What was the reason you became a Jets fan?

[TheClashFan]

Back in the old days before cable TV, my family moved to NW Massachusetts (from Arizona) just before I turned 6 years old.  The "local" TV stations that we got were from Albany, NY.  There were Mets games on weekends that summer, and Jets games on Sundays during the season.  I seem to recall seeing the Knicks on TV, too.

Most local fans were still fans of the Boston teams, but not me!

 

[UntouchableCrew]

Got into football in the late 90s when the Parcells era Jets were good.

[BurntDice]

My entire family are Giants fans. As a kid I wanted to be different and chose the Jets. The first few years were really good with Vinny, Chad, and Mark. Then the dumpster fire began 

[Bocajetfan]

Grew up on LI and as a high school kid in the 60’s was able too afford tickets and attend games at Shea. Easy access by train from Port Washington. Spent many a cold day in the upper deck.

[CTJetsFan]

Born in early 1968. The Joe Namath and the Jets are great stuff unfortunately seeped into my young developing brain. I refer to being a Jets fan as my birth defect.

[shevys]

My grandfather and uncle were on the Giants season ticket wait list for years in the 50s, when the Titans came into existence they said screw the Giants and became Titans/Jets season ticket holders. My old man took over the season tickets when they retired to Florida and as a result I grew up going to Shea for Jets games. My earliest football memory as a 7 year old was being there when OJ broke 2,000 yards. I only really remember it because I was so miserable in the cold. Good times, started the misery early. 

[adb280z]

It's my Dad's fault.  I listened to him.  I don't even like the color green, I really shouldn't have been a Jets fan.

[Alka]

My dad was a Jets fan and we had season tickets on the 30 yard line, 10 rows from the field.  I started being a fan in 1968 at the age of 9 years old, and watched every single game from that time on.  I still feel to this day, that the reason the Jets lost the Heidi Bowl, was that they cut the Jets off when they were winning by 10 points, and put Heidi on.  I wanted to break the TV set, and was really depressed when I heard that the Jets ended up losing the game.  I went to the AFC Championship game in 1969 with my dad and older brother, who happened to be a Raiders fan at the time.  Thankfully the Jets won.

[extmenace]

Mine was pretty lame. Grew up in Florida. Starting playing football around 10-11. Neither my father or mother care about sports but are both from NY. Maybe that had something to do with it subconsciously but I’m pretty sure I picked the jets because my favorite color was green. I’m 37 now…I could have picked any team I wanted, picked the jets. Sounds about right lol.

[peebag]

1/12/69

[kevinc855]

I liked the color green......that is literally it. All this pain for being an idiot who liked green

[Trotter]

3 hours ago, Alka said:

My dad was a Jets fan and we had season tickets on the 30 yard line, 10 rows from the field.  I started being a fan in 1968 at the age of 9 years old, and watched every single game from that time on.  I still feel to this day, that the reason the Jets lost the Heidi Bowl, was that they cut the Jets off when they were winning by 10 points, and put Heidi on.  I wanted to break the TV set, and was really depressed when I heard that the Jets ended up losing the game.  I went to the AFC Championship game in 1969 with my dad and older brother, who happened to be a Raiders fan at the time.  Thankfully the Jets won.

As I am sure it is for you, the Heidi bowl is just one of those memories that are with us forever.

sure it sucked we lost but I think that is my first time seeing the lunatic my father was when nbc cutoff and said and now our feature presentation - Heidi.

[genot]

To test the effectiveness of my anti anxiety medication. 

[Alka]

24 minutes ago, Trotter said:

As I am sure it is for you, the Heidi bowl is just one of those memories that are with us forever.

sure it sucked we lost but I think that is my first time seeing the lunatic my father was when nbc cutoff and said and now our feature presentation - Heidi.

I am 63 years old.  I was 9 then.  I remember what room I was in, I remember sitting on our black leather couch, and I remember coming out of a commercial and watching Heidi streak down some mountain field with a apron on and wind against her hair.  And I remember panicking, not believing what was happening.  I was a 9 year old boy who loved sports, and even if the Jets game wasn't on, you couldn't pay me enough money to sit down and watch Heidi.  Then I hear the Jets lost, after being up by 10 points with a little over 2 minutes left in the game.  It was surreal then, and it still is surreal now.  I'm sorry to say this now, but I had bad thoughts about what I wanted to do to Heidi if she was in front of me at the time. I hated NBC.  They are not Jets fans, I can tell you that.

[Trotter]

10 minutes ago, Alka said:

I am 63 years old.  I was 9 then.  I remember what room I was in, I remember sitting on our black leather couch, and I remember coming out of a commercial and watching Heidi streak down some mountain field with a apron on and wind against her hair.  And I remember panicking, not believing what was happening.  I was a 9 year old boy who loved sports, and even if the Jets game wasn't on, you couldn't pay me enough money to sit down and watch Heidi.  Then I hear the Jets lost, after being up by 10 points with a little over 2 minutes left in the game.  It was surreal then, and it still is surreal now.  I'm sorry to say this now, but I had bad thoughts about what I wanted to do to Heidi if she was in front of me at the time. I hated NBC.  They are not Jets fans, I can tell you that.

You have 1 year on me. My father was screaming at my mother to get the yellow pages and call nbc. 
im sure you remember the stories about the nbc switchboard being overloaded.

well we were one of them

[fullblast]

I started paying attention when they drafted Keyshawn, then Parcells came over the next year. Honestly, before then I didn't even know what channel Jets games came on. Then the '98 season won me over. I like to say Week 1 of the '99 season was my official baptism into the fandom. Nothing was the same.

[Larz]

Paranoid schizophrenia 

but seriously 

dad was a lifelong giants fan, we lived in smithtown LI, 15 years before the internet, he couldn’t get giants tickets. Took me to the home opener of the Jets at Shea 2 years running, 1982 and 83 I believe. He gave me binoculars and told me to watch #85. I was hooked 

 

Instead of LT and wide right and spoiling the cheater’s perfect season I have the butt fumble and 1968

 

[Alka]

15 hours ago, Trotter said:

You have 1 year on me. My father was screaming at my mother to get the yellow pages and call nbc. 
im sure you remember the stories about the nbc switchboard being overloaded.

well we were one of them

Yes, the switchboard being overloaded was the reason they decided never to do that again.  I wanted to call the switchboard, but I was only 9 years old, and had no idea who to call.

[JustInFudge]

Long Island, close to Shea, cheaper than the Giants, no choice in the matter, it was forced upon me from father to older brothers.  In fact, I tried to cheer for the Giants in 86 as a kid because I loved LT and Little Joe Morris but it was met with a slap and a reminder that we are family of Jets fans.  Samsies for the Mets really.

[Barry McCockinner]

Whenever I had to do a book report in elementary school I would do it on football. I thought the story of the merger and how the Jets helped cement that was really cool. They were also on TV a lot.

[jgb]

 

20 hours ago, kevinc855 said:

I liked the color green......that is literally it. All this pain for being an idiot who liked green

You and Woody have a lot in common.

[the Claw]

My dad was a Jet fan but we never had anything in common at all, so I decided to start following the team in order for us to at least have something. Turns out the guy is really just a giant piece of sh*t so that failed, but I just kept the rooting interest. Still not sure why.

[JoeFan]

I saw Namath in his last college game.  I believe it was in the Orange Bowl against Texas.  He had already hurt his knee, but he came limping  off the bench to replace the Alabama starter, who was playing poorly. 
Joe proceeded to light up the Texas defense, displaying the quickest release I have ever seen, as well as incredible velocity.  Yes, he was wearing his white shoes.  There was a charisma about him  that I have only seen in one other athlete: Muhammad Ali. 
Joe led Alabama to what should have been a come from behind victory, but future Giants coach Ray Perkins dropped what would have been the game winning touchdown pass.

Ironically, my other idol as a teenager was Mickey Mantle, another athlete who had a great career that would have been so much better if he hadn’t hurt his knee.

For those of you who never saw Joe play, and just look at his completion percentage or his interceptions, you have no idea.  Defensive backs, such as the Raiders’ Willie Brown, were allowed  to mug receivers all the way down the field.  He never threw dump- offs to the backs; it just wasn’t the style of play then, except for quarterbacks like Milt Plum, who often was the top rated qb, based on the qb rating system that existed in those days. Plum was never considered even a half decent qb, and most of you probably have never heard of him.

if you doubt me, there is a YouTube video of a game between the Jets and Colts when Johnny Unitas was their qb.  The two qbs combined for about 900 yards of passing, with the Jets winning  as a result of two 80 yard bombs to tight end Richard Caster.  One last point: In those days, 80 yard td passes flew 60-65 yards in the air, unlike now when a 7 yard slant gets taken to the house.

Joe  Namath was the reason why I switched from being a Giants fan to a Jets fan.
 

[NamathToSauer]

On 7/22/2022 at 4:57 PM, Trotter said:

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

some memories of sb3

Exactly the same for me. I was 7 and I'm pretty sure I was following them all year but my first memory is watching the Heidi game. When we finally figured out they weren't coming back to the game dad turned on the radio and got the score. Only other memories are listening to the AFL championship game on the radio-home games were blacked out then. I remember cheering when the Jets recovered the lateral. Then have some memory of SB3. I remember dad explaining the onside kick to me and saying the game wasn't over yet. 

[RJIII]

I was born and raised in Texas. My dad is from Deer Park, Long Island. Grew up a Jets fan in Texas. We watch/like the Cowboys too but it's Jet's first. If they are playing at the same time (which they normally aren't) then the Jet's game is on. 

Still should have drafted MAHOMES II ?

[PorP]

On 7/23/2022 at 6:31 PM, genot said:

To test the effectiveness of my anti anxiety medication. 

What was the outcome?  Annually upping the dosage? 

[Green Truth]

First game I could remember watching was the 1978 Super Bowl,  I was an instant Cowboy fan. 

Started playing organized football when I was 10.  Our team name was The Jets.  The rest is history.

[chirorob]

The lobotomy was only partly successful.

[genot]

15 minutes ago, PorP said:

What was the outcome?  Annually upping the dosage? 

 

[ZachEY]

I wanted to be meaningfully less happy.

[FloridaJetsFan]

Pops was on his final tour of a 20 year career in the Navy. Stationed at Norfolk, VA, from 1972-1976 - I was 9-12 years old then. We were in Europe for most of my formative years growing up and didn't see much NFL if any - but I was very aware who Joe Namath was and the "Guarantee." In Norfolk, we had season tickets to the Tidewater Tides - NY Mets farm club. I got baseballs signed by all the "Amazings" - Tom Seaver, Clean Jones, Duffy Dyer, Willie Mays, etc. (everyone signed all the time EXCEPT Jerry Wrote - he was a dick). At that tender age, I grouped the Mets, Jets, Nets as my teams and never looked back. Until October every year (lately) when we're officially out of the post season ...

[Sharky7337]

Drugs

[male4213]

I saw Joe Namath on the Johnny Carson show with his fu-stach October 1968, I was 14--At that time I didn't really have a football team, so I became a Jets fan--Obviously, It was a great year /season.   June 1969, Namath retired, came back in August, they lost to KC in the playoffs, and it has been a torture ride since. Go Jets!

[Jetlife33]

Didn’t have a choice for either of my teams ( Yankees & Jets ) entire family of Yankee fans. Football only my dad and his brother cared about. His older brother was a jets fan so he became one, which was then passed down to me. I did however have a choice for other sports, but I don’t really care enough about any other sport. Funny how that happens. Tradition in sports is a huge factor. 

[Long Island Leprechaun]

I wanted to live out the metaphor of Batman and the Pit.

Seriously, came from MN to NY to college. Couldn't watch the Vikings anywhere. Liked Namath and the Jets and decided they were a good team to follow. The rest is history. Still like the Vikes too.