EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Hard to blame Eric Mangini for needing directions to his office in the Jets' locker room at the Meadowlands.
The new coach had never set foot in there until Saturday, when the Jets held a training camp practice at their stadium for the first time in team history. One reason why they trekked from Long Island to New Jersey: to avoid moments like the one Mangini faced when it is time to play a game.
Many other reasons, too. The Jets wanted to reach out to their fans in New Jersey, where they will move their team headquarters in 2008. They play here but practice in Hempstead, N.Y., giving their fans little chance to see them during training camp.
Above all, Mangini wanted to simulate typical preparations leading up to game day -- for himself to get used to the routine, as well as the new assistant coaches and players on the team. On Friday night, the Jets saw the movie Invincible, then heard a speech from Connecticut men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun on the importance of working hard and staying focused.
The team took the bus over to the Meadowlands on Saturday, taking the field in the afternoon to a nice-sized crowd of 5,787. The fans were already in game-day mode, screaming their "J-E-T-S, Jets! Jets! Jets!" chant and wearing green and white.
"This adds a little bit of excitement to everything we've been doing," receiver Laveranues Coles said. "It's good to get out here and do a little something in front of the fans."
The biggest cheers were reserved for quarterback Chad Pennington -- even though he got only three snaps during team drills because Mangini continued with his four-man rotation at the position. That meant Brooks Bollinger and Kellen Clemens got most of the work, perhaps disappointing the fans who wanted to see how Pennington has come back from his second major shoulder injury.
Pennington got into the team drill when Clemens fumbled a snap and was forced to run a lap around the field as punishment. As Pennington jogged to the huddle, he got a standing ovation. Pennington completed his pass to B.J. Askew for the last play of the drill.
"The fans have always been great," Pennington said. "They want to see us do well. They have been great to me, always treated me very well. That's why I worked so hard so I could get out here and try to perform in front of them."
Mangini said he had to stick to his rotation even though it would have been nice for the fans to see more of Pennington. Mangini also stuck to his normal practice routine with injured players: they were off to the side rehabbing on exercise bikes. They also ran up the stadium steps.
The practice itself was somewhat lackluster, with neither Bollinger or Clemens standing out. It lasted two hours, the shortest practice of training camp. When it was over, every player went to sign autographs. After showering, it was back to the bus. The Jets were headed to the team hotel, where they stay before home games.
"Everything with this trip is exactly like a game: from the itinerary to the pre-game meal to coaches meetings to the rookie and first-year player meeting. You name it," Mangini said.
The Jets will practice again at the Meadowlands on Sunday, but it is closed to the public.
The idea of simulating a game had never been done before, but Mangini has already brought many new twists to practice, including non-contact scrimmages, one-on-one tackling drills, and more accountability. This is just part of his new game plan.
"When your complex is not right next to your stadium, I think it's a great idea to come out here and really get acclimated to the stadium even when you've been here for seven years," Pennington said. "Your first time is a little different because you're out of your comfort zone. It was a great experience to come out and practice in our stadium, to get a feel for what the Meadowlands is like."
Vader1228 
