New York is still newsworthy - New York Jets have chance to become hot TV property with win over Chargers

New York

Bob Raissman

Saturday, January 16th 2010, 5:20 PM

The Jets are not just playing for a spot in next week's AFC Championship Game Sunday in San Diego, they are positioning themselves for their TV future.

Going into this season, Gang Green was not a national ratings attraction. Considering the Jets were led by a rookie coach, Rex Ryan, and a rookie quarterback, Mark Sanchez, playing in a "tough" division with glamour at the top (i.e. Tom Brady), this was understandable.

Often the networks (mostly CBS) relegated the Jets to their "B" and "C" team voices. The Jets did make three prime-time appearances. They played the Dolphins on ESPN's "Monday Night Football" and Buffalo on the NFL Network's Thursday night game (NFLN is not carried throughout the country). And they were flexed into NBC's "Sunday Night Football" against the Bengals in the regular-season finale.

Their two regular-season spotlights came in the last two games of the season. First came the undefeated Colts, a game Indy deemed meaningless. CBS sent its No. 2 team, Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf, to call the tilt. The Sunday nighter became a walkover. As Cincy was folding quickly after being smacked in the mouth by the Jets, TVs were being turned off en masse.

The Jets' win over the Bengals on wild-card Saturday scored no points with the TV schedule droids. Nonetheless Sunday, the Jets have earned this moment against the Chargers.

The Jets have finally achieved headliner status. They are in the late time slot playing the final game of the divisional round, which likely will be the highest rated game of the weekend. CBS is using its No. 1 team, Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, who at some point will assess how the Jets handled this huge moment.

A win puts them on a whole other level (duh). Even if the Jets lose, the perception they leave will weigh heavily on their value as a television property. The team already has defined personalities - Ryan, Sanchez, and guys such as Bart Scott, Kerry Rhodes and Damien Woody - who easily manufacture story lines.

Still, the way things go down today will either catapult the Jets into the national stratosphere (like the Giants) or again relegate them to regional TV status.

Seau scores TD

If Jerome Bettis was as provocative when he worked in NBC's "Football Night in America" studio as he was throwing dirt on Tom Coughlin, claiming Bill Cowher is longing for the Giants' coaching job, he might still have a TV gig.

Maybe Bettis is trying to push his old coach out the door of CBS' "The NFL Today" studio so he can move in.

If this is the plan, Bettis should not hold his breath. It sure looks like CBS has already targeted someone - if not for a role on "The NFL Today" than as a game analyst.