I think those of us fans that aren't local are even more cursed because we could have easily avoided this miserable life.
Most years for these last 51 years, I've asked myself precisely that question (WHY did I become a Jets fan?).
I became a Jets fans because the Jets were perceived to be cool, rebels, rule breakers, long haired and progressive while the Giants were boring, old fashioned, wore buzz hair cuts, and were the face of Nixon and the Vietnam war. There was an ideological war going in the 1960s between young and old and the Jets and Giants stood squarely in opposite camps. As a kid I gravitated towards the youthful rebel rulebreaking and exciting NY Jets.
For the how I would basically copy and paste this, apart from the Derby bit. Throw in that my old man professed to be Giants fan and I was just the right age to pick a city rival, plus Flash Gordon. For the why, because I'm an idiot.
My father did this to me!!!…when I was a kid in the 60s he kept talking about this guy with white shoes… was 10 years old when the Jets were in the SB I honestly don’t remember much about the game what I do remember it’s me and my dad being there watching it on TV… I’m also a big Knicks fan and love Walt Frazier.. my dad was a driver for New York daily news paper he would bring home extra papers and I would cut out the action pictures of the sports section and tape pic of them to my bedroom wall it was then I took notice of Clyde Fraser and Namath had Puma leather shoes… I asked my dad for a pair of those shoes they cost 32 dollars in 1972 … my father had a cow I’ll never forget him in the house kept repeating $32!!!$32!!! there’s no freaking way you’re getting those shoes…I did get the shoes for Christmas … but the curse was set in stone I haven’t seen my teams win a championship sense 1973 that’s when the captain Willis Reed ran off the court with the basketball tucked under his arm in Los Angeles
I thought we did this a few years ago. I did not see my answer posted, so, for whatever it is worth, this is the reason I follow the jets: I was in 6th grade (fall of 1969), and living in the midwest. Played on a 6th grade football team coached by a guy originally from New York who called our team the "jets"--Of course the new york jets were the reigning champs at that time. This was also during the Vietnam war and the military draft. Our coach had to miss a game, but told us that his brother would be in town to coach our team that game. His brother was a really nice guy, and also a jets fan. He coached us that day, did a great job, and I really liked him. Shortly after that, the brother was drafted into the army, went to Vietnam, and was soon killed by ground fire. I decided that I was going to be a new york jets (his team) fan since he was a great guy, volunteered to help us that day, and would not be around to follow the jets anymore.
As a kid, my father had no problem getting Jet tickets, so I went to many games at Shea & was hooked…some things never change…
Yeah, I'm 60 now and remember the 69 game well. I grew up in Queens and became a hardcore Jet, Knick, Ranger, Yankee fan. Which is kinda weird because most Met fans are Jet fans and Yankee fans are Giant fans. I also have a kind of persecution complex and enjoy the pain I get from watching the Jets all these years. Like when Todd threw 5 interceptions and thought AJ Duhe played for the Jets as tight end during the playoff game.
