After last winter, I kinda stepped away from football for a while, as the combination of Patriots winning the Super Bowl and the circus that took place with the Jets soured me on the sport. As long as the Jets continue to have this combination of impatient fans, toxic media and weak ownership, I don't see them having any kind of real sustainable success, the same exact way I feel about the Knicks. So there I was, not really paying too much attention to the Jets, when suddenly I start seeing this barrage of Jets related news, each more bizarre than the last. Sheldon Richardson gets suspended for weed, then gets arrested with guns and kids involved. IK looks great in camp before clocking Geno who also looks great in camp and breaking his jaw. IK is cut, goes to Buffalo. Amaro, who looked good last year is out for the year. Not really rooting as much for the Jets this year as I have in the past, this stuff was almost comical in its magnitude. But it also got me thinking. I've been a sports fan for many years now, and I've never seen the kind of negativity that I see with the Jets. From the fans to the media, there is just this ridiculous level of toxicity, with everybody who is the least bit imperfect getting bashed, from our own players to coaches to GMs to owner. If a young QB like Geno or Sanchez isn't great from the start, tons of fans turn on them immediately, and the local media just keeps writing insulting click bait bs. So I think what's happening right now with the Jets is some sort of karmic justice. The fans toxicity toward Idzik is being made real, where even his good moves are turning bad, and the fans/media negativity is turning into Jets reality. Really makes you wonder about the no super bowl since 1969 thing. Maybe your parents were just nicer people.
You are definitely right about toxic fans/media with no patience, but I am not sure that has anything to do with the Jets' current situations. Not every fan thinks that way.
There are a lot of days where I hate being a Jets fan, and it usually coincides with bad news, a loss, or some dumb ass here. I've learned to find other things to do on those days. Life is too short to be bitter and angry. The Jets are what they are. It's just not worth my time and energy to fight it.
The key is not how many guys are out for the season, but whom? Zach Sudfeld out for the season is addition by subtraction in my book. I can still picture him standing like a statue in Green Bay watching a DB cut right in front of him for a game-changing pick last year.
People forget (or the younger ones don'r know) that prior to 1973 you couldn't even see a local football game unless you bought a ticket and went...or drive more than 75 miles away from NYC and visit a bar (usually) and watch it there. Because of that people just didn't really take it that seriously and they especially din't take the AFL seriously, in fact most people and all of the media just considered them a joke more or less. It wasn't until congress passed a bill to get rid of the ridiculous blackout rules that people really started getting into it and the frenzied fans took over.
No, not every fan does, but high percentage of them do. A high enough percentage that they can and do negatively effect our team. There is no question in my mind about that.
I don't think it's a karma thing. I believe lots of teams have fans and media that are just as negative about their teams as we think we are about the Jets. The grass is always greener. I try to be as realistic as possible season to season. I just go along for the ride and try to enjoy what I can. Whoever sticks it out as a true jet fan, just as I'm going to try and do to the best of my abilities, will one day be rewarded with seeing this team win the Super Bowl. It's going to be that much sweeter.
I thought this in my 20's and part of my 30's. Now in my 40's I think it's horse shit. Unfortunately, I think I'll be dead before I see it. I'll always be a fan, but I just can't envision it anymore. My Dad, now 76, always says he would have said you were a moron in '69 if you told him he'd never see the Jets in a Super Bowl again. Hope I'm wrong. REALLY hope I'm wrong. The reward would be more than worth the wait.
Almost all sport teams withe the exception of a few dynasties, are fraught with negativity, toxic media circus, world spinning out of control atmospheres. Even the dynasty are filled with behind the scene woes. I love the Jets, I root for them because they are my team. No worries about karma, and if they fall short and fail, they get again and give it another try...
It's just a 24/7 news cycle and a social media thing. I seriously doubt if it's just happening to the Jets. It's just life in 2015 USA. Hey The Donald is leading in all the polls. It's just 2015 man.
It can all turn just as quickly to the positive. 2009/2010 were great times to be Jet fans. We were the darlings of the NFL.
Ny is the biggest media market in the world,Your not gonna see this kind of coverage with some dickhead team from small towns.And Idzik was bad on his own,the fans didn't ruin John Idizks carrer he did that on his own
Following a sports team can be maddening to the point overall dispair. Social media and news outlets auger every hope and fear we have, so we are reminded by the negative much more than the positive. And it doesn't take a large market either. In about 48 hours, I watched the Trail Blazers go from playoff contender to signing community college dropouts.... nothing is fickle as sports. But then again, it so are the times we are living in.
The difference between the Jets and most mediocre teams is the expectations level. Every year that the Jets don't win a Super Bowl adds to the ante and the expectations are raised and then normal shit happens and the Jets don't win again and everybody goes "BLAAAAAARRRRGGGGH!!!!!" Every team in the NFL up markets itself, except for the few total sad sacks who can't, and most fans understand that the up marketing is normal business practice and don't take it personally when their team fails to meet expectations. Some fans here and there fly banners and put up billboards instead. What are the Jets supposed to do when that happens? Market to reality? Or try to up market, like everybody else not in Jacksonville?
Honestly, "toxicity" is media driven, not fan driven. Unfortunately for the Jets, years of failure combined with the relative success of the Giants has put the spotlight on our team whether or not we like it. Other than a few incidents (such as the "Fire John Idzik" bandwagon which was carried out by fans and not necessarily the media), I don't think the fans have a huge impact on culture. Its not like team officials are reading internet forums, and I doubt Sanchez or Geno really cared when they were boo'd at home. I bet they did watch ESPN, though...
