Windy Stadiums?

KingOfTheSquares · 10-06-2002, 07:30 PM

OK, trying to figger out why the NY Jets and the Giants have such pi$$ poor home field advantages. Never been there, but is the Meadowlands a windy stadium? Any idea of why they named it after Tony Soprano's daughter?

jdodger · 10-08-2002, 07:46 PM

You're right about the Jets.

Their 10-year straight up record is 37-44 home and 34-48 Away. Only New Orleans and Tennessee are as bad in terms of home field advantage. Jets spread record at home is 31-45-5 for the last 10 years. Not a bad edge.

Can't be the stadium, though.

The Giants have a strong home field "advantage." Their straight up record for the last 10 years is 48-36 Home and 36-44 away. But the Giants sure are not a good home dog play-they're 10-19 vs spread as home dog over the last 10 years.

Above stats don't include 2002.

count zero · 10-08-2002, 08:03 PM

The usual analysis is that the Jets live and practice on Long Island, and must trek to NJ for the actual games. They only set eyes on their "home field" 8 times a year, and when they do, they see "Giants Stadium" everywhere they look, they see the seats and facades are all Giants' blue, etc etc. A big deal was made of the fact that Jets' ownership insisted on big changes this year to ameliorate the problem. The changes? Instead of cheap green cloth covering all the Giants stuff, now they have cheap green boards covering all the Giants stuff.

The real problem is that the Jets are a gutless team that hasn't had a spine since 1969, except for the Parcells years. They've had the league's worst coaching over that span (Lou Holtz? Charley Winner? Walt Michaels? Al Groh?). Teams like that look for a comfortable place to lie down. Don't look for improvement under Herman "What happened?" Edwards, the most bewildered looking coach I've ever seen.