Pats-Jets Rivalry Comes Alive

The East Coast isn’t big enough for head coaches Bill Belichick and Eric Mangini, and this weekend’s Pats-Jets matchup should prove the temper-flaring rivalry between the teams that goes along with the Boston-New York competition, amid a long history of ups and downs for the two teams.

The rivalry between the Patriots and the Jets started flaring up in 1996 when Pats coach Bill Parcells left New England for the Jets, heating things up by signing Chris Martin for a price that Patriots couldn’t match. Parcells then left the Jets in 1999, succeeded by the brief Jets coach Bill Belichick, who resigned before he even got started. After a hefty lawsuit, Belichick went on to coach the Patriots, and his beef with Mangini came when the Patriots then-defensive coordinator left New England to become the Jets’ new head coach. This behind-the-back flip-flopping ignited even more animosity last season when the Jets reported the Patriots for videotaping violations. So what will come with Sunday’s game?

Look for a good Cassel-Favre competition, if nothing else. The two faces are new to their respective teams, and the players are still testing their grounds. We’ll bet the game isn’t the friendliest, but it will make for great viewing, anyway.

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