"If they sh*t the bed this year I'll be more disappointed than I've ever been as a Jet's fan," said Ken O'Boyle Sr, father of yours truly and 20 year season ticket holder. "If your gonna talk the talk, you gotta walk the walk."
My Dad loves using stupid cliches, but he's right. We've been promised two going on three super bowls already. We've come too close twice and failed at the doorstep. This year Jet fans were confident.
"Jet fans are never confident!" screamed Bob Payne, long time Jet fan and season ticket holder from Long Island (Those are some hardcore Jets Fans out there). "The year after we lost to the Colts in the AFC Championship, I wasn't confident, but we did it again and lost to the stupid Steelers. This year was the year."
Payne had sat behind me with his buddy "EggHead" practically all my life going to Jet games. When the new stadium came along, every body's seats changed. Some people from the old section 140 didn't even buy season tickets at the new stadium because they're so damn expensive. The happy ending to the Payne and EggHead story is, even though we don't sit in the same section anymore, we tailgate together, which is something we didn't even do at the old stadium.
"You have to beat the Bills today," said Steve "Egghead" Taggart (I felt so weird asking him his real name). "I don't care how they do it. Pretty, sloppy, who gives a sh*t. You can't afford to lose anymore. And if we do win out, I still we get screwed out of a home playoff game.
Payne and EggHead didn't make the playoff road trips my family made the last two seasons. But EggHead is right. We pretty much have to be perfect the rest of the way if we're going to have a shot at the postseason and even still the Patriots will probably have a better record and win the division. And we had a sloppy win against the Bills.
Payne and EggHead are some of the best Jets fans ever. Even though Payne doesn't sit by us any more I keep his spirit around by shouting some of the classic Payne lines. "Snap it over his head! OOOOVER his head, OOOOOVER his head."Or, "Run like MOOOOSEEEE." Egghead never had any catch phrases but he delivered a line that I laugh at to this day. A band called "Better than Ezra" was playing at halftime and the Jet fans, ruthless as always, practically booed them off the stage. It was girl sounding pop music, inappropriate for a football game half time show. Anyway, no one else ever thinks this is funny, but EggHead shouted at the top of his lungs in a think Long Island accent, "You're not better than Ezra!" Gets me every time.
And now the moment we've all been waiting for....
It wasn't only Jet fans that I talked on Sunday, I talked to my Aunt and Uncle who both work at MetLife Stadium. My Aunt is in charge of the Pepsi gate security and my Uncle is an usher inside the stadium. They work both Jets and Giants games on a weekly basis.
The question was simply this.... Who has the more passionate fans, Jets or Giants?
Aunt Debbie ( master of the Gate )
That's tough to say. The Giants sell more tickets but they are not as rowdy as Jet fans when they get to the gates. Can we change the question to who has the more drunk fans, because Jet fans win that category. It's hard to tell whether Jet fans are just more drunk or they're passionate about the team. I guess I'd have to say the Jets.
And she's a Broncos fan. And now from My Uncle Dave (Charge Fan and nicest usher at the Meadowlands).
The stadium gets really loud for both teams, but more people show up to the Giants game so I'd have to say the Giants are louder except for the Jets chant. I'll put it to you this way. I wear earplugs for both teams. The Jets get into more fights though. I'm always breaking up fights at Jets games. I don't like it, but it says something about their passion for the team. That or they are just really hammered.
So there you have it Jet fans are more drunk and obnoxious than Giants fans and by default are more passionate about the team. I say this often, there is no such thing as a casual Jet fan. There are casual Giant fans. Some are just casual football fans.
Who's your favorite team?
I don't watch football that much
but if I had to pick I'm a Giants Fan.
That doesn't exist in Jets Nation. You're either die hard or you like some other team. You have to be strong willed to be a Jet fan. If your not passionate about the team all the disappoint will kill you.
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