Oh I get it. I'm not much younger than you....and I've essentially lived away from NY since I was 18/19... (but it's not like the Jaguars have been some prize to root for ) I used to take it too seriously (at least the lows, I still act like a jack-ass when they win). Sadly I knew this season was toast when I woke up tuesday morning to read the conformation that Rodgers' achilles was torn, and my mindset & expectations took a big detour, and figured my weekends were liberated for other fun stuff (unfortunately other life stuff has gotten in the way of that though) Anyway Merry Christmas...
I've already gone through the withdrawal process with the Yankees and Knicks. I used to live and die with both teams, but I slowly weaned myself off each of them. I realized the Knicks would always be a disappointment as long as James Dolan owned the team, and the Yankees would continue to break my heart as long as Brian Cashman ran the show. These days, I rarely watch the Knicks. I still watch a lot of Yankee games, but my heart isn't in it. I still watch the Jets each week, but I no longer have any real expectations, at least for as long as Woody owns the team. The Rex era was the last time I had any real hope. I caught myself this pre-season when I found myself actually thinking that Rodgers might -- just might -- turn things around. Sometimes, I wonder if I continue to watch just to see how this organization will top itself with yet another SOJ moment, and I'm constantly amazed at how this chronically inept organization always manages to outdo itself.
Sorry but I Completely and totally disagree. This OL and CS and JD deserves every bit of heat. We lost AR in four plays because our left tackle was pathetic. Since then neither tackle, Brown, Becton, or whom ever filled in at LT or RT has performed worth a crap. We have been miserable across the board. And a data point of NE which is a horrible team means nothing. Top teams have completely manhandled our OL. Further, all year long our running game has been a joke. We get zero, and I mean zero push from the OL. This team has shown without the shadow of a doubt that we have major personnel holes way beyond the QB, starting with a fairly inept CS particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Under this regime, a new rookie QB will be a wasted pick and completely destroyed in year one.
I feel the same as you guys about the fandom. For my own sanity I cant take it as seriously as I did when I was young. But the NFL also operated different in those days. More like a real fan league, an American institution, where supporting the Jets felt like a meaningful part of my identity. But over the last 20 years the NFL has gotten so corporate in their approach to business. They continually throw their own legacy away for a few more dollars. Woody may be one of the worst at this. Sometimes rooting for the Jets feels like rooting for Comcast or something. That;s not my idea of a fun team to root for. This is what I meant by we need a better fan culture from the top, so the Jets feel like the fans team again. Yeah we yell J-E-T-S, jets jets jets, and there's Ed, but where is our real personality. Woody needs a GM that not only knows how to build a winner, but one that can install a cultural change to make the fans feel more connected again. To give us back our real identity. As Jet fans we are a unique breed and only we can understand what its like to root for this organization...for decades. Even through all of our long suffering, at the slightest glimmer of hope we show up in full force ready to be one of the loudest stadiums in the league. When Woody bought us he scored big, because at our core we are one of the best fan bases in sports. Who we are as a base needs to be redefined to fit that level of loyalty, strength, and resilience. Woody is lucky to have us, not the other way around. Our true identity is also a lot funner than what we end up left with. This should be a playoff team, that is fun to watch, fun to support, and meaningful to identify with. And it should be a team we feel genuinely represents us and loves us back. Our next GM needs to not just create a winner, but create a cultural change for the fans that reflects us as a group. So when we put on a jersey and watch a game, we feel the deeper connection. Just like we used to. This is a big part of what I want for the team.
They do deserve a heap of criticism for the short and long term outlook of the offensive line. But when you go game by game it hasn’t all been insurmountable for the quarterback. I just posted three examples of games where the QB had plenty to work with in terms of time and we put up 10, 6 and 12 points in three of those games. And two of three of them were at home. We’d be a game out of a wild card spot if we won two of those three with head to head tie breakers against the Texans, and Broncos and the Bills with a split and better conference record.
The easy answer to one part of your post, Jets fans and their identity, can be found in the fact that PSL's were introduced with the new stadium. The real fans, for the most part, have been priced out of the stadium. You can also trace this back to moving the team from Queens to Jersey. That eroded some of the fan base to a degree, and it's just gotten worse and worse. Woody doesn't give a shit because he's getting paid anyway, the PSL's ensure that tickets will be sold no matter what, and why would he care if it's at gunpoint? Money is money. The sad thing is is I had four seats for a long time, never missed games, got started on kids a little bit later in life so my kids were young when I gave up my tickets. I envisioned it being a family thing, I would get my two boys to be huge jet fans with me, it would be their entire childhood and teens going to jet games and just having this entire thing built around sports like good old Americana fathers and sons. I gave up my tickets on principle because they were shafting me and many others, and that never came to fruition. We go to a road game every year, but it's just not the same. Somehow they turned into a rabid Jets fans anyway, but younger idealistic me wanted it to be different. Point I'm trying to make is that there are hundreds of thousands of people like me who wanted to do that, some of them still do even with the gun that's pointed at their head, but so many others were either priced out or turned off. I am in full understanding of not having the same passion. My passion is more pragmatic now, I've learned how to look at the team from the business side, and you as the future GM understand where I'm coming from. I no longer have that little kids wonder and awe about the team just winning. Most of it's gone. I will celebrate as hard as anyone else and cry my eyes out if and when they ever do win, assuming I'm still here, but that day-to-day passion is gone and it's probably gone forever.
Yes, I used to be a big Knicks fan, but mostly checked out years ago. I have a friend always trying to hype me on them (big basketball fan) and my response is usually "get back to me after Dolan sells the team" (they do finally have some likeable players now at least (Brunson).... there's an old Ewing and LJ jersey in the back of the closet somewhere... granted I looked alot better in a tank top 20 years ago. lol. Yankee fan?... sorry, no sympathy from me there....whaaaaah only 27 championships....
You might be right if the rest of the O elevated their game behind a better QB. While don’t disagree with your projection if the offense would not self destruct starting with a QB that was not so woefully inconsistent, unable of putting a complete, solid game together. But I also saw a team that looked unprepared and out of sink, with an inordinate amount of momentum killers due penalties that negated great first down progress or touch downs, not too mention little performance if any out of Lazard, Cook, no show from Cobb, even Hall to some extent and so on. Above all the offensive play calling was so predictable, mid game adjustments non existing. I have lost all confidence on this CS no matter what QB we bring in, not to mention JD ability to really beef up the OL. Not a good feeling for a fan.
I might point out that not everyone got onboard - you can't be sold a bill of goods if you're not buying. When the next pie in the sky scheme is floated, just remember what you said here about the hype and lies. Your eyes are not lying to you; make the organization prove it to you before you go all in.
I wasn't happy with the Rodgers trade at the time (and was vocal about it so this isn't a case of cooling off or hindsight) but by now I am so sick of his presence on this team I can barely stand to see any media about the Jets as it is all about him - I can see now why Packers fans seem to dislike him so much even though with them he was at least good.
I know how you feel - I am past the half century mark and I honestly don't think any team I follow in the NFL or soccer is ever going to win anything before I die so I will never get to enjoy that sweet feeling - the worst thing is I only chose the Jets in 1985 as my mate went with the Giants so I said "I'll go with the other NY team" - the worst thing is I would have gone with New England because of the "England" reference but back then I thought they had a really stupid goofy looking helmet so I picked the jets instead (the other worst bit is that same friend switched allegiances to the Niners about a year later so he got to enjoy all the Niners golden years) I have tried following other teams over the years but it never sticks - I just wish the Jets would move somewhere else so I could feel like it was a different team and I could get free of them as they are such a cursed snake bitten team I don't believe anything will ever go right for them.
Yes, we're seeing yet another dimension of the Aaron Rodgers Experience: evading blame by throwing other people under the bus. Rodgers has taken heat for being activated to the 53-man roster even though he won't play again this year. Apparently, Rodgers felt the heat. His story now is that he never wanted to go on the 53-man roster and it was all done against his will. In other words, he threw Joe Douglas under the bus. Does anyone believe that Douglas did this against Rodgers' will? It's almost laughable. https://nypost.com/2023/12/26/sport...-jets-overruled-his-ir-decision-rips-critics/
It is remarkable how no matter what Aaron does, there are some fans who just hate him no matter what. Seriously, is it the COVID thing? I mean Saleh corroborated Aaron's story in the press conference. Why is this laughable that a GM/coach actually makes team decisions and not Rodgers? Isn't this what a they are supposed to do? Here we have something that is supposed to be done (a GM and coach make a decision on a player) - done - and corroborated by first hand participants: Aaron and the coach. And yet Aaron is still a liar and the asshole? I think the hate for Aaron is blinding your otherwise good judgment.
"There you go again!" Your constant repetition of your claim of the mindset of others is what is laughable. People here might have had too much of the Rodgers, Rodgers, Rodgers theme; they might not have wanted him here from the beginning for many reasons; they may have become more disillusioned with his selection after he was knocked on his ass after four plays. They might even be fed up with his quasi GM messages and his weekly self-aggrandizement on McAfee's show or just pissed that he didn't save the Jets from themselves but you insist that it is just hatred of someone they don't even know and that it is coloring their judgement in a feeble attempt to discount what they actually have said about the guy.
