http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/ny-spjets0518,0,4699233.story?coll=ny-sports-headlines Jersey greets Jets at new HQ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS May 18, 2006 FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- On the town green, fans clamored for autographs from Woody Johnson, an owner and chairman of the Jets. Nearby, others jostled for the prized signature of D'Brickashaw Ferguson, the team's first-round draft pick. Ferguson signed the jersey of Elissa Jannicelli, a longtime fan, as she and a few thousand of her Florham Park neighbors helped roll out the green carpet Wednesday for the Jets. "We're so excited that the Jets have chosen our town to be their home," said Jannicelli, 38. "We're huge Jets fans." The NFL team, popularly nicknamed Gang Green, is moving its offices and training facility from Long Island to New Jersey as part of a $1 billion new stadium deal for the Jets and New York Giants at the Meadowlands. The team looked at about 40 sites in northern New Jersey before settling on Florham Park, a borough of 12,000 people about 30 miles west of Manhattan. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which operates the Meadowlands, will pay $20 million to purchase the 20 acres in Florham Park, formerly an Exxon headquarters site, said the authority's chairman, Carl Goldberg. The sale of the land, part of a 420-acre office park, is expected to close in the next two or three months, he said. The team will pay to construct its headquarters building and will own it, but will lease the land from the sports authority, Goldberg said. The Jets estimate the move will bring more than $10 million annually in new tax revenue for New Jersey. The team is expected to move from Hempstead, N.Y., in the summer of 2008, said Jay Cross, the team's president. The team has hired the prestigious architecture firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill to design the building, estimated to cost about $30 million, he said. "We're looking to be a little bit different," said Cross, who is trained as an engineer and holds a master's degree in architectural technology from Columbia University. The 110,000 square-foot building will include classrooms, locker rooms, a large auditorium, a cafeteria and a press room. The training facility will include three outdoor fields and an indoor field. Cross said construction could begin as soon as December. Plans must go through zoning approval first, said Mayor Frank Tinari, who received his own Jets jersey from the team at Wednesday's festivities. Despite the increased traffic, Tinari said the borough will benefit from fans coming in to attend practices and by attracting tenants to other parcels within the mixed-use development where the team is locating. The borough is to receive a payment instead of taxes of about $150,000 annually. The team and the sports authority also plan to give an additional $50,000 annually for parks in the community.
Good for NJ Jet fans. As a Li'er, this breaks my heart, but I acknowledge that NY state had the chance to keep the Jets and blew it. Boy, is NY going to miss the taxes the Jets generated for them the last 40 years.
Saw coverage of it on SNY's Sports New York News show. Wayne was there and he said he was glad to welcome the Jets to his home state. Kellen was interviewed and said that he loves the atmosphere and is very excited about being there in a few years. Also, said he was thrilled to be a Jet. Woody said that Florham Park was a magical atmosphere and will make a great home for the Jets new camp.
This practice facility is 15 minutes from my job and when I went to Hoftra it was almost a three hour drive. I am happy as a pig in $hit. Let hope Mangini will have a few practices under the lights and I can go right from work. From my house its like 45 or 50 minutes a heck of alot better then the 3 hour drive.
point pleasant is right on the water, correct? I think i went there on vacation 2-3 years ago. Nice little place.
Look over to NY and you see me giving the finger and shooting a moon, as Long Islanders lost the last piece of the NY Jets they were able to hold onto for so many years.
Just the type of reaction I'd expect from you. Of course, NJ has them now, and since they're really only the New York Jets in name, I accept them with loving arms and welcome them to their home. After all, they've been in Jersey since 1984 right? So it's been a long time coming. Maybe you should consider moving.
I think it sucks. At least they're not changing the name to "the New York Jets of FLORHAM PARK,NJ" Seriously... I understand that many sports teams have moved out of the dump that is inner cities through the years, but technically the Jets are completely in another state right now. I sure as crap wouldn't chear on the Kentucky Colonials if they were located in Evansville, Indiana. Might as well move the team to Los Angelas and still call them the New York Jets.
Hey Captain Obvious, you really aren't as swift as you'd like to have the rest of us believe. Anyone who knows me on here, which would of course not include you, is aware that more often than not my posts are heavily laden in sarcasm. This is no exception. "Just the type of reaction I'd expect from you." Of course you wouldn't expect anything less, because you know me so well, correct? Analyze me- I'd love to know the real life story. Maybe you should consider moving out of this thread, forum and off the webpage altogether, since you really have nothing to offer the members of this site in the way of beneficial content. Oh wait, you do have alot to offer- those wonderful "Fleshlight" and "Schiavo" threads. My mistake. I'm still waiting for your real life story- however meaningless it might be I promise not to laugh- in your face anyway.
HEY FITM, yes I am a stones throw from the water and yes in three out of the four seasons its a great place to live. In the winter I spend most of my time in front of the TV watching my Jets play. My drive from P.P. to Long Island was well ---- LONG. But Im happy they are close enough were I can see them more then two or three times a year at camp.
Yeah, from what I recall it was a nice place. Most notably I remember walking the boardwalk and the water tower. :beer:
Northeast NJ is just another borough of NYC if you think about it, so consider them named after the city rather than the state.
Too bad that's what NY actually said to him, or else both the practice facility, headquarters, and stadium would ALL be in NY.
It really pisses me off that the Jets are a NEW YORK team and yet the stadium and training facilities are located in NEW JERSEY. I am tired of this crap.
