Royalty sees the Jets play the Patriots at MetLife Stadium!

Back on Sunday October 20th after I went back home after returning the car I rented from Dollar rent a car early in the morning,I went to sleep for a few hours. After I woke up, I made myself breakfast. After I ate, I took a shower. When I got done, the King & I took the subway into Midtown Manhattan & we met up with our pal Larry Peim who drove us out to MetLife Stadium as the Jets were hosting the Patriots that Sunday afternoon. We did see the Red Sox win the American League Pennant at Fenway Park the night before. We were hoping that the Jets could find a way to beat another New England team on this day. Before the game started, we got to meet up with a few friends of ours who were also there. I'm referring to Alan Gimpel who sold me one of his season tickets in section 306 & our buddy Rich Wolber aka Staten Island Rich. Later on during the game we got to see fellow roadtripper & pal of ours, Sean MacDonald who was there as part of his ultimate NFL Stadium Journey. Sean was in the midst of season long excursion to see every NFL Stadium. As always, it was great to catch up with him again. 

As for the game we saw, it was a good one. The Jets hung tough with their division rival. The game wound up going into overtime tied at 27. The Jets emerged victorious as they got a game winning field goal from Nick Folk. Moments before he made that kick, he missed one. The Jets appeared to have caught a break as the Patriots were penalized for trying to get leverage to block the kick by climbing up on another player's back . With a new rule in effect this season, the officials decided to enforce it on this particular play. Controversial or not, the Jets were given a reprieve. As a result, they took full advantage of their second chance as Nick Folk booted the ball through the uprights to give the Jets an improbable 30-27 victory. Being a Jet fan, I was happy with the result. Let it be know I do have the utmost respect for the Patriots. I actually love watching them play. They always give you your money's worth if they win or lose.

Stay tuned for another special post that will recap the Monday Night football game we saw the very next night at Met Life Stadium.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty sees the Jets play the Falcons on MNF with another fellow roadtripper!

After landing in Atlanta back on Saturday, October 5th, I drove to Tennessee where I spent the weekend. Monday morning October 7th, I woke up & I planned to drive back to Atlanta for Monday night football as the Jets were on the road in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome. When I checked out of the Knights Inn in Cookeville, Tennessee, I went to Cracker Barrel which was nearby for breakfast to start my day off right. I enjoyed my Uncle Herschel's favorite which consisted of scrambled eggs, hash brown casserole, biscuits that came with sawmill gravy along with grits & a piece of farmed raised grilled catfish.

Uncle Herschel's Favorite at Cracker Barrel

After I finished my hearty breakfast, I drove towards the Great Smoky Mountains. I wound up taking a ride
back through Knoxville then I went to Pigeon Forge but when I saw how far out of the way I went, I decided to turn back so I could get to Atlanta. I arranged to meet up with another fellow roadtripper, Mark Chesna who lives about an hour from downtown Atlanta. It should be noted that Mark has been to over 2,700 live sporting events in his life. In addition, he's been to quite a number of countries in different parts of the world. I wanted to meet him earlier than I did. I called him with a progress report. It turned out he was kind enough to wait for me at the CNN Center by the food court. I finally found a parking spot on the street by a meter. Since I arrived around 6:45PM I just needed to feed the meter until 7PM which cost me $2. That was better than paying $10 or $20 in a parking lot and/or garage. In that regard, things turned out well. I wound up walking to the CNN Center which was maybe 10 minutes away. I went by the food court where Mark was holding a table for me. Upon arrival, we said hello to each other. We finally got to put a face with a name. For the past year, Mark & I have been in contact thanks to social media & modern technology. Since time was of the essence, I wound up going to Arby's for dinner. I had a roast beef sandwich with fries & a drink. It worked out well. When I finished eating, Mark & I walked towards the Georgia Dome. We ran into a scalper that Mark recognized on the street. He asked me what I wanted to pay. I told him $20. Surprisingly he was willing to meet my asking price. He had a few seats in the end zone in the upper level. I wasn't thrilled at first but after trying to wiggle my way out of the deal, we gave him $20 a ticket. We continued walking to the Dome.

Mark Chesna & I at the Georgia Dome

When we got there, we walked inside & we walked around the concourse. This was my first visit since 2002 so I didn't mind refreshing my memory of the building.

I was wearing my Gio Gonzalez jersey. As a result, I got some comments from people as I walked around. The best one was from a Latin gentleman who was so happy when he saw the name Gonzalez on my jersey. Mark said the guy must have thought it was a Tony Gonzalez jersey since he plays for the Falcons. It was hilarious. Regardless I enjoyed showing my Gio pride off.

After walking around we decided to go up to section 302 row 15 where my pal Ira Lieberfarb aka Ira from Staten Island was sitting which was in the corner of the end zone. We wound up lucking out into a few seats next to him. It turned out that his seat was better than what we had. It worked well as we got to enjoy the game with him.

As for the game we saw, the Jets lead most of the game. It should be noted they were up 27-14 in the fourth quarter with 12 minutes to go when the Atlanta faithful started to head to the exits. Typical Atlanta sports fans. Quite amazingly, the Falcons stormed back to take a 28-27 lead late in the game. The Jets did get the ball back with some time left. Geno Smith lead the Jets back as he put them in position to win the game. Thanks to the right foot of kicker Nick Folk who booted a 43 yard field goal at the gun which gave the Jets a 30-28 comeback victory. It was a perfect way to end this memorable weekend down South.

It should be noted that during halftime, the Falcons honored former running back Gerald Riggs as they put him in their ring of honor.

After the game, Mark & I walked back to the car that I rented for the weekend. I wound up giving him a ride to the train station where he left his car. We proceeded to say our goodbyes. We both enjoyed each other's company. I want to personally thank Mark for joining me while I was in the area.

Stay tuned for another special post that will go into detail about my return to the Big Apple.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty starts the NFL season at MetLife Stadium as Jets open up with the Buccaneers!

Back on September 8th, I got to go to my first of many NFL games I have planned for this season. Being a big time Jet fan, I went to the MetLife Stadium to see my team open their season against former Jet Darrelle Revis and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During the off season, Revis Island got a new address. He's coming off of a season injury he suffered last season which forced him to miss the majority of the season. In addition, a few years ago he held out before finally signing to come back. I liked Revis but it was a business decision that was made as the Jets and Revis decided to part ways. Time will tell if it was a sound one.

As for me, I was able to meet my pal Larry Peim who was driving out to the game. He met me across the street from Penn Station. It worked out well since he had a parking pass so we didn't have to walk that far to enter the stadium. After the game, I arranged to meet Larry & he gave me a ride back to the Bronx since he lives in Westchester.

As for a ticket, I got one thanks to another friend of mine, Alan Gimpel who has Jet season tickets. He had an extra one that he sold to me at below what he actually paid. I was grateful that he did. I wound up sitting with him in section 306 row 16 which is in the corner of the end zone. I usually prefer to sit on the side but I wasn't going to complain. As a professional observer I adjusted to the different perspective I'm used to having when I go to a football game. Honestly speaking, the view wasn't bad at all.

Before I went to my seat in section 306, I stopped off in section 312 so I could say hello to my buddy & long time Jet fan, Ira Lieberfarb aka Ira from Staten Island as he refers to himself when he calls into the local sports talk shows here in NYC and even other parts of the country. Ira is a class act who quietly watches the game pulling for his team. In matter of fact, he has now gone to all the Jet games home & away that they've played since 2006. That's what you call dedication. The Jets are notorious for being a mediocre bunch since their inception in 1960. Ira being older than me got to see Joe Namath play back in their glory year of 1968 when they won Super Bowl 3. Since then he's seen his share of ups and downs over the years.

After seeing him I went to my seat and I enjoyed Alan's company as well as the game.

As for the game we saw, the Jets decided to start rookie quarterback Geno Smith who they drafted in the second round of this year's draft. He went to college at the University of West Virginia. I did see a game there back in October 2007 before he attended school there. With that being said, this was the first time I actually saw him play a football game. As the game went on, I was impressed with his athletic talent & ability. He showed that he can run when the situation presented itself. I t should be noted that he was tentative about taking too much of a risk when he did. For example, he wound slide a yard or two early so he could avoid taking a big hit. He reminded me of RG3 to a lesser extent. In addition, he showed that he has a strong throwing arm.

The game was close throughout the day. The Jets got on the scoreboard first on a safety of all things. Josh Freeman, the quarterback of the Buccaneers wisely kicked the ball out of the end zone after taking a horrible snap with 8:35 left in the first quarter. By doing so, it only cost his team two points instead of seven if indeed the Jets recovered the ball in the end zone. I thought it was a great heads up play. Later in the first quarter, Freeman connected with wide receiver Mike Williams on a 17 yard touchdown pass to take a 7-2 lead with 1:07 left. The Jets got closer with 11:01 left in the second quarter when kicker Nick Folk booted a 43 yard field goal to make it 7-5. The Buccaneers extended their lead to 14-5 when running back Doug Martin run in from five yards out. The Jets managed to close the gap to two again at 14-12 with 34 seconds to go until halftime. Geno Smith hooked up with tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. for a 7 yard touchdown pass, his first in the NFL. In the second half, the Jets hung tough. The game stayed 14-12 until there was 5:05 left in the fourth quarter. That's when Nick Folk gave the Jets a 15-14 lead by kicking a 30 yard field goal. The Buccaneers answered back with just 34 seconds to go in the game as their kicker, Ryan Lindell, a veteran who played many years for the Buffalo Bills delivered a 37 yard field goal that gave the Buccaneers a 17-15 lead. After a touchback on the ensuing kickoff, the Jets had the ball at their own 20 yard line. Geno Smith went back to work. He hit Kellen Winslow again over the middle for a 25 yard gain to the Jets own 45 yard line. The next play the Jets spiked the ball. Geno Smith then wasn't able to find an open receiver so he took matters into his own hands as he ran for 10 yards to the Buccaneer 45 yard line. It should be noted as he was running out of bounds, linebacker Lavonte David hit him late. He paid for his stupidity as he got called for a personal foul which resulted in a 15 yard penalty that put the ball at the Buccaneer 30 yard line. As a result, it gave the Jets an opportunity to win the game as time was running out. Nick Folk came on & he split the uprights from 48 yards out to give the Jets a 18-17 lead with just two seconds to go. The Jets kicked off and they stopped the Buccaneers after they tried to do some razzle dazzle. The Jets in unbelievable fashion won the game. Christmas came early thanks to Lavonte David & his bone head decision. As for Darrelle Revis he didn't do much as his former team who got the last laugh on this day.

Stay tuned for a very special post that will go into further detail about my latest encounter with my pal Gio Gonzalez of the Washington Nationals. It will be a must read indeed.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty leaves Ford Field in disbelief!



Prince at Ford Field



















Sunday in downtown Detroit was a memorable one. Christmas came early for Jet fans like the King and I. Unfortunately for our friend Frank his Lions literally gave this game away.

The Jets who didn't show up until late in the fourth quarter left the Motor City with a W thanks to the Lions blowing a 10 point lead with 4:26 left in regulation.

Mark Sanchez led the way running the no huddle offense to perfection getting the Jets in position to go into overtime.

In the extra session, the Jets won the coin toss and they proceeded to march right down the field as Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes over the middle and he ran into the red zone which set up the game winning 30 yard field goal by Nick Folk with 12:42 left in overtime to snatch the victory from the claws of defeat.

The key play was just after the two minute warning when the Lions had the ball with 6 yards to go on third down. Instead of running the ball which would have killed another 30 seconds of precious time, they decided to pass and they wound up throwing an incomplete pass which gave the Jets more time to stage their comeback.

Wisely the Jets were fortunate and they took advantage.

We walked out of the building in stunned disbelief. The Jets found a way to win again. That's what championship teams do.

In this case, I'll gladly take the W.

Stay tuned as the last leg of this adventurous weekend is still to come.

Thank you for reading.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty finally sees the Jets win in Denver, 24-20!



I'm in the building at 5,280 feet



It took three tries but I finally saw the Jets knock the Broncos off their horse.

Back on 11/8/92, the King and I saw the Jets there for the first time at Old Mile High Stadium. Browning Nagle was the Jets quarterback that day. Needless to say, they lost.

On 1/19/99, they had a 10-0 lead at halftime, then came the endless third quarter when they totally collapsed with a trip to the Super Bowl awaiting the winner. Even on John Elway's worst day as a pro he still found a way to win. He completed only 13 out of 34 passes that day.

Now with the Broncos in their new stadium, Invesco Field at Mile High which opened in 2001, we saw the Chargers play there in 2002 but it was time to see the Jets there.

In Broncos Country on this day, it was Orange Sunday. They told everybody to wear Orange. I was going to see the Orange get crushed.

In the end, I finally got my way much to the chagrin of the natives who were on hand.

Unlike Carlos Beltran, Alex Rodriguez or Ryan Howard, the Jets survived a scare and found a way to win the game in my third visit to Denver to see them play. It made their record 5-1 which is nice but it didn't earn them a trip to the Super Bowl just yet.

As for the game, it was a see saw battle through out. This game had some history to it as Nick Folk of the Jets kicked a team record 56 yard field goal. Matt Prater of the Broncos booted one from 59 yards out. That was the longest field goal I've ever seen in person. The altitude helps when you're a mile high.

With the Jets down 20-17 late in the fourth quarter, Mark Sanchez marched the Jets down the field with possible help from the officials but he was able to scramble and buy time as Santonio Holmes was able to get in position to catch a pass at the 2 yard line. Holmes missed the pass but the yellow flag flew out indicating there was pass interference on the Broncos.

Earlier in the game, the Jets were called for three pass interferences.

With the ball at the Bronco 2 yard line, a familiar foe and former Charger, LaDainlian Tomlinson got the ball and he put the Jets ahead as he scored a touchdown with 1:13 remaining.

The Broncos had the ball near midfield with 43 seconds to go. They called a timeout. The next play their quarterback Kyle Orton couldn't handle a bad snap and the Jets recovered the ball to preserve the 24-20 victory. What a sigh of relief that was.

The monkey was finally lifted off my back.

What a way to end a great weekend.

It should be noted before the game I was able to meet up with a friend of ours, Dick Harding, whose from the Denver area. He came to the game with some friends so he couldn't join me for a post game dinner this time. It was still nice to be able to meet and greet him.

Another great weekend adventure is in the memory bank.

Thank you for reading.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman