09/03 — One big piece of housekeeping at the top of head coach Eric Mangini's first news conference in the new Atlantic Health Jets Training Center interview room this morning was the naming of his team's captains for the season. Here are the captains chosen by the Jets:

Offense — Brett Favre, Alan Faneca

Defense — Shaun Ellis, Kerry Rhodes

Special Teams — David Bowens, Leon Washington

"What I will say is the voting was close," Mangini said. "Congratulations to those guys. I think we've got a really good leadership group. These are the players our players have chosen. One of the nice things I'm going to have this year is not only being able to work them but also having all the guys we have over 30 and getting their insight. We have a lot of different experiences."

It's surprising, or perhaps not surprising at all, that Favre, 38, who arrived as the Jets' starting QB on Aug. 6, steps right in as one of their six on-field leaders.

"Obviously, Brett's fitting in very well, to be voted on by his peers as captain," the coach said. "He's fitting in with the guys, with his peer group ... well, the kids voted for him."

Eric Allen will have a newyorkjets.com news story up this afternoon out of Favre's weekly Wednesday news conference and the conference call with Chad Pennington, who's preparing to face the Jets with his new team, the Dolphins, in Sunday's opener at Miami.

Mangini was jokingly asked about stuffing the ballot box for Favre's selection, but of course he said that wasn't the case and recalled when he was a New England assistant coach and LB Bryan Cox was named a captain less than a week after his Patriots arrival in 2001.

"You sort of get the ballots out and they vote for whoever they vote for," said Mangini. "I don't think it's my role to get involved in the process. Obviously these are the ones they've chosen, this is what's important to the group, therefore it's important to me."

Practice Makes Perfect

The Jets held their first full practice on their new grass fields at their new training center today. One of the first songs they heard out of the new sound system as they jogged out from the locker room, to remind them of where they'll be Sunday: the Miami Dolphins theme song. ... Mike Westhoff took the field as a Jets assistant coach for the first time since the week before the 2007 regular-season finale vs. Kansas City. Westhoff underwent his ninth surgery on his left leg in February and spent all off-season and pre-season rehabbing. ... CB Ahmad Carroll, who wore jersey No. 42 during training camp, has changed his number to 31.

Jets Greats Make the Scene

Five Jets greats plus the New York Jets Flight Crew are scheduled to appear Thursday at NFL Opening Kickoff 2008, the league's seventh annual season-opening football and music festival being held at New York's Columbus Circle.

On the list are Wayne Chrebet and Wesley Walker, two of the top wide receivers in franchise history; Freeman McNeil, the Jets' second all-time leading rusher, and Sack Exchange members Joe Klecko and Marty Lyons. The Flight Crew will perform three routines beginning at about 2:50 p.m.

Former stars from the Giants and other NFL greats will also be on hand for the festivities, which will feature Usher, Keith Urban and Natasha Bedingfield in performance beginning at 3 p.m. Portions of the event will be televised live from 3:30-7 p.m. EDT on NFL Network and streamed on NFL.com in advance of the season opener between the Giants and Redskins that night.