Royalty is joined by USRT for Jets/Bills football on Curtis Martin Day at MetLife Stadium!

Curtis Martin Day #28 

When the NFL schedule came out back in April, I circled September 9th on my calendar to be at MetLife Stadium for the Jets Opener with division rival, the Buffalo Bills. Apparently I wasn't alone. Shortly thereafter, I was contacted by my pals from Buffalo. I'm referring to Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell aka USRT who also wanted to be there to see their Bills open the season.

When they informed me, I told them you're welcome here with open hands. Like Bob Barker used to say on the Price is Right, come on down.

I'm glad they did. Unfortunately they didn't get the outcome they were hoping for.

The Bills picked up Mario Williams as a free agent in the off season. On this day, he was non existent as the Jets shut him down all afternoon.

I felt bad for them. We met up before the game and we caught up on our recent travels. I told them I don't know who's going to win but I hope it's competitive. It turned out to be anything but.

For them, it was a disaster. For me, it was just what the doctor ordered.

As for the game we saw, the Jets shined bright for two and half quarters as they build a 41-7 lead. They slacked off the rest of the way knowing they had the game won. It turned out they did as they won, 48-28.
Mark Sanchez looked like the quarterback of the future we all hoped he would be. He played great thanks to his offensive line who give his great protection all day long. As a Jet fan, I hope this wasn't an aberration. Time will tell.

I got to enjoy the festivities on the field with my pals Larry Peim and Ira Lieberfarb aka Ira from Staten Island in section 312.

At halftime, the Jet organization honored a recent Hall of Famer as they retired the #28 jersey that was worn by Curtis Martin when he played for the Jets starting in the late 1990's. Curtis was a consummate professional and a class act on and off the field. He was a fan favorite. CM as he was called by my pal Jimmy Lieberfarb who's also Ira's Cousin always worked well in the PM. Curtis was a legendary football player and he finally got his just due. The speech he gave to the crowd was so touching. He told us how hard work pays off. He said he never made excuses for failing. He always planned to succeed and he certainly did in his football career. My most memorable moment was back on November 22, 1998 when I saw the Jets play the then Tennessee Oilers at Vanderbilt Stadium. The Jets won and Curtis Martin was the star of the game. He got interviewed after the game and when he was done he threw me his elbow pad. I was so elated. I loved watching Curtis run. He will always have a special place in my heart of hearts.

Thank you Curtis for all the memories you gave to me and the Jet organization.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman