Happy Father's Day! Is/was your father a Jets fan?

[Sarge4Tide]

How much does/did your father love the Jets?

[OilfieldJet]

Most of my male older relatives were Giants fans. I was setup to be a Jets fan, my modest rebellion. I guess I could have been worse, becoming an anarchist, so I got that going for me.

[Jethead]

My Dad had no interest in football.

[Darnold's Forehead]

No

[Jet Nut]

My father, growing up in Brooklyn, rooted for the Dodgers, who were a football team in the original AFL.  He said he got so much crap from Giants fans back in the day that he grew to hate the Giants.  After the league shut down he couldn’t root for the Giants so the Browns became his team.  
When the Titans/Jets came to be he made the switch and got to root for a home team and then Namath

[Warfish]

My dad was a Bengals fan.

No idea why, think it was just the colors/logo, as he never set foot in Cincy.  He was an immigrant here, and had no ties, so I presume he picked what looked cool over any kind of "raised there/lived there" local loyalty. 

He had no feelings on the Jets far as I can recall.  

Was a big Mets fan tho.  And the Toronto Maple Leafs too.    

[Rangers9]

Great memories of going to Jets games with him and my brother. We were the 3 amigos. 

[32EBoozer]

25 minutes ago, Jet Nut said:

My father, growing up in Brooklyn….

My Dad grew up in Brooklyn as well. MLB Dodgers fan who became bitter about pro sports when the team packed up for LA. Only had love for his alma-mater Notre Dame. Joe Willie coming on the scene when I was 6 was the “hook” to what is now the 50+ year curse.

[Lith]

My dad was not a big sports fan.  He took me to games and followed sports because he knew it was something I liked.  When I was a kid we would watch the Jets on Sundays, he would take me to an occasional game, but he was a casual fan at best.  Watch the game on Sunday, but that was about it.  Then when my parents moved to South Florida, he followed the Dolphins -- just as casually as the Jets.  He spent a few years living in Seattle, he became a casual Seahawk fan.  He was a great dad, but as a sports fan, he left a little to be desired.

[JetsfaninNorthHollywood]

My dad wasn't much interested in sports, but would watch with my brother and I.  My becoming a Jets fan came from my grandfather, who liked Namath in college and followed his career. My other grandfather was more into college football (SC), baseball, and boxing.

 

[BradSmith16fan]

Was a Giants fan but got Jets tickets. Became full fledged Jets fan after Giants won their first SB.

[Jet_Engine1]

He was only partial to the Jets because of me. He grew up a Baseball fan, loved the New York Giants and became a Yankee fan by default when they left... he didn't really get interested in Football until the mid-late 1970s and was a Dolphins fan - along with my Mother and my Brother (born in Florida). I was the lone holdout from when we moved from NYC. But my Dad wasn't a sh*t-talker, he was a genuinely nice guy and class act, and my fandom for the Jets was far more than his for any other team since the Baseball Giants went west. The worst he would say is something like, "Jets aren't looking too hot today", or "The Jets seem to have a habit of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory"... lol. And if the Jets and Fins were playing at different times and were on, he would watch and then call me after every Jets game, win or lose to talk football. 

 

He died on the Jets bye week November of 22, and our last conversation was about 10 minutes before he passed. I was looking for what games were on for us to watch, and I said, "well, you get to watch the Dolphins because the Jets are on bye". He said, "That sounds good... ok". That was our last conversation.

[bicketybam]

My dad was originally a Giants fan. The losing of the mid 70's drive him nuts and for a brief time he rooted for the Broncos. I got to watch the Cowboys smash his Broncos in the Superbowl. He eventually went on to become a Bears fan and stuck with them until he passed. He really didn't care about the Jets except for the year they had Favre. He rooted against them feverishly because of his hate for Favre. 

[Matt39]

Happy Fathers Day all. Yes my dad remains a big Jets fan and attended practices in Peekskill.

[UntouchableCrew]

My dad was a big football fan but didn’t really have a true NFL team. More of a college football guy. If anything he generally rooted for the Giants (he was a NY transplant from the Midwest) — he actually used to call me Hostetler when I was a little kid after the ago after the Giants won the Super Bowl with him at QB.

I became a Jets fan in the late 90s and he was fully into it because I was. Took me to a ton of games (went to at least one game every year between 1999 and 2018). After the Jets lost the AFC Championship in 1998 I cried and he promised me if the Jets ever made it to the Super Bowl he’d take me no matter what.

He died about five years ago from cancer, so obviously we’re never going to get to go together. But I have two boys of my own now — not sure what the future holds but I hope to fulfill that promise with them some day.

My love of football and subsequently the Jets is very deeply rooted in my relationship with my dad. I’m conflicted about passing down this team to my kids — don’t want them to feel like the need to adopt my toxic habit just to bond with me. Just playing it by ear. Will happily support them following any team or player of their choosing as long as it’s not the Patriots.

[The Crusher]

My Dad roots for whatever  team the Jets are playing that particular Sunday. 

[Integrity28]

11 minutes ago, The Crusher said:

My Dad roots for whatever  team the Jets are playing that particular Sunday. 

So do I.

[Integrity28]

My father surfed. He wasn’t much into sports, but he took us to Shea a ton for the Mets. I chose the Jets because all my friends liked the Giants.

I am an enormous idiot.

[Jetsfan80]

Dad was (still is!) a big Brooklyn Dodger fan and didn’t care a whole lot about football until I came along.  

We went to both Jets and Giants games growing up until I chose the Jets and then we only went to Jets games.  Went to each of the last 2 home playoff games and had a blast, but not much fun since and now the whole family lives in NC.  

I can’t blame him for my Jets fandom - I’m just an enormous idiot.  

[peebag]

My dad grew up in Texas during.the depression so he was a Slingin' Sammy Baugh fan so became a Redskins fan.

F*ck I'm old.

[The Crusher]

16 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

So do I.

HaHa, well played Furry fearless one! 

[Jet_Engine1]

41 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

My father surfed. He wasn’t much into sports, but he took us to Shea a ton for the Mets. I chose the Jets because all my friends liked the Giants.

I am an enormous idiot.

Did he surf Rockaway?

[Warfish]

2 hours ago, Lith said:

My dad was not a big sports fan.  He took me to games and followed sports because he knew it was something I liked.  When I was a kid we would watch the Jets on Sundays, he would take me to an occasional game, but he was a casual fan at best.  Watch the game on Sunday, but that was about it.  Then when my parents moved to South Florida, he followed the Dolphins -- just as casually as the Jets.  He spent a few years living in Seattle, he became a casual Seahawk fan.  He was a great dad, but as a sports fan, he left a little to be desired.

I don't know, there is something easy, relaxed and comfortable about just rooting for the home team, wherever that home team might be in a given year.

[Warfish]

1 hour ago, Integrity28 said:

My father surfed. He wasn’t much into sports, but he took us to Shea a ton for the Mets. I chose the Jets because all my friends liked the Giants.

I am an enormous idiot.

As a kid I liked green more than blue.  I too am an enormous idiot.

[Lith]

1 hour ago, UntouchableCrew said:

After the Jets lost the AFC Championship in 1998 I cried and he promised me if the Jets ever made it to the Super Bowl he’d take me no matter what.

I have the same deal with my son now.  He was a teenager when I took him to the back to back Championship games in 09 & 10.  Promised him that if they make it to the SB, we will be there together.  I started putting a few bucks away every week since to create a Super Bowl fund.  About $20 a week for 15 years.  The good news is that I have about $15K cash sitting in an envelope in our safe deposit box.  The bad news is that I am beginning to think I will need to pass the funds down to him to take his son.  And my ashes.

[Lith]

3 minutes ago, Warfish said:

I don't know, there is something easy, relaxed and comfortable about just rooting for the home team, wherever that home team might be in a given year.

Maybe, but I have always felt that a real sports fan is loyal to his/her team no matter where they live.  The team chooses us more than we choose the team.  I grew up in NY, but have lived in Georgia, New England and Chicago.  I was never able to root for any of those local teams.

[bicketybam]

2 minutes ago, Lith said:

Maybe, but I have always felt that a real sports fan is loyal to his/her team no matter where they live.  The team chooses us more than we choose the team.  I grew up in NY, but have lived in Georgia, New England and Chicago.  I was never able to root for any of those local teams.

I couldn't root for any team other than the Jets. I'm like that with all my sports teams. 

[slowmoe57]

Dad was a Giants fan. 

 

[Warfish]

2 hours ago, Lith said:

Maybe, but I have always felt that a real sports fan is loyal to his/her team no matter where they live.  The team chooses us more than we choose the team.  I grew up in NY, but have lived in Georgia, New England and Chicago.  I was never able to root for any of those local teams.

I getcha Lith.  Sadly under that mindset, I would not be a "real" baseball fan.  In my youth I liked the Mets, because my Dad did.  Left LI young, stopped following baseball mostly for a decade and a half, got back into it very casually when the Nats arrived in DC (having now lived almost 40 of my 50 or so years in the DC area) and more hardcore (funny enough) in 2018 the year before the WS win. 

But because I was a Mets fan when I was 11 and now I'm not....

I respect your view, I think it's one most folks hold, I just don't know that sport fandom is always so one-size-fits-all.  I didn't stop liking the Mets because they sucked (on the contrary, 1986 wasn't far off when I left LI).  It just sorta happened when I was in another market long before easy-access, and with other things (like playing baseball as opposed to following it) on my mind.  Without the Nats, not sure I ever come back to baseball tbh.  Maybe the Nats choose me, thats a cool thought.

Never left the Jets tho, tempting tho that has been at times, lol.

[ARodJetsFan]

I've stated this in other threads, my father wasn't any kind of a real sports fan, this is something I've picked up through my best friends dad.

[southparkcpa]

I always think about a poster on the old JI site.  His sig was PRICELESS.

It stated.. "On the anniversary of my dear fathers passing, I go to his grave with fond memories...  Then I curse at him for making me a JETS fan.

 

I think that is pretty darn good!!!

[JetsFanatic]

My Dad was a Yankees fan who took me to Yankee Stadium so followed in his footsteps and became a Yankee fan. As far as football, he wasn’t much of a fan so on my own I became a Jets fan. I loved Joe Namath, also the AFL seemed like more fun than the NFL.

[TokyoJetsFan]

I grew up without a dad. Maybe if I had one he would have taught me not to be a Jets fan. 

[Lith]

3 hours ago, Warfish said:

I getcha Lith.  Sadly under that mindset, I would not be a "real" baseball fan.  In my youth I liked the Mets, because my Dad did.  Left LI young, stopped following baseball mostly for a decade and a half, got back into it very casually when the Nats arrived in DC (having now lived almost 40 of my 50 or so years in the DC area) and more hardcore (funny enough) in 2018 the year before the WS win. 

But because I was a Mets fan when I was 11 and now I'm not....

I respect your view, I think it's one most folks hold, I just don't know that sport fandom is always so one-size-fits-all.  I didn't stop liking the Mets because they sucked (on the contrary, 1986 wasn't far off when I left LI).  It just sorta happened when I was in another market long before easy-access, and with other things (like playing baseball as opposed to following it) on my mind.  Without the Nats, not sure I ever come back to baseball tbh.  Maybe the Nats choose me, thats a cool thought.

Never left the Jets tho, tempting tho that has been at times, lol.

Didn't mean to sound like I was telling other people how to be a fan.  But I think it is different since you changed teams as a kid.  Could you picture yourself now, as an adult, changing teams because you picked up and moved. 

I had similar experience to you at about the same age.  I was 11 when the Islanders were founded.  Had been a Ranger fan until then.  At 11 years old, I suddenly had an NHL team 15 minutes from my house.  As I got a little older, I could go with my friends to an NHL game for $3 a ticket.  For a couple of years I rooted for both NY teams, but when they met in the playoffs in 75, it was time to choose sides.  I chose the Isles.

[Alka]

My dad had season tickets for the Jets every single year, which was on the 40 yard line, about 12 rows from the field.  I went to many games at Shea Stadium, and became a huge Jets fan at 8 or 9 years old.  I went to the AFC Championship game in 1969 with my dad and older brother, who was a Raiders fan at the time.  I watched Joe Namath and the Jets beat the Raiders to go to the Superbowl.

My dad watched all the games, but wasn't a huge fan the way I was.  I watched every single game, and read every publication on the Jets that I could get my hands on.  I watched the Jets win the superbowl that year, watched my Mets (went to World Series games at Shea) win the 1969 Championship, and watched my Knicks win it all in 1969 as well (I went to Knicks playoff games with my mom- we had seats behind the basket, on the floor of the garden.)

I just assumed that my teams would win every year forever.  Boy, was I naive!