Gentlemen... this is special

I speak to you tonight... from my couch. LA, CA. About 15 hours pre game. Super Bowl III is on the box. The Macallan 18 is flowing like the salmon of capistrano. The wife has sighed and turned in. The wings are in the fridge waiting to be busted out tomorrow with the homemade bluecheese sauce and celery and Heiny mini-keg. Interestingly, this house shunned all friends. I rebutted all invitations to "enjoy the game together". I would like to be alone. To prepare. To watch. To enjoy. I don't need anyone talking about commercials or Brett Favre, or when my wings will be ready.
This is special.

I'm 37 years old. I began my journey with the Richard Todd era. I met Gastineau when I was 10. The picture is on my office. He clubbed Bernie and killed me. In 98 my dad flew out from the island, and we cut up an elway jersey and put ketchup on it and then set it aflame, on my balcony. What a blast. Didn't work. 10-0. Then 23-10. Crushing. Yet a highpoint for me. And me and my old man.
4 weeks ago my dad called and told me about how on that Sunday morning before Indy he ran to the grocery store and saw a guy in a Marvin Jones jersey. (I liked him) Anyway, they chatted and my dad told him about how sorry he was that he passed this on to me. That he could have "given" me any team as a child. But he gave me The Jets. And decades of heartache. And misery. And SOJ. When he told me this, my reaction was simple and heartfelt. I said, "Dad... you have to understand... someday, one day, it'll happen. We'll be kings of the world. And it'll be so sweet, so glorious, so beautiful... especially since we suffered for so long. That just makes it sweeter. It'd be easy to be a Patriot, Steeler, or Packer fan, Dad. To be a Jets fan, you have to have Soul."

Funny. But true. An actual conversation between father and son, Jet.
My post is rambling. And loose. Apologies. The scotch. But I just want, to stress to all of you... young, old, new fan, veteran... this is Special. This is the AFC Championship game. We're in it. Not the Patriots, Steelers, Chargers, Broncos, nope... It's us. And this doesn't come around very often. I'm believing we're on an upswing. Entering a special time. Perhaps pulling even with NE.... We'll see. Getting here is a monumental accomplishment. But we may not be here again for a long time I dunno. I've waited a long time for this. A long time. Long. Have PRIDE.

I will watch tomorrow's game with pride in my heart, joy in my soul, and perhaps a tiny tear in my eye. Cause this... this was improbable. And this is Fun.

Lastly... regardless of how tomorrow goes. Don't hate. Don't abandon. Don't blame. I was so happy when Sanchez was getting the opportunity to play ONE playoff game as a rookie for the expereince he'd gain. And Rex too. Then we won. Odds were long vs the Chargers. Then we won. So... regardless of tomorrow's outcome. We get Leon. We get Jenkins. We'll have a QB that took us to the AFC Championship as a rook. A Coach we adore. And perhaps... just maybe... a team that no one will want to play. We'll be those guys.

The Jets. A team no one wants to play.
Enjoy this. This is special.
And BTW... just glanced at the box. Snell, just got a first down to take us to the 2 minute warning. It's iced. Wow. THAT was really special.

 

Badger... big day tomorrow.

 

Freebo, you've been a class act all week. Its good to know there are fans out there from other teams like you. I appreciate your words. You make me not want to cut up a manning jersey and pour ketchup on it. Lol. barely. GL my man.