http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/f...1/2009-08-21_jones_enjoying_a_golden_era.html Jets RB Thomas Jones watches "The Golden Girls" in free time BY Ohm Youngmisuk/DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Friday, August 21st 2009, 4:00 AM CORTLAND, N.Y. - Some Jets like to spend their free time tweeting on their Twitter pages or playing video games on their PS3s. Thomas Jones, the AFC's leading rusher in 2008, unwinds by watching "The Golden Girls." Sure, he also watches other old-school shows such as "The Cosby Show" and "Saved by the Bell," but there's just something about Bea Arthur. "My favorite thing to do to relax is watch 'The Golden Girls' marathon," Jones admitted yesterday during a rare interview at SUNY Cortland. "It kind of puts me in the mind-set of how things kind of used to be. When I see that show, it reminds me of those times when you could go outside and have fun and ride your bike all day. Now, you can't even go outside anymore, you got people doing all kinds of crazy stuff and people getting killed. It's like a crazy world." Jones was delivered another reminder of that when he learned that Plaxico Burress will spend two years in jail after accepting a plea deal on gun charges. Jones and Burress, who have known each for years growing up in Virginia, share the same agent and worked out together in Miami during this offseason. "It's terrible," said Jones, who also knows Michael Vick from Virginia and talks to and mentors Vick's brother, Marcus. "(Burress) is one of my best friends. We came out in the (2000) draft, I was the seventh pick, he was the eighth pick. It is very unfortunate but he is a strong person who will fight through it." While Burress' career is on hold, Jones says he is firmly in the prime of his own career. Jones may be a "Golden Girls" fan, but don't call him old now that he's 31, which is normally a time when running backs start to fade into retirement. Jones, who celebrated his birthday two days ago, is coming off his first Pro Bowl year, rushing for 1,312 yards and 13touchdowns. It was the fourth straight season he's rushed for 1,000 yards or more. Only San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson (5,861 yards) has more yards rushing than Jones' 4,976 during that span. Despite entering his prime, Jones still carries a chip on his shoulders. He was labeled a bust after rushing for a total of 1,264 yards and nine touchdowns in his first three seasons in Arizona. Carrying the ball an average of just 120 times a season with the Cardinals, Jones didn't live up to expectations until he landed in Chicago in 2004. "I had to develop tough skin," Jones said. "When you have a franchise that drafts you and they expect the world out of you, you are not in a good situation, you feel the heat from that. So you develop a type of mentality and certain type of outer shell, and that has served me well for my career." Jones hasn't talked much during training camp. He skipped several of the Jets' voluntary workouts during the offseason, remaining in Miami and working out with San Francisco's Frank Gore and Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew, in what many thought was a holdout for a new contract. Jones, who also made headlines after the season by criticizing Brett Favre's poor performance down the stretch last year, would not comment about any contract issues, but insisted he is happy with the Jets. The 5-10, 212-pound back, who had 290 carries last season, also said he is "not really concerned with the carries that will be split up and all that" between him, Leon Washington and rookie Shonn Greene this season. Rex Ryan may use a three-back system like Baltimore did last season with Willis McGahee, Le'Ron McClain and Ray Rice. And if Jones does get frustrated, there's nothing "The Golden Girls" can't fix.
Whatever it takes to get you through the day without risking your health or livelyhood. Golden Girls is a great option compared to some of the choices atheletes are making these days.....
If he repeats his 2008 performance I think the jets just might resign him. Yea backs are a dime a dozen, but he's stable, proven and has a good head on his shoulders.
He'll never get a chance to repeat that performance. Washington will surely get more carries this year, plus you add Greene for short yardage and goal line pushes. He's 31 and even though he's relatively "low mileage" you're not going to find the Jets bending over backwards to sign him for the ransom he will surely demand.
He'll be looking for his last contract at that time. I can't see many teams signing him to anything more than a 2 year contract, like Fred Taylor did with the Pats. He has less mileage than Taylor and possibly could resign with the Jets, if he wants to stay in the area.
true, but isnt TJ under contract with us for one more year after this? isnt he due like a $4 million roster bonus next March? I would like to see us restructure with TJ if he has another solid year, I mean there really is no reason to stop using the triple threat if you don't have too...
It's a 5.9 million bonus which is why he will definitely be cut unless he is willing to give all of that back in a new deal. He doesn't talk like somebody who wants to give anything back..just the opposite, he wants more.
Thank you for being a friend Traveled down the road and back again Your heart is true your a pal and a confidant. And if you through a party Invited everyone you ever knew You would see the biggest gift would be from me And the card attached would say thank you for being a friend.
Maybe he would be willing to take a little less money if the Jets throw in a couple seasons of The Golden Girls on dvd.
I'll sweeten the deal and throw in a sit down with Betty White and Rue McLanahan (does it make me gay that I know the names of all 4 cast members?) The other 2 are dead, right?
Golden Girls? Really? :rofl: I watched a lot of crappy sitcoms when I was a kid, but Golden Girls? Wow.
bea arthur just died this april, estelle getty last july. crazy thing is that estelle getty really wasnt older than the others even though she played the mother. estelle getty 1923 bea arthur 1922 betty white 1922 rue mcclanahan 1934 thank you wiki for your assistance with this post.
umm some guy wrote it for the tv program, and probably is still making money off it. ahh royalties much be such a nice thing. did some work 20 years ago and the checks are still coming.
I agree what what you say Koz but it's going to come down to Leon's and Greene's performance. If they fail he gets a new 2 yr deal for around 11 mill and 50% of that is guaranteed. imho
Why would he ever accept the same money as Washington is getting when he wants more now? Why would he accept anything less then what he gets now? Less then Washington and his 100 carries a year or whatever it turns out to be? He would rather get cut.
