Woody Johnson finding another distraction is great news for Jets fans

Remember Mr. Hess? I barely do. And even younger fans certainly don't. But the last time someone not named Woody Johnson owned the Jets was when Leon Hess did. He was a nice old man, owned Hess Trucks, loved football, and let his football executives run the show. And the Jets, at times, were pretty solid as a result.

He was a good owner who everyone loved. A novel concept, I know.

After his unfortunate passing, the reins were handed directly to the descendant of Robert Wood Johnson I, the heir apparent to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical company throne. And no one knew it at the time, but the moment ownership changed hands, the Jets were doomed indefinitely.

I, along with essentially all Jets fans, almost all football fans, and honestly, a large portion of general sports fans, have long since come to the conclusion that the Jets need Woody Johnson out before they ever win anything again.

While that is unlikely to happen, there's been a fascinating trend in recent years. Woody has had a wandering eye for other sports franchises recently. And yesterday, he found his latest endeavor to sink his teeth into (far away from Florham Park).

Meet New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, the Formula 1 Racing owner

Nine years and 18 days ago, Woody Johnson mercifully abandoned the Jets. Good news, right? Well, not exactly. He didn't sell the team, and he didn't leave forever. He was named ambassador to the UK by President Donald Trump and left the franchise with his brother Christopher. And while nothing got better, it was nice to have a Woody break for a bit.

While he promptly returned once his stint was complete, it was the first big example of Woody Johnson having large-scale aspirations outside of pharmaceuticals and the NFL. Sure, he'd been involved in lobbying before, but holding a real political position within the government? Now that was new.

After returning home to the States, he eventually attempted to purchase Chelsea FC in the English Premier League in the Spring of 2022. Hmm, another extracurricular for Woody? European Soccer, this time? Unfortunately, that bid failed, despite a $2.6 billion attempt.

But if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Someone famous said that. I'm not sure exactly who. But Woody Johnson clearly read inspirational elementary school posters back in the day. Because he hopped right back on the horse, threw his hat in a similar ring, and came out owning 43% of Crystal Palace FC, also in the English Premier League.

Just like that, Woody had another toy to play with. There's only room and time for so many toys, no?

Then on Thursday, news dropped that Johnson had purchased yet another pro sports team. This time, it wasn't European soccer. And it wasn't North American Futbol either.

As you can see above, Johnson purchased a stake in an F1 team. It's not totally clear what level of involvement he'll have. He is going to be a vice chairman on the Aston Martin board of directors. That, we know.

How much work does that require? How much of his time will that eat? How much of his focus will it demand? I have no idea. But Woody spending any time on something other than the Jets... is good for the Jets.

Now, I won't point out that Aston Martin is currently in 10th place out of 11 with just one point, 0 wins, and 0 podiums this season. I won't make the case that Woody fits right in with a professional team in the gutter of their respective sport. I won't warn Aston Martin F1 fans of the sure impending doom coming their way.

I won't do any of that. That would be negative, rude, and disrespectful to Mr. Johnson. I'll let other people say those mean things.

Getting back to the point and how this affects the New York Jets, there's no way to tell yet. Of course, this may have no tangible impact on the Jets. In fact, that's likely the case. But the more you add to Woody's plate, the less time he has for the Jets. How much less time, I do not know.

But first it was politics. Then it was soccer. Now it's racing. What's next? Cashing in on the Jets' estimated $10.35 billion valuation?

Probably not. But news like this, doesn't hurt those chances.

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