Yesterday was a wonderful day in East Rutherford. While the games are nice, the best part of the day is the tailgate. Thousands of people, eating, drinking, throwing footballs, listening to other games on the radio. Seeing old friends, some of whom probably haven't seen each other since last season ended. And it's an incredible mix of people. People who might not otherwise speak to each other if a parking lot and an oddly shaped ball didn't bring them together. Blue-collar, white-collar, garbagemen, lawyers, it doesn't matter, everyone enjoys the festivities as equals. Yesterday's weather was picture perfect - sunny with a nice breeze all afternoon. The Professor made me the best sausage and cheese sandwich I've ever had, which was accompanied by a few beers and a lot of wine, shared with the Professor's father.

Oh, and by the way, the Jets completely turned it around after last week's debacle and beat division rival Miami by 10. A tremendous opening day.

In other NFL news, this man is in for a long year...



When you're losing to the Browns (and I say this as someone who also supports the Browns) in your home opener, on a day you're retiring Reggie White's number, things are bleak.

They lived up to Reggie White's legacy on the day his number was retired, playing with a menacing mix of passion, poise and precision.

Not the Green Bay Packers, the Cleveland Browns.

Ouch.

But Favre did hit the 50,000-yard mark in career passing yards, joining Elway and Marino in an exclusive club. And the Packers have lost their home opener the past three years and gone on to make the playoffs, so perhaps all is not lost. But it doesn't look good right now.