Reflections Of A Jets Fan

This is my last time ever writing a column for The Oracle on the New York Jets, so I’m not going to waste my time and your time on a recap of last week’s game and preview of this week’s game because they are so awful right now.

Instead, I’m going write about why I still love the Jets despite them being the most stressful team in all of sports.

I’ve been a Jets fan for as long as I can remember. When I was little I would watch games with my dad and go to home games with my dad and grandpa whenever we could.

The Jets are the opposite of the classic romantic comedy story. They will start off awful, come back and give their fans hope that they will win and then they will end the game by doing something stupid that completely costs them any chance of winning.

They’ve done it for years. I remember my first time ever being devastated about a Jets loss. It was the 2001 AFC Wild Card round against the Oakland Raiders.  It was the first time that I actually was able to truly comprehend what was going on with the Jets and learned about the misery that goes with being a fan of this team.

Since that day in 2001, I’ve been fully engaged in the extreme disappointment that the Jets have added to my life. Yes, there have been some good times, but for the most it’s been a bumpy ride.

The best moments were beating Peyton Manning and the Colts in the playoffs 41-0 in 2003, going to back-to-back AFC Championship games and the year we were on HBO’s “Hardknocks,” when the Jets actually had an identity.

Those were the days.  That season of “Hardknocks” was the best one ever and will never be topped.

It’s been a crazy 21 years of being a Jets fan and I’m sure the next 21 years will be just as crazy. The last and only time the Jets have ever won the Super Bowl was in 1969. So let’s put that in perspective. Any Jets fan who is younger than 45 has never experienced their team winning a championship.

I’m so nervous for this offseason. The decisions owner Woody Johnson makes to replace General Manager John Idzik and Head Coach Rex Ryan will determine whether or not the Jets will be a relevant team for the next five years.

For once, Johnson needs to hire leaders in this organization that can not only allow for sustained success in the near future, but long-term to make the Jets finally become one of the most respected teams in the league instead of just being the laughingstock.

Unfortunately, as usual I have a bad feeling that Johnson will make some poor hires and they will continue to be the “same old Jets.”

Regardless of what happens though, my Jets fandom won’t stop. For the rest of my life I will continue to be a fan of the sports team I care about the most, even though they make me absolutely crazy.