Fan Food For Thought …
Just an observation, but I saw a blog post on Fifth Down from Greg Bishop that caused me to think a little bit about fandom in general and the perspective of us fans. What was first a question posed to Trent Dilfer about just what kind of team the Jets are, turned to a commentary on fans.
“I don’t know if you can get a read on [the Jets team]. You can look at it like a pessimist or an optimist. Most Jets fans are pessimists, and there is a lot of evidence as to why they are that way, the feeling that something bad inevitably is going to happen. The whole ‘woe is me’ thing. They have had their share of heartbreak over the years.
“The other way to look at it is to look at the Indianapolis Colts. They had that miracle win earlier this season against the Houston Texans. They parleyed that into seven straight wins. A game like that, even a miracle win, can help a team gain momentum. The question is: What do you do with it?
Not to get too psychological, but aside from the obvious lack of congruity when talking about fans of one team and a wholly unrelated team, there’s an underlying point here about my perspective on life and my perspective (which gets amplified greatly) when it comes to sports.
I hate the doom and gloom, I hate the “same old Jets” mantra and I REALLY hate the “we’re cursed because Joe Namath sold his soul to Beelzebub for a win and we’re paying the consequences” stuff. Hypocritically though, I do wear the same green short sleeve shirt when I watch the game at home come Sunday. I do hypocritically look longingly at my unlucky Chrebet Jersey wondering if today is the day I’ll wear it and “the curse” is removed.
I consider myself an optimist, but maybe an extremely cautious one with some superstitial syncretism still permeating the edges of my faith. I like being pleasantly surprised by good things for the team, and not so effected by the bad things, though in truth I still am.
More than anything I think that this 2008 season, if for no other reason has helped me gain some perspective. Even though I care deeply about the team, it’s sports, and the way that I react is more a function of the amplifications of my own personality. Just some food for thought I wanted to throw out there … do with it what you will.
Also, to learn more about fandom, there’s an interesting discussion on NPR’s Talk of the Nation from a few years back. Points to anyone who knows what that picture is from above.
20 Responses to Fan Food For Thought …
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Mad Dog Mo says:
Trent Dilfer is a douche bag.
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TOON2388 says:
hey bartender, better get Jobu another shot
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david i says:
The negative implications that stem from the Jets stereotype is pervasive through the fan base as a result of those say “same old Jets” or “Joe Willie sold his soul”, which you hate. To me, I HATE the fact that Jets fans actually have become accutomed to Gang Green. Who the hell in the world likes being named after a disgusting disease? Why in the world would anyone want to be associated with necrosis (rotting/) of human tissue. It was a journalists creative way to nickname the team when they sucked so bad and he wanted to make a mockery of the team. Now like idiots, most younger generation Jets fans accept the term and actually like it and prefer it. Anyone who accepts the use of the term is complete moron for keeping a term so negative and then wonders why the fan base is referred to in this manner as part of someones commentary. This web site even promotes the name in its title. Their are other web sites named after the horrendous nickname. Why don’t just usea similar term like Gout, Phlebitis or Cancer as a nickname? I know, because they are equally or worse. But Jet fans embrace this attrocious term.
Thanks for letting me rant!!!!!!!!!
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Joe B. says:
This dude a gangreen survivor or something? Take it easy.
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Just ranting about a pet peave I have that annoys the hell out of me and every so often I have to get it out of my system.
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DSmizzle says:
Gang Green is a cool nickname, who cares if it is derived from “gangrene” (I think that’s the spelling of the flesch-rotting disease).
The Warriors or the Titans or the Giants or Trojans might bash you over the head with a spike or an anvil or chop your head off with an axe, but the JETS will rot your flesch as you die slowly, and you are sent by the heartless leaders to rot to death on an island of fellow lepers and the only person who will sympathize with and be willing to come near you is Jesus Christ himself.
Anyway, the one thing I’m thankful for regarding the attitude of JETS’ fans is that although I’m the stereotypical JETS fan pessimist in many regards, we don’t have the Boston Red Sox (pre-2004) “Martyrdom Syndrome” that Cubs fans also have, where we pretend its cool to lose, or that we’re super-fans for rooting for a team with a less-than-memorable history (obviously with some notable exceptions like the Super Bowl and individual players).
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DaveTN says:
I don’t know, it’s not like we’re Red Sox fans pre-2004. Frankly, Dilfer acknowledges that there is a reason to be pessimistic. At several key moments in the past 40 years, whether it was AJ Duhe making a 7 year old cry, or Garin Veris eating Ken O’Brien alive. or being unable to hold a 10 point second half lead in Denver, or missing several chip shot field goals against Pittsburgh, the Jets, even when they got themselves together, found a way to disappoint. There’s no curse- these teams had nothing to do with each other, except the uniforms (sort of). I think Jets fans know this.
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Oops, beat me to it DSmizzle…
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fafa says:
99% of all seasons end in a loss and thus disappointment so to not enjoy it when your team is winning is a waste of your time. Regardless I would rather be a disappointed and humble Jets fan than one of those idiot Steeler/Patriot fans who think they are actually better than you because the football team they root for consistently wins.
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SackDance99 says:
I’ve said this before, but the post-Parcells Jets are not the “same old Jets.” The 1998 team was a good team. But, it played the best team in the NFL on the road in the AFC Championship game and lost. To me, the “same old Jets” mantra really began in the ’80s because that team was on the cusp of being the best team in the NFL and, IMO, was the best in 1982 and 1986 and lost in the playoffs in bizarre soul-crushing ways. I know the loss to the Steelers in 2004 was hard to swallow, but the Jets were the underdog and would’ve lost to the Pats in the AFC Championship game anyhow. That loss pales in comparison to the mud of the Orange Bowl or to Cleveland after the game was won.
That brings us to this year. The Jets’ “A” game is the best in the NFL this season. I don’t care about the silly week-to-week rankings, in all three phases of the game, the Jets are probably (along with the Giants) the most complete team in the NFL. So, I fully understand the pessimism. We’ve been there before. What’s weird to me is that in 1998, after Vinny T’s QB sneak for a TD against the Seahawks, which was clearly not a TD and led to Ralph Wilson finally switching his vote on instant replay because the Bills didn’t make the playoffs, every Jets fan was supremely confident. There was no “same old Jets” mantra because we all felt that the gift TD meant that the football gods were smiling on us. Is it the crash thereafter that has made Jets Nation so pessimistic?
Sunday’s win was the most improbable win that I’ve ever seen, even more improbable than the “Meadowlands Miracle.” That “Miracle” was earned; this “miracle” was a complete gift. So, like Bassett, I’m wondering why Jets Nation doesn’t think that this is a team of destiny? I guess we’ll find out how good this team is over the next 2 weeks and, if they win out, I’ll be celebrating the Jets’ third AFC East title since 1998, which are also the only 3.
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BigKatFan says:
Trent Dilfer is a L-O-S-E-R!
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BubbyBrister/shovelpass says:
Once again, you make excellent points SackDance. It got me to thinking, Pittsburgh had it’s immaculate reception, New England had it’s tuck rule…could it be that this gridiron gift is the start of something just as mysteriously awesome? We’ll know on Sunday night…
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Oh, and I almost forgot…Dilfer really is a rubberhead….
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DaveTN -
Off topic, but it’s always bugged me how everyone blames that Pittsburgh loss on Doug Brien. If you remember, THE OFFENSE SCORED THREE POINTS IN THAT GAME. We got our two touchdowns on a punt return and an interception return. Paul Hackett’s uber-conservative playcalling cost us that game.
Also, they weren’t “chip shot” field goals. They were 43 and 47-yarders into the wind on a notoriously bad field. Hackett consistently refused to make an aggressive call to get us into better field position, instead just running the ball. Brien was set up to fail by that fat piece of crap.
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Correction, on the second attempt, he didn’t even run the ball. Herm and Hackett instead decided, with 16 seconds and a timeout left, to have Chad take a knee at the 25-yard-line. You can’t make this stuff up.
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JDB says:
Are saying Jesus couldn’t hit a curveball?
i guess i’m the odd Jets fan, i get mad as hell watching em, but always believe they’ll find a win
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Bent says: I couldn’t stand Hackett but I place the blame for that loss squarely on Herm’s shoulders. Kneeling at the 25 would have to have been his call.
Hackett also deserves criticism for his playcalling throughout that game, but I’ll always blame Herm for that one.
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Jobu can not hit the curve ball.