It's Not Easy Being Green
WARNING: THIS IS NOT A MUSIC RELATED POST. INSTEAD JUST A REACTION TO THE TERRIBLE NY JETS PERFORMANCE AGAINST THE SEAHAWKS.
Whenever I tell someone my favorite football team is the Jets, I always get the same reaction – “Wow, that sucks!” And unlike practically any fan of any other team, I promptly reply, “Yeah, it does.”
I haven’t lived through so much of the pain in Jets history, which may make me pretty lucky. I never had to live through many of the classic moments in Jets history, like some dude named A.J. Duhe of the Dolphins picking off, not one, not two, but three Richard Todd passes in the AFC Championship. I never had to witness the 1983 draft where we proudly selected QB Ken O’Brien over Dan Marino. Hell, I didn’t even have to see Mark Gastineau cost us a game due to a well timed personal foul in the playoffs which they had all but locked up against the Browns.
Oh, I’ve seen my fair share of wonderful Jets moments, like the epic 1-15 season, the second half collapse against the Broncos in the AFC Championship game, and the missed Doug Brien FG’s which would have earned them a spot in the AFC Championship. My soul should pretty much be immune to all things related to Jets football.
Well with all that said, one would think that I would be accustomed to Jets collapses. Surely I saw all those moments coming. And obviously I would have predicted the Jets to lose to the Seahawks yesterday. Yet for some reason, it never gets easy. I switch seating positions every few minutes desperately looking for the lucky spot. I toss on my Favre jersey, and when that doesn’t work, I try my Chrebet jersey, and if that doesn’t work, I just wear both, and if none of that works, I just sport my lucky undershirt, which must have worn thin by week thirteen. I even think that shaving on Sunday is unlucky. I’m not a superstitious person, only with the Jets, and clearly I haven’t quite found my lucky charm yet.
So why do I find myself screaming at the TV as each Sunday? Why is it that I needed to cover holes in my walls with posters thanks to the Jets giving me bloody knuckles? Why is it that I need to search around for the batteries from my remote that was flung across the room? It’s simply because the Jets have a knack for giving their fans false hope. I know all my optimism with the Jets is misplaced. I just want something to believe in. I want for one time in my life to be proud of my team – just one chance in my life to go to the store the day after the Super Bowl and buy a Jets Super Bowl Champions sweatshirt. To bask in the glory when the clock hits zero on the final game of the NFL year and the Gang Green are celebrating on the fifty yard-line.
Instead of that it’s looking like I’m going to have to stick it out another year, and remind myself that the worst curse in my life is being a Jets fan. No, I’ll never stop rooting, I’ll be watching every preseason game, and reminding both my family and friends that I’m not allowed to do anything besides watch the game on Sundays. I know I’ll be there year after year whining about why the Jets need to fire their coach, get a new QB, or any other possible excuse. I’m at that point now. I already want Mangini’s head on the chopping block, and I’m hoping and praying that Brett Ratliff will be everything that I hoped for, and those thoughts are only the beginning. My to-do list for the rest of my life is rather short, and at the very top – is witnessing a Jets Super Bowl victory. And would it be crazy to think that even at the age of twenty-two I’ll never get to see that?
Whenever I tell someone my favorite football team is the Jets, I always get the same reaction – “Wow, that sucks!” And unlike practically any fan of any other team, I promptly reply, “Yeah, it does.”
I haven’t lived through so much of the pain in Jets history, which may make me pretty lucky. I never had to live through many of the classic moments in Jets history, like some dude named A.J. Duhe of the Dolphins picking off, not one, not two, but three Richard Todd passes in the AFC Championship. I never had to witness the 1983 draft where we proudly selected QB Ken O’Brien over Dan Marino. Hell, I didn’t even have to see Mark Gastineau cost us a game due to a well timed personal foul in the playoffs which they had all but locked up against the Browns.
Oh, I’ve seen my fair share of wonderful Jets moments, like the epic 1-15 season, the second half collapse against the Broncos in the AFC Championship game, and the missed Doug Brien FG’s which would have earned them a spot in the AFC Championship. My soul should pretty much be immune to all things related to Jets football.
Well with all that said, one would think that I would be accustomed to Jets collapses. Surely I saw all those moments coming. And obviously I would have predicted the Jets to lose to the Seahawks yesterday. Yet for some reason, it never gets easy. I switch seating positions every few minutes desperately looking for the lucky spot. I toss on my Favre jersey, and when that doesn’t work, I try my Chrebet jersey, and if that doesn’t work, I just wear both, and if none of that works, I just sport my lucky undershirt, which must have worn thin by week thirteen. I even think that shaving on Sunday is unlucky. I’m not a superstitious person, only with the Jets, and clearly I haven’t quite found my lucky charm yet.
So why do I find myself screaming at the TV as each Sunday? Why is it that I needed to cover holes in my walls with posters thanks to the Jets giving me bloody knuckles? Why is it that I need to search around for the batteries from my remote that was flung across the room? It’s simply because the Jets have a knack for giving their fans false hope. I know all my optimism with the Jets is misplaced. I just want something to believe in. I want for one time in my life to be proud of my team – just one chance in my life to go to the store the day after the Super Bowl and buy a Jets Super Bowl Champions sweatshirt. To bask in the glory when the clock hits zero on the final game of the NFL year and the Gang Green are celebrating on the fifty yard-line.
Instead of that it’s looking like I’m going to have to stick it out another year, and remind myself that the worst curse in my life is being a Jets fan. No, I’ll never stop rooting, I’ll be watching every preseason game, and reminding both my family and friends that I’m not allowed to do anything besides watch the game on Sundays. I know I’ll be there year after year whining about why the Jets need to fire their coach, get a new QB, or any other possible excuse. I’m at that point now. I already want Mangini’s head on the chopping block, and I’m hoping and praying that Brett Ratliff will be everything that I hoped for, and those thoughts are only the beginning. My to-do list for the rest of my life is rather short, and at the very top – is witnessing a Jets Super Bowl victory. And would it be crazy to think that even at the age of twenty-two I’ll never get to see that?
posted by Jeff at 9:27 AM
7 Comments:
I was rooting for the Jets because I wanted them to make playoffs to rub the Favre thing in the face of the Packers. However I think it's Miami that has pulled off the biggest turnaround. Meanwhile I sit with my face in my hands as I know my Broncos will lose to the Chargers next week. My only hope for the final week of the season is that the Packers step up and put the 2008 Lions in the record books at 0-16. This would be a message to all slacker teams that yes you can go winless if you don't make some changes. I was also glad to see the Titans stop their bleeding and smack the Steelers down a notch.
The Broncos look like they have a bright future with Cutler at QB. He has an amazing arm, and Royal and Marshall only make him better. I guess it's just a matter of getting that defense together. I'll be rooting for the Broncos to win, I would much rather see them in than the Chargers.
Jeff,
You and me both brother. The thing with me is that I'm not as rapid about football as I am baseball, so when the Giants win it all (all three in my life), it kind of -- not fully -- makes up for the embarrassment that is the Jets. Remember in a posting a few months ago that we had? Something always happens. To most people, it's Murphy. But to the Jets, it's themselves.
Metal Mark,
What's frightening for me is the contemporaneous notion that the Detroit automakers are absolute losers deserving of nothing other than a kick on the way down and their football team is eerily similar and is about to shake hands with futility.
Hatter - A Giants fan came up to me a few weeks ago and told me that Jets fans are the worst because of how they're so negative and that the Jets would finish the season just fine. Clearly they aren't finishing the season on a high note, and maybe he's getting a glimpse of why Jets fans think the way they do. It's not so much a matter of if things will go wrong, it's a matter of when. With the Jets, you know soemthing will go wrong...
Jeff-The passing game and the number of targets has been the big bright spot for the Broncos. the defense is terrible and the injuries to the running backs have killed them though.
Mark - The number of running backs Denver has used is unbelievable. What did they use, fifteen different RBs this year?
You seem like the person I need to ask (maybe):
What is that fucking opening song from the player introductions (opening Jets video) at the stadium? It sounds like a Metallica song, maybe from Master of Puppets. But I can't remember the tune now.
Any idea? It's been driving us crazy all season.
Also, fuck the Dolphins and Farve should have retired. That's all I'm saying.
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