J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!

I grew up watching football. My Dad would take RRR & I to Giants Stadium every Sunday. We'd go to both Giants and Jets home games, since he worked at the Meadowlands and knew the security guards who'd let us in through the player's gate. Nothing like teaching your kids to be criminals, right?

Fast forward years later and when we finally got legitimate tickets for the Jets and my Dad has signed over ownership to me starting at the Jets infamous 1-15 season under Rich Kotite. Thanks Dad!

The best part of going to a football game is the tailgate. For the past few seasons, I've been tailgating with Nick and his crew in 16G. And let me tell you, these boys don't fool around.

On Friday, Nick & Billy head to the Hunts Point Market and buy whatever is fresh. Then they show up bright and early (9:30am for a 1 o'clock game; 10:30 for a 4 o'clock game) and do all the hard work of setting up and cooking while we get plastered and eat to our heart's content.

Last Sunday's game versus Detroit was an exceptional culinary feast. Menu items included: perfectly seasoned pork loin on a fresh Italian roll, chicken fingers, fries, onion rings and coconut shrimp crisp and fried in their portable deep fryer, eggplant parm (hey we're in the swamps of Jersey!), shrimp scampi, steamed clams, and some homemade rich and creamy cheesecake courtesy of the female tailgating contingent for dessert. Of course, most of the time people are too busy drinking to notice the hard work going around them but the food always seems to arrive just in time for the munchies to kick in.

I don't know what is more impressive how these guys manage to get delicious food out quickly and hot enough to feed the drunk & hungry every week or how we don't get discouraged by the Jets continual self-inflicted implosion as the season wears on... Just when you think they've got a winning team - forgettaboutit! They will make mistake after mistake to guarantee a loss. At least this week's game ended with a win - inside & outside the stadium!