How Did You Become a New York Jets Fan?
- Thread starter gmf1369
- Start date
I saw the AFL on TV and liked the wide open exciting style of play. My friend and I went to see the Titans of New York play at the Polo Grounds and that did it. Then, the other team in town (I refuse to mention them by name, since they never gave the Jets scores during their games) cut my next door neighbor QB Lee Grosscup when they acquired YA Tittle. When he signed with the us, that cemented my fandom.
Later
Later
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If this isn't epitome of a Jets fan I don't know what is......
I was 11 years old , Jan 23, 1983.... I tuned into the AFC championship game and I had casually watched Jets games before but this was a championship game. MY emotions were high.. I found myself glued to the TV and my heart racing with every play. And Richard Todd ripped put that beating heart with every Int to AJ Duhe.... and that solidified me as a Jets fan... Like my best friend says I am not happy unless I am miserable.
Side note. Because of that game I hate the Dolphins more than any other professional franchise in all of sports.... Yes, even more than the Patriots
I was 11 years old , Jan 23, 1983.... I tuned into the AFC championship game and I had casually watched Jets games before but this was a championship game. MY emotions were high.. I found myself glued to the TV and my heart racing with every play. And Richard Todd ripped put that beating heart with every Int to AJ Duhe.... and that solidified me as a Jets fan... Like my best friend says I am not happy unless I am miserable.
Side note. Because of that game I hate the Dolphins more than any other professional franchise in all of sports.... Yes, even more than the Patriots
This is exactly my story with a few modifications. That was that first Jets game I had ever watched period. In fact, it was the first NFL game I watched where I realized NYC-NJ had a NFL team. Up until that point I had only saw a few games with only the Steelers, Cowboys, Vikings and Chiefs I believe. I didn’t even know at that time that the Jets or Giants existed. So I was throughoughly hooked. I believe I found out about the Giants the next year.
I also hated the Dolphins more then life itself and still do till this day because of that game. That year I also became a Redskins fan and why, because the Dolphins played the Redskins in the SB and the skins crushed them. That was sweet revenge for me. Now I remained a diehard Jets and Redskins fan for about 3-4 more years until I was in high school and realized or felt I needed to choose one team and stick with them. So of course I choose the Jets.
Now here another funny side note. I had just turned twelve years old then and didn’t realize that we were on the next year. I was still thinking it was 1982, hence my ID name, Jets82 for this sight. So till this day I tell people I became a Jets fan in 1982 and keep forgetting it was actually 1983. SMDH, Lol!!!
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ditto
I choose my teams in my own oddball ways. I root for underdogs. My favorite baseball team is the Detroit Tigers (started with them in 1961). Became a Jet fan probably around the late 70's, although at the time I described myself as a fan of many teams, even though I always found myself rooting for the Jets whenever I watched them in a game. Then one day in, I think, 1987 one of my daughters asked me what football team I was a fan of. Guess I knew in my heart it was the Jets, so that's what I told her. Been a fanatic ever since. BTW, I must be the only Jet fan on the planet who was alive in 1969 but did not see SB III. Did not care for football at the time.
In 1963 I was a running back and linebacker for the National Champion Pop Warner Team " Irvington PAL Colts " that went undefeated 13-0. We were invited to play a short scrimmage game during halftime of the New York Titan / Dallas Texan game at the Polo Grounds. So I became a fan at that time and bleed green still today.
I was 18 on that date.
As a young kid I remember all through the 70's my father watching Jets games on TV--slapping his knee and cursing like a drunken sailor at the Jets, and being in a bad mood for the rest of the day after a loss seemingly every weekend. I always wondered why a grown man could get so emotionally involved in a stupid football game. Well, it's 40 years later, and now I know. And sadly, every Sunday, I do the exact same thing.
I have memories of watching the Giants play with family in the early 90's (I was born in 1986), I was never a Giants fan but I enjoyed watching the games with my family.
Then in 1995 my Dad got season tickets to the Jets and I went to (this is a little cloudy but I think its accurate) every single one of our 8 home games in 1996 to watch the Kotite Jets (and 8 for 8 with home game losses) in a 1-15 year. My memory this year is cloudy but I do recall a lot of booing, and a ton of losing. I enjoyed however watching Adrian Murrell, Chrebet, and some other guys but I wasn't emotional about losing.
Fast fwd to the following 2 years (97 and 98),. In 97 I went to way less games (school? Idk why..they wanted to torture me in 1996 maybe) but I recall that last game of the year in Detroit where it was win and in and we choked on a Neil Odonnel end zone interception (I think it was in the end zone)?
1998 we got vinny T and ripped off 12 wins, and I remember the emotions I felt winning that Jags home playoff game. Of course, I also remember the heartache of losing to Denver in the afc title after being up 10-0 at halftime. Where I really got super hooked was the Monday night miracle in 2000. It was 30-7 after 3 quarters and my dad already went to sleep saying to get to bed already, this ones over. Stupidly, I stayed awake for the fourth. It was soon 30-13. Then 30-20...then 30-23....
I may have woken up my family screaming. Lets just say my dad got a lot of "told you so's" that week.
Then in 1995 my Dad got season tickets to the Jets and I went to (this is a little cloudy but I think its accurate) every single one of our 8 home games in 1996 to watch the Kotite Jets (and 8 for 8 with home game losses) in a 1-15 year. My memory this year is cloudy but I do recall a lot of booing, and a ton of losing. I enjoyed however watching Adrian Murrell, Chrebet, and some other guys but I wasn't emotional about losing.
Fast fwd to the following 2 years (97 and 98),. In 97 I went to way less games (school? Idk why..they wanted to torture me in 1996 maybe) but I recall that last game of the year in Detroit where it was win and in and we choked on a Neil Odonnel end zone interception (I think it was in the end zone)?
1998 we got vinny T and ripped off 12 wins, and I remember the emotions I felt winning that Jags home playoff game. Of course, I also remember the heartache of losing to Denver in the afc title after being up 10-0 at halftime. Where I really got super hooked was the Monday night miracle in 2000. It was 30-7 after 3 quarters and my dad already went to sleep saying to get to bed already, this ones over. Stupidly, I stayed awake for the fourth. It was soon 30-13. Then 30-20...then 30-23....
I may have woken up my family screaming. Lets just say my dad got a lot of "told you so's" that week.
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Typo? I think the 1-15 season was 1996.