Even though the marathon has generated little buzz amongst New Yorkers, it has always been a boon for the city’s economy. Runners and their families travel here from all over the world. They fill our hotel rooms, eat in our restaurants, shop in our stores and visit our cultural institutions.
   In another business facet of the marathon, the race has become for athletic shoe companies what the New York International Auto Show is for car manufacturers. At the New York City Marathon Expo, held at the Javits Center from last Thursday right up to race day, Reebok, New Balance and Nike were hyping their respective new Ultra VI, 905 and Lunarglide lines (I detect a Michael Jackson influence on that last). Among the lesser known companies trying to gain market share in this very competitive market were Aetrex, Newton and Brooks.
   You have to give Rockport executives credit for having the best marketing strategy involving the marathon as they hired eight runners, including Andy Baldwin, formerly of ABC-TV’s “The Bachelor,” to run the 26.2 miles of New York streets wearing their soft leather wing- tip shoes.
   The Jets reached the season’s midpoint by dropping yet another game as they lost to the Dolphins, 30-25. Gang Green allowed Miami’s Ted Ginn to return two kickoffs for touchdowns as Jets defenders fell over themselves trying to tackle him, looking like Keystone Kops from the early days of motion pictures.
   The previous week Jets QB Mark Sanchez took a lot of grief from CBS sportscaster Dan Dierdorf for having the temerity to eat a hot dog in the waning moments of the Jets’ 38-0 shellacking of the Oakland Raiders.
   Sanchez showed a lot of poise and an ability to laugh at himself as he gave the media the backstory to the incident following the Dolphins game.
   “In the final drive of the game I nearly broke up laughing when I saw a fan dressed up as a hot dog while his friend was dressed like me,” Sanchez said with a grin, later adding, “No, I have not heard from Hebrew National about an endorsement deal!”