Becoming a Casual Fan

Games like the Bills game have pretty much become the "playoffs" for the Jets franchise. This is a franchise that is going absolutely nowhere anytime soon, and probably won't return to respectability anytime in the foreseeable future, so it almost, in a kind of perverse way, seems like those games where ownership is forced to leave the premises embarrassed and without taking questions from the media is what we have to look forward to. If they're not going to do put any effort into making this franchise respectable, instead siphoning the funds of the general public to further increase the value of this turd of an organization, then they should at least, every so often, feel something that resembles the embarrassment that we feel for rooting for this nonsense week in and week out.

 

I just can't even justify watching games much anymore. I used to go to sports bars to watch games when I lived in PA for school and when I moved to South Jersey. When I was overseas, you guys helped me vote Jets games onto AFN game of the week over all those dumb Cowboys fans. There's just a number of things that bother me too much to keep me from going out of my way to watch games. In no particular order:

1. Ownership sucks - They don't care if the team wins as long as they make money.
2. Bowles sucks - Same mistakes year after year. Players aren't held accountable for acting bad or shitty play. Coaches under him aren't held accountable for being terrible. Doesn't know how to make second half adjustments. Every single game we get killed in the second half.
3. The way games are chosen for South Jersey TV viewing is so dumb. CBS was blacked out in the southern half of NJ today because the Eagles were on TV on Fox at the same time. Even though the Jets were playing IN New Jersey.. And all those weeks there was a CBS game on, South Jersey doesn't get the Jets games. It's always Pittsburgh or some super random match-up no one in this region cares about.
4. Dumb rules. No one knows what a catch is anymore. Not even the refs. The new roughing the passer definition is so freaking dumb. And rules don't apply the same to all 32 teams.
5. No matter who the GM is, the draft strategy doesn't seem to change much. At least Mac is better at going with BPA instead of reaching for shitty defensive players but our o-line has been neglected for ages in the draft and is patched up with has-been's. It doesn't matter who is running the ball, who is throwing, or who is catching if the o-line sucks. No QB or RBs could do well with the o-line's we've had this decade.

It's the same bullshit year after year and I'm just sick of it. I can't justify going out, wasting gas, and spending money on beer's/food to watch games. I can't justify spending money on apparel of a team that doesn't put in the effort. I want to believe in this team so badly but I don't have faith in management to put this team in a position to succeed. I like Sam Darnold, but he won't succeed getting hit so fast every pass play and with no one respecting a rushing game that is mediocre as hell it's going to be a tough career here.

 

I'm in this all the way no casual fan stuff for me. It may never happen in my lifetime, but if the Jets win the Super Bowl it will be the sweetest thing on Gods green earth. I plan on partying for like a week immediately after.

 

I'm still a die-hard, always will be. Because there will *hopefully* be a season in my lifetime where the Jets appear in and win a SB. But regardless, dating back Year 2 of Fitz and since, I've learned to not stress myself on game day like I used to. For instance, today, I had to run an errand, and had zero issue leaving with minutes still to go in the 4th, instead of waiting for the game to finish. There was a time where I would watch in its entirety because I was a sucker. Not anymore. Not until new coaching is in place and games are won in - get this - CONSECUTIVE weeks!

 

For the first time in 5 years, I missed the first Bills game and had 0 second thoughts about it either. If I couldn’t watch live, I would always DVR and catch it like an hour later but I could give a shit less now. This is what 20 years of ineptitude will do to any fan. At some point, you reach a breaking point and stop caring as much. The second that Bowles was brought back, it immediately took away any excitement I had coming in to this year. This team just doesn’t get it and I feel like they treat us all as suckers. I also feel bad for Jamal Adams and a few others who work their asses off and it hurts them to lose because I know they try their hardest to help turn this team around but a few players can only do so much when you have so much incompetence at the higher levels of the entire organization. The struggles....

 

It's really lame for a new poster to show up and immediately inject some totally unrelated partisan politics into a subject that has nothing to do with our sorry state of political affairs except that the Jets are also in a sorry state. Feel free to cancel your membership at your earliest convenience.

 

I think as you get older you start to realize that "time" is life's most precious commodity ... my patience is running short and my time is running out.

 

I didn't watch Jets Pats game because I knew we would loose. I will no longer dedicate 4hrs and my emotions to our games this year.

I am a fan of the Jets. I own a lot of green stuff and I'm an unhappy hostage of the Season Ticket holder PSL.

But guys and girls, lets remember Chris Johnson told Bowles he did not have to make the playoffs this year. We stripped our team of Free Agents, got a good prospect for a long term Quarterback in Sam Darnold, and began the season with a bunch of rookies.

Frankly, we were not going anywhere this year.

The win in Detroit gave the Jets Spin Cycle a push. The Hype went into high gear and we all took the bait.

Back to reality. It's all about next year and how well the Jets manage to build the 2019 team, fix what's not working, and regain the trust of the fan base.

 

All but a few comically over optimistic posters (some of whom have since vanished until next offseason) already knew this season would be a shit show.

That’s the problem. When you go into every season knowing your team will suck it’s takes the joy out of things.

 

You might want to look into Cryogenesis. Perhaps in 2035 they'll wake you up just in time for a Jet SB in their own stadium and a manned landing on Mars.

 

Even though this season has been a clusterf**k, I still think we’re on the verge of something good. We still have some serious needs that need to be addressed that just haven’t. I wasn’t expecting us to go 10-6, but I wasn’t expecting us to go 3-13 either, which it looks like we’re going to do. A little disappointed, yeah, enough to be casual nah.

One thing I learned living in the UK for a minute with their football. You pick a team and that’s your team for life. There’s no “I’m an Arsenal fan and a Manchester City fan.” They roll with them through the good and the bad. I guess they have casual fans, but being a fan is a way of life.

We suck. But I’m going to ride it out.

 

The only thing keeping me a Jets fan is loyalty to a brand that I grew up with. The move to NJ, the cost, ownership and management, the lack of a long-range plan, the media, the negativity, and most of all the on-field product have all made me cynical and bitter towards this team. Big spending in the offseason will bring in some names and the product will improve, but the lack of anything sustainable will continue to cripple this team in the future.

 

Jets new marketing ploy:

"If you're a fan of the Washington Generals, you're going to love the New York Jets!"

 

I get why you would be less invested in this franchise as you get older but don't get why this season would push you over the edge....it was clearly gonna be a rough year with a rookie QB and it was predictable it would be Bowles last season.

 

When you look at the awful history of this team in drafts, trades etc. it is very tough being a Jets fan especially in the 70's.

Then came the NY sack exchange, some success in the 80's to lure you back in.

The 90's was more of the historical trendline of bad picks, bad coaches etc then when people gave up and the heart of the fan base was about to give up they land the big tuna, turn around the roster and lure us back in.

Tuna leaves and the slow decline of talent and bad picks, bad trades bad coaching hurts the team but they are somewhat competitive, enough to not lose the fan base.

Mangini comes in makes some nice moves, improves the team yet gets canned after a winning season. This shit ass franchise fired a coach after a winning season? If you're the Cowboys, Steelers or some other perennial winning program and you fall short at 9-7 maybe you look in another direction but probably not, only the Jets. The Jets should never have let him go. Since Mangini there have been 3 winning seasons, 2 with his players under Rex (so including Rex's 1st 2 years as Mangini's guys they had winning seasons 4 out of 5 years which solidified the fan base up to now).

Once the roster became Rex's guy's the slide continued and continues today under toilet and Mac.

Toilet had 1 winning season because of a cupcake schedule and FA money they had to spend. This is turning out to be the worst 3 year stretch since the Pete Carrol / Kotite's years (10 wins in 3 years vs. the current 13 wins to date this year with maybe 1 win remaining). Rock bottom was the 3 consecutive 3 win seasons in the 70's.

This feels worse to me than the 70's because I have season tickets, no desire to go and can't sell because the PSL's aren't worth pocket change. If ownership can't see that this thing has fallen so far off the rails that fans may not come back if they don't make the right hires this time around then it's time to man up and sell the team to someone that is passionate about the team. There are no Banners this time around, that alone should tell ownership that they've lost the fan base.

It's cheaper for me to just give up my PSL seats than it costs to renew tickets. If they don't make the right moves this off-season I likely will give up my PSL seats making it easier to become just a casual Jets fan or just a fan of the NFL and look to watch good teams play.

 

I believe Mangini's personality led to his ouster. He was trying to be Belichick 2.0 and he took the worst parts of Belichick 1.0 in doing so.

 

THIS

Firing Mangini was one of the dumbest things this franchise has done in the last two decades under Woody's "leadership", especially the way in which it was done, after supposedly being given a promise to not be fired based on the results of the season because Favre was forced on him. That was a good team that Mangini had built (and was building), evidenced by the fact that a coach as poor as Rex Ryan was able to lead them to two AFC Championship Games. Had they continued building that team and, this is of course a big IF, found a solid QB in the draft, we could still be reaping the rewards from that. But, no, Woody had to pull the plug on that after a 9-7 season that only ended the way it did because Favre got hurt. Woody seemed to have forgotten that while Favre was healthy there in the middle of the season, you could have made a very reasonable argument that we were the best team in the AFC.

 

I would say there's more tiers between casual and die hard.

You have the pretender fans. Barely watch any games or follow the team but will identify as a Jets fan. Good or bad year doesn't matter
You have the casual fan. Will follow the team a bit when good, forget them when bad. Watch the games mostly. Go to a game here and there. Buy little to no merch
You have the legit fan. Watches every game, goes to games. Keeps up with the team but the results don't really interfere with his life
You have the die hard fan. Watches every game, goes to games often. Tailgates. Buys a decent amount of merch. Follows the team daily from July to end of season
You have the ultra. Watches or even goes to every game. Even road games. Knows everything about the team. Follows them every day of the year. Has a bunch of merch. Gets very pissed off when they lose. Is happy as a clam when they win

That's basically your breakdown of NFL fanhood

 

But what has Mangini done since? He is not a good coach? Players found him distant, unreasonably draconian, he just had poor people skills as a coach and as an in game tactician he was middling at best. At one point yes he showed promise to be a good NFL coach but much like what happens to some players, his growth was stunted. He coached in Cleveland afterwards and was an assistant in San Fran. And he showed nothing