What was the reason you became a Jets fan?

[Joejet]

I think it would be interesting to see why everyone became Jets fans; was it a family tradition, a certain event like the Super Bowl, was it a certain player, or maybe you just have masochistic tendencies?

I will start with I became a Jets fan at 12 years old when they drafted Joe Namath. I have remained a loyal and long suffering fan since.

[slimjasi]

I liked the color green when I was a kid and I grew up in jersey 

[TommyT]

I read one of Joejet’s post and it inspired me.

[Beerfish]

Ricky Ray signed with the Jets from my CFL hometown team.

[Trotter]

Dad was a jet fan and first game I remember was Heidi bowl.

some memories of sb3

[Saul Goodman]

No ties to NY/NJ (born and raised in California).

An uncle gave me a shirt that had caricatures of Ken O’Brien, Freeman McNeil and Al Toon sometime in the late 80’s as a birthday gift. Completely random, he wasn’t a Jets fan nor a football fan at all. Al Toon is still my favorite player, by the way. A few years later I had a book report assignment and saw a copy of Nose to Nose in the library, which I devoured. 

Tried to follow the team as closely as possible following that.

Then Sunday Ticket was invented (1999?), along with message boards like this (I posted on JI for years), and since then I have watched every play of every Jets game either on TV or in person. 
 

Edit: I have a stupid Jets tattoo as well

[munchmemory]

Back in the 70s, I was a "bucket boy"/booth squeegee tech at several Times Square porn emporiums.  I was trying to pay off a family member's gambling debt.   One day, as I was "tidying up" a booth, one of the gals offered me a ticket to that Sunday's Jet game as thanks for keeping the place spic & span.   I enjoyed the game and have been a fan ever since.

[southparkcpa]

4 minutes ago, munchmemory said:

Back in the 70s, I was a "bucket boy"/booth squeegee tech at several Times Square porn emporiums.  I was trying to pay off a family member's gambling debt.   One day, as I was "tidying up" a booth, one of the gals offered me a ticket to that Sunday's Jet game as thanks for keeping the place spic & span.   I enjoyed the game and have been a fan ever since.

Was that you cleaning up after me?

[Jethead]

They weren't the Giants. Then Joe Willie.

[munchmemory]

15 minutes ago, southparkcpa said:

Was that you cleaning up after me?

I can't remember.   So much of those days are lost in a haze of booze, cheap pot and wiping up jizz.  Were you one of the regulars who was always asking me to break a dollar into quarters?  If so, thanks for always saying hi and treating me like a human being.  To almost everyone else, I was invisible.

[chirorob]

Sack exchange.

Also, I liked sports history from a very early age and reading about the Jets being the 1st AFL tema to win a SB was cool.

[southparkcpa]

9 minutes ago, munchmemory said:

I can't remember.   So much of those days are lost in a haze of booze and wiping up jizz.  Were you one of the regulars who was always asking me to break a dollar into quarters?  If so, thanks for always saying hi and treating me like a human being.  To almost everyone else, I was invisible.

I remember being a teen, train to Manhattan and going to Times Square. We would sneek in,  put a coin in and the window would go up.  It aint what you expect.  Some fat guy being "orally handled" by some fat woman.   Those were the days. If our parents only knew.

[BroadwayBen]

Grew up in Ohio but my dad's whole family was from New York. One of my relatives bought me a Curtis Martin jersey as a young kid, and well, the rest is history!

[PorP]

38 minutes ago, slimjasi said:

I liked the color green when I was a kid and I grew up in jersey 

Me too ish. Grew up in northern NY where everyone else was a bills fan.  I like to "buck the system" and like green. 

[southparkcpa]

7 minutes ago, chirorob said:

Sack exchange.

Also, I liked sports history from a very early age and reading about the Jets being the 1st AFL tema to win a SB was cool.

I always liked JOE!!!! But my dad would watch Jets and Giants so I liked both. About 1981 I swore off the Giants. I think the SACK exchange was part of that.

[PS17]

I was 8 and the judgment side of my brain was undeveloped. 

[Warfish]

What was the reason you became a Jets fan?

1. Grew up on Long Island

2. Family (uncles) were Jets Fans, so it was on TV.

3. I loved the color.  Green has always been my color (I own three green guitars ffs, lol)

4. I loved the Helmet Logo.

5. The early/mid-80's Jets, when I was in my formative pre-teen years, were fun, exciting and descent.

The real question, 30+ years since I left L.I., and with the history of the Jets, is why I've stayed a Jets Fan.

And that answer is:

1. Hated the Redskins name.

2. Hated the Redskins Uniforms.

3. Hated Dan Snyder.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't, lol.

Had my family moved to a City with a decent looking uniform/logo and no bellend Owner, who knows who I'd be rooting for today, lol.

[munchmemory]

3 minutes ago, southparkcpa said:

I remember being a teen, train to Manhattan and going to Times Square. We would sneek in,  put a coin in and the window would go up.  It aint what you expect.  Some fat guy being "orally handled" by some fat woman.   Those were the days. If our parents only knew.

That area of Manhattan is like a mall or Disney Land today.  You're right.  Back then it as all hookers, porn theaters, or clip joints where you might get rolled or knifed.

[PorP]

25 minutes ago, munchmemory said:

Back in the 70s, I was a "bucket boy"/booth squeegee tech at several Times Square porn emporiums.  I was trying to pay off a family member's gambling debt.   One day, as I was "tidying up" a booth, one of the gals offered me a ticket to that Sunday's Jet game as thanks for keeping the place spic & span.   I enjoyed the game and have been a fan ever since.

Dude. That is both a tragic and awesome story at the same time.

Hopefully you're not manning the joint now (jk) and found your calling... or at least something that made you happy. 

[jetspenguin]

My guidance counselor in 6th grade gave me and my dad tickets on the 50 yard line to see them play Tampa. The game was in a snowstorm but my dad never went to a live game before and I got to take him to his first one. He was thrilled.

Been a fan ever since....frozen toes and all.

Sent from the NY Jets /Zack Wilson Suicide Watch desk.

[Spoot-Face]

stupidity

[munchmemory]

4 minutes ago, PorP said:

Dude. That is both a tragic and awesome story at the same time.

Hopefully you're not manning the joint now (jk) and found your calling... or at least something that made you happy. 

Lucky for me, one of the theater owners where I worked--I'll call him Mr. Dino--saw potential in me.  He paid off the gambling debt.  In return, for the next 10 years, I served as a porter in a bar supply business he ran in Jerrsy City.   Yeah, I wasn't paid.  But I could bring home all the bar fruit tins and bevnaps I could carry.  

[RoadFan]

my Dad

[Warfish]

2 minutes ago, munchmemory said:

Lucky for me, one of the theater owners where I worked--I'll call him Mr. Dino--saw potential in me.  He paid off the gambling debt.  In return, for the next 10 years, I served as a porter in a bar supply business he ran in Jerrsy City.   Yeah, I wasn't paid.  But I could bring home all the bar fruit tins and bevnaps I could carry.  

Is Scorsese currently working on a film adaption of your life story....?

[Lith]

October 5, 1968.  Dad took me to my first game.  Saturday night against the Chargers at Shea Stadium.  sitting in the temporary seating behind the end zone.  Jets won 23-20.  Emerson Boozer with the game winning TD late in the game.  Randy Beverly sealed the game with a pick of John Hadl.

3 months later they were champs, and I was hooked.  At 7 years old, misguided, young Lith just assumed it would always be that way.

 

[munchmemory]

1 minute ago, Warfish said:

Is Scorsese currently working on a film adaption of your life story....?

One of these days, I'll regale you with my days as an assistant to Scorsese's tailor.  If I never hear the words "inseam measurement" again it'll be too soon.

[PorP]

14 minutes ago, Warfish said:

What was the reason you became a Jets fan?

1. Grew up on Long Island

2. Family (uncles) were Jets Fans, so it was on TV.

3. I loved the color.  Green has always been my color (I own three green guitars ffs, lol)

4. I loved the Helmet Logo.

5. The early/mid-80's Jets, when I was in my formative pre-teen years, were fun, exciting and descent.

The real question, 30+ years since I left L.I., and with the history of the Jets, is why I've stayed a Jets Fan.

And that answer is:

1. Hated the Redskins name.

2. Hated the Redskins Uniforms.

3. Hated Dan Snyder.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't, lol.

Had my family moved to a City with a decent looking uniform/logo and no bellend Owner, who knows who I'd be rooting for today, lol.

I lived in the DC area 20 plus years.  Just got approval to telework,  sold my house and moved a couple years ago. 

[BigRy56]

They’re the hometown team and my father is a Jets fan

[Jet_Engine1]

I'm a Irish kid from Queens born in 1971. 

 

It was inevitable. 

[Rangers1]

I was very young, maybe 6 and my Father took me to the first game they played at the Polo Grounds. Memory of it was very foggy but have been following them ever since. 

[Trotter]

59 minutes ago, munchmemory said:

Back in the 70s, I was a "bucket boy"/booth squeegee tech at several Times Square porn emporiums.  I was trying to pay off a family member's gambling debt.   One day, as I was "tidying up" a booth, one of the gals offered me a ticket to that Sunday's Jet game as thanks for keeping the place spic & span.   I enjoyed the game and have been a fan ever since.

Not sure anyone can touch this as the way they became a fan.

fascinating.

[oatmeal]

Might sound weird but for me it was seeing Chad Pennington give a first down signal on the 10 pm news, while I was cleaning getting ready for school.

 

something about the atmosphere and excitement, fans seemed more excited than giants fans.. I was hooked ! 
 

something like Love at first sight ?

[Gastineau Lives]

Richard Todd threw a game blowing interception against the Bills in the playoffs. It was the first game I can recall watching. 

I wanted redemption. 

Next year was the Mud Bowl.

I wanted revenge. 

40 years later I've realized that I should have just killed Richard Todd. 

I was a minor, I'd have been out by now.

[PorP]

4 minutes ago, oatmeal said:

Might sound weird but for me it was seeing Chad Pennington give a first down signal on the 10 pm news, while I was cleaning getting ready for school.

 

something about the atmosphere and excitement, fans seemed more excited than giants fans.. I was hooked ! 
 

something like Love at first sight ?

Allow me to offer hope... maybe.......

 

My marriage tells me love gets better with age... I hope fandom works the same!!?!?!

[BCJet]

My dad and his friends from growing up tried to get Giants season tickets but they were sold out so they got Jets instead...........1967.