09/09 — Opening Day. 'Nuff said.

All right, there's a lot more to be said, but Sept. 9 is here, the Jets and Patriots are in the Meadowlands, and the first leg of the Green & White's next marathon is about to begin.

The early notes from the stadium include a shocker. The inactives for both teams have just been announced, and for the Jets, Jacob Bender is inactive. So the sixth-round rookie from Nicholls State won't get his big NFL debut today after all, and left guard will be manned by Adrien Clarke and Wade Smith. No explanation for the deactivation was given by the Jets nor required.

The other inactives: CB Andre Dyson, S Eric Smith, FB Darian Barnes, DE Mike DeVito, TE Jason Pociask and WR Chansi Stuckey. Marques Tuiasosopo is the third QB.

The Patriots' IAs: S Rashad Baker, LB David Herron, T Wesley Britt, G Billy Yates, TE Dave Thomas and DLs Kareem Brown and Mike Wright. Matt Gutierrez, who beat out Vinny Testaverde for the last QB roster spot, is the Pats' third QB.

The Jets are in their home whites — white jerseys with green numbers, trim and sleeves, white numbers on the sleeves, green belts, white pants and socks with green piping ... I feel like Michael Kay. The double whites mark the continuation of an opening day observance: The Jets have worn white on five of their last seven season openers with a 4-1 record, which includes last year's opening win at Tennessee in the first game of the Eric Mangini regime. And the Jets were 4-0 in all whites last season.

All of which means absolutely nothing.

As we reported two days ago, Jets DE Eric Hicks swapped his No. 77 uniform number for 98, which he wore for nine seasons at Kansas City and which became available when Bobby Hamilton was released.

Special teams coach Mike Westhoff came out onto the field more than two hours before kickoff on his crutches, still keeping the pressure off his leg following his off-season surgery. One of Westhoff's first well-wishers was the Patriots' Larry Izzo, who of course laid it on the line for Westhoff with Miami's special teams a while back. Some Jets came by, too. And Westhoff eventually went back inside and headed upstairs for the coaches' booth — it marks the first time he'll work a game from the booth rather than the sideline in his long coaching career.

Actor and Jets fan Danny Aiello will be performing the National Anthem. Aiello went through some warmups for the Star Spangled Banner, after which he said over the Meadowlands PA system: "Not too bad for the old man."

The first kickoff of the season and quarter-by-quarter Radar reports are ahead.