08/17 — For the second consecutive Friday evening, I am beginning to write on newyorkjets.com but feeling as if I'm reporting for weather.com.

The weather for tonight's Jets-Vikings preseason game was supposed to be fine, but in mid-afternoon a band of thunderstorms sprang up somewhere around Harrisburg and marched across New Jersey. Rain and possibly some small hail started to pour before 6 p.m. to the extent that it almost looked like snow from the Meadowlands pressbox.

But a number of hardy early arrivers were on the field, and three of them were of particular interest to Green & White fans. QB Kellen Clemens had secondary coach Mike MacIntyre as his "wideout," and Coach Mac was working against a certain newly signed first-round draft pick.

Darrelle Revis, in a sweat top, was pushing off MacIntyre and dropping into the end zone to "intercept" Clemens' throws. On one play Revis came down on the sideline, touched his feet inbounds and fell over backwards out of the end zone.

The rain picked up in intensity around 6 to the point where Revis, Clemens and MacIntyre were the last three on the field, but even they, too, were eventually driven into the west tunnel, drenched.

Eric Barton was in the tunnel, halfway through dressing for the game and looking at the downpour. "Do you think we'll be canceled?" Barton wondered. Heck no — this game is being nationally televised by Fox. Maybe it would be delayed. "Oh, no, we don't want that," EB said. No we don't want that.

I said hello to Vikes QB Brooks Bollinger after he chatted up his former Jets coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. Brooksie had always been great to talk to in his three Jets seasons and I wanted to wish him well and tell him I had left newspapers to run the Jets' web site.

"Yeah, I think I read that on the Internet a while back," he said.

"Brooks," I replied, "you're online way too much." I was kidding, of course. You can't be online too much these days.

Bollinger wasn't the only ex-Jet on the Vikings expected in for this game. But LB/ST Jason Glenn, citing his balky left knee, retired Thursday. Glenn, the friendly kid brother of CB Aaron Glenn, returned a Chris Hayes blocked punt for a TD at Oakland in the 2001 regular season finale that helped get the Jets into the playoffs, then blocked a punt of his own in the '02 opener at Buffalo. Have a happy retirement, JG.

The rain had stopped for a while but now has started again, lightly. But the sky has lightened. and no more bad weather seems to be on the radar — the weather radar, that is.

There's been no announcement about Revis' availability for this game, two days after he signed his rookie contract and officially reported to Jets training camp. But eight Jets special teams types just jogged onto the turf at 7:12, and fourth in line was No. 24. Shortly after accepting a low-five from Chansi Stuckey, Revis stepped up, fielded a Ben Graham punt from the back of the end zone at his 45 and jogged upfield.

My good friend Bobby Wischusen has just pasted two Jets flip cards to the glass that separates his radio booth from my seat in the pressbox. It's time to get serious about preparing to kick it off against the Purple & Gold.