Not going to lie...growing up as a New York Jets fan was miserable. The Jets were always second fiddle to the New York Giants, Big Blue or G-Men as the diehards like to call them. Gang Green was like the red headed stepchild no one loves...you know they are just there and you have to deal with it.
I am a Jets fan because my dad said I was a Jets fan...growing up as a kid, I played sports but didn't follow it like I do now, every son follows his father its guy code...My grandfather was a huge Jets fan, and he and my dad watched the Jets win their only Superbowl when my dad was a little boy. Over the years I have been dying for a Superbowl! It is driving me crazy! At least get back to the big game! When the Jets beat the Indianapolis Colts last week, I learned a shocking stat. Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez led the Jets franchise with the most playoff wins...3...a whopping number 3. This organization has been around since the AFL merged with the NFL in the 60's and no other coach or QB had more than 3 playoff wins(now its 4 with the win over New England).
My moms side of the family are mostly Giants fans, with one uncle being a die hard Steelers fan. I got A LOT of crap for being a Jets fan. My uncle Mike, the huge Steelers fan, busts my balls everytime the family gets together. He says the same things.. "Superbowl 3" "Joe Namath" "How many Superbowls do the Jets have?" I take it like a man. I believe Jets fans can take crap and receive shit talk better than any other football teams fan base. There is a very strong fan base deep down, the die hards, and we stick with our team no matter what. You live and die with the team, you never change your team.
High school, all my friends were Giants fans. I had maybe two friends who liked the Jets. I got so much crap for being a Jets fan, mostly because, lets face it, the Jets stink and have been pretty bad for years. Sure they make the playoffs every now and then, but there is no glory besides Joe Namath and Superbowl 3.
When Superbowl 42 happened, I was sick to my stomach. I didn't want the Patriots to go undefeated, but I didn't want the Giants to win a Superbowl and go to school the next day and never hear the end of it. I sadly decided to "root" for the Patriots, I figured I can see history, avoid all the talk from Giants fans, and earn some easy money betting on the game. Lets just say 18-1 and I bet on the one game the Patriots lost all year. Plus, put on top the Giants won the Superbowl in dramatic, amazing fashion, I heard a lot for weeks to come. It was the lowest point of being a Jets fan.
I had to deal with Belichick leaving the Jets after a day, being a kid and remembering seeing my dad so upset after the Jets lost the 97 AFC Championship game, Herman Edwards not knowing how to manage a clock, seeing Keyshawn Johnson be a baby and whine his way out of New York, seeing the Jets have 4 first round picks, and 3 of them turned out to be wastes. I witnessed Eric Mangini seem like a genius, only to turn into a villian who had no personality. I saw Brett Favre deliver a spark to my team, only to see his shoulder kill our season, and then face allegations of him sending pictures of his junk to women. I witnessed 2007 and seeing the Patriots destroy everyone during the season, I witnessed Vernon Gholston being the biggest waste of a 6th overall draft pick...hell even the Revis holdout this offseason kept me on edge all summer until he came back a week before the season.
But throughout all that, theres hope. That hope comes in a man named Rex Ryan. Other fans HATE him, Jets fans adore him. He came in and right away said "I am not here to kiss Belichicks rings" "We want to be bigger than the Giants" It was a Jets fans wet dream...but in reality many still wondered who is this guy, and these things will never become a reality.
Two years later, the Jets are the talk of football. ESPN can't get enough of them, and yes they seem bigger than the Giants (but in reality they're not, sadly they are just the bigger story due to the playoffs). But Rex has delivered hope. The Jets can play defense! WHO KNEW?!?! I was amazed with the defense last year, and we went all the way to the AFC championship. Many were suprised, myself included, and even though they lost the ride was fun and gave a lot of fans hope.
Now with a second year qb, our second year head coach has us back to the AFC Championship game. You can say, if won this sunday, this was a tougher 3 game road stretch than the Giants had to endure in 07 ( Colts, Patriots, Steelers > Bucs, Cowgirls and Packers) Still, the Jets need to play a perfect game to beat Pittsburgh. We don't want to be the Philadelphia Eagles, sniffing greatness many times but never getting there. WE WANT THE CHAMPIONSHIP! That is the only way Rex can keep the talk going. Maybe it is not this year, but I believe when all is said and done he will have his ring. Words can't even describe the euphoria I would feel if the Jets got to Dallas and won the big game. People would respect the Jets. They wouldn't be a joke, and I won't hear garbage anymore, I will be the jerk rubbing it in peoples faces. I will be first in line waiting for the Jets to have the parade through the Canyon of Heroes. It would be greater than the Yankees winning in 09 (but I did love that, I had many Red Sox fans to text afterwards :) )
Overall, in Rex we trust. You may not like him, but the players sure do. In a poll taken by Sports Illustrated , Rex won in a landslide in the voting of which coach you would like to play for (as voted by current NFL players), beating out the hoodie Belichick. He will attract free agents, just like he did this past offseason, such as LaDainian Tomlinson choosing the Jets over the Vikings. He takes the pressure off the players, and doesn't care what people think or say about him. Antrel Rolle, safety for the Giants told ESPN NY he would like to play for Rex, and for Coughlin to loosen up like him.
As Bart Scott said after the Patriots game "We go to war for that man". He brings out the best in his players, the confidence and pride. He makes the Jets relevant, makes them seem like they are a great franchise like the Pats or the Cowboys (even though the Jets have way more losing history).
If the Jets lose, I will be heartbroken, hear all the talk and jokes and move on with life. It will be a huge upset if they don't go all the way. I'm dreaming of a Superbowl, hopefully rex can deliver.
In Rex we trust.
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