What it Takes to Be a Jets Fan

Apr 26, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Jets fans from left Nick Marcello , Anthony Forte , Wayne Mitchell , Mike Forte and Scott Lissner pose for a photo before the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE

Today is my ninth wedding anniversary. With that, it got me thinking about my other love, and I am sure the love of anyone reading this, the New York Jets.

We are an interesting breed, aren’t we? It certainly is not easy to be a Jets fan. We have put up with a lot over the years, too much. If any group of fans deserves a championship, we do.

So, what does it take to be a Jets fan? Here is my take.

THICK SKIN

At least for me, that has been the most important part, for a few reasons. As much as the Jets talk, Giant fans talk to us when they win. I have spent the better part of my life getting it from Giants fans all around me. Personally, there are a lot of Giants fans in my family, so it doesn’t make it any easier. For all of the futility we have dealt with, it takes a thick skin to be able to take all of the abuse we get, doesn’t it?

The other reason a thick skin is important, has to do with the teams we like. What baseball team do a lot of us Jets fans root for? The Mets, that’s who! There aren’t a lot of Jets fans that are Yankees fans, or at least I haven’t met them. I am certainly not one either. The punishment doled out to people that are Jets fans and Mets fans is tough. Without a thick skin, we wouldn’t be able to watch our sports teams after all of these years.

GLUTTONY

Why do we keep coming back, Jets fans? After all the disappointment, why do we do it? We are gluttons for punishment, that is why. Think about all of the things we have seen, I’ll go back through what I remember: Late hit on Mark Gastineau, the Fake Spike(I still hate Dan Marino), Rich Kotite, the second half of the 1998 AFC title game, Doug Brien, Tom Brady(times a lot), 2 more AFC title losses…I am sure there are more that I am just not thinking about.

We don’t have a championship in over a generation. At least the Mets, for example, have one from 1986. We don’t have one in over a generation! Think about that. For thirty somethings like myself, our parents saw the Jets win it all when they were in their teens or early 20s, and that has been it. We must be gluttons for punishment, right?

That one was a bit in jest. We are gluttons, but that really isn’t it.

What is it, then?

PASSION

We have the most passionate fans in football, I am convinced of it. We take our lead from the great Fireman Ed. When it is going well, there is nothing like being in the building for a Jets game, is there? I live and die by this team, win or lose. Whoever brought you into the world of the Jets, your parents, your friends, whomever it was, you got hooked. Now, no matter what happens, we bleed green and white. We believe every year, whether the coach is making a guarantee or not, that despite all of the years to the contrary, that this is our year.

We stay with this team because we love them. Despite all of the bad draft picks, the hard luck plays, bad coaching, and everything else we have had to endure over the years, we stay.

We are a strong people, because we stay with our team through thick and thin. Because we are the most passion group of fans out there, am I right?

I finish with words we live by.

J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why do you love the Jets? How have you been able to stick with it through all of these years? Would love to hear your thoughts below…