Well it looks like the New York Jets and New England Patriots version of the Hatfields and McCoys continued during the week, just in a more subtle way.

During an interview leading up to the game this weekend, Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker spent most of his time on the mic throwing shots at Jets head coach and foot-lover, Rex Ryan, making references to feet. These comments were timed just weeks after it was discovered that Ryan and his wife Michelle were making foot fetish videos and placing them on You Tube and around the internet.

The interview was played several times during the ESPN Mike & Mike Show sharing Welker’s comments that included:

Revis has “great feet.”

Branch is “another guy with great feet.”

The playoffs are so serious that “you can’t just stick your toe in the water.”

His team, the Patriots, were “good little foot soldiers” in practice all week.

Referring to quarterback Tom Brady he said Brady makes sure his teammates are “putting their best foot forward.”

And referring to he and his team, “you definitely have to be on your toes” in the post season.

After listening to the interview, you could almost hear Rex yelling in typical Rex fashion:

“Hey Welker, how about a foot up your f**ing ass!”

Refusing to take these jabs without fighting back, Jets’ center Nick Mangold used his Twitter account writing:  “Wes Welker is a great player. He’s really taken advantage of watching film. If we don’t keep a Spy on him, he could really open the Gate.”

The player was of course referring to the Patriots coach Bill Belichick and the video “Spygate” scandal in 2007 when the patriots were busted for secretly tathat resulted in costing the Pats $750,000 in fines and a first-round draft pick. . . .and ironically the taping  for taping the Jets’ defensive signals.

Let the war of worlds continue but the real battle between these rivals will take place on the field in Foxborough this weekend.

Can’t wait to hear the post game news conferences no matter who wins the game.

Used with permission of the author.

Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal cult of readers who have found a way to love him.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

In the latest installment of the NFL’s new version of the Hatfields and McCoys, the New York Jets beat the New England Patriots 28-14 yesterday at Meadowlands Stadium.  So ends the first installment in the cold war between the two AFC East rivals.  Here’s a quick rundown of how some of the key players in this on and off-the-field rivalry fared: 

• Pats QB Tom Brady: He told WEEI radio during training camp, “I hate the Jets.” When asked if he watched HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”  After blowing a 14-10 halftime lead and, getting shutout in the second half and being picked off twice, Brady’s post-game response was, “We just sucked.”  Perhaps that awful Justin Bieber-type hairdo doesn’t help your vision, Tom.
• No-longer disgruntled Jets CB Darrelle Revis, who has referred to Parts WR Randy Moss as a “slouch,” was torched by Moss for a fantastic one-handed touchdown catch just before the end of the first half.  Revis later left the game with a hamstring injury.  Let’s see if Revis keeps his mouth shut come December.
• The teams’ two head coaches, Bill Belichick and Rex Ryan have traded verbal jabs the past two seasons.  However, the two shook hands and talked before the game, and did so after the game as well.  Makes you feel better about humanity, doesn’t it?
• The biggest winner was Jets QB Mark Sanchez (a.k.a. “The Sanchize”), who threw for 220 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions as he led his team to a second-half comeback.  This comes on the heels of an awful performance last Monday night in a 10-9 loss to the Ravens, in which he threw for just 74 yards and checked down more often that Matt Leinart.  But all is forgotten and Sanchez is once again the savior and tabloid darling.  That must mean it’s Eli Manning’s turn to be run out of town by the New York media.

The two teams face off again in Week 13 on Monday Night Football in Foxboro on December 6.  Here’s hoping that the war of words heats up again right after Thanksgiving and that both teams are still in the playoff hunt.  Otherwise, there’s no point in enduring Mike Tirico’s voice…

Used with permission of the author.

Chris Lardieri covers the Los Angeles Dodgers for Examiner.com and has written about Major League Baseball for Inside Edge, a scouting company that provides content to ESPN Insider and Yahoo Sports. He previously wrote for 1766, the Rutgers Alumni Magazine, and popular blog, ‘The Outer Loop’.  Be sure to follow Chris on Twitter for more MLB and sports observations.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC