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A heaping helping . . .
MetLife Stadium has been chosen as one of 16 North American stadiums to host World Cup games in 2026.
So what does this mean for the Jets and Giants, the two NFL residents of the stadium?
Well, according to an industry source, it could mean a renovated stadium.
The source told me that the stadium could be tweaked as the Miami Dolphins did with Hard Rock Stadium. In 2015, the Dolphins renovated the stadium, reducing the seating capacity from 75,000 to 65,000, adding additional suites, and putting an open-air canopy over the main seating areas, making it look more like a European Soccer Stadium. With the extra space due to fewer seats, pods were installed, almost like mini-suites in the stands, featuring a living room arrangement and the Red-Zone Channel.
I can’t confirm the exact plans the Jets-Giants have if they renovate the stadium, but the stadium currently might be too big, and probably needs to be altered and updated. Teams are now building smaller stadiums, not stadiums with 82,500 capacity like MetLife. The Washington Commanders bought some land in Virginia and have proposed a 55,000-seat stadium. The Minnesota Vikings stadium, which opened in 2016, was built to hold 66,665. The New England Patriots stadium holds 65,878.
So we will see exactly what the Jets and Giants do, but I was told by the source there would likely be renovations for the World Cup.
The source also told me that old Meadowlands race track grandstand, an eye sore, will be knocked down.
Now the source told me all this before the recession hit, so not sure if that will alter the plans.
But the idea of retrofitting MetLife Stadium, like the Dolphins did in Miami Gardens, makes a lot of sense. For those fans that have had a chance to attend a game at the Dolphins’ remodeled stadium, most will tell you they did an awesome job renovating the place, and it’s a great venue to watch a game . . .
I know I said wasn’t going to talk about Mekhi Becton’s weight for a while, but I can’t stop others from doing it.
“Looking at him in his clothes as opposed to on a football field, this guy is approaching 400 pounds,” Boomer Esiason said on WFAN. “To me, he looks like he weighs somewhere between 395 and 400. OK? That is not good. Not good for him health-wise, first and foremost. I would probably beat $100 that he is over 395. I know what I’m looking at. I’m looking at an unhealthy guy, a guy who can wear a T-shirt and do whatever he wants on Instagram. … I was waiting to see what this looks like and this ain’t good. I’m telling you, man, and now they’re showing a video and you can see how big he is. He’s just an enormous human being. Dude, he is enormous. He’s north of 395 and the Jets have themselves a major problem.”
I’m not into guessing people’s weight like at a carnival. I have no idea what Becton weighs. All I said the other day was he looked the same as last summer, but I didn’t know how much he weighed last summer.
And the injury he suffered last year had nothing to do with his weight. His knee got rolled. I’m not going to turn this page into a Jenny Craig location. The bottom line is whatever his weight, he needs to perform. We will see how he does when they hit the field this summer.
“I’m thinking in training camp he could get cut,” Esiason said.
That is a long shot.
Trading him down the road, perhaps, but cutting him this summer – it’s hard seeing that happening.
June 17, 2022
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