Fair enough. This is a good, honest post. My only point is that, in the moment, I find it hard to believe that you were actively rooting for Tennessee this past weekend. You realizing that it is actually better for the Jets in the long run to lose doesn't mean you are actively rooting for, and becoming emotionally invested in, the other team.
I didn't start the game rooting against us, but watching us be a part of a game that was setting professional football back 50 years, I was honestly annoyed when he got tackled at the 4 yard line. Nobody deserved to feel good about that game...
I've figuratively had my guts ripped out this year watching this team/CS making bonehead after bonehead mistake and losing. Watching the Tenn. game was actually relaxing. I was expecting bonehead mistakes and when they came I didn't mind. It felt like we were "taking one for the franchise". Anyone who insists on believing that their brand of fandom is somehow superior to mine or anyone elses is IMHO immature.
Pretty sure most of the current Jets fans are a little more "die-hard" then they were 3-5 years ago. I live in NYC and in the aforementioned time frame there were Jets jerseys everywhere, now I hardly see any. Judging by the silly ESPN report that the Broncos are now the most popular team in the US, you can say that the majority of Americans are fair weather fans.
That is because the Jets are considered a joke by the far majority of fans. There are still plenty of Jets fans out there there just arent as many bandwagoners.
I've been rooting for the Jets to fail since the Victor Cruz game. And when the drafted Geno I made less and less trips back to NY. For some reason I have kept my season tickets, but the last 4 years this team has been absolutely unbearable. The offensive scheme and pace of Jet games has been unwatchable. I've never been able to not finish a Jet game, but this year after the three pick performance against buffalo, I had to turn it off. If the draft winston I'm done, I'll take a loss on my PSL's and move on.
So true about the offense and schemes/pace!! That's the worst part - having a shitty offense is one thing... but having a shitty, tentative, plotting, un-inspiring offense is just difficult to stomach. Its not just bad its gutless. There is nothing this offense does that the opponents have to worry about. NOTHING. They somehow get a "big" play to get them into FG range and instead of running up to the line and attacking the defense while it is on its heels - they walk up, use the entire play clock, and run a safe play so they don't turn it over since they somehow got in FG range. That gutless style was behind the times in the 1980s..and does the defenses a favor. There was a discussion on here earlier in the year regarding the Chiefs game where they drove it down the field with the Chiefs defense on their heels in the red zone near the end of the 4th quarter. The Jets were trailing by 2 TDs and instead of attacking the defense to get a quick score before the end of the 4th quarter they ran a predictable running play and proceeded to purposely let 30+ secs run off the clock so they could take it to the 4th quarter. who DOES that??? and guess what after the change in quarter where the defense caught their breath and re-grouped they stuffed the Jets for a turnover on downs.. big surprise!!! And for a coach like Rex Ryan who preaches the opposite for his defense - fast-paced, aggressive, unpredictable, attacking - to let his offense line up year in and year out do the very opposite?? What in the hell Rex, take a second and look at what you created!!??? You created the very thing you are philosophically against! I am so happy he will be gone and hopefully we get a coach who ends that bullcrap immediately... I am tired of my favorite team's offense looking like a 1980s K car when everyone else is lining their offense up on the other side with freakin F-16s.
I want the old Jet Football, screw this ground and pound nonsense. I want shotgun, vertical passing game that was always the jets and what we were known for. Al toon, wesley walker, chrebet, rob moore, mickey shuler. Hell we sucked with Ken O'brien but at least the games were pro level.
I was tempted to say Ken O'Brien was Jesus compared to Smith, but I don't want to be a blasphemer. But you get the idea.
I saw a New York Jet personalized license plate on the Grand Central Parkway today that said " PRY4ME" ; AMEN !!!!!
I think you are a fan if you feel real suffering when they lose. Euphoria is overrated. It is the suffering that makes you a fan. How you deal with suffering is your own business