False hope. Epic meltdowns. Anger. Pain. Shame. Embarrassment. Ridicule. Pity. Resignation. Acceptance.
Back in 2005 I went to go see the Jets play the broncos (we got killed). I met some Jets fans on my way to mile high, they told me that during that '99 championship game things started to get ugly in the stadium. This was the guys exact quote "at half time you need to stop drinking and start watching your back". I don't care for bronco fans either, the only time I want them to win is when they play against the pats.
You know how they say " life has its ups and downs " or " take the good with the bad " = well in my life most things are looking up but then I have the Jets and most things in my life are good and then theres the Jets.
And that can be summed as "Same Old Jets." As recently as the season opener last year when Darnold threw that pick six on his first attempt (SOJ.) Then the elation when the Jets stormed back to crush a decent Lions team in their own stadium. The feeling that maybe something good is finally happening to this team. From there the season went downhill (SOJ.) The brief highs, followed by prolonged depressions. Like the guy who kept banging his head against the wall and was asked why he did it? "Because it feels so good when I stop." That's what it means to be a Jet fan.
As a fan of the team since the early 2000's, it was the 1-4 stretch to end the 2008 season that made me realize that Same Old Jets was a thing. When we were 9-3 after beating the Pats and unbeaten Titans on the road, I really believed we could beat anyone come playoff time. Sadly that would never come. Then came the back to back AFC Championship runs where 1 bad half in each game ended up being fatal. We had the talent to win a Super Bowl during that 3 year span and didn't even make it to the big game once. What could've been.
