Watchdog

Holy Bundchen!

Here I was, minding my own business, getting ready to link to Scott's Shots for an update on the Boston Herald's belated apology for making Glauber do extra work the day before Super Bowl XLII, when an even juicier tidbit emerges.

Check out the audio, via Scott's Shots, of Brady appearing "The Big Show" on WEEI in Boston (about eight minutes in) and describing his respect for the Giants, in contrast to his lack of respect for a team that wears green and has four letters in its name.

Yikes! Sept. 14 can't get here soon enough.

(Brady also has a lot to say about how and why the Giants won the big game, if you're interested in that sort of thing.)

I thought the speeded-up NFL Draft was an improvement. But let's face it, when Jets fans are happy about the team's first pick, it cannot be considered an entertaining, satisfying draft.

T-Rock sent this cool link.

It seems this is an extremely good time to buy a Vilma Jets jersey.

No word on the latest sale price for Johnny (Lam) Jones unis.

I read the memo again about properly crediting photos lifted from the Web and found it to be incomprehensible.

It appears the era of amusing and relevant WatchDog photos is over.

It's all but official now that the NFL will save NBC (and America) from a Chiefs-Jets game in prime time Dec. 30 by "flexing" it into the late afternoon slot.

To celebrate, here is something to consider for fans with spare post-presents cash, a desire to support a worthy cause and a lifelong dream to share with Joe Klecko soft drinks, chips and a private bathroom (not at the same time!) in a climate controlled environment.

NFL Auction is offering 18 packages for the opportunity to watch in a suite with Joe, with the opening bid for a two-ticket package listed at $355. Proceeds benefit the New York Jets Foundation.

Here is the link to bid. Good luck!

Maybe I'll bid and take Gastineau with me.

Just in case there is a Jets fan out there who has not figured this out yet . . .

There is more chance of my family playing touch football on NBC on Sunday night, Dec. 30, than there is of the Chiefs and Jets playing on NBC, no matter that the game currently is penciled in for that night.

It will be flexed into the afternoon as soon the NFL and NBC find and name a suitable replacement Monday.

If I were a betting man, which I am not (see post below), I would assume kickoff will be at 4, giving stadium workers more time to convert from Saturday night's Giants game than a 1 p.m. Sunday start would afford.

I am so bummed out about the lack of snow at the Jets-Pats game I've pretty much lost interest already, especially because I am not a betting man and thus have no direct stake in the Patriots' margin of victory. (It's 17-7 at the half.)

Here is a consolation prize, for those of us who don't have "Sunday Ticket" and thus are not watching the Buffalo-Cleveland game.

Sigh.

Dave Tuley, the sports betting columnist for the Daily Racing Form who was quoted in my Tuesday newspaper column, weighed in with a column of his own on the subject here.

It looks like the point spread will continue to drift downward as long as early predictions for snow and wind Sunday hold up.

No matter how much Bill Belichick hates Eric Mangini, it's difficult to score 73 points in a blizzard.

(Important disclaimer: Gambling on sports is illegal in this part of the country.)

I took a crash course in ridiculously large NFL betting lines Monday, some of which I shared in my Tuesday newspaper column and some of which I will share with you now:

In addition to the people quoted in the article, I also spoke to Gary Pasquale, general manager of Don Best Sports in Vegas. He cautioned that even if the Pats win big and the Dolphins lose big Sunday, next week's spread might not reach a record-breaking 30.

That's because with home field wrapped up and no Spygate revenge in play, it's quite possible Bill Belichick will call off the dogs and bench starters in the second half.

It's that kind of thing that makes setting Week 16 and even more so Week 17 lines a nightmare for bookmakers. Each team brings its own motivations (or lack thereof) based on numerous variables.

Another interesting thing I heard from the experts is that even though the legal betting line in Las Vegas for Jets-Pats is hovering around 24, it could well be several points higher with illegal bookies in New England, where rabid fans surely are betting the number upward.

I asked Jay Kornegay, director of the sports book at the Las Vegas Hilton, whether setting Pats lines has been a challenge.

"I don't know if you want to call it a challenge or a headache,'' he said, indicating both descriptions fit nicely.

Uh-oh. The good news, as WatchDog reported below, is that the Dec. 23 Giants-Bills game was not plucked by the NFL and NBC into prime time.

But the announcement came with this unfortunate news: The Dolphins-Patriots game was moved from 1 p.m. to 4:15, directly opposite Jets-Titans.

So New Yorkers without "Sunday Ticket" can watch the Patriots play the Jets and Giants in Weeks 15 and 17, but will not see what could be a historic matchup of 14-0 and 0-14 squads.

Sigh.

Jets fans have been taking a beating over the past 24 hours for allowing their stadium to be hi-jacked by Steelers supporters - from the team's locker room to the radio airwaves to Glauber's blog and beyond.

Don't expect me to get involved. During my days on the Giants beat - and even my early days on this beat - I took a lot of guff for criticizing fans for leaving Giants Stadium early even during close, important games on nice days. (Giants players and coaches quietly were baffled by the phenomenon, too.)

I never did get that concept. Jets fans do it, too. In most NFL stadiums, that simply doesn't happen.

Selling your tickets to Steelers fans makes a lot more sense to me than keeping your tickets, slogging through traffic, paying for parking, sitting around for three quarters, then not watching the climax of the game.

But like I said . . . I'm staying out of it. Fans can do whatever they want with their money.

The Jets suddenly are riding a late-season wave!

First, Gang Green shut up a building full of Steelers fans - oops, that building was in New Jersey - by pulling off a satisfying upset Sunday.

Now, this: In a WatchDog exclusive, here is a sneak preview of three audio PSA's players have done to help the mayor improve the quality of life in the big city.

Kerry Rhodes urges us to "honk responsibly,'' D'Brickashaw Ferguson touts tap water and James Dearth announces that he's technically a tight end. Who knew?

Is Gus Johnson still yelling at me, or is the Jets game finally over?

No way I'm turning my TV back on until someone confirms this for me.

The game's not, like, in overtime or anything, is it?

My newspaper column on Ray Lucas almost had a sidebar, but then Kellen Clemens did not get the nod and the tale of Lucas taking over the Jets at 1-6 in 1999 became less timely.

No worries. That's why blogs were created.

Click below to read Lucas talking early last week (before Eric Mangini announced he was sticking with Chad Pennington) about the day he got the job, which led to the team rallying late that season to an 8-8 finish.

Just in case you thought the Jets' new headquarters in Jersey would be named for something or someone like, say, Weeb Ewbank . . . um, no.

Here is a story in The Star-Ledger of Newark about the corporate sponsor of the place, which will replace Hofstra as the team's training facility in a couple of years.

The Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Hmm. Just doesn't roll off the tongue, does it?

Wow. T-Rock's blog says Chad Pennington will start at quarterback Sunday.

I'm assuming this is not a typo or a hoax.

The good news is now I don't have to write that sidebar I offered the boss about Ray Lucas' memories of taking over the Jets in 1999, the last time Gangrene started 1-6.

It would have been a good piece. Yup, I'll just dump all that material into the blog later this week, don't worry.

This Chad decision is very interesting, though. And a nice favor from Eric Mangini for sports talk hosts looking for material on a Wednesday in October.

WatchDog's first ever award for Most Patient Radio Interview Subject goes to the Jets' Thomas Jones, hands-down.

Jones' appearances every Tuesday with Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton on WFAN have become morbidly fascinating, as Carton bluntly attempts to provoke Jones and the running back politely and patiently refuses to fall into his traps.

Such paid weekly radio spots by players quickly can become uncomfortable at best and a waste of time at worst when their teams head south. But this somehow is working, thanks to Carton's dogged irreverance and Jones being a good sport.

But can they pull this off for another two months if the Jets never win again?