Why are the Jets green? The question just popped into my head after questioning why the Detroit Lions are blue. I've done some research, but to no avail. Does anyone know why? The only possible reason i could think of is that Leon Hess (who was part of the group that bought the team, and then he later bought it out for himself) was also the CEO of Amerada Hess, the green oil company. Likewise, he made his team green. Is this right, or am I dead wrong?
Hess changed them to green due to the Hess gas colors. If he didn't I wonder if the Titan blue and gold would have stayed. Its not a dumb question - its a fun fact we all learn sooner or later.
Thanks, it is actually pretty interesting how our team colors came about. If it weren't for Hess, there would be no gang green, and perhaps not even the jets. and apparently it was Sonny Werblin that gave the name jets, for unknown reasons.
The Jets were named the Jets for at least three reasons: they were going to move to Shea Stadium next to LaGuardia Airport, they had to get rid of the Titans name to remove the stench of failure and bankruptcy, and the name rhymed with that of the team they would be sharing Shea with, the Mets (it was the first of these reasons that was given at the press conference announcing the sale of the team on April 15, 1963).
Well it's a good thing he changed the colors to green. I've also heard that they were named the Jets because at that time, it was the jet age. I think they held a couple practices at Rikers Island too. If you ever get a chance, if you haven't already, check out GANG GREEN ## years of New York Jets Futility by Gerald Eskenazi. Some real good history in there.
Yeah that's a great book for any Jet fan. According to that book it was the Jets' original owner Sonny Werblin who chose the color green and I believe it had something to do with luck of the Irish (although Werblin was Jewish not Irish). The name Jets did not have anything to do with Shea Stadium's proximity to LaGuardia. The team played at the Polo Grounds before they played at Shea.
On the subject of Jets green: Not sure if anyone reads Gregg Easterbrook, but he had a theory in his column that I dug when I read it. A few years ago, he was questioning the Jets' relatively low national profile (for an NY team), and he speculated that it might have to do with their green unis. Jets green is a closer match to the color of the playing surface than any other team's colors. Because of lesser contrast with the background, Jets appear on television to be moving slower than, say, the chiefs, and so Jets highlights look ever-so-slightly less exciting than they would if their uniforms had greater chromatic contrast with the field. Also, green is known to be the dopest of all possible colors.
The name definitely came from being near LaGuardia Airport. Here is the exact quote from the New York Times article on April 16, 1963, describing the press conference where the new colors, team name, and coach and GM were all introduced: It was only delays in the building of Shea that resulted in the team not moving in for the 1963 season.
That quote also refers to the concept in the '60s of jets as being an advanced technology. Not so much anymore. Perhaps a jet fighter would be a more modern concept.
the term jets had absolutely nothing to do with the move to shea....its a tremendous misconception...they named them the jets because at the time the aeronautic field was innovative and booming and they wanted to appear as the "Jets" being innovative, edgy, and symbolizing advancement
Read the quote from the Times article I gave, and also the information on the team history page of the team that Pam provided - there is no question that the team name came from both the idea of being modern and the fact that they were near two major airports. They explicitly said it at the news conference where the new name was announced.
