I remember vaguely stuff about Namath on the TV, but mainly it was the sack exchange time period that I was old enough to root and get tricked into being a fan.. The horror
Father introduced me in the early 80's , I took a few years off (chasin ass) and then went all in. I hadn't missed a game in some form or another in the last 9 or 10 years except this year I purposely didn't watch a few because they didn't deserve My patronage. I am content with our Franchise in that we at least won one. There are other team out there that are worse then us and We've had a fair amount of success in the past 6 or 7 years , so that a positive. ...... And the beat goes on!
1986 Divisional Playoff loss to the Browns. Back then in the UK we had very little coverage on TV, just a once a week one hour condensed game of the week. Found the back and forward nature of the game thrilling and settled on the Jets Pleased to say when my stepson came into my life around 8 years ago and started watching football with me he became a Jets fan also
About 6 years ago about 10 of us started as Uni freshers and started playing university american football. Put 32 teams in a hat, and drew names from them! I ended up with the jets, Nothing like how I became a soccer fan. But its a bit different when you don't live in the country.
My uncle had season tickets at Shea for years and he always took me. I remember driving to Flushing with him, sitting in Breslin's bar on Main Street having a coke and waiting for him to get tuned up. We would walk over the Roosevelt Ave. bridge, get to our seats right behind home plate (end zone seats) and he would always have a flask of manhattans in his coat pocket. Every time the jets scored he would let me have a little nip. I always looked forward to those games with him. I also watched SBIII with him. He had the first color tv on the block back then.
The name. As a kid I wanted to be a pilot so bad, and had an obsession with anything that fly's, that the name Jets just was a perfect fit.
Through my dad; started watching football mid 90s, my dad would rave about this new player named "Chrebet" and at my young age simply told me he played offense. then I started watching more intently as I got a bit older, I was only 7 during the 1998 season, but I distinctly remember seeing the AFC championship on tv but was too young to realize how tragic that game really was. The first season I really started paying attention to every game was the 2000 season and have been a diehard fan ever since.
I made a conscious choice in 2005. My company moved me from Turkey to USA in 2004. I am living here since then. When I came, I knew nothing about football. The first game I watched was the Superbowl between Eagles and Patriots in 2005. My friends invited me to a party and I joined them. Kind of liked the game. Then I found out there was 2 New York football teams in the NFL. I read the histories of both teams etc. The Jets misery was appealing to me. I didn't want to go with the Blue's since they were the popular etc. I have chosen misery with my own conscious. You guys should really respect me. Now I can die to see the Jets just to play Superbowl. If I have chosen the Blues, I could have enjoyed two Superbowl victories. Do I regret? Never. Green and White is my life now. I wouldn't change it for a thing.
When I was 12 I had spinal surgery for scoliosis at the Hospital For Special Surgery. When I awoke there was a guy with me in the recovery room. I asked him what happened. He said "I got clipped." It was Jets running back Lee White who had been injured in the Chiefs game the day before.9/15/68 A couple of days later he was signing autographs for the kids on the floor. To me he wrote "Richard we spent hours together in the recovery room. Feel better soon. OK. Friend always, Lee White #34 New York Jets. When I back to hospital in January to learn how to walk again, I watched the Jets win the Super Bowl.. That's how..
Wow that's a great story.....hope everything ended up working out for you (other than becoming a Jets fan jp )
1986. I was playing football here in Italy as a WR and my favourite player was Al Toon so i choose the Jets; then the dream of my life came true:a 20 days vacation in NY city, a visit at the Jets HQ where they gave me a ticket to watch LIVE a preseason game at meadowlands (NY Jets-Cincinnati Bengals)....they also gave me stickers, pennants, flags, yearbooks and more fan stuffs.....i was the happiest fan in the world. I never left the Jets since.....but still waiting for a SB appearance.
^ I'm fine guys, thanks.. that was 68 .Now they get you get out of a bed a day later. Five years later I was at Hofstra drinking with Joe Namath at Bill's Meadowbrook, told him the story and he bought me a beer and signed a napkin for me..
I have family living in DC, my sister was married to an American guy who is a jets fan, he took me to a game and I was hooked. Two years later they divorced and the fucker left me in this mess.