Like many others I used to get a bit annoyed when the Jets lost now I just don't care and if anything I find it quite amusing in a schadenfreude kind of way - I have completely given up on them ever winning a SB or even being consistently good during my lifetime. The levels of incompetency are just staggering - they would have had more success if they'd just taken a list of the top 32 players according to most draft boards and thrown a dart blindfolded at it. The only thing that slightly irks is a few years ago I was seriously trying to find another team to follow and was going to go with the Lions as at that time they were similarly shit and I always wear Detroit Tiger baseball caps (as I just like the look of them) so I wouldn't feel like a bandwagoner only now they're too good!
I watched that Lions Thursday night game last week and it was like a Playoffs atmosphere. I went to MSU many years ago and Lions fans then were just like Jets fans now - completely hopeless. Someday maybe we will get to experience what they are experiencing now. They went from being a laughingstock to arguably the best team in the league. And it seemed to happen virtually overnight.
Pasting this from a post I made elsewhere, "re: This is the lowest I've felt as a Jets fan": I think the problem most folks ran into is buying into the narrative that this team is a SB contender, etc... You really have to hold out buying in until the team demonstrates the following (in no particular order): 1) Pattern of winning a) Pattern of winning against playoff caliber teams b) Pattern of finding ways to win games they should lose c) winning in convincing fashion vs. non-playoff teams 2) overcoming injuries with depth and getting meaningful production from back up players 3) limiting self-inflicted penalties which kill drives (or continue drives for the opponent) 4) playing situational football to prevent the other team from gaining momentum 5) executing plays a) finding personnel to execute said plays 6) finding the right GM/Coaching staff that can provide long term success a) supporting the front office and coaching staff by getting out of their way *Note: The things above probably don't happen over the course of 1 season. I.E. the Lions as @JetsUK mentioned a few posts ago. Very early on in the 2024 season, it was clear the Jets had not achieved many if at all any of above and so my expectations were tempered very early on. The writing was on the wall that this was not going to be a successful campaign. You have to "go grey" with this team. Watch the game and don't connect to them emotionally. Their success doesn't define you, as a person, or success in your life. Also, taking myself as an example, I've arbitrarily picked Jets fandom. No one did this to me. I've done some self reflecting and re-prioritization (sparked by welcoming my first child into the world)...sports are entertainment and if you aren't getting entertainment out of them, best to find something in life that brings you entertainment and also warrants the time you put into it. Putting this team on the back burner doesn't reflect poorly on your character. I've gone deeper down the abyss into golf. Found myself playing many Sundays this season while the Jets were on the football field. At least, I have No one to blame but myself for sh*tty play!
the crazy thing with the Lions was when they got Goff most people just saw it as a way for the Rams to get him off their wage bill and the Lions took him to make the deal happen and he has just looked better and better (which is great for him and for them). If the Rams had not won their SB I bet most of their fans would've been calling for heads to roll for making that trade after seeing how well he is playing (and given he is younger).
Almost like it's a statistical impossibility??? Any other team yes, this team.................smh......................I never thought I'd ever miss Joe Walton.....................smh...........................
I was thinking a lot about this yesterday. I think this is one of the rarer trades where both teams won. Goff was floundering in L.A. for whatever reason and he and McVay no longer seemed to be on the same page. Stafford was still solid but stuck on perenially bad teams and needed a fresh start. Both have been a huge net positive for their new teams. But to your point, that was a franchise changing trade for Detroit because of all the draft capital they acquired (and spent wisely!).
If you think of the modern NFL as being, say, 2000 onwards then there are still a few teams that have been worse: - currently tied with Bills and Rams with 9 - Lions - 10 seasons - Browns - 12 seasons
But it wasn’t overnight. It was a long and arduous process that started with an 0-10 start in season one and a 1-6 start in season two. The difference is they have an identity that starts with Campbell and permeates throughout the team. His statement from day one “This team is going to take on the identity of this city, and this city's been down and it's found a way to get up. This team's going to be built on, we're going to kick you in the teeth....We're gonna get knocked down and on the way up, we're going to bite a kneecap off....Before long we're going to be the last one standing. Any loss that we take, we're going to feel the full pain from it and not be numb to it.” To this day that statement sums up the Lions players and their style. Everyone in that locker room carries the essence of Campbell’s statement. Add to that the fact that Campbell is genuine. He is exactly what you see, as opposed to a guy like Saleh who looks the part and tried to sound the part, but he just didn’t have the command and respect of the room the way Campbell does. He was a fugaze and, whether consciously or subconsciously, players sense that. There’s a video of Campbell huddling his team at practice where he’s telling them they are going to be practicing in pads more and that he knows what he’s asking of the players and he knows that it could result in injuries, but that he knows it’s for the better of the team and must be done. He’s so passionate about it, and honestly you could feel it resonate through the team that they believed in him. Saleh is off trying to make up stories about crows and clever metaphors. A coach needs to be honest and direct. A coach needs to be demanding of all players. A coach needs to show he’ll take all the bullets for the players, but he will not tolerate lack of effort. The coach is the Alpha in the room. Do you see a guy like Campbell stepping aside and bending a knee for A Rodgers? Hell no. That mentality took time to marinate through the players they had as well as adding guys that fit the mentality through the draft. And now here they are, 4 years later.
I've been a Jets fan my whole life (and I remember watching the '69 Super Bowl) and I've never felt this disconsolate about "my' team. I didn't want Rodgers because he's a bad guy but I thought he might bring us a championship. Instead, he's been a bad QB and a bad guy. When he didn't show up for pre-season mini-camp I thought we were sunk and then he's blamed everyone for the team's failures except himself. So we're back in December perhaps hoping the team loses instead of dreaming of the playoffs. When I watched DET last week I was jealous--OF FRIGGING DETROIT!!!
It's interesting. I don't really feel anything about the Jets anymore. I just like to hate on Woody. I hope we lose the rest of our games and get a high draft pick Woody went to my cousins' tailgate before the first homegame this season. They said he was cool, but nerdy, and the necklace was ridiculous. My Mom and Dad met him the season we had Brett Favre, he had an event for season ticket holders. It was a bon jovi concert and he was trying to get people to buy the psl's for the new stadium and shit. My mom told him it wasn't worth the money unless they win a SB. and she said he got ruffled by it. A former colleague of mine managed the Maidstone club for awhile (where woody golfs). He said he was alright but a lot of other millionaires/billionaires were either nicer or tipped better. Your daily reminder that Woody Johnson sucks! -From your neighborhood morale officer Darth Barf.
I'm seeing glimmers of hope down the stretch run of this season. None bigger than Aaron Rodgers. Will McDonald's emergence is another. It's exciting to see the Jets have such a good young player at a key position. I know Woody Johnson has proven to be a moron of a owner up to this point who knows with him? BUT there is talent on this team, we have a qb. This doesn't need to be a blow up everything start from scratch type of deal. Add some brains to go with this talent then add some more talent on top of that.
Ironic when you feel no different from a win to a loss, it's a long term effect, from exposure to just this NFL franchise, unfortunately the only known cure, is a Superbowl, so there's no cure on the horizon.
If Rodgers was a rookie or had 10+ years left to play I would agree and have some hope but he has at most 1 year left and this team is nowhere near being a contender as we've all seen this season
The only joy I'll get from this team moving forward is when the new GM comes in and begins dismantling the roster. One of the most overrated rosters in the history of this league.
Well said. And the reason Campbell can do this is because Lion's ownership stays out of football. You don't hear about the current crop of Fords meddling the way Johnson does. A dude like Campbell would never work for a guy like Johnson. Johnson is way too interested in the sound of his own voice. No "Team" in Johnson...
No one knows. Everyone ages differently. Only time will tell. Let's say you're right only 1 more year I'll take it. 1 year of Rodgers doing what Rodgers does could be enough to end the Jets playoff drought & possibly end the Super Bowl drought. IMO worth it.