Came Across this Jets History Page while searching . . .

[raffyD]

for the year that Gastineu was drafted. I was trying to confirm what a friend (Giants fan) told me, that we almost had Gastineu AND L. Taylor (f'ing Giants).

Here's the link I came across:

(WARNING - you may experience some pain reading through this, don't be alarmed as it is normal and part of the required reading list for all jets fans, except of course for those individuals that lived through every year of this franchises existence): http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/sports/html/jets_history.html JETS HISTORY

1959 On August 14, New York City is granted an AFL Charter franchise. December 18th, Hall of Famer Sammy Baugh was hired to be the first coach of the New York franchise.

1960 In early 1960, owner Harry Wismer announced that his team would wear blue and gold and be known as the New York Titans. He also signed a skinny wide receiver out of Texas Western, Don Maynard. On September 11th, Titans beat Buffalo 27-3 in their first game played at the Polo Grounds. They finished the season 7-7.

1961 On December 2nd, after another 7-7 campaign, the Titans drafted University of Minnesota quarterback Sandy Stephens.

1962 Titans began the season with a new head coach, Clyde Turner and a new quarterback, Lee Grosscup. The Titans finished in last place with a record of 5-9.

1963 On March 28th, a five-man syndicate that included Leon Hess, purchased the New York franchise for 1 million dollars. On April 15th of that same year, the new ownership announced that Weeb Ewbank, former coach of the Baltimore Colts, was hired as the new head coach and that the team will now be known as the New York Jets. September 22nd, Jets defeat Houston 24-17 for the first victory under Weeb Ewbank and the new ownership. In that game, Marshall Starks electrified the Polo Grounds crowd with an AFL record 97-yeard TD return of a missed field goal. On November 24, 1963, the game was cancelled on day of national mourning for President John F. Kennedy. Jets shutout Kansas City on December 1, 17-0, for first shutout in franchise history. Jets end season in last place with a 5-8-1 record. Jets signed their first number one pick, Ohio State RB Matt Snell.

1964 On September 12, 1964, Jets defeated Denver 30-6 in their first game at Shea Stadium. 60,300 fans showed on November 8th, the first sellout at Shea and watched the Bills defeat the Jets 20-7. Matt Snell was honored as the AFL Rookie of the Year

1965 On January 2, 1965, the Jets signed rookie QB Joe Namath to a contract worth $427,000. Joe Namath started his first game for the Jets on September 26th. Namath threw for 287 yards and 2 TD's, but the Jets were defeated 33-21 by the Bills. Joe Namath was voted AFL Rookie of the Year.

1966 On June 8, 1966, the AFL and NFL agreed to merge and to play a world championship following the 1966 season. Pete Rozelle was named commissioner of the NFL. Jets finished the season 6-6-2.

1967 Jets sold out all seven home games on the way to setting an AFL attendance record of 437,036. They finished the season 8-5-1.

1968 On November 17, 1968, with the Jets leading the Raiders 32-29 and 1:05 remaining in the game, NBC cut to the children's special "Heide" and missed one of the great come from behind victories. The Raiders scored two touchdowns in the final 42 seconds to defeat the Jets 43-32. Jets defeated

Oakland 27-23 for their first AFL title on December 29th. Joe Namath passed for 3 touchdowns. On January 12,1969, the Jets became the first AFL team to win the Super Bowl by beating the heavily favored Colts 16-7. Weeb Ewbank became the first coach to win titles in both leagues and Joe Namath was chosen Super Bowl MVP. The Jets finished the 1968 season with a record of 11-3.

1969 Joe Namath's short-lived retirement from pro football ended after he resolved a dispute about his ownership of a Manhattan bar by selling the bar. On December 20, 1969, Jets were defeated 13-6 in the playoffs by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. The Jets completed the season with a record of 10-4.

1970 The Jets and Giants played their first regular season game on November 1st. The Giants pulled out a 22-10 victory. The Jets ended the season 4-10.

1971 The Namath to Sauer era ended as the all-pro receiver, George Sauer, announced his retirement on April 16, 1971. They finished their season 6-8.

1972 On September 24th, Namath passed for 496 yards and six touchdowns as the Jets defeated the Colts 44-34. Jets set club-rushing record of 333 yards as they defeated the Patriots 41-13 on October 15th. John Riggins (168 yards) and Emerson Boozer (150 yards) became the first tandem in history to hit the 150-yard mark in a game. On Dec. 11, 1972, Don Maynard's 632nd reception made him professional football's all-time leading receiver. They finished the season 7-7.

1973 The Jets played their first six games on the road because the Mets were playing in the World Series. Ewbank finished his coaching career with a 4-10 season, a career record of 71-77-6, and a Super Bowl victory.

1974 Charley Winners' squad ended the season with a six-game winning streak to finish the season 7-7.

1975 On December 21st, John Riggins became the first Jet to surpass the 1,000-yard barrier. The Jets finished the season 3-11.

1976 Lou Holtz became the new head coach on February 10th. The Jets drafted University of Alabama quarterback Richard Todd. After a disappointing 3-11 season Lou Holtz resigned to return to college coaching.

1977 Walt Michaels was named head coach on January 5, 1977. Joe Namath was put on waivers and eventually signed with the Rams. Leon Hess became the CEO of the Jets. They finished the season 3-11.

1978 On February 27th, the Jets unveiled new uniforms and a new logo. The youngest team in the NFL finished the season 8-8. Walt Michaels was named AFC Coach of the Year.

1979 Jets finished the season with an 8-8 record.

1980 Richard Todd completed an NFL record 42 passes in a game. The Jets finished the season 4-12.

1981 On December 20, 1981, Jets clinched their first playoff berth since 1969 with a 10-5 record. Joe Klecko and Mark Gastineau, the heart and soul of the New York Sack Exchange, finished 1-2 in the NFL with 20  and 20 sacks, respectively.*

1982 Freeman McNeil finished the strike-shortened season as the first Jet to lead the NFL in rushing. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry and ran for 786 yards on 151 carries. On January, 23, 1983, Dolphins defeated the Jets in the AFC championship game 14-0. Walt Michaels retired and the following day, Joe Walton was hired as the new head coach on February 9th. The Jets finished the season with a losing record of 7-9.

1983 Joe Walton's first season ended with a 7-9 record. Marvin Powell, Mark Gastineau and Joe Klecko were selected to play in the Pro Bowl.

1984 Leon Hess assumed full ownership of the Jets. The Jets' season ended with a record of 7-9. Mark Gastineau culminated a great individual season by winning the MVP award at the Pro Bowl. Joe Klecko and Freeman McNeil played with Gastineau in Hawaii.

1985 On January 29th, Joe Namath became the first Jet elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His number "12" was the first Jet number to be retired. Jets lost 26-14 to the Patriots in the playoffs. They ended the regular season 11-5.

1986 Jets finish the season 10-6 after beginning the season 10-1. They defeated the Chiefs 35-15 in the Wild Card game on December 28th. The Jets suffered a tough double-overtime, playoff loss to the Cleveland Browns 23-20.**

* That is just sick!

** Just sickening.

[raffyD]

1987 On January 27th, Don Maynard became only the second Jet to ever be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Al Toon, the AFC leading receiver, was named to a starting spot in the Pro Bowl. Jets finished the season with a record of 6-9.

1988 Erik McMillan was elected the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after leading the league with 8 interceptions. The Jets finished the season 8-7-1.

1989 Joe Walton was dismissed as head coach on December 26th. The Jets finished the season with a record of 4-12.

1990 Bruce Coslet was announced as the new head coach on February 6th. The Jets finished the season 6-10.

1991 Jets defeated by Houston in the AFC Wild Card game 17-10. The Jets record for the season was 8-8.

1992 After suffering another concussion, Al Toon announced his retirement on November 27th. On November 29th, Dennis Byrd was partially paralyzed in a freak collision with a teammate. The season ended with a record of 4-12.

1993 On February 12th, with the aid of two canes, Byrd walked into a press conference to announce his intention to return to Oklahoma and continue his rehabilitation. On March 8th, Jets signed free agent Ronnie Lott. QB Boomer Esiason was traded to the Jets on March 17th. Freeman McNeil retired after a stellar 12 - year career April 21st, 1993. The Jets finished the season 8-8.

1994 Pete Carroll was hired as the new head coach on January 7th. The Jets finished the season 6-10.

1995 Rich Kotite replaced Pete Carroll as head coach on January 5th. They finished with a miserable record of 3-13.

1996 The Jets signed quarterback Neil O'Donnell on February 28th. On April 20th the Jets selected WR Keyshawn Johnson as first pick in the NFL Draft. Rich Kotite resigned as head coach after the team finished the season 1-15.

1997 Bill Parcells replaced Rich Kotite as head coach. Aaron Glenn became the first cornerback in Jets history to be named a starter in the Pro Bowl. The Jets ended the season 9-7. It was their first winning record in 9 years.

1998 On February 3rd, the Jets announced that the team would return to using their original logo and uniforms. On June 24th, Vinny Testaverde signed with the Jets and fulfilled his lifetime dream of playing with the Jets. The Jets were defeated 23-10 by the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game. They finished the season 12-4.

1999 After coming off a great season, the Jets were expected to be a powerhouse coming out of the East. Riddled with injury, the Jets were not the Super Bowl contenders that everyone expected. Although they ended the season on a high note, winning their last 4 games, the Jets missed the playoffs and ended the season with an 8-8 record.

2000 Getting off to a 4-0 start, the Jets looked to be a powerhouse in the AFC East early on in the season. With some amazing fourth-quarter comebacks, the luck was on their for the first half of the season as they completed the first eight games with a 6-2 record. It didn't take long for their luck to run out as the Jets had control of their own fate needing only to win just one of three reamining games in their regular season schedule to make the playoffs. The Jets lost all three and ended another disapointing season with a record of 9-7. After the season was over, and after just one year with the team, head coach AL Groh decided not to return as coach for the Jets in 2001. Also leaving the team was the team's legendary General Manager, Bill Parcells, who was quickly replaced by Terry Bradway. Bradway and the Jets waisted no time in hiring Tampa Bay assistant coach Herman Edwards to fill the coaching position.

2001 The Jets, led by first year coach Herman Edwards, performed admirably with a 10-6 record and reached the playoffs for the first time since 1999. During the regular season, the Jets recorded a team record seven victories away from home. Those wins were a result of several terrific individual performances. The most notable member on the team was running back Curtis Martin, who posted career numbers which included rushing for over 1,500 yards while picking up his third team MVP award as well as his third invitation to the Pro Bowl. Quarterback Vinny Testaverde threw 15 touchdowns on the season, engineered five fourth quarter comeback wins and capped off the year with a three touchdown effort against the Raiders to propel the Jets into the playoffs. Although the defensive unit was shaky at the beginning of the season, defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell turned his defense into a formidable group in the final 10 weeks. Led by Pro Bowl defensive end John Abraham, the defense allowed just five touchdowns, forced 20 turnovers and recorded 21 sacks during that time. After a solid regular season, the Jets took on the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Jets were defeated by a score of 38-24 to end their promising season. With a solid nucleus of players and coaches returning next season, greater success seems to be in the Jets' forecast in the upcoming year.

2002 The Jets season did not look promising after a disappointing 1-4 record at the beginning of the season. Ironically, the turning point of the season came when seldom-used backup quarterback Chad Pennington replaced the injured Vinny Testaverde in Week Five and helped spark the Jets to an AFC East division title. Pennington had a stupendous year, throwing for 3,120 yards and 22 touchdowns, while leading the Jets to win 9 of their last 12 games including a 41-0 win over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs. Curtis Martin led the Jets ground game and had his eighth straight 1,000-yard season while also rushing for seven touchdowns. The primary benefactor of Pennington

[raffyD]

2005 Coming off of a promising 2004-05 season in which the Jets finished 10-6 on their way to an overtime loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship, the Jets faced an tumultuous 2005-06 season plagued by injuries and line-up inconsistencies. Starting quarterback Chad Pennington incurred a season-ending shoulder injury early in the season and backup quarterback Jay Fiedler was injured shortly thereafter leaving third-string quarterback Brooks Bollinger as the Jets starter for most of the season. The Jets finished the year with a disappointing 4

[shawn306]

Gastineau was drafted in 1979 I believe. Taylor was drafted by the Giants in 1981.

Taylor went to the Giants with the second pick of the draft. (The Saints took George Rogers with the 1st pick).

The Jets picked third that year and drafted Freeman McNeil.

[Bugg]

Not true-

In 1981 Saint tooks George Rogers; Jints took LT; Jets took Freeman.

[raffyD]

Gastineau was drafted in 1979 I believe. Taylor was drafted by the Giants in 1981.

Taylor went to the Giants with the second pick of the draft. (The Saints took George Rogers with the 1st pick).

The Jets picked third that year and drafted Freeman McNeil.

That's how it went down, Freeman was a good pick but Taylor would have been sweet.

[PatsFanTX]

1966 On June 8, 1966, the AFL and NFL agreed to merge and to play a world championship following the 1966 season. Pete Rozelle was named commissioner of the NFL. Jets finished the season 6-6-2.

According to Jet fans, the reason for the AFL-NFL merger was because of the Jets victory in Super Bowl III.

Funny how it actually happened 3 years prior to that game.

[TaborJet]

According to Jet fans, the reason for the AFL-NFL merger was because of the Jets victory in Super Bowl III.

Funny how it actually happened 3 years prior to that game.

Super Bowls I & II were a joke. The Jets were huge underdogs in SBIII. The league was considering disbanding the "inferior" AFL. Now, the Jets weren't THE reason, but they were a big reason the AFL became the AFC.

[Scott Dierking]

According to Jet fans, the reason for the AFL-NFL merger was because of the Jets victory in Super Bowl III.

Funny how it actually happened 3 years prior to that game.

TX-The Jets win legitimized the league and gave creedence to the merger.

Was the win the SOLE reason for the merger-Of course not. What kind of knee jerk reaction would that be. It legitimized it and put the leagues on somewhat equal footing, which was incredibly important at the time.

[GM]

According to Jet fans, the reason for the AFL-NFL merger was because of the Jets victory in Super Bowl III.

Funny how it actually happened 3 years prior to that game.

It put to sleep the notion that NFL was far superior to the AFL.

It was then what would happen if the Colts beat the PAts in the AFC Championship game.

[PatsFanTX]

TX-The Jets win legitimized the league and gave creedence to the merger.

Was the win the SOLE reason for the merger-Of course not. What kind of knee jerk reaction would that be. It legitimized it and put the leagues on somewhat equal footing, which was incredibly important at the time.

Dierk,

I agree with you 100%.

My response was to those Jet fans who believe the merger occured because of the Jets victory over the Colts.

[Shadetree]

Dierk,

I agree with you 100%.

My response was to those Jet fans who believe the merger occured because of the Jets victory over the Colts.

Little known fact is this conversation soon after SB III..............

NFL COMMISH - "This guy, what's his name Namath? Is he really that good."

AFL COMMISH - "He tagged Maureen O'Hara."

NFL COMMISH - "Let's merge."

........and that is why we now have the NFL as it is today!!

, Broadway Joe!!!!

[Savage69]

Little known fact is this conversation soon after SB III..............

NFL COMMISH - "This guy, what's his name Namath? Is he really that good."

AFL COMMISH - "He tagged Maureen O'Hara."

NFL COMMISH - "Let's merge."

........and that is why we now have the NFL as it is today!!

, Broadway Joe!!!!

Are you sure you don't mean Ann Margaret?? O'hara was around 50 in 1970!

[PatsFanTX]

Are you sure you don't mean Ann Margaret?? O'hara was around 50 in 1970!

That sleezball Namath would tap anything that walked.

[Savage69]

That sleezball Namath would tap anything that walked.

And I'd Tap O'Hara today alive or dead if we could get another Namath!!