Didn't the name come from how close Shea was to LaGuardia Airport? They had just moved from the Polo Grounds and I think they wanted a new identity. I just don't think it had anything to do with Warbirds. I could be wrong, but I don't think so...
According to Wikipedia they played at the PG as the Jets in '63 after Werblin acquired the team and changed the name, then moved them to Shea the following year. Which is also the year the Mets began playing there. So I assume the name change was likely in anticipation of the move to Shea and the proximity to LAG. When Cakes wakes up he will confirm all this, I'm sure.
Well isn't that unfortunate with commercial aircraft actually having more negative connotations in NY. Almost as unfortunate as an ad campaign I noticed when I was working on 9/12. I'd rather have the war fighter to rep my team. I think everyone would rather see a pack of F22 Raptors than a Airbus going over the stadium. Seems like a better representation of an attitude we should have, bring more meaning to "Play like a Jet".
Thoughts? Saw some guy make a full green (below), green/white, full white here http://boards.sportslogos.net/topic/77107-bucs-pro-combatized-nfl/
Based solely on memory, I recall that it was always a given amongst the fans of the time that the rhyming nature of the two names was the primary reason for choosing "Jets", rather than some other New York oriented name. The Mets were a new team that made a successful entry onto the New York sports scene, and the Jets were looking to ride that wave, given their sharing of a home stadium (Shea Stadium AND the Polo Grounds). "Jets" fit a number of positive categories for a team name and the rhyming nature solidified the choice. I have looked up this issue several times, but the only factual basis to the "rhyming" theory I have found is a cartoon ( Bill Gallo ?) making reference to this. I may have posted this several years ago, but I can't find it now. Most research seems to refer to the proximity to LaGuardia as the basis for the name, but I think if you speak to fans from that era, they will generally recall that it was understood that the reason the name was chosen was because it rhymed with Mets. I also recall that when the Nets moved from New Jersey to Long Island in 1968, they changed their name from "Americans"to "Nets" based upon the fact that it rhymed with Mets & Jets.
Bring it back? That's freakin' horrible. All it needs is a smiley face painted on the stupid cartoon airplane and it would be a cousin of the dolphin.
That was one helluva year in NYC. 1964 saw the Flushing Queens area shine. I remember going to the World's Fair and riding the monorail as a kid, then going to what to me was the greatest stadium ever in Shea. I also remember the name thing definetly was tied to the Proximity to LAG and that it rhymed with the METS was just coincidence. By 1964, the METS were the "luvable losers" and I'm pretty sure Werblin didn't want that association out front. If memory serves, both organizations became hostile towards each other which in the end, lead to the Jersey move. I do think that the NETS went with that name as a tie in. Amazing some of the things that stay with you thru life isn't it...
Guess we lucked out. those other names they were considering are dreadful. surprised that's the best they could come up with
Nice find, I've always liked the Jets as a name, and no doubt those other possibilities were terrible. Some names are pretty terrible, I'm not speaking as a rival but Miami Dolphins? God can you think of a less imposing name? The Miami Palm Trees? Or a nice solid racist name like the good old Washington Redskins, jeez.
Look at it this way. Captain Jet would be climbing out of the Gimp Box to hold Skeletor on his shoulders to lead the chant.
Well it would have finally given me an excuse to wear my latex onesy in public. And an excuse to ball gag every annoying as fuck fan I don't want to listen to. Fuck why don't we just call them the New York BDSMers.
