Maybe you did, but I didn’t. And neither did Jets PR standouts Bruce Speight or David Tratner.
But there was Gholston earlier today on the Eisenhower Park driving range launching – and sometimes not launching – golf balls off his driver, Phil Mickelson-like, meaning left-handed.
“We got a lot of talent,” Gholston said of southpaws. “We can do anything.”
[NOTE: It is June. It’s either this or absolutely zero blog updates or, worse, another LENGTHY letter to Woody Johnson and I don’t think anyone, least of all Cliff or Bryan or Woody - the man himself - wants to slog through that. And yes, this means I spent another day at a golf course. Oh, and Randy Lange, of newyorkjets.com did mention Gholston was left-handed in a late April story I just now came across. Figures. The man is other-worldly when it comes to NFL/Jets trivia].
So anyway, Gholston, along with the rest of the Jets rookie class with some veterans sprinkled in, were at Eisenhower taking part in a golf clinic – to show athletes the value of golf – conducted by area Met PGA assistant professionals. One of them, Jamie Kilmer from Meadow Brook Club, said, in so many words, the players took to coaching better than most people. Even those players with little golf experience, which was most of the players.
“They understand the coach/student relationship so they do exactly what you tell them,” Kilmer said. “And then there’s just their natural athletic talent. If you just start them in the right spot, they figure it out from there.”
Dustin Keller seemed to, after taking just a handful of pointers on posture and stance, ripping some 200-plus yarders that had some nice right-to-left movement. He also, of course, produced some shots with very little movement and even less distance, but no one is perfect, particularly when it comes to golf, which nonetheless has proven over the years to be an addiction for athletes, including Erik Ainge. Ainge, with his 14 handicap, is one of the better golfers on the Jets. Eric Smith, also there today, is also pretty good.
“I love golf,” Ainge said. “I play as much as I can play.”
[An aside: yes, while Jets players cannot discuss injuries, you can probably conclude from Ainge being at the golf course that he'll be ok for training camp].
Center Nick Mangold is among the veterans still on Long Island. Many have departed for what amounts to a brief summer vacation before training camp starts in late July, but, “I heard ‘golf’ and I was like, ‘sign me up,’” Mangold said. “I heard golf and figured I’d come running.”
And speaking of running, I asked Mangold how much he and the rest of the offensive line had improved this offseason. [For the record, my transition to ask Mangold football questions wasn’t that awful or cornball. Bad, just not that bad].
“It was great to be able to pick the brains of those two guys,” Mangold said of two veterans – Damien Woody and Alan Faneca – the Jets acquired and with whom Mangold got to work with for the first time during OTAs and minicamp. “They bring in different experiences, different viewpoints.”
Mangold was particularly effusive in talking about new assistant Bill Callahan, who has been working extensively with the line.
“It’s exciting being able to work with him and get a feel of what are things to come,” Mangold said. “He brings different viewpoints to existing techniques that guys do, but he also brings a new sense of ways to do things and gives you, really, another tool in your toolbox that you can bring out and use effectively throughout the year.”
I’ll repeat what I’ve said here before and it’s been reinforced after talking with some of the O-linemen this offseason: I think getting Callahan is going to, by year’s end, rank as one of the Jets best offseason moves.
Comments (19)
Well Eric, since you couldn't ask Ainge about his injury then maybe you could reword the question and ask him thats not in the "Context of their code of secretcy".
Also thanks for being consistent effencient about your post and asking all of our questions. I'm pretty sure i can fall in line w/ all of the grattitude.
( The other blog site w/ Rich C Lazy) was getting old and dull. Sometimes i don't think minwax can shine his quotes up. Pretty sad, but so true! Guess thats what happens when you've been covering a Scorned Franchise like the Green and White for the past 15 years. But its not like he's not getting paid for it.
Anyway what do you think about Eric Parker and should we trade for him. Granted he's coming of an injury that has kept him out most of the year, but when healthy he posted consecutive 50 catch seasons. Now i know as the slot WR, you're not asked to post 1,100yds seasons, but to have a veteran who knows how to get open and can read defenses is priceless........... Especially for the cost of a 4th or 5th rounder. With Stuckey, Keller, and B.Smith being fresh out of the box ( Smith b/c he's still learning the position) we could use a veteran presence to recognize zones and find soft spaces within that zone.
reality jet fan, I saw the Adam Schein item proposing that trade and while he is excellent at what he does, Schein's premise that Brad Smith is currently the third receiver is wrong. Right now it's Chansi Stuckey and from what I saw of Stuckey in the OTAs and minicamp, Jets fans are going to want to see him play a lot this year. Now, if Stuckey gets hurt as he did last year, maybe that trade makes sense, though with the kind of injury Parker is coming off of, I wouldn't give up a fourth or fifth rounder for him. And probably not a sixth-rounder either.
Dear Erik,
I really appreciate your comments re: Callahan.
The secret to this season, I believe, will be the OL's performance, good or bad.
The more we can learn about Callahan and his 'input' the better we will understand what's going to happen.
Thanks for keeping an eye out.
Haha Boland, I didn't mean to hurt your psyche, keep on bloggin'. Good to hear that Gholston, like yours truly, is a southpaw. I'm glad to hear the o-line feels unity already, because if that line gels, the running game can get going, and take some pressure of whoever plays at quarterback. Finally something relevant, Boland.
boring times for Jets football related news it seems. thanks for the reading material anyway.
i know it's silly, but has anyone seen the Jets' player rankings for the next season?
http://sports.ign.com/madden09/jets.html
a few notes:
-Kerry Rhodes is the highest rated player on the roster at 96
-Second is Faneca at 95
-Pennington at 81 is rated higher than Clemens at 77
-Clemens is only 3 points higher than rookie Ainge
-No Danny Woodhead (come on!) and Musa Smith
-Brad Smith is 3rd WR
-Baker and Keller are even in ratings
-I'm not sure what this "morale" stuff is, but Coles doesn't have a lot of it and Wayne Hunter (wtf?) has a whole bunch of the stuff
correction: when i said next season, i meant the next video game season for the madden series
I always love looking at that, but I usually wait until it comes out because, otherwise, I sit around concocting psychotic trades.
Anyways, its always nice to read my name up there, especially for being such a pain in the a**. Thanks for the consistent reading material. It really is a nice addition and an extra thing for me to come home and check besides seeing what ELSE Girardi has screwed up in NY.
As a small aside, Madden Rankings are concocted on a weird basis...usually done by scouts, but most of the time they just throw down numbers that really don't mean much. What I mean is that a player may be a 77, but their performance in a given season may be, as they've programmed it, good enough to make him a 90 by the end of the year....I always like looking at how different madden turns out than the actual NFL season (I WISH trading Cotchery for Berrian worked...as do I wish a 1st and 4th could get us AP).
"...with whom Mangold got to work with for the first time during OTAs and minicamp."
Hey Boland, your slip is starting to show. It's apparent that you cannot rely on an editor to review your blog postings, as you can for your articles. The Glauber blog contains no grammatical errors of this nature. If you want to make the big time, you have to pay attention to the details.
P.S. - Keep the posts coming!
what a stupid post.lol
Why is no one but me so offended by the fact that 65% of the public parkland on Long Island is dedicated to a sport that 5% of the population plays?
Eric, without getting into the contract negotiations concerning Baker, I find it hard to believe that a guy who stayed in to block still was productive and showed great hands and caught everything thrown at him, would not be a big asset with the Jets new oline.
I am in the minority with this one, but Baker shows that if they let him loose he can have a substantial impact and is the most well rounded.
I don't trust Franks declining play and injury prone, and Keller is not a true TE and a rookie.
What impact do you think letting CB go will have on the offense that has no real WR deep threats?
It seems this offense will mix and match TE play and CB will be needed.
Joe Musgo, well, Glauber is a literary tactician. I don't aim quite that high. Besides, Glauber is someone to WHOM I'm just greatly indebted. And, yes, that sentence of mine you highlighted was constructed horribly:)
mr. turtle, um, thanks?
John Z., I will boldly conclude, based on your comment, that you're not a big golfer. Or a small one for that matter. Tough to refute your point, though, either way. Park maestro Robert Moses didn't have that many courses in mind when he sculpted out LI but, selfishly, I'm glad they're out there!
Scott P., that's the tricky thing about Baker. He, without question, is the most complete tight end on the roster, a clear asset to the team. I do think there's enough there on offense - mixing and matching as you say - to get through one year without him but not much more than that. Franks, obviously, wouldn't be a long term solution and his shortened season in 2007, not to mention his age, makes depending on him this season, if it was to replace Baker, a gamble. That said, I think his leaving wouldn't impact the receiving corps that much. And while Coles isn't a consistent deep threat - in terns of that consistent home-run hitter - he can fly enough on occasion to keep defenses honest.
Overall, I just don't see any good options in the whole Baker saga. Trade him and it gives unhappy players a road map to get out of town; redo his contract and a different precedent has been set. I wouldn't want to be Tannenbaum on this one.
Giants anounced they are sellin PSL's, The jets should make that anouncement soon i guess
Erik, thanks for responding. As you stated, he is the most complete TE that we have. The most complete of any position is a plus to the team and should be given the opportunity to at least find a middle ground to this problem.
Over the years the jets have let too many of these types of players get away. Based on his status as the most well rounded, justifies working something out for the benefit of the team.If Tangini is competent, they will find a creative way. I hope it works out.
Thanks again.
Erik, you're so defensive sometimes....it's kinda cute. Mr. Turtle was mocking Musgo unless I'm mistaken.
Cliff, no no no no. never misunderstand my sarcasm (admitedly dry and often not at all funny) for defensiveness.
There's 3 problems with sarcasm...
1) It's nearly impossible to portray in writing.
2) Sarcastic people think they're the only ones who are sarcastic and therefore don't understand other people being sarcastic.
3) It can get you in a lot of trouble.
Cliff, there are more than three problems but that said, I LOVE your second one. As for problem No. 3, yes, especially on first dates.
hey, look at the timing...I woke up at 5 for some reason, with a fever and thought rambling here would help...nope. I finally got back to bed at 7...it sucks being sick on your days off.