Information comes at you at incredible speeds more than ever in the history of the world.  Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr), web sites (Mainstream sites, blogs), phone calls, traditional media (Television, radio, newspapers, magazines) and emails are being delivered constantly to the public domain.  There is no possible way for any one person to be able to see every story, tweet, blog and post every day without going into information overload.

So how does a Jets fan pick the best mediums and still stay informed when breaking news about our beloved team hits the streets and still have time for other topics, jobs, or your family?  I know, sounds ridiculous, but the die hard Jets fan have this problem.

Well I’m going to tell you how I get close to not missing much news, tweets or pictures of the Jets on a daily basis and to stop getting frustrated when I miss something.  I’m going to share with you my tools and methods I practice to analyze Jets News and you can decide if it’s something you may want to adopt or you may be implementing in some way already.

Receiving Breaking News in Real-time

Breaking Jets news on anything will hit twitter before it usually hits the mainstream media.  I have seen instances where a Jets player will tweet some breaking news about themselves and the media and fans (myself included) jump to be the first one to retweet the message.  Once the tweet starts going viral, a conversation starts up on the topic.

Usually I’ll have 10 or 20 people asking me what I’m talking about and where I heard it.  Some will load my time line of tweets and scroll and see the RT of the original message.  If it’s a hot topic, I would say shortly after the original tweet you will start to see the bloggers kicking in with their articles.  Main stream media is usually around the same time with web articles first.  I have seen interruptions in live programs to stop the scheduled program to bring a tweet to the audience.

If you want to be one of the first people to hear breaking news, then twitter is the medium for you.  You can set up twitter to alert you if certain people tweet, key phrases or topics such as “Jets” are mentioned.  You can elect to get a real time text message to your phone with the tweet.  Let me caution you first.  Putting a text alert on a high volume key word will drive you crazy.  I learned this the hard way with the term “Jets”.  My phone never stopped buzzing.  Go ask Brian Bassett from The Jets Blog what he thought about this when he saw me a couple of years back at Jets Training Camp.  He thought I was insane!

My other warning is before you initiate text messages, make sure your data plan with your carrier can support the load.  I don’t want you getting a bill for thousands of dollars next month because I told you to turn on alerts for work “Jets”.  Proceed with caution and this is my disclaimer:  I take no responsibility.

While still on twitter, if I did happen to miss an alert, a key native twitter tool is the use of “Lists”.  I would be LOST without them.  I have many set up that I use but the one’s I hit the most?  @e_man/JetsPlayers @e_man/JetsBeatWriters and @e_man/ex-Jetsplayers .

Setting up a Net to Catch All Important Articles

If you are reading this post right now, you know it comes from the native site JetsTwit.com.  You either found this page in a search engine, saw a tweet from one of my accounts, linked from another web site, saw a link on the Jets Twit Facebook fan page or loaded the main site directly and surfed to this posting.  The point is that you found the site and made it a point to read this article, but what is going to remind you to check the site again tomorrow?

One great way is to sign up on the site for email.  Sign up on Jets Twits to test it out.  You can always cancel later if you don’t like it!

Click to Sign Up

I must follow 20+ Jets resources and I’m going to tell you right now that I read most, if not all the content without ever loading the sites’ native templates.  How do I achieve this:  Simple.  No I mean Really Simple Syndication or for short RSS.

The ESPN Rss Feed as viewed on Flipboard on the iPad

Notice that both solutions are “Push Methods”.  If executed properly on the sites you want to monitor, these two methods above will always give you the latest and greatest sources of information delivered to you directly.  One is a real-time method, and the other is at your leisure.

Different Ways to read the Same Information

A post from The Jets Blog using RSS to read it on the iPhone app Reeder

Depending on the platform I am consuming the information, I may use 4-5 different tools to read the same information.  Let me explain.  Some times I’ll go to the native tools web site, in these examples I may load twitter.com and google.com/reader directly.  Believe it or not, those are both not my favorite interfaces.  If I’m on the run, which I usually am, I’ll consume RSS feeds using three apps on my iPhone:  Flipboard (my absolute favorite), Reeder, or the Google Reader app.  On my iPad, I’ll use the same app but they are optimized for the iPad.  You only buy them once and they load on both devices:

Flipboard the Google app and again Reeder.  All these apps have great sharing capabilites, which is key for someone like me, a blogger.  I can post articles or snippets of what I read with one click of a button to my networks:  Twitter, Tumblr, blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the list goes on.  Ever wonder how I’m fast on the draw.  I just gave you the secret sauce.

I can see Thousands of articles on Reader X on my iPad

I literally can scan 20-30 articles in a couple of minutes, and then decide which topic I’m going to blog and offer my opinion.  I stopped trying to be the first one to break news.  When I was one of the first one’s on twitter and when the other bloggers followed, it was a race to which I wanted no part.  Keep in mind that my site isn’t about so much breaking news as it is giving my opinion and a unique perspective with a social media spin.  The one think about technology is that when copy cats and other sites launch, I find myself having to reinvent new techniques.   I love the challenge and as new mediums pop up (like Pinterest etc), as long as I have great content, it doesn’t matter what the platform.

Was this article helpful?  Please let me know in the comments below!! Thank You!  Erik

This year, the first day a team can designate a player with the franchise was Monday February 20th and they were rumors swirling that Sione Pouha may or may not receive the tag.

If he were to be tagged, he would be guaranteed an estimate of $7.9 Million for 2012.

Wesley_Sykes 3. Sione Pouha only high-priced FA for #Jets. Reports are he won’t be given “franchise” label. #NFL #NYJ 2/20/12 11:27 PM

The window for teams to apply the franchise tag to their own free agents begins today. Nose tackle Sione Pouha, the Jets‘ top free agent, is not expected to be tagged, per a person with knowledge of the team’s plans.

The Jets are tight on salary cap space — they are about even with the cap as of today, ESPN reported — so tagging Pouha may not make sense from a financial standpoint. Working on a multi-year deal before free agency opens on March 13 makes more sense, though Pouha’s age, 33, could be a factor in the length of the deal.  NJ.com

These are the estimated franchise tags for 2012 in millions.

Non-exclusive franchise player costs by position (estimated)

There are two types of franchise tag designations: the exclusive rights franchise tag, and non-exclusive rights franchise tag:

• An “exclusive” franchise player must be offered a one-year contract for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position as of a date in April of the current year in which the tag will apply, or 120 percent of the player’s previous year’s salary, whichever is greater. Exclusive franchise players cannot negotiate with other teams.
• A “non-exclusive” franchise player must be offered a one-year contract for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position in the previous year, or 120 percent of the player’s previous year’s salary, whichever is greater. A non-exclusive franchise player may negotiate with other NFL teams, but if he signs an offer sheet from another team, the original team has a right to match the terms of that offer, or if it does not match the offer and thus loses the player, is entitled to receive two first-round draft picks as compensation.

• Correction: As of the new CBA, the franchise tag offer will be the average of the top paid player at the respective position over the last five seasons. This will actually reduce the amount that a team would need to offer a player.

Source – Wiki

My Take

The Jets need to keep Pouha.  If they won’t be tagging him, they should lock him up for a long term deal even though he is 33 years old.  Pouha is coming into his own and according to ProFootballFocus he was the best Nose Tackle in 2011.  Putting his stats aside, this is a team locker room guy as well.   It has been well documented of the locker room fall out and the lack of quality guys, but know this:  Pouha is on the top of the list of guys you want on your team because of character.

If you are concerned about his age, consider that Sione doesn’t have the wear and tear from starting early in his career.  Until the last three years, Pouha saw limited time.  He played last year as dominant as you can with no injuries.  The age doesn’t bother me.  What would bother me is if Pouha is not a Jet in 2012.  I think most fans would agree with me.

The other reason to keep him?  Who’s going to give Mangold a run for his money on his beard?  Exactly.

Erik Manassy

We knew about rumors for a while, so I’m wondering why TMZ is so late to the action, but maybe her lack of denial or ability to answer the question without spin just about confirms what we all knew.  Mark is a player.  One thing is for sure, Mark is not her favorite player.

It is very common for athletes and celebrity figures in general to tweet motivational quotes, but Mo does it a little differently from what looks like is his iPhone.  Using the free app TweeGram, Mo is very consistent sending out some creative quotes on a daily basis.

The tweets are simple, but you get the gold nugget when you click on the link which jumps you to his Instagram account.

mowilkerson #tweegram http://t.co/92bouF7b 2/15/12 9:06 AM

Here are some of his recent #tweegrams:

It appears that Tight End Jeff Cumberland also uses the tool, but let’s just say he’s quoting himself… Let’s just say it involves pictures of guns and uses the word Kill.  SMH.

jcumberland86 #tweegram http://t.co/Mp8x3L8Z 2/14/12 4:10 PM

No, this tweet went out to Santonio Holmes.  As of this morning there was no reply from #10.

Mark_Sanchez @santonio10 you want to be my Valentine? #fb http://t.co/6qEuVyMK 2/15/12 12:42 AM

I agree Mark, Holmes doesn't deserve Chocolate YET, but Cookies are a start!

Hat tip to @Pay_Uno for staying up to 1AM and tweeting me in the wee hours of the morning.  I know he was up most likely due to LIN-mania and not the fact he was tipped off that Mark would be making an appearance.

Pay_Uno In case u guys slept through it lol @e_man 2/15/12 5:37 AM

I have heard rumblings from some fans stating that the Jets should have never cut ties with the receiver and I agree but let’s review the facts.  Cotchery wanted out and in a bad way.  He was being undervalued, underutilized and dropping in the depth chart.  If you missed watching the Steelers in the playoffs, then you missed a pretty clutch catch from Cotch to send the game into overtime.

As much as I would like to bring back Cotchery to the Jets, let’s get the facts straight one more time.  He wanted OUT in a bad way.  He would never come back to the Jets.  Yes he has great leadership, a significant quality as it turns out, the Jets were missing greatly.  The Jets need to get younger at WR. Jeremy Kerley is a great start who shows big play ability as a slot receiver, but the Jets need to bring in youth and it must be a number one receiver.

Say what you will about Santonio Holmes, he has the big play ability, but he’s riding the wave of that one big catch in the SB.  If you look at this career stats, Santonio eclipsed the 1000 yard mark once in his career for a season.  He’s clutch most of the time when he needs to as he calls it “Tone Time”, but the Jets must get the number 1 they desperately need.

With what appears to be the dedication and return to the ground and pound, Tony Sparano joins the team as the offensive coordinator as a coach with proven track record to support the run game.  The Jets are poised to return to their staple from 2009-2010 and will let Mark Sanchez manage the game instead of leading and taking it over.  In this case, the Jets may not need to the big play WR at the one slot.  They may continue to use the pass game with Mark’s safety valve, Dustin Keller, and the quick slants going to Holmes and Kerlely.

Rumors are swirling that Randy Moss‘ return to football could mean that he joins the Jets, but let’s be clear.  The Jets do not need another proven quitter on the team.  Cris Carter, his former mentor and teammate, called him the biggest quitter he’s ever met.  That’s pretty damning coming from his “friend” and peer.

MikeAndMike Cris Carter on #RandyMoss: He has more quit in him than any other superstar I’ve ever met…he has a quit mechanism in him that’s huge. 2/14/12 7:52 AM

Should the Jets bring back Braylon?

Another former Jet, Braylon Edwards, is without a home, and is trying to make a mini-comeback from his injury this past season.  Braylon didn’t last a season with the 49′ers but he has said on twitter that he wouldn’t mind a return to gang green.  I know many fans that tweet him daily to come back to the Jets.  This move I wouldn’t mind.  Mark Sanchez had some success and synergy with Edwards, and if healthy, he can stretch the field.

Of course there is the option to promote from within.  The Jets just signed Patrick Turner to a new deal and the Jets have some youth at the position, although unproven have potential.  Logan Payne is a player I would personally like to see make it up the ranks.  He was well on his way to making the roster before his injury side-lined him for the entire 2011 campaign.

If you are hoping for a Scotty McKnight return, the Jets did not renew his contract so there is still an option to bring him back but I think it’s safe to say that using a 7th round on him was not a risk.  Many will say the only reason he was even drafted by the Jets was because he was Sanchez’s BFF.  They are probably right.

Whatever the Jets decide to do at the receiver position, whether it be in the draft, free agency or resigning Plaxico Burress (who in my opinion doesn’t want to be here), it will be interesting to see how the Tony Sparano uses the position in 2012.

Plax was interviewed last week at the Super Bowl and if you remember he was very short when asked about what he thought about Mark Sanchez. 

Burress at the Super Bowl 46

The writing is on the wall, it has been since the season ended, and Burress playing days in New York, at least for the Jets, are over in my opinion.  He wants to leave the AFC East and go to the eagles, GO FOR IT.

howardeskin Saw and talked to Plaxico Burress at Super Bowl and told me he wants to play for Eagles. Badly! 2/8/12 12:42 PM

I would go and check to see what Plaxico has been tweeting recently but he has deleted his account.  I read that he was sick of all the negativity.  Time to get some thick skin Plax, it comes with the turf.

Can he help bring a SB to the Jets?

With the turmoil that occurred in the Jets locker room and the abysmal crash at the end, Santonio has a lot to prove to his teammates, coaches and fan base.  I think if he goes about his business like he has in the past, it would be a major mistake.  In my eyes, he has dropped down many pegs and in order to get to where the fans supported him, I feel he now has to go above and beyond to redeem himself.  In some people’s eyes, that may not be enough.

I have said in the past and I’ll say it here, I support Santonio Holmes as long as he is on the New York Jets.  He’s one of our guys.  Was I disappointed and did I think he didn’t deserve a long contract:  Yes.  Do I still think he deserves it:  No. I wasn’t the only one as Fireman Ed called him a “Chump” on Twitter.

The Jets have made their decision, although an easy one as they couldn’t afford to cut him, and now they must hope that they can salvage some bad blood between their franchise quarterback and the rocky receiver.  It sounds like he would have to mend some bridges with some of his other teammates as well.  Without an improvement, the Jets will fall deeper in the loss column as a QB and Receiver who can’t stand each other causes the locker room to split and pick sides.

Let’s hope he have seen the last of the “East Coast / West Coast beef” and with the start of the new season where the Jets organization, Rex and the fan base can feel good about this team again.

WFAN660 Report: #Jets set to owe Santonio Holmes $7.5 million of 2013 salary 2/8/12 7:37 AM

According to the New York Post, Holmes will be guaranteed more than half of his $11 million salary for 2013 ($7.5 million) if he’s still on the Jets’ roster Wednesday morning.

Add that to the $7.75 million already guaranteed for 2012, and the Jets are essentially on the hook for at least $15.25 million over the next two years. The Jets have said publicly that they plan to retain the embattled 27-year-old wideout.  Read More

I honestly think it’s funny how something as silly as the way a particular player is sitting after a game becomes a social media icon…with its own ‘google-able’ name.

As an athlete…I actually feel kind of bad for Tom Brady.

The guy just lost the Super Bowl. Two days ago. No matter how many he’s won, how many records he’s broken and set; I’m sure it still hurts. Brady. The team. The fanbase. Yeah it’s funny, especially to the ‘Patriot Haters’, but I cannot genuinely laugh and jeer at a guy while he’s (literally) down. No matter who it is.

Maybe this new trend shouldn’t be all it’s cracked up to be. Maybe fans should take a step back from simple football banter, and look at Tom Brady as a legitimate person for a second. I’m proud to be a Jet fan, just like Patriots are proud to be New England fans. And as for our respective teams, I know I want to see my fan-base keeping it classy.

Alyssa_Lang_34 lol im glad everyone likes the video! Consider adding some Bradying to your lives. #AndGoWatchTheVideo 2/7/12 1:41 PM

Inspired by this picture, I have asked Alyssa to go on special assignment and explain the benefits of “Bradying”!