Virginia Jets Fans

Before moving to Newport News, I had been living in Chicago for most of 20 years. And during that period of time, I probably watched about 85 percent of all the games the New York Jets played. Rookie's was the bar I hit the most, but I certainly spent a good amount of time in Real Time and Bud's as well. There were occasional complications like intramural sports or family obligations. But over those 20 years, I rarely had fellow Jets fans with whom to watch those games. There was a Jets group in downtown Chicago that I discovered around 2009, but it was difficult to drive an hour downtown, typically in bad weather, and find parking. Throw in the game, and it took up maybe six hours of a typical Sunday.

So when I relocated, I looked for fan groups of the teams I supported. It wasn't easy to find fans of the Mets, Rangers, and Knicks, though I'd eventually find Rangers fans near DC and also come to find out there are many Mets fans, there's just no organization for them. However, I found a Jets fans group that met in Norfolk and Virginia Beach for every game. I was impressed by two things. One was the loyalty. There were anywhere between 20-60 people at every game. But the thing that really got to me was the details and the organization. The group's founder, Stirling, had a Jets bus as well as a Jets limo, which he purchased during the season. And we consumed a lot of alcohol on those vehicles. In the limo, it was Brooklyn winter ale. On the bus, it could be eggnog, tequila, or any random concoction that Stirling was prepping for that weekend.

Every week, we had a raffle. There was always a 50/50, and I won one of them. I took home $49 and that was during the Thursday night game vs. Buffalo. During Week 16, I was one of the winners of the premium raffle and my selection was a pair of framed Chad Pennington rookie cards. I lost a whole lot more than I won, but the money always went to support the club. I also remember the annual chili cook off, held in a church. That happened during the Meltdown in Miami. The only reason I didn't prepare a chili was because I did not have a slow cooker. But next year, I may have a batch ready. I usually make veggie chili, but I'm not sure that'll go over well in a crowd of men.

A few thoughts on the members of the group I consider myself closest to:

Stirling-Our brave leader. He's been leading for 26 years. He is creative with his rewards, his Jet fandom cannot be questioned, and he is a generous soul.
Ken-Our vet. He's had some physical and mental issues. But he's definitely my friend. I love his passion and his energy.
Ray-The mascot and the energy of the group. He and I lead the Jets chants at different times. He's very smart, knows his football, and he's an easy to chat with.
Barb-the mom of the group. The organizer and the hugger.
Sam-The younger version of Rex Ryan, in terms of face and build. His wife, Dee, is always there too. Their son has his green mohawk, God bless him. He's a little too much of a Yankees fan, but hey what can you do.
Dennis-The incoming President of the group. I don't know him all that well, but I'll be interested to see what he does to change the club.
Chip-Your stereotypical silver haired Long Islander. His voice always sounds strained, distressed, and aghast as he watches every play. Attends every week.
Suzanne-Chip's daughter. she's a great singer and has an obsession with Pac Man. If she was just a few years younger, well, who knows...
LeShay-One tough broad and I mean that with love. She only came to maybe 4 or 5 games this year, it might have had to do with her leg problems, I frequently see her with a cast or brace on. She has a ton of spunk but gives the best hugs.
Al-The old grizzled paison veteran. He's been in the group for maybe 25 years and he makes occasional appearances. He's never one to refrain from expressing his opinion on the Jets.
Gary-Nobody gets drink faster than this guy
Patrick and Joe-I didn't realize until about Week 7 that they're father and son. The funny thing here is that Patrick looks like one of my best friends, who's named Joe, who is also a sick Jet fan.

I have lived in Virginia for five months. And in that five month period, I have had two families. One is my small group from Grace Bible Church. The other is the Virginia Jets fans group.

Tis the Season

And so Christmas has come and gone. This was the first full Christmas season that I have lived south of the Mason-Dixon line. Even though the standard message is to keep Christmas in the heart and in the mind, it is so much harder to do without some cold weather and a little bit of snow. So I'm sorry Bing, not all my Christmases will be white.

I played a lot of Christmas music the last month, but I could not find any decorations or a tree that I wanted in my apartment. Some seemed tacky, some just did not feel like something I wanted. And are there any pre-lit Christmas trees out there that cost less than $200?

DC Travels, Day 2

I woke up the next morning and the weather report was true, the sky had started to snow. I went to the gym, but it was even worse than the one in my apartment complex. The dumbbells went up to 25 pounds, and there were three pieces of cardio equipment along with those ridiculous inflated balls. Terrible. This is no 4 star hotel.

I had heard about K Street Bagel so I walked through the snow about ten minutes to get there. When I arrived, there was a homeless dude sleeping right in front of the door and the lights were off. Guess they weren't open. So there went breakfast. So I hopped on the red line to the Metro Center and went to Ford's Theater, where President Lincoln was assassinated. I walked through timelines of Lincoln's day as well as John Wilkes' Booth day. About 50 of us sat in a replica theater and then a park ranger came on stage and basically gave a 30 minute speech recapping what led up to the event and how it happened. I then went across the street to a boarding house, which is where Lincoln was taken after he was shot and then died the next morning. It was such a small bed, I remember thinking to myself. In that house, they've also added tributes to Lincoln's leadership. there's even a stack of books written about Lincoln and it extends four floors. Unbelievable sight!

Then I walked two blocks east to the International Spy Museum. This is definitely one of the most interactive museums I've ever seen. I'd recommend searching Groupon for admission though. When you enter, you create your cover, basically choose 1 of 16 identities. Nobody asks you the details, just remember the information at the optional kiosks. The highlight for me was the Bond villain exhibits. I saw amazing artifacts like Jaws' teeth and the tarot cards from Live and Let Die. Besides that, there was a good amount of war history and there were a few crawl tunnels which were fun to navigate and spy on people through the tiny windows. The museum can be a little tough to follow at times in terms of where to go next though. 

I hadn't eaten yet and it was almost 1, so I decided to try Astro Chicken & Donuts. The show was really coming down so I was looking forward to sitting down with a hearty, unhealthy meal. Well,  walked inside and was surprised to see it was nothing more than a counter. Not a table, not a chair, not a stool. I ordered chicken fingers. They came in a cardboard box, about six or seven small tenderloins. They were certainly juicy, not incredibly crispy on the outside. I liked the smokiness of the BBQ sauce on the side. I tried two of their standard donuts: the maple bacon and the crème brulee. Both were incredibly soft and airy. There was a good amount of chopped bacon, enough to counter the sweetness of the maple. The crème brulee one was fine, but I'm not the biggest fan of cream-filled donuts.The only drinks were lemonade, coffee, and iced coffee. No iced tea unfortunately. It was a decent experience, but next time I'm in DC, I'll probably try other places.

From there, I went to the Newseum. As I shuffled through the snow, I saw a display of various US newspapers from that day framed outside the entrance. Clearly they make it apparent that they value the press. I did have to pass through a metal detector and pay about $26 to get in. 

One of the hard parts about museums is you don't know where to start and then struggle to navigate the best path through the building. That will not happen here. I was directed downstairs where I watched a ten minute orientation video on how to travel through the museum as well as highlights from each of the six levels. And on the bottom level are parts of the Berlin Wall, along with a small section you can actually touch. I never expected this piece of history to be in the United States, but you can find it here.

I took the express elevator to the top floor and the first exhibit I saw was Camelot, which showed many photographs of the Kennedy family. After walking on the snow-covered outdoor terrace, which offered a great view of the Capitol building, I went back inside and saw a display of the current day's newspapers from around the world. There is also an extensive display of the history of reporting in terms of technology and the different factors that have influenced media. I was caught by the kiosk where I could examine newspapers going back to the 1400s. And this I never expected to see: the suit OJ wore when he was acquitted is on display!

After watching a JFK film, I went through a Civil Rights section. They had a lot of interactive video clips. But the absolute hardest part for me was the 9/11 exhibit. Now it didn't have a ton of artifacts. There was the flag that flew over the Pentagon, a piece of the antenna and maybe two or three other items. But it was watching the 12 minute film about the journalists who covered the horror as it was happening. I saw an angle of the second plane crashing into the South World Trade tower that I had never seen before. This was the moment I lost all emotion and felt tears stream down my cheeks.
They had a large map of the world that is color-coded to reflect which countries have free press. I have to admit I was taken aback how many countries have restricted or completely censored press coverage. There was also a wall dedicated to journalists who died in the line of duty, a section for First dogs in the White House. There's also a virtual reality section, not many people were hanging around this section though. I got to step into a broadcast booth and record a broadcast from Nationals Park. Of course I finished it with a "Let's Go Mets." After watching a sports broadcasting film for 30 minutes, the museum was about to close. My visit took four hours and they were well worth my time.

I had a 6 pm dinner reservation at Bobby Van's, and I walked back to the hotel, about 20 minutes or so. The snow still hadn't quit! I picked up my bags, changed into nicer clothes, and headed three blocks east to the restaurant. $40 for $80 worth of food and drink. Another Groupon score! I arrived  with a backpack and suitcase in tow, and the staff was gracious enough to store my luggage near the coat area. I was given a corner table, with a nice cushioned seat. If I had to knock anything, some of the waiters' accents were a little hard to understand. However, they were always smiling and enthusiastic. They really seemed to enjoy working there. Then again, with the tips I'd make working there, I'd be smiling too.

My starter was the Harry's salad, which doesn't have any lettuce in it. It has chopped tomatoes and roasted peppers, with cold shrimp, green beans, and thick cut chopped bacon tossed in a red wine vinaigrette. The vegetables were very fresh and I could really chew the bacon, it wasn't overly crisp. I could really taste the vinegar, but the warm bread was a great way to mop the rest of it up.
Onto the main event. I ordered the New York strip, cooked medium rare plus. It was cooked spot on: lightly charred on the outside, pink and juicy on the inside. I don't know the ounce portion, but I would guess around 16 ounces. It was a perfect size, cooked as well as I've had in a while. They served it on a bed of potato sticks which added a nice crunch as well as a side of greens, which I promptly discarded. I also ordered asparagus, and I got a huge portion of sauteed asparagus, enough for 2-3 servings. They were cooked well, but needed some salt and pepper. In terms of the menu, the only thing I'd like to see added are some German or Lyonnaise potatoes. For dessert, I simply got a scoop of cinnamon ice cram for two dollars. Not a bad deal at all. 

Part of me wanted to stay out and go hear some live music. But with the snow still not stopping, and knowing I had a three hour drive ahead of me to make that night, I decided to head home. I then took the Blue line from McPherson back to Franconia-Springfield. Amazingly, there was no parking charge even though I saw that it was $4.95 per day. No too shabby!

DC Travels, Day 1

I drove two and a half hours north on a gray chilly Friday morning to the Franconia-Springfield Metro stop and took the Blue Line into downtown DC. One of the things that's different with the trains here as opposed to New York or Chicago is you have to pay your fare based off the distance you travel. So for each trip, you have to scan your card twice, on when you enter and then after you depart. I arrived at a hotel called Club Quarters, two blocks north of the White House. They told me to check in early, I would have to pay an additional $50. I didn't have the slightest interest in paying 33% more than what I paid for the room so I had them hold my bags until the afternoon.

My first stop was Arlington Cemetery, southwest of DC. It was a cold day, kind of fitting for being at a cemetery. I immediately went to the Kennedy family site, where JFK, RFK, Ted Kennedy, and the like are buried. Some of the other highlights were the Unknowns, President Taft, Abner Doubleday, Joe Louis, and Medgar Evers. I have to admit when I got to Doubleday's grave, I got a little annoyed. I said out loud "Abner, if it wasn't for you the Mets wouldn't torture me like they do!"

I'd never been to Chopt before, but for my first meal in DC, I thought I would go healthier so I didn't have to feel too guilty about indulging later. I ordered the Smoky Santa Cruz salad with grilled chicken, avocado, corn, scallions, tri-color quinoa, black beans, kale, broccoleaf (whatever that is) & purple cabbage. The two dressings were their Sweet 'n Smoky vinaigrette, which is actually pretty spicy, and the Mexican goddess, which had avocado, cilantro, and jalapeno. I like that they chop the salads on the board before serving it in the plastic bowl. I asked for some extra lime wedges and they even gave me an extra piece of bread, which I definitely needed to counter the heat. The ingredients were fresh and the salad was rather filling. Also, I give them props for their variety of lemonades and iced teas. The mint lemonade was especially enjoyable. I wish they had a location in coastal Virginia, but I'll probably have another salad her the next time I'm in the DC area.

It was only 12:15, so I knew I had time before my check in. I walked around the White House, where I saw a few too many classless protesters. I also walked around the National Christmas tree, which was much smaller than some of the others I've seen, such as the trees in Rockefeller Center or Millennium Park. There was also a tree from every state and US territory to walk by, about 55 in all. It was cool seeing several train sets running around the trees as well. 

I walked south to Constitution Street, then walked west to the Lincoln Memorial. Being a big Lincoln fan, it's hard to come to DC without heading over there. I had done a lot of walking by this point, so I was getting anxious to check in and recharge. So I walked back north through George Washington University and then east towards my hotel. I sat in Farragut Park for a while, fitting since the two nearest train stops to me were Farragut North and Farragut West. There wasn't much to the park, just a big statue of a General Farragut and a lot of food trucks parked around the curb. 

Around 1:30, I decided to see if there was a room and there actually was. I checked in, grabbed some bottled water, which happened to be available right outside my room on the eighth floor, and laid in bed for maybe an hour. 

I decided to eat in the Chinatown section at Nando Nando's, which is a place that serves grilled chicken with an African/Portuguese flavor. . I'm going to get my gripe out of the way. I don't need to know where a restaurant's political allegiances lie or if they support certain kinds of "lifestyles." Just make good food, treat customers well, and leave the human rights issues off your entrance window. Unnecessary and unappreciated. Now that we got that out of the way, I enjoyed my meal very much. I ordered a half chicken grilled with their medium sauce and a side of chips (Fries). The chicken was very juicy and I liked adding a little bit of the lemon herb sauce for some extra citrus tang. The medium sauce worked well for me, but I think I could have handled the hot. The fries were well seasoned with a seasoning salt, but maybe could have been a bit crispier. I also like that they have the Coke freestyle machine, I'll always give props for that. My meal was about $18, which might be a little high, but not too crazy. 

Onto Penn Social bar. Two hundred Rangers fans gathered before. I recognized my friend Zack, who I didn't even know was going to be there. He bought me a Winter IPA, which was delicious. Around 6:!5, I walked over to Capital One Center. Ironically, I hadn't seen one person wearing a Capitals logo all day until I got to the arena. The game was horrible, I left in the middle of the second period when Washington made it 2-0. Even though the Rangers did manage to tie the game 2-2, they wound up giving up a goal with 5 minutes left to blow the game anyway.

Miserable and aggravated, I didn't know if I wanted to eat, get wasted, or just go back to the room. I did forget about Bobby Flay's burger joint, but I did go to Shake Shack in Dupont Circle. I got the double Shack burger. The Martin's potato roll is perfect for a burger, soft and spongy. The beef is still juicy. The thing that bothers me with Shake Shack is they so often get the toppings wrong. I asked for lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onion and they left out the lettuce and tomato. I didn't even think about the shack sauce, but that was missing too. I like that they have some decent craft beer options, like Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA. I do wish they had more sauces than ketchup and regular mustard. Maybe some garlic aioli, honey mustard, or BBQ sauce.

More Food Lists

Favorite Cheeses for a Burger
1) Cheddar Jack
2) Cheddar
3) American
4) Swiss
5) Pepper Jack

Favorite Sauces for Fries
1) Garlic Aioli
2) Honey Mustard
3) BBQ Sauce
4) Remoulade
5) Spicy Ranch

Favorite Chinese Dishes
1) Beef and Broccoli
2) General's Chicken
3) Asian Ribs
4) Orange Chicken
5) Sesame Chicken

Favorite Pasta Sauce Brands
1) Rao's
2) Jersey's Italian Gravy
3) Victoria's
4) Bongiovi
5) Mario Batali

Favorite Vegetables with a Steak
1) Mushrooms
2) Onions
3) Asparagus
4) Broccoli
5) Spinach

Favorite Ice Cream Flavors
1) Cinnamon
2) Pistachio
3) Butter Pecan
4) Coconut Almond
5) Vanilla