One of the threads in the Jets forum got me thinking about memories I have of the Jets when I was really young. I don't remember a whole hell of a lot from when I was a kid but there are a couple of moments that really stand out in my mind. I'd like to pose the question to everyone here what are your childhood Jets memories? A few of mine: 1) I think the day I was really cemented as a Jets fan was the day Raul Allegre hit the game winning field goal against Miami to get the Jets propelled into the playoffs at 8-8. I was 7 when that happened and it was the first big game that I really understood what was happening. Ever since that game I was completely and utterly addicted to the Jets... 2) Going to the Jets games and seeing "Louie Aguiar sucks" signs all over people's cars. It isn't like there were a million of them, but I saw them a couple of times. It made an impact on me in a sense because I looked at Louie Aguiar as being the uber-suckage of NFL players for almost 10 years of my life, before I understood the game a little better. 3) I learned the word "faggot" at a Jets game when I was about 8 and my dad, uncle, and the people who sat in front of us started getting into a conversation about how much they hated Mark Gastineau. I also picked up more than half of the rest of my foul mouth repertoire at Jet games but that one word was reserved for Gastineau. 4) Al Toon - I know him and Wesley Walker were about equal but I was totally enamored with Al Toon. He was my favorite player growing up and I used to think he was the greatest player ever. It wasn't until I was older that I realized what an idiot I was for arguing with people that Al Toon was better than Jerry Rice. 5) Dennis Byrd - The saddest game I ever went to. He went down more or less right in front of our section and it was the only time I ever wanted to leave a game before the game was over, because I was sad for Dennis. I'm glad he was able to Rise and Walk later on. That was very inspiring to me. In all my years of attending Jets games, the only other time I can remember where the stadium was that quiet was when Testaverde went down, and even that wasn't as bad as when Dennis Byrd went down. 6) At the beginning of every Jets game, my uncle would cringe every time the pre-game show would finish with the announcement "Let's play Jets football!".
Good topic indeed. I'm a little younger, so I can't go back that far. The first Jet game I ever saw was Jets Oilers, Jan 2nd, 1994, I was 10. Jets lost 24-0. I should have stopped right there, but I've been a die hard fan ever since. The Monday night miracle has to be on many lists. I remember I was watching it at work. I got off at during the middle of the 3rd, and I was rushing to get out so I could go home and see the rest. I'll never forget hearing "Why bother? This game's over!". Needless to say, Tuesday was a great day at work. When I got to school on Tuesday, all the "Jets Fans" fell asleep before the comeback and I had to let them know that the Jets actually won the game. Jets Chargers Wild Card game. When the Chargers we're getting ready to kick I was so aggrivated I couldn't watch. I went to take a walk around the block cause it made me sick. When I got back, they hadn't kicked yet and I said "Sh*t, I actually have to watch this". When Keading missed I think my head almost hit the ceiling. Thank god for commercial breaks. I choose to forget what happened the following week. 1998. The best season by far that I got to witness as a Jets fan. I was in 10th grade and I almost belted a kid who after seeing my Jets jersey said I was jumping on the bandwagon. I can't believe it's been 10 years since the championship game. Ok now this is getting depressing. I'm sure there are more, but I can't think of any. Good times are usually few and far between with these Jets. The "Jets Horror Stories" thread will probably fill up pretty quick.
I was pretty excited when Boomer came to the Jets -- AND HE MOVED INTO MY NEIGHBORHOOD! Hey that's pretty exciting for a little kid.
The first Jet game I remember watching was back in 1980 when they were playing Houston at Shea Stadium. It was the week before Thanksgiving and the Jets were in the middle of a lousy 4-12 season. I was 9 years old and not quite fully into it yet. What I really remember was knowing Houston was good and the Jets were bad and my father sitting by the phone, moments before the game was going to start, debating whether to call in a bet because he had a hunch the Jets - heavy underdogs - were going to upset the Oilers. He never did make the call and the Jets came out on fire and were up 21-0 at one point. I don't remember watching the rest of the game but Houston scored 28 points in the fourth quarter before the Jets pulled it out on a Leahy FG in OT. I actually bought a DVD of this game a couple of years ago. It was a sloppy game filled with penalties, turnovers, sacks, missed FGs, you name it, but exciting......hard to believe that was almost 28 years ago! Marv Albert announced the game for NBC and looked the eaxct same as he does today......One interesting sidenote..the color analyst (forgot his name) interviewed some Jets fans live in the stands as Houston was mounting their comeback and one of them made a reference to the Carter-Reagan election just a couple of weeks before...
Easy for me, I'm an old timer. SB III. I also met John Schmitt, the Jets center in the late sixties in Freeport. This was when guys had regular jobs in the off season. I believe he was an insurance agent. When he reached down to shake my hand, I couldn't believe that it was possible for a human to be so big. And he'd probably be an undersized Tight End today ! Everybody wanted jerseys with 12 (Namath), 13 (Maynard), 82 (Sauer), 41 (Snell) and 32 (Boozer). I was also happy when Parcells brought back the old uniforms. (and also happy that I didn't get the "Jersey Jets" helmet logo, as we referred to it on Long Island, tattooed on my arm).
We have very similar timelines, I may have about 5-6 earlier years. My first memory was an absolute trouncing we took on MNF I think in 85 against Miami. My second memory was the shootout 51-45 when my favorite Jet all time Kenny O kicked Marino's ass. I was at the Byrd game, so sad but what pissed me off is the asshole Shottenhiemer called a bomb on the very next play after the 45 minute play stoppage. Of course the pass was complete and that just annoyed the hell out of me, how tasteless. The Monday Night Miracle is probably my favorite game all time. I enjoyed the Parcells years as well. Lastly, I can honestly say my most recent favorite memory and cant believe its been six years is when Chad came in the huddle kneeling down for the first time after Vinny went down and just took total command of the team, that was special and is leadership I've never seen. I will comment on the current qb situation by saying if Kellen wins I will support him, but he will NEVER have the leadership abilities Chad possessed on day 1 of the job. Favorite Jets all time - O'Brien, Toon, McNiel, Pennington, Chrebet
Al Toon and Wesley Walker were not about equal. Toon was a hundred times better and was on the same level as Rice. He just didn't have Montana throwing to him and unfortunately had his career cut short.
That was my first game too I think, I was also 9. (It was either that game or the one in 81) Was more of a baseball fan at the time and did not know much about football. I remember I wore an Oilers jersey of Earl Campbell. The kind of jerseys back then that were not like the replicas today. I remember guys yelling. "Here Come the snakes, Here come the snakes". I guess every time Stabler was getting pressured.
You may be thinking of the 1981 game, I watched that game too. Stabler was sacked 8 or 9 times in that game, which was the unofficial birth of the Sack Exchange. I can still remember watching all the clouds of dust fly every time Stabler was slammed down on the infield, ha ha. The Jets won that day and wound up winning 10 of the last 13 regular season games. The Walt Michaels Jets always seemed to have Kenny Stabler's number whether he was on the Raiders, Oilers, or Saints.......
My favorite Jet game I ever attended would have to be the last game of the 02 season against the Packers, when they clinched the AFC East. Me and my brother left the tailgate to head into the game with both the pats and falcons losing at the time. Then probably the loudest I've ever heard the Meadowlands, was when they played the highlight of Vinatieri kicking the game winning FG in OT to beat the Dolphins. Every time i see a highlihgt of that game I still get chills up my spine. I was at the the MNF game against the Dolphins in 00, but still that game was better in my mind taking everything into account.
I have to disagree with you here. While Toon may have had a little more overall talent than Walker, he was not a hundred times better. I would have to place Walker 2nd all time on the Jets list behind Maynard, maybe Toon 3rd. When Walker came aboard in 1977, the Jets offense was respected for the first time in many years and his emergence gave Todd some confidence. Walker was fast as hell, the fastest receiver in Jets history up to that time, and made some incredible and important catches over the years and remember he was blind in one eye. One time he caught a TD against Miami at Shea almost completely blind as his good eye was looking up into the sun. Now that being said, Toon was also an awesome reciever and unfortunately he didn't have the opportunity to play as long as Walker......
I liked Wesley Walker too but I don't think he was better than Toon. In fact, I think Toon was the best Wide Receiver in Jets history. Just some things regarding Toon. Jets all-time single season receptions leader with 93 in 1988 Had more receptions thru first 5 seasons than Jerry Rice did Three time Pro Bowler Had an amazing run of 52 straight games with 3 or more receptions In 107 total games had a career 517 receptions (4.8 receptions per game) - Walker had 438 in 154 games (2.8 receptions per game) I liked Wesley Walker a lot! I loved the fact that he was such a deep threat. His career Yards per Reception is simply amazing at 19.0. His 1978 season was fantastic with 48 receptions and over 1,100 yards for a 24 yards per and 8 TD's! Then his 1986 season playing on the opposite side of Toon was amazing when he had 49 receptions but over 1,000 yards and 12 TD's!!! And how could you not root for someone who is legally blind in one eye. But in my opinion he just falls short of Toon.
freeman mcneil was the guy who really made me a jets fan. even with his rib injuries. walker was always the great deep threat. i was a big mickey shuler fan when i was a kid. klecko always jumping off sides, but it was ok cause he screwed up the offense so damn much with his offset stance when he played nose. most of my game memories from way back when are bad now that i think about it. the cleveland playoff game, GRRRRR was that 51-45 miami game the one where duper did the helicopter? oh god the fake spike, disgusting disgusting disgusting!!! AJ DUHE, ugghhh this is probably why the patriots will never be hated as much as the dollfags in my eyes. i have to say i really became a jet fan because i was just amazed at how freeman mcneil ran the ball. he was just the greatest thing when i was a kid. him and curt warner, i was a seattle fan too, only because of curt warner and steve largent and they had cool helmets luckily warner was out of the league in fairly short time and i got to continue to grow up thinking well i dunno maybe johnny hector can do the things that mcneil did.
I'll be honest. Just like most of us here, I put two games to be greatest of all times. The first one I saw was the Oilers vs. Bills game in early 90 when the Bills made a huge comeback to win the game. Until that Monday Night Miracle, I had that game as the greatest of all time. But MNM was even better and sweeter since it was us doing the talking. We played like shit until late 3rd quarter. I watched the entire game alone in the house and damn I had to stay up till like 2am. I had school at 7am next morning...never made the bus or the school...lol. I was like 10 when I started watching football in England and Al Toon is the only player I remember from that time. I got cut off from football until 2000 so can't comment on the 98 season. To me, the best Jets season I watched was 04 when we reached the divisional playoffs. We should have been in the AFC Championship game had it not been for a few relatively easier missed field goals. The 06 run was impressive and unexpected but we never really dominated the 10 games we won...maybe I feel that way because we won a bunch of games with in 8pts (one possesion). Im hoping for a 10 plus win season this yr. Some may think Im crazy but I just feel we will have an 04 like season and after we beat the pats twice this yr, maybe Brady will start respecting us....?
No. The receiver in question was Nat Moore. The play occurred in a 1984 game won by the Dolphins 31-17.
