Gino's day

OK, for people who don't care about football, this post is not for you....

It has to do with Gino Smith, who was the quarterback for West Virginia University for 4 years and now plays for the New York Jets--who, like the New York Giants--play home games in New Jersey, in the Medowlands. Go figure.

Anyhow, Gino started and won his first pro game today. The Jets beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 18-15 on a field goal set up by a pass and run by Gino with 38 seconds left and a totally stupid 15 yard penalty against the Buccaneers when a defensive guy shoved Gino after he was out of bounds on that run with 7 seconds left.

Let me tell you, coming from West Virginia, you don't have a lot to brag about. It is one of t he poorest and oldest and least interesting states in the union. But it does have WVU, where both Bern and I got degrees. And so did Gino Smith, the only pro quarterback I know of who was an English Major--as I was.

He started because Mark Sanchez, the Jet's usual quarterback, has a shoulder injury. He didn't do very well in the pre-season, but he put on a show passing and running and being cool under pressure today.

He made me proud for being from West Virginia. That doesn't happen much--so thank God and Gino Smith.....