There's a reason why the 300 section at Metlife stadium is called the nosebleed area, and it has nothing do with the height of the seats. Far from it actually, the sight lines are surprisingly decent, and the sound, when not blaring the Jet's roaring first down anthem, is pitch perfect. It's the surrounding characters that give the aptly named nosebleed seats their title.
It was the end of the first half and the score was 20-0 Dolphins, a battering that didn't come close to reflecting the true nature of the beat down the Jets were undergoing. The subpar Miami defense effortlessly deconstructed the Jets offensive line, making the seagulls hovering over the stadium look more like vultures, circling gang greens corpse like squad for a sign of life.
You'd never know it in the 300 section. The truth is, the fans up here didn't come to watch a game, they came to party, a conceit most evident by the sea of empty beer cans and waste beneath the seats. A treasure trove of french fries, chicken tenders, and unused flyers for a Mark Sanchez bobble head littered the ground, the latter not distributed on site for fear of burning effigies raining down on the field.
Though in second place going into Sundays game, the 2012 Jets have spent more time on the blooper reel than on Sports Center. At times it's tough to tell which piece of the puzzle is holding them back the most. Their wide receivers miss passes thrown at the numbers, their special teams unit gives up 60 yard punt returns, their defense has been obliterated by injuries (Leading to a last place rushing spot), and then there's the whole quarterback issue...
If you're ever watching a game and wondering where the "Tebow" chants begin, look no further than the 300 section. A choir of overweight men dressed in kelly green harmonize the name of the most overrated player in the NFL (As voted by his fellow players). Still, while watching Mark Sanchez throw bad pass after bas pass, you can't help but wonder if Ryan should make the switch.
When the Jet's acquired the holy thrower earlier this Summer, Ryan made it clear he was sticking with Sanchez, a statement he's had to back up week after week. But at what point does he look at the numbers and make a change?
Sanchez, once thought of as the next Big Apple QB, is in the midst of his worst season to date. His QB rating of 72.8 is well below the league average of 86.3, he's thrown nearly as many interceptions as touchdowns, and the only game he showed up for was a week 7 loss to the Patriots where he threw for 328 yards, but had only one touchdown. One touchdown!
As the stadium began to clear out in the third quarter, the bare chested man to my right who resembled a thicker Norm from Cheers, might have had the answer.
"Tebow time, Tebow time".