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Dan checks in with more Website Whispers. Today he has some nuggets on the ticket price hike, a New Jersey High School legend and furloughs . . .
Are the Jets having financial issues?
First it was announced that they are going to have furloughs if there is a lockout.
Then a day later, it came out that Jets’ ticket prices are going up 2.3 percent on average with PSLs being raised $5.
Hey, we all know we are in a bad economy, but there are teams not doing furloughs (like the Giants) and there are plenty of teams not raising ticket prices (like the Giants).
So what is going on with the Jets?
“Both (New York) franchises have taken on a ton of debt the past few years – both built their own practice facilities and both shared in the building of a $1.6-7 billion stadium,” said a source close to both teams. “Meanwhile, each has continued to spend to compete. Each franchise has to deal with those economic realities in its own way.”
So why are the Giants not doing furloughs?
“I do know that that Jets have a significantly bigger business staff than the Giants which makes them more vulnerable to furloughs,” said one industry insider.
Also, aside from the factors we have already mentioned (debt service and larger staff) there is likely another factor in the Jets’ current financial status.
It goes back to the $70 million dollars they spent on a lobbying effort to land a stadium in Manhattan. They hired lobbyists, and spent a lot of money on advertising attempting to gain public support for the project, but obviously, it was for naught.
They are still playing catch-up with that money . . .
DeMaurice Smith is going to meet with the agent community in Indianapolis at the combine. He’s going to explain to them how to go about their player business in case of a lockout.
“He’s probably going to say the rules are, there are no rules,” one agent said . . .
For New Jersey high school football fans, the Jets recent signing of LB/FB Brian Toal had to excite them. To call Toal a high school football legend in New Jersey might be an understatement. The former Don Bosco star was a high school All-American and the 2003 Gatorade Player of the Year.
How good was he in high school? Check out this description of him in his Boston College bio – “One of the most coveted recruits in BC football history.”
He lived up to the hype as a freshman, wining Big East Freshman of the Year honors, beating out Pittsburgh’s Darrelle Revis.
But his career at BC hit some road bumps from that point on due to injuries.
He played the last two years in the UFL.
The Jets are going to give him a shot at fullback.
He’s one of those guys that doesn’t necessarily look the part, but he’s really good athlete and has great football instincts.
If he’s given a legitimate chance, he could hang around.
Anybody who saw him at Don Bosco will tell you, there is just something about this guy.