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Are you ready for some football New York?

Giants need Eli to deliver while the Jets need to put the past ‘Favre’ behind them

BRYAN FITZGERALD

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Friday, August 14, 2009, 1:27 PM

Updated Friday, August 14, 2009, 2:18 PM

Read more: AFC East Division, American Football Conference, National Football Conference, National Football League, New York Giants, New York Jets, NFC East Division, Football, Professional Football, Sports

Eli Manning

The Big Football: Pigskin Returns to New York

Your Guide to your 2009 Football New York Jets and Giants.

All New York football fans are optimistic as the new season start nears. And they should be. The Giants look to defend its NFL East Championship and go deep into the playoffs yet again even in the face of off field issues involving players Plaxico Buress and Antonio Pierce.

The Jets, finishing a disappointing third in AFC East during the Brett Favre error..er…era, have retooled its ailing defense and coaching corp. For luck, Gang Green even moved its training camp facilities to Cortland, NY from Albany, NY.

Could we possibly have a Subway Superbowl in 2009?

The Jets (2008, 9-7, 3^rd place AFC East)

In 2008 the Jets’ underachieving record was due mostly to its poor defense, ranked 16^th in the NFL. To improve in this area the Jets let go of coach Eric Mangini and hired Ravens’ defensive coordinator Rex Ryan.

The dominating and devastating defense in Baltimore last year under his watch was the second best in the league. To help implement this winning system, the rookie coach took along some fellow Ravens to New York, including LB Bart Scott, SAF Jim Leonhard , and linebacker’s coach Bob Pettine (now Jets Defensive Coordinator). Other key defensive additions include free agents CB Donald Strickland, CB Lito Sheppard, SAF Larry Izzo.

The Offense, also ranked 16^th in the league last season, does not look to improve. The absence of “now retired” QB Brett Favre has left a void at the position to be filled by either the much hyped Jets' number one draft pick, Mark Sanchez (USC), or the ineffective and inconsistent back up to Favre, Kellen Clemens. With the key losses of WR Lauvernes Coles and TE Chris Baker, the Jets loose crucial receiving yards and downfield blocking. The running game, however, remains strong behind the tandem of RBs Leon Washington and Thomas Jones.

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Irish sport is popular and widespread. Levels of participation and spectating are high on the island of Ireland. Throughout the country a wide variety of Irish sports are played, the most popular being Gaelic games (such as Gaelic football, hurling and camogie), soccer, rugby union and boxing. By attendance figures Gaelic football and hurling are by far the most popular sports in Ireland, (34% of total attendances at sports events being to football and 23% to hurling), while golf and soccer (including 5-a-side) are the most played at 17% of the population each. Many Irish sports, such as boxing, cricket, rugby union, Gaelic football and hurling, are organized in an all-island basis, with a single team representing Ireland in international competitions. Other Irish sports, such as Association Football, have separate organizing bodies in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. At the Olympics, a person from Northern Ireland can choose to represent either Ireland or Great Britain. The various GAA discipline finals are easily the largest sporting events regularly held in Ireland, in both terms of attendance and media coverage. The biggest national sporting event in Ireland is the final of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, held annually in Croke Park in September. It usually attracts a sell out crowd of 82,500 to Croke Park. Many of the matches in the championship attract crowds of 50,000, depending on who is playing. Aside from the GAA, the biggest multi-sport event held in Ireland regularly is the Community Games. The games are organized every year from a local level, where hundreds of thousands of young people compete in different disciplines such as athletics, swimming, cycling etc., in the first half of the year. Winners progress to county level, and then to the Community Games finals. One of the biggest international Irish sport events is international Association Football. The Republic's national team has punched above its weight in recent years, qualifying for the 2002 World Cup, and performed well against such teams as Brazil and Portugal. In rugby union, Ireland's national team has been ranked in the top five teams regularly over the last few years, and has produced major stars such as Keith Wood and Brian O'Driscoll. In golf, Ireland is home to several top golfers such as Padraig Harrington.

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Are you ready for some football New York?

Giants need Eli to deliver while the Jets need to put the past ‘Favre’ behind them

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