New York Jets: Mayor Mike Needs the Team To Cover His Distractions

Sports creates diversion from everyday problems.

No one needs it more than Mike Bloomberg.

The beleaguered New York mayor is going through a tough time right now. He is being criticized for going to Bermuda during the blizzard on Christmas weekend. New Yorkers are calling him out for not having sanitation workers ready to take out garbage. He is also under criticism for not having snow out as soon as possible.

Bloomberg's third term as mayor is not going well. No one was happy he went for a third term. He was branded as selfish for doing that. It's a no-no for any politician to seek another term after serving two.

With the economy in the toilet and rents being expensive, Bloomberg is the poster boy for the city's failures. He is getting called out for the first time ever after riding the success of Rudy Giuliani in his first two terms.

It's not going to get better. It's hard to get the city going quickly.

Bloomberg needs the Jets to do well this month. No one has higher stakes on that team than he.

If Gang Green wins, New Yorkers will forget about what's going on in the city and concentrate on the team.

They will be carried away with the Jets' success. New York has always been obsessed with sports. That's what makes it a great sports town.

If the Jets win the Super Bowl, New Yorkers will be savoring it for three months. This should give Bloomberg respite while he gets the city back on track.

The papers will not be focusing on what's going on in New York.

The front pages of the New York Post and the Daily News will feature the Jets everyday. There will be so many features on the Jets all over the paper as long as they're playing.

Both newspapers have a bad habit of prioritizing sports over everyday issues here. Only in New York, moments in sports are in the front page. Most other cities don't do that.

This is going to benefit Bloomberg. That's why he needs them to do well, so that he can get the diversion he is seeking from New Yorkers and the media.

People will forget about the blizzard and everything that went wrong by Saturday. If the Jets win on Saturday, it’s going to be about what they did to win. Then, people will be obsessed with the Patriots.

That’s how it works here, and Bloomberg is banking that will happen. It would, but it remains to be seen if the Jets can live up to their deal.

This team finished 11-5 in the regular season, but it seems like it underachieved.

The Jets struggled to beat awful teams this year. They almost lost to the Steelers, but they got by because of Jason Taylor’s safety. Had they lost that game, the Jets would not even make the playoffs.

Does anyone think they would be good enough to beat the Bears?

If they lost three straight, it’s hard to think they would beat the Bears at Chicago. Bloomberg wouldn’t be thinking about the Jets saving him.

The Jets were exposed this season. Their defense is simply not good enough, despite what Rex Ryan thinks.

Too many times this year, the Jets gave up big plays. The quarterback would have all day to throw to his receivers. The other team was able to break the defenders at will. The defensive line would get beaten up by the offensive line.

That does not bode well in the playoffs.

The Jets have a tough road ahead in the playoffs. Facing the Colts will be a tough situation. If the Jets manage to get by, they will face the Patriots.

If the Jets can somehow win both, they might be in good shape to win it all. There’s no question Bloomberg is praying the Jets somehow make it to the AFC Championship Game.

Unfortunately for the mayor, it won’t happen. The Jets will be fortunate to survive against the Colts.

Saturday night’s wild card matchup is a tossup. Anyone can make a case for both teams.

This game will be a shootout. Peyton Manning will have a great night against the Jets defense. He always performs well against Rex Ryan’s defense. It’s hard to believe Mark Sanchez is ready to win shootout games.

It’s hard to believe the Jets defense will turn it around now. It’s too little, too late for that. It is what it is.

If the Jets manage to beat the Colts, that will be a miracle itself. It would be something to be proud of.

Forget the Jets beating the Patriots. It isn’t happening. Even Ryan’s words won’t change that. There’s no way Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are going to allow that to happen on their turf.

This does not bode well for Bloomberg. It’s going to be over Saturday night. There won’t be Ryan getting his revenge on Manning.

Stories will be focusing more on the mayor’s issues. It’s too bad for him.

When is life ever fair? Maybe Bloomberg and Jets fans can go cry in their beer after this. Misery does love company.