although the focus clearly shifted from the story to team news around training camp time. I made absolutely no efforts to publicize this site, had zero readers, and did not allow comments. So, you know, it sucked. But I enjoyed the experience so much that I began formulating plans for a relaunch during the postseason, and successfully took JK live the day after the Super Bowl. The page has grown quite a bit since then, although I'm still learning the ins and outs of sports blogging.
Since I know the number of Jets blogs had exceeded saturation point well before I arrived on the scene, I try to do things a little differently. Posts are far less frequent than the news bites at The Jets Blog and Gang Green nation, but they are also longer, averaging about 800 words apiece. I utilize a very personal voice, and try to inject humor and emotion into my articles. More than anything, I hope to serve as a voice for the fans, rather than an online beat reporter. I have an ENORMOUS amount of respect for what guys like Bassett, John B. and yourself do, but since I know I'll never do it as well as you can, I try to take a different road. Some people like it, some don't, but that's just how the internet goes sometimes.
The situation is compounded severely by the possibility of a lockout in 2011. Yes, these Jets have a young core that's already locked up in Ferguson, Sanchez, Greene and others, and I believe so long as Rex is our coach, we'll always field an above-average product, but I'm not at all confident that we'll still be title contenders on the other side of the work stoppage (should it come).
Factor in Hard Knocks and Rex's constant hyping that THIS. IS. OUR. YEAR. and there's a lot of pressure there. I'm trustful that the team can handle it, but I think the fans are going to be on life support every time we drop a game, especially if it's in-division. Being a Jets fan is hard enough on your heart. If this year plays out anything like the last, we're going to have to hope they installed plenty of defibrillators in the new stadium.
I don't buy the attacks on our chemistry, but if anyone tells you the Jets have an uncomfortably small championship window, well, they're right.
Rex keeps saying this is a team with a ground and pound mentality, but he's wrong. That was the mentality of last year's team, and it was one born of necessity. We ran because putting the ball in Sanchez's hands was often tantamount to suicide. Now that he's improved and has significantly better tools around him, we're going to pass a lot more. Determining the distribution of pass plays to run plays is going to be a big test of this coaching staff, especially for Schottenheimer, who is going to want to test out Holmes as much as possible. We're ground and pound so long as ground and pound gets us results. If we need become sky and fly, then sky and fly we shall be.
When I first stumbled upon the Jets Kvetch (I think it was a couple of weeks before the draft?) I imidiatly fell in love with it's humorous tone and often untraditional take on everything Jets.
Anyway, I'll let Max intoduce himself and the Jets Kvetch!
Tell us about the Jets Kvetch.
Always nice to start with a softball! The Jets Kvetch, as one could guess, is my personal football opinions repository, and can be found at http://www.jetskvetch.com. My initial plan, however, was not to launch a traditional team blog such as your own, but rather a site dedicated to following my work on a short story about growing up as a Jets fan, specifically during the Parcells years. It operated in this capacity (and under the name "Outstanding Losers") for about a year, although the focus clearly shifted from the story to team news around training camp time. I made absolutely no efforts to publicize this site, had zero readers, and did not allow comments. So, you know, it sucked. But I enjoyed the experience so much that I began formulating plans for a relaunch during the postseason, and successfully took JK live the day after the Super Bowl. The page has grown quite a bit since then, although I'm still learning the ins and outs of sports blogging.
Since I know the number of Jets blogs had exceeded saturation point well before I arrived on the scene, I try to do things a little differently. Posts are far less frequent than the news bites at The Jets Blog and Gang Green nation, but they are also longer, averaging about 800 words apiece. I utilize a very personal voice, and try to inject humor and emotion into my articles. More than anything, I hope to serve as a voice for the fans, rather than an online beat reporter. I have an ENORMOUS amount of respect for what guys like Bassett, John B. and yourself do, but since I know I'll never do it as well as you can, I try to take a different road. Some people like it, some don't, but that's just how the internet goes sometimes.
There's an enormous amount of hype and expectations surrounding the Jets this season. Many say that it's Super Bowl or bust, but what are your personal expectations and criterias of success?
That "Super Bowl or Bust" talk has been bothering me for months now, largely because I recognize that it's the truth. When you consider how tenuous our pay situation is between guys like Mangold, Harris, Holmes, Edwards, Keller and others (I'm assuming Revis will be taken care of this month), it's clear that we're not going to be able to retain everyone. There are about 13 or so former first round picks on this team right now, and four players who were in the Pro Bowl last year, so even if you discount Vernon Gholston, that's a lot of top-flight talent. Not to mention many of our big names are aging faster than we'd like. We've already had to dispatch with elder stars like Thomas Jones and Alan Faneca; it's inevitable that we'll be saying goodbye to the likes of Shaun Ellis, Jason Taylor and even Kris Jenkins in the next couple years. We have an heir ready to succeed Tony Richardson. Can we say the same across the other greying positions?The situation is compounded severely by the possibility of a lockout in 2011. Yes, these Jets have a young core that's already locked up in Ferguson, Sanchez, Greene and others, and I believe so long as Rex is our coach, we'll always field an above-average product, but I'm not at all confident that we'll still be title contenders on the other side of the work stoppage (should it come).
Factor in Hard Knocks and Rex's constant hyping that THIS. IS. OUR. YEAR. and there's a lot of pressure there. I'm trustful that the team can handle it, but I think the fans are going to be on life support every time we drop a game, especially if it's in-division. Being a Jets fan is hard enough on your heart. If this year plays out anything like the last, we're going to have to hope they installed plenty of defibrillators in the new stadium.
I don't buy the attacks on our chemistry, but if anyone tells you the Jets have an uncomfortably small championship window, well, they're right.
What worries you the most going into the 2010 season?
Aside from Revis, which I'm hoping will be water under the bridge by the time the team first suits up for meaningful football, I'd have to say I worry most about the run game. I've simply never been comfortable with our decision to shed Thomas Jones, and while I do believe that LT has what it takes to be successful here, I'm convinced that he was brought in primarily as a goaline rusher and pass catcher. This move displays a huge amount of faith in Shonn Greene, who may be the most mysterious RB option in the NFL today. I've had people tell me he's a top 10 fantasy pick, and I've people tell me he's the fantasy bust of the decade. The truth is, no one knows if Greene is equipped to bruise his way through 16+ games, all while remaining healthy and keeping the ball off the ground. LT will not be able to keep his legs as fresh as TJ did, and Joe McKnight looks like he'll be about as useful as Leon Washington was after he broke his leg. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" doesn't apply perfectly here, because our #1 run game was more damaged than people realized, but our attempted fix may have only broken it further.Rex keeps saying this is a team with a ground and pound mentality, but he's wrong. That was the mentality of last year's team, and it was one born of necessity. We ran because putting the ball in Sanchez's hands was often tantamount to suicide. Now that he's improved and has significantly better tools around him, we're going to pass a lot more. Determining the distribution of pass plays to run plays is going to be a big test of this coaching staff, especially for Schottenheimer, who is going to want to test out Holmes as much as possible. We're ground and pound so long as ground and pound gets us results. If we need become sky and fly, then sky and fly we shall be.
The Jets put some pressure on the opposing QBs last year, but didn't get a lot of sacks. Do you see that changing this season?
Yes, but only kind of. The addition of Jason Taylor and the moving of Gholston to DE assure that we will see an increased number of sacks, but the truth is that Rex's defensive schemes aren't designed to translate pressure into sacks. Ours is a defense assembled in reverse, engineered to blitz the quarterback to the point where he is forced to make bad passes, and more often than not, those bad passes will end up in the hands of Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, Kyle Wilson and Brodney Pool. That's why we would have chosen Wilson over Odrick or Hughes under any circumstances - because our secondary is our pass rush. The fact of the matter is, Rex just absolutely freaking loves corners, and I'm starting to see why that is.I guess we can't get around the Revis contract situtation... What is your take on this?
My biggest problem with Revis and his handling of this situation is that I can't understand what is motivations are. He says he wants guarantees against the sort of injury that screwed over Leon, and that he expects some of this money to come in the form of signing bonuses. But then he also says that he wants to make more than Asomugha and his insane contract. Then he says he wants all of this up front, in one monster deal - the sort that Woody Johnson would never authorize. None of his demands on their own are greedy, but when conjoined, they make him seem selfish and out of touch. Revis is going to have to be willing to accept concessions if he wants something to happen. It's unfair of him, with three years remaining on his complex rookie contract (a contract that he held out to get in the first place), to demand so much all at once, especially with friends like Mangold forced to wait in line behind him. My breaking point came when we offered him a reasonable short-term fix, one that he could well have negotiated up, and he flatly said no. Try pulling that act with the Steelers organization, Darrelle, and tell me again we aren't being fair to you.To finish this off I just want to give a HUGE thank you to Max for taking the time to do this!
If you haven't checked out the Jets Kvetch then what are you waiting for!?!!!
Also know that Max regularly puts out an exellent podcast with his buddy Ari (who is a Jets/Chargers fan... or is it vice versa?)... anyways, he might try to tell you that it's nothing special, but it really is - GO Jets Kvetch!
Etiketter: NewYorkJets.dk proudly presents, spørgsmål og svar, The Jets Kvetch
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1 kommentarer 
At 7. aug. 2010, 01.38.00,
Unknown said…
