2010 Operation Rising Star Final Night - 58
Image by familymwr
MG Rueben Jones, FMWRC Commanding General, is prepped by a make-up artist prior to his participation in the televised show. (U.S. Army photo by Bill Bradner, FMWRC Public Affairs. Cleared for public release, not for commercial use, attribution requested)
www.armymwr.com
Army wife Gomez wins Operation Rising Star military singing contest
By Tim Hipps
FMWRC Public Affairs
FORT BELVOIR, Va. – Melissa Gomez, who left Soldiering to become a full-time Army wife and mother, won the 2010 Operation Rising Star military singing contest Nov. 19 at Wallace Theater.
Gomez, 29, of Fort Bragg, N.C., prevailed over runner-up Maj. Serelda Herbin, 34, of Fort Hood, Texas, and third-place finisher Senior Airman Joanell Jackson, 24, of Fort Polk, La.
“I thought for sure Serelda was going to win,” Gomez said.
Gomez, who works with a large Army Community Service group at Fort Bragg, had family supporters in her hometown, Philadelphia, and her father’s native Puerto Rico voting early and often in the contest based on the premises of FOX Television’s American Idol.
“ACS and Fort Bragg totally represented for me,” she said. “I didn’t think I had that many people on board, but last night I was getting lots of calls from people saying, ‘We’ve been voting ...’
“They were showing everybody the show.”
After Spc. Nicholas Davis of Grafenwoehr, Germany, (originally from Rockingham, N.C.) was eliminated, the Tar Heel State boarded the Gomez bandwagon.
“North Carolina, in general, was representing after Nick fell out,” Gomez said. “Some of his people said they just needed North Carolina to win.
“I had my church in Philadelphia, my family, my mother’s work, my family in Puerto Rico – they were all watching the show online and voting.”
Gomez joined the Army at age 17 and promptly married a Soldier. She served six years before leaving as a sergeant to become a full-time military mother.
“They kept deploying us separately and I had to keep sending my children to live with my mom,” Gomez explained. “I was in a really active MOS. It was mostly me who kept coming down on orders, so I had to decide to be a mom.”
A self-professed late bloomer, Gomez began singing around age 12. She also plays a few Latin percussion instruments. In 2004, she toured domestic military installations and Korea with USA Express, a stage band sponsored by Army Entertainment Division.
For winning Operation Rising Star, Gomez will record a three-song demo CD at Firehouse Recording Studios in Pasadena, Calif., paid for by the Army Family and MWR Command.
“I can’t wait! I can’t wait!” she said. “I’m mentally prepared for the worst and just hope for the best. I look forward to really, really working with Victor [Hurtado] and Joey [Beebe], two completely talented people that I know can make me sound amazing, and Miss [Debra] Byrd.
“That’s what I look forward to big-time.”
Lisa Pratt, the 2009 Operation Rising Star winner, gave Gomez some tips about what to expect during the whirlwind week in Hollywood, where the new champion hopes to unveil some ideas of her own.
“It feels like I’m going to get to represent spouses and veterans in a positive light,” Gomez said. “I want to focus on keeping it where it needs to be because we have a hard job. I’ve been through it nine months of the year without a husband.”
“Life goes on for us whether he’s here or not – and I’ve got to keep it rolling.”
Gomez rolled through Operation Rising Star Finals Week by singing “I Need You” and “How Do I Live” by LeeAnn Rimes, “Out Here on My Own” by Irene Cara, “I Ain’t Got Nothing” by Alicia Keys, and “Turn the Beat Around” by Gloria Estefan.
Herbin presented a strong challenge with “At Last” by Jennifer Holliday, “I Feel Like a Woman” by Shania Twain, “My Heart Will Go On,” by Celine Dion, “One Moment in Time” by Whitney Houston, and Holliday’s “I Am Changing,” which nearly brought the house down during the semifinals on Wednesday night.
“I think I just said to throw it on the stage,” Operation Rising Star judge Debra Byrd, a vocal coach for American Idol, said to Herbin after her performance of “I Am Changing.” “Well, ladies and gentlemen, she just threw down on the stage. I applaud you because you came here with the determination of song choice, song choice and song choice.
“From your last two performances, you kicked it up into high gear and put a hot sauce on it. I applaud you. I applaud you. Well done.”
The three finalists delivered an entertaining medley of Houston’s “I Have Nothing,” Keys’ “I Ain’t Got Nothing” and Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” during the semifinals on Wednesday night.
“You guys picked these songs to win and I don’t blame you,” Byrd said. “You want to get these biggie songs in. I applaud you for your effort. … I applaud you for the courage to pick these bombastic songs because that’s the mind of a winner – you want to pick the biggie.
“Whew, I know you’re glad that’s over with. I applaud you ladies.”
Second-place finisher Herbin said she was “content, happy and grateful for being here, but it is a competition and we knew the rules.”
“Hey, there can only be one,” she said with a teary-eyed smile and a laugh. “Overall, I had a great time.”
Third-place finisher Jackson, a last-minute substitute in the top 12, was content with the outcome and elated by the experience.
“I’m happy with the outcome,” she said. “I had fun. It was a great experience. Two weeks, 12 people, and now we’re family. I didn’t have that much time to advertise, but people really enjoyed my voice. I was really shocked that I made to the final round.
“I have accomplished what I need to accomplish to prove that I am a singer and that I enjoy singing and that I do have a talent.”
Jackson said she would love to continue entertaining troops.
“Maybe when I finish my mission at Fort Polk and I’m done with my military career, maybe do what Michael has done,” she said of Military Operation Rising Star judge Michael Peterson’s affinity for performing for troops. “I’ve been in Tops in Blue and being able to travel to encourage troops is a great opportunity – I would really love to do that.”
Serving in the Air Force with a husband in the Army, Jackson, who also serves as a mother of four, said someone needs to change careers.
“We’re in two different branches and we’ve been separated for awhile,” she explained. “I want to live with my husband. I miss him so much. I love the military, it’s a great thing, but I really do want to have my family near.”
2010 Operation Rising Star Final Night - 05
Image by familymwr
FMWRC Commanding General Maj. Gen Rueben Jones shares the stage with hostess GeNienne Samuels during the opening of the show. (U.S. Army photo by Bill Bradner, FMWRC Public Affairs. Cleared for public release, not for commercial use, attribution requested)
www.armymwr.com
Army wife Gomez wins Operation Rising Star military singing contest
By Tim Hipps
FMWRC Public Affairs
FORT BELVOIR, Va. – Melissa Gomez, who left Soldiering to become a full-time Army wife and mother, won the 2010 Operation Rising Star military singing contest Nov. 19 at Wallace Theater.
Gomez, 29, of Fort Bragg, N.C., prevailed over runner-up Maj. Serelda Herbin, 34, of Fort Hood, Texas, and third-place finisher Senior Airman Joanell Jackson, 24, of Fort Polk, La.
“I thought for sure Serelda was going to win,” Gomez said.
Gomez, who works with a large Army Community Service group at Fort Bragg, had family supporters in her hometown, Philadelphia, and her father’s native Puerto Rico voting early and often in the contest based on the premises of FOX Television’s American Idol.
“ACS and Fort Bragg totally represented for me,” she said. “I didn’t think I had that many people on board, but last night I was getting lots of calls from people saying, ‘We’ve been voting ...’
“They were showing everybody the show.”
After Spc. Nicholas Davis of Grafenwoehr, Germany, (originally from Rockingham, N.C.) was eliminated, the Tar Heel State boarded the Gomez bandwagon.
“North Carolina, in general, was representing after Nick fell out,” Gomez said. “Some of his people said they just needed North Carolina to win.
“I had my church in Philadelphia, my family, my mother’s work, my family in Puerto Rico – they were all watching the show online and voting.”
Gomez joined the Army at age 17 and promptly married a Soldier. She served six years before leaving as a sergeant to become a full-time military mother.
“They kept deploying us separately and I had to keep sending my children to live with my mom,” Gomez explained. “I was in a really active MOS. It was mostly me who kept coming down on orders, so I had to decide to be a mom.”
A self-professed late bloomer, Gomez began singing around age 12. She also plays a few Latin percussion instruments. In 2004, she toured domestic military installations and Korea with USA Express, a stage band sponsored by Army Entertainment Division.
For winning Operation Rising Star, Gomez will record a three-song demo CD at Firehouse Recording Studios in Pasadena, Calif., paid for by the Army Family and MWR Command.
“I can’t wait! I can’t wait!” she said. “I’m mentally prepared for the worst and just hope for the best. I look forward to really, really working with Victor [Hurtado] and Joey [Beebe], two completely talented people that I know can make me sound amazing, and Miss [Debra] Byrd.
“That’s what I look forward to big-time.”
Lisa Pratt, the 2009 Operation Rising Star winner, gave Gomez some tips about what to expect during the whirlwind week in Hollywood, where the new champion hopes to unveil some ideas of her own.
“It feels like I’m going to get to represent spouses and veterans in a positive light,” Gomez said. “I want to focus on keeping it where it needs to be because we have a hard job. I’ve been through it nine months of the year without a husband.”
“Life goes on for us whether he’s here or not – and I’ve got to keep it rolling.”
Gomez rolled through Operation Rising Star Finals Week by singing “I Need You” and “How Do I Live” by LeeAnn Rimes, “Out Here on My Own” by Irene Cara, “I Ain’t Got Nothing” by Alicia Keys, and “Turn the Beat Around” by Gloria Estefan.
Herbin presented a strong challenge with “At Last” by Jennifer Holliday, “I Feel Like a Woman” by Shania Twain, “My Heart Will Go On,” by Celine Dion, “One Moment in Time” by Whitney Houston, and Holliday’s “I Am Changing,” which nearly brought the house down during the semifinals on Wednesday night.
“I think I just said to throw it on the stage,” Operation Rising Star judge Debra Byrd, a vocal coach for American Idol, said to Herbin after her performance of “I Am Changing.” “Well, ladies and gentlemen, she just threw down on the stage. I applaud you because you came here with the determination of song choice, song choice and song choice.
“From your last two performances, you kicked it up into high gear and put a hot sauce on it. I applaud you. I applaud you. Well done.”
The three finalists delivered an entertaining medley of Houston’s “I Have Nothing,” Keys’ “I Ain’t Got Nothing” and Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” during the semifinals on Wednesday night.
“You guys picked these songs to win and I don’t blame you,” Byrd said. “You want to get these biggie songs in. I applaud you for your effort. … I applaud you for the courage to pick these bombastic songs because that’s the mind of a winner – you want to pick the biggie.
“Whew, I know you’re glad that’s over with. I applaud you ladies.”
Second-place finisher Herbin said she was “content, happy and grateful for being here, but it is a competition and we knew the rules.”
“Hey, there can only be one,” she said with a teary-eyed smile and a laugh. “Overall, I had a great time.”
Third-place finisher Jackson, a last-minute substitute in the top 12, was content with the outcome and elated by the experience.
“I’m happy with the outcome,” she said. “I had fun. It was a great experience. Two weeks, 12 people, and now we’re family. I didn’t have that much time to advertise, but people really enjoyed my voice. I was really shocked that I made to the final round.
“I have accomplished what I need to accomplish to prove that I am a singer and that I enjoy singing and that I do have a talent.”
Jackson said she would love to continue entertaining troops.
“Maybe when I finish my mission at Fort Polk and I’m done with my military career, maybe do what Michael has done,” she said of Military Operation Rising Star judge Michael Peterson’s affinity for performing for troops. “I’ve been in Tops in Blue and being able to travel to encourage troops is a great opportunity – I would really love to do that.”
Serving in the Air Force with a husband in the Army, Jackson, who also serves as a mother of four, said someone needs to change careers.
“We’re in two different branches and we’ve been separated for awhile,” she explained. “I want to live with my husband. I miss him so much. I love the military, it’s a great thing, but I really do want to have my family near.”
2010 Operation Rising Star Final Night - 59
Image by familymwr
MG Rueben Jones, FMWRC Commanding General, is prepped by a make-up artist prior to his participation in the televised show. (U.S. Army photo by Bill Bradner, FMWRC Public Affairs. Cleared for public release, not for commercial use, attribution requested)
www.armymwr.com
Army wife Gomez wins Operation Rising Star military singing contest
By Tim Hipps
FMWRC Public Affairs
FORT BELVOIR, Va. – Melissa Gomez, who left Soldiering to become a full-time Army wife and mother, won the 2010 Operation Rising Star military singing contest Nov. 19 at Wallace Theater.
Gomez, 29, of Fort Bragg, N.C., prevailed over runner-up Maj. Serelda Herbin, 34, of Fort Hood, Texas, and third-place finisher Senior Airman Joanell Jackson, 24, of Fort Polk, La.
“I thought for sure Serelda was going to win,” Gomez said.
Gomez, who works with a large Army Community Service group at Fort Bragg, had family supporters in her hometown, Philadelphia, and her father’s native Puerto Rico voting early and often in the contest based on the premises of FOX Television’s American Idol.
“ACS and Fort Bragg totally represented for me,” she said. “I didn’t think I had that many people on board, but last night I was getting lots of calls from people saying, ‘We’ve been voting ...’
“They were showing everybody the show.”
After Spc. Nicholas Davis of Grafenwoehr, Germany, (originally from Rockingham, N.C.) was eliminated, the Tar Heel State boarded the Gomez bandwagon.
“North Carolina, in general, was representing after Nick fell out,” Gomez said. “Some of his people said they just needed North Carolina to win.
“I had my church in Philadelphia, my family, my mother’s work, my family in Puerto Rico – they were all watching the show online and voting.”
Gomez joined the Army at age 17 and promptly married a Soldier. She served six years before leaving as a sergeant to become a full-time military mother.
“They kept deploying us separately and I had to keep sending my children to live with my mom,” Gomez explained. “I was in a really active MOS. It was mostly me who kept coming down on orders, so I had to decide to be a mom.”
A self-professed late bloomer, Gomez began singing around age 12. She also plays a few Latin percussion instruments. In 2004, she toured domestic military installations and Korea with USA Express, a stage band sponsored by Army Entertainment Division.
For winning Operation Rising Star, Gomez will record a three-song demo CD at Firehouse Recording Studios in Pasadena, Calif., paid for by the Army Family and MWR Command.
“I can’t wait! I can’t wait!” she said. “I’m mentally prepared for the worst and just hope for the best. I look forward to really, really working with Victor [Hurtado] and Joey [Beebe], two completely talented people that I know can make me sound amazing, and Miss [Debra] Byrd.
“That’s what I look forward to big-time.”
Lisa Pratt, the 2009 Operation Rising Star winner, gave Gomez some tips about what to expect during the whirlwind week in Hollywood, where the new champion hopes to unveil some ideas of her own.
“It feels like I’m going to get to represent spouses and veterans in a positive light,” Gomez said. “I want to focus on keeping it where it needs to be because we have a hard job. I’ve been through it nine months of the year without a husband.”
“Life goes on for us whether he’s here or not – and I’ve got to keep it rolling.”
Gomez rolled through Operation Rising Star Finals Week by singing “I Need You” and “How Do I Live” by LeeAnn Rimes, “Out Here on My Own” by Irene Cara, “I Ain’t Got Nothing” by Alicia Keys, and “Turn the Beat Around” by Gloria Estefan.
Herbin presented a strong challenge with “At Last” by Jennifer Holliday, “I Feel Like a Woman” by Shania Twain, “My Heart Will Go On,” by Celine Dion, “One Moment in Time” by Whitney Houston, and Holliday’s “I Am Changing,” which nearly brought the house down during the semifinals on Wednesday night.
“I think I just said to throw it on the stage,” Operation Rising Star judge Debra Byrd, a vocal coach for American Idol, said to Herbin after her performance of “I Am Changing.” “Well, ladies and gentlemen, she just threw down on the stage. I applaud you because you came here with the determination of song choice, song choice and song choice.
“From your last two performances, you kicked it up into high gear and put a hot sauce on it. I applaud you. I applaud you. Well done.”
The three finalists delivered an entertaining medley of Houston’s “I Have Nothing,” Keys’ “I Ain’t Got Nothing” and Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” during the semifinals on Wednesday night.
“You guys picked these songs to win and I don’t blame you,” Byrd said. “You want to get these biggie songs in. I applaud you for your effort. … I applaud you for the courage to pick these bombastic songs because that’s the mind of a winner – you want to pick the biggie.
“Whew, I know you’re glad that’s over with. I applaud you ladies.”
Second-place finisher Herbin said she was “content, happy and grateful for being here, but it is a competition and we knew the rules.”
“Hey, there can only be one,” she said with a teary-eyed smile and a laugh. “Overall, I had a great time.”
Third-place finisher Jackson, a last-minute substitute in the top 12, was content with the outcome and elated by the experience.
“I’m happy with the outcome,” she said. “I had fun. It was a great experience. Two weeks, 12 people, and now we’re family. I didn’t have that much time to advertise, but people really enjoyed my voice. I was really shocked that I made to the final round.
“I have accomplished what I need to accomplish to prove that I am a singer and that I enjoy singing and that I do have a talent.”
Jackson said she would love to continue entertaining troops.
“Maybe when I finish my mission at Fort Polk and I’m done with my military career, maybe do what Michael has done,” she said of Military Operation Rising Star judge Michael Peterson’s affinity for performing for troops. “I’ve been in Tops in Blue and being able to travel to encourage troops is a great opportunity – I would really love to do that.”
Serving in the Air Force with a husband in the Army, Jackson, who also serves as a mother of four, said someone needs to change careers.
“We’re in two different branches and we’ve been separated for awhile,” she explained. “I want to live with my husband. I miss him so much. I love the military, it’s a great thing, but I really do want to have my family near.”
2010 Operation Rising Star Final Night - 57
Image by familymwr
MG Rueben Jones, FMWRC Commanding General, is prepped by a make-up artist prior to his participation in the televised show. (U.S. Army photo by Bill Bradner, FMWRC Public Affairs. Cleared for public release, not for commercial use, attribution requested)
www.armymwr.com
Army wife Gomez wins Operation Rising Star military singing contest
By Tim Hipps
FMWRC Public Affairs
FORT BELVOIR, Va. – Melissa Gomez, who left Soldiering to become a full-time Army wife and mother, won the 2010 Operation Rising Star military singing contest Nov. 19 at Wallace Theater.
Gomez, 29, of Fort Bragg, N.C., prevailed over runner-up Maj. Serelda Herbin, 34, of Fort Hood, Texas, and third-place finisher Senior Airman Joanell Jackson, 24, of Fort Polk, La.
“I thought for sure Serelda was going to win,” Gomez said.
Gomez, who works with a large Army Community Service group at Fort Bragg, had family supporters in her hometown, Philadelphia, and her father’s native Puerto Rico voting early and often in the contest based on the premises of FOX Television’s American Idol.
“ACS and Fort Bragg totally represented for me,” she said. “I didn’t think I had that many people on board, but last night I was getting lots of calls from people saying, ‘We’ve been voting ...’
“They were showing everybody the show.”
After Spc. Nicholas Davis of Grafenwoehr, Germany, (originally from Rockingham, N.C.) was eliminated, the Tar Heel State boarded the Gomez bandwagon.
“North Carolina, in general, was representing after Nick fell out,” Gomez said. “Some of his people said they just needed North Carolina to win.
“I had my church in Philadelphia, my family, my mother’s work, my family in Puerto Rico – they were all watching the show online and voting.”
Gomez joined the Army at age 17 and promptly married a Soldier. She served six years before leaving as a sergeant to become a full-time military mother.
“They kept deploying us separately and I had to keep sending my children to live with my mom,” Gomez explained. “I was in a really active MOS. It was mostly me who kept coming down on orders, so I had to decide to be a mom.”
A self-professed late bloomer, Gomez began singing around age 12. She also plays a few Latin percussion instruments. In 2004, she toured domestic military installations and Korea with USA Express, a stage band sponsored by Army Entertainment Division.
For winning Operation Rising Star, Gomez will record a three-song demo CD at Firehouse Recording Studios in Pasadena, Calif., paid for by the Army Family and MWR Command.
“I can’t wait! I can’t wait!” she said. “I’m mentally prepared for the worst and just hope for the best. I look forward to really, really working with Victor [Hurtado] and Joey [Beebe], two completely talented people that I know can make me sound amazing, and Miss [Debra] Byrd.
“That’s what I look forward to big-time.”
Lisa Pratt, the 2009 Operation Rising Star winner, gave Gomez some tips about what to expect during the whirlwind week in Hollywood, where the new champion hopes to unveil some ideas of her own.
“It feels like I’m going to get to represent spouses and veterans in a positive light,” Gomez said. “I want to focus on keeping it where it needs to be because we have a hard job. I’ve been through it nine months of the year without a husband.”
“Life goes on for us whether he’s here or not – and I’ve got to keep it rolling.”
Gomez rolled through Operation Rising Star Finals Week by singing “I Need You” and “How Do I Live” by LeeAnn Rimes, “Out Here on My Own” by Irene Cara, “I Ain’t Got Nothing” by Alicia Keys, and “Turn the Beat Around” by Gloria Estefan.
Herbin presented a strong challenge with “At Last” by Jennifer Holliday, “I Feel Like a Woman” by Shania Twain, “My Heart Will Go On,” by Celine Dion, “One Moment in Time” by Whitney Houston, and Holliday’s “I Am Changing,” which nearly brought the house down during the semifinals on Wednesday night.
“I think I just said to throw it on the stage,” Operation Rising Star judge Debra Byrd, a vocal coach for American Idol, said to Herbin after her performance of “I Am Changing.” “Well, ladies and gentlemen, she just threw down on the stage. I applaud you because you came here with the determination of song choice, song choice and song choice.
“From your last two performances, you kicked it up into high gear and put a hot sauce on it. I applaud you. I applaud you. Well done.”
The three finalists delivered an entertaining medley of Houston’s “I Have Nothing,” Keys’ “I Ain’t Got Nothing” and Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” during the semifinals on Wednesday night.
“You guys picked these songs to win and I don’t blame you,” Byrd said. “You want to get these biggie songs in. I applaud you for your effort. … I applaud you for the courage to pick these bombastic songs because that’s the mind of a winner – you want to pick the biggie.
“Whew, I know you’re glad that’s over with. I applaud you ladies.”
Second-place finisher Herbin said she was “content, happy and grateful for being here, but it is a competition and we knew the rules.”
“Hey, there can only be one,” she said with a teary-eyed smile and a laugh. “Overall, I had a great time.”
Third-place finisher Jackson, a last-minute substitute in the top 12, was content with the outcome and elated by the experience.
“I’m happy with the outcome,” she said. “I had fun. It was a great experience. Two weeks, 12 people, and now we’re family. I didn’t have that much time to advertise, but people really enjoyed my voice. I was really shocked that I made to the final round.
“I have accomplished what I need to accomplish to prove that I am a singer and that I enjoy singing and that I do have a talent.”
Jackson said she would love to continue entertaining troops.
“Maybe when I finish my mission at Fort Polk and I’m done with my military career, maybe do what Michael has done,” she said of Military Operation Rising Star judge Michael Peterson’s affinity for performing for troops. “I’ve been in Tops in Blue and being able to travel to encourage troops is a great opportunity – I would really love to do that.”
Serving in the Air Force with a husband in the Army, Jackson, who also serves as a mother of four, said someone needs to change careers.
“We’re in two different branches and we’ve been separated for awhile,” she explained. “I want to live with my husband. I miss him so much. I love the military, it’s a great thing, but I really do want to have my family near.”
Jets-Dolphin game, Nov 2009 - 024
Image by Ed Yourdon
Note: this photo was published in a Jan 25, 2010 blog titled "Clock Strikes Midnight As New York Jets' Cinderella Run Ends." It was also published in a Jun 14, 2010 blog titled "Rupert Murdoch Doubles Up, Throws Two Hail Mary Passes at Once." And it was published in a Jul 7, 2010 blog titled "The NFL's War on Wine." It was also published in an Aug 24, 2010 blog titled "Not So Fast, Mr. Sanchez." And it was published in a Nov 22, 2010 blog titled "Hail Mary Passes."
Moving into 2011, the photo was published in a Mar 19, 2011 blog titled "Needed Changes to the Rules of Football, Basketball and Baseball." It was also published in a Sep 26, 2011 Fast Company blog titled "When Taking Aim At Your Goals, It Pays To Look To The Future."
Moving into 2012, the photo was published in a Feb 16, 2012 blog titled "Kate Upton: Athletes’ Most Wanted."
**************************************************
On November 1st, I attended my third professional football game, with a photographer's press pass that let me get down on the field to photograph players, referees, cheerleaders, other photographers, fans in the stand, and anyone else who looked interesting. (My first such game was a pre-season contest between the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles, which you can see by clicking here, and the second game was between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills, which you can see by clicking here.)
I learned some lessons from photographing the first two games, and I showed up this time with even more equipment. I brought my Nikon D300 and D700 cameras, with an assortment of telephoto lenses; and I rented a hulking big 150-500mm zoom lens, which I mounted on my half-frame D300 camera to get the equivalent of a 300-750mm telephoto on a "standard" 35mm camera. Most of the time, I used the (full-frame) D700 with a 300mm zoom to get shots of fans in the stadium, and I used the long-lens 150-500mm zoom lens to get shots of the football players, as well as some closeups of the cheerleaders, as they waved their long hair in the air during the various "performances" with which they entertained the crowd.
Technical details aside, this game was very much like the last two: I was down on the field, surrounded by 77,000 roaring fans who made conversation virtually impossible. All I could do was try my best to follow the action, and shoot anything that looked interesting. It usually (though not always) started with a snap to the quarterback -- but it was sometimes on the other side of the field, or down at the other end of the field. Like the other photographers, I scurried back and forth from one end of the field to the other to be as close to the action as possible ... but in many cases, all I ended up with was a picture of a tangle of bodies, and no clear idea of what had just happened.
After watching the Flickr statistics associated with my previous Jets games, I was amused to see that the most popular photos -- by a huge margin were those of the cheerleaders ... so I included about two dozen closeup photos of the cheerleaders in this set. I also found the fans interesting and occasionally picturesque, so you'll find several fan-related pictures in this set.
Since I was on the field, once again, through the generosity and permission of the New York Jets, I naturally rooted for them to win. And though they played to a 3-3 tie at halftime, their special teams fell apart in the second half. Their rookie quarterback (Mark Sanchez, whose #6 jersey appears prominently in some of the photos) scored and passed well, but the Jets were down by 5 points with a minute left in the game, and while they were only about 20 yards from the goal line at that point, it was a fourth-down ... for which the traditional strategy is to attempt a field-goal. But what's the point of getting 3 points for a field goal, when you're down 5 points, and the clock has almost run out?
Well, perhaps this is all blindingly obvious to most football fans -- but football really isn't my sport at all, so I thought I was actually rather clever to anticipate what the Jets decided to do on that final play: pass for a 6-point touchdown, rather than waste their time with a field-goal kick. As it turned out, I was near the goal line myself, and when the play started, and it became obvious that Jets QB Sanchez was going to pass, I switched my attention to the end zone, and did my best to focus on wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery as he attempted to catch the "hail Mary" pass. As it turned out, the pass was a little too high, so they didn't score and the game was effectively over. But I did get a shot of that attempted pass reception; it's not perfect, but it's not too bad ... and you'll find it at the very end of this Flickr set (which will take several days to upload).
All in all, I took a little over 1,500 images and whittled it down to 150 "keepers" that I think you'll enjoy looking at -- i.e., 10% of the total, rather than the usual 5% that I uploaded from the last two games. Another 150 had to be deleted immediately because they were out of focus, or because a referee decided to run in front of my camera just as I was pushing the shutter button ... but I've still got roughly 1,200 images of jumbled piles of football players that will probably continue to sit on my computer until I run out of space on my hard disk. C'est la vie...
P.S. One little nuance about professional football, which seems obvious but was still a surprise to me on this third game: unlike high-school football, cheerleaders don't cheer. They don't sing, they don't chant, they don't utter a word while they're prancing around in front of the roaring crowd in the stadium. Of course: how could they? Who would hear a thing they said? Still, it's a little weird to spend an afternoon on the field with these skimpily-dress beauties, with smiles frozen on their faces as they dance for the fans ... and who, for all practical purposes, never make a sound.
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