Hi, I'm a long time NFL fan (Sorry guys but I'm Bills mad) from Melbourne, Australia. I also work for Geelong Football Club, the Australian Rules Football team that Jets punter Ben Graham came from. Was just wondering what you guys thought of him? I've watched this guy play for years and he was one of the best kicks I have ever seen in the AFL. Our ball is much diffrent to your ball in shape but he clearly adapted well. Also have another link to to the Jets, I played against an Eric Mangini coached team in the Australian American Football Comp back in the 90's. He was a real great guy and willing to help us develope the game in this country. So despite being a Bills fan I will hoping for Jets victory in all but 2 games this year.
Graham was very solid his rookie year and seemed to transistion to the NFL ball pretty quickly. He also picked up holding the ball on FG very quick too sumthin most thought could be a problem. I really like the guy and cant wait to see his improvment next year.
ben graham is awesome... he puts a weird spin on the ball so it makes it a lot harder to catch.. He put up great numbers for a punter, and got a long-term deal out of it.
He would have gotten alot more recognition had we been a winning team. I thought he deserved to be in the probowl...
Best punter ever IMO, Although.... I have actually never followed punter before until he came along, great personality and a great athlete, so because he got my attention I give him credit, we were all rooting for him last off season to win the job He is now going to go on my signature with Vilma, Barton and hopefully Hawk
Im sorry but have you ever heard of Morman? I love Ben and I thiink hes gonna develope into a fantastic punter, but he needs a little time. Morman is crazy good and is amazingly fast. Graham could kick his ass though
I hate Ben Graham every time I see him...but only because that means the Jets have failed to establish any sort of run game and the Jets performed their pattented 3rd and 9 where we throw a 4 yard slant that gets stopped dead in it's tracks!
Punter is not exactly a high-priority skill position, and not a popular one at all... but for me, Ben Graham was the best part of the 2005 season. He FAR exceeded my wildest expectations for him. It's one part sad and two parts cool.
I'm another Aussie who found this forum last year just before the season started, just out of a passing interest in whether or not Graham had won his spot. I'm not even a Geelong fan (GO DONS) or an NFL fan (never followed a team until then, but now its JETS all the way), but i found the story interesting enough to keep coming back here for Thunderbird Jet's weekly Ben Graham Report during the season. Here's the thing, BrunnyJ. Graham got top-ten punting stats last year and, get this, he was only using drop punts! He is yet unleash a torp in anger. In addition, drop punting a NFL ball gets a kind of helicopter spin that recievers seem to be terrified of. I haven't seen it cos I'm still in Aust but that is the general summary of an uninitiated, third-hand take on his rookie season. Apparently, some Jets-affiliated TV crew followed Ben out to Australia last month to chronicle his story from when he was first scouted by Mangini in '97 until the present time, so I'm waiting for that! (any suggestions on how i can see that documentary, anyone?)
Thats all that matters, just kidding, My post was alot of sarcasm, I know he isnt the best punter of all time, but he is good, he is just the only one that I have ever followed and cheered for.
G'Day mates....... :grin: Well it's good (and bad) that the JETS have a good punter like Graham on the squad, especially with their horriffic offense :drunk: A couple of years ago, a friend of mine spent some time over there while his wife was studying abroad, and he joined a local Aussie rules football league as something to do. He ended up winning league MVP (I saw the newspaper clipping) He said he had a great time (athletic guy, whether it's b-ball, hockey and he played WR for michigan state) fftopic:
again we are talking about a punter here! It would be like Nascar Fans talking about the guy in the pit crew that squeeges the window of the race car, does anyone really care?
Balthaz, I am here for exactly the same reasons as you but currently dwell in the bullshit forum. Also waiting for the jets TV story. (Go Dons) BTW a "torp" is short for torpedo but americans know it as a spiral punt I think. The ball spins as if thrown by the QB.
