An Open Letter to . . .
Dear Santa,
Hey, it’s your old buddy R in CT. I know I haven’t written you in a while (thanks again for that 10-speed bike!) and this is your busiest night, but I thought I’d sent you a short missive on behalf of myself and my fellow Jets fans after that lump of coal we got in Seattle last Sunday.
Let me say first that game was one of the worst Xmas gifts I’ve ever gotten, with the exception of the half-raw brownies and book on organic gardening that the horrid woman in my office gave me a few years back (she didn’t even bother to remove the letter from the public relations firm addressed to her from inside the front cover — talk about a thoughtless re-gift!). That game was the toughest gut-punch I’ve had in a long time, and a devastating, maddening, soul-crushing loss. It was so upsetting that all this week, I couldn’t bear to read the papers, watch NFL-related programming, listen to sports radio or even read this beloved blog. I was so down, I couldn’t even muster the energy or focus to do my weekly “TJB Scout.” (Sorry — I know you enjoyed perusing it from time to time, mug of eggnog in hand, while making preparations for tonight’s flight.) I didn’t even post so much as a single comment this week.
But why, I asked myself. Why was I so distraught? And as I stewed in my own burning juices, I realized that I think a good part of it had to do with the anger, vitriol, venom and absolute hate it provoked my fellow fans. Stirred feverishly by the local media, it was particularly upsetting to me to see all the fans so upset, so vexed, so bitter and lashing out at anybody and anything — the players, the coaches, the owner, the front office, the Flight Crew ….
Okay, no one is angry with the Flight Crew, although if you wanted to bring them some special holiday outfits for Sunday — without distracting bottoms for Bassett, thanks — that’d be good by everyone.
I mean, I understand being disappointed after a potential season-ending loss, but it was off the charts this week. And so, as I contemplated this pervading anger and frustration, I realized what I wanted to ask you for . . .
No, it’s not for a win against the Dolphins, or even for a loss by the Ravens or Patriots. (Although, if you could send a case of explosive diarrhea to Coach Belichick, it’d put a holiday smile on my face.) I understand that randomly distributing wins and losses is not really how you work, and to be honest, if the Jets can’t win the most critical game of the year without your help, then they don’t really deserve to, now do they? No, what I had in mind that you could bring to is a little bigger than that, in a way.
Santa, my jolly old wool-clad friend, what I’d like you to bring to me and my fellow Jets fans is this: Peace.
Now, I’m not talking about the dirty hippie, flowers-in-gun-barrels type of peace. I’m talking about the simple peace of mind, the kind where we all sort of realize that the Jets, as much as they consume our lives at times, are really just entertainment. That, even when they lose or don’t make the playoffs or make bad personnel moves or don’t use Leon Washington nearly enough, that we are somehow able to temper our disappointment and frustration by keeping it all in perspective — it is just a game, after all.
By the way some fans react, you might not know that — you’d think the team specifically went out of their way to wreck their lives or had physically assaulted them. I understand that this blog in particular, is a fine place for fans to vent, but lately it seems that the discourse has boiled over from civil discussion to hateful name-calling and vicious personal attacks — both on the Jets and fellow fans. And I think that’s the most upsetting part. That the fans, rather than rallying together after a tough loss and spurring the team on to victory, seem to be more focused on spreading the overwhelming negativity and inflicting further hurt on anyone and everyone who dares to be involved with this seemingly star-crossed franchise. Not to get all rah-rah on you, but it’d be nice if we could clear our minds of all the swirling self-inflicted suffering so we’d be more ready to cheer when something goes right than boo at the first sign of adversity.
Anyway, if you could just give a little peace and perspective to myself and my fellow fans, I’d appreciate it. Instead of wallowing in negativity, if somehow you could remind us all that although it’s disappointing when the team loses, it’s not the end of the world — our families still love us, our friends will still support us (after some razzing usually), we live in a world where we can watch football on Sundays, and that generally, life is pretty good. It is the holiday season, right? Goodwill to men — and that should include Jets fans.
Okay Santa, I know you’re busy tonight. I just thought I’d try a Hail Mary of sorts here — just hope it comes down as if Chansi Stuckey caught it rather than Kelly Jennings.
Thanks again. Happy holidays to you and all the Jets fans out there!
R in CT
P.S. If you could throw in a stylish sweater or a brand-new futon for my buddy E-Bola, that’d be nice too.
Filed under: Main Page, Opinion/R in CT
R in CT thanks for the beautiful analogy but this is football not a weekly soap opera.If you want Peace on earth why do you watch a violent sport like football.Although your blog was beautifully written us true Jet fans want a winning team and a superbowl ring.There is a column for writers like you its called DEAR ABBY ….Merry Christmas and hope your keyboard gets a case of the I DONT WORK ANYMORE SYNDROME….
First time poster. I feel for you, jets fans. I’m in milwaukee and obviously a packers fan, and i’ve become a jets fan, too. I’ve watched as many as i’ve been able to. but the sad truth is that favre chokes in the big games and made it painfully obvious last year that he cannot play in the cold. Don’t let the highlights of a much-over-glorified shovel pass and a snowball throwin favre mislead you–that game was not very cold, it just looked it. I feel sorry for you guys who had to watch the patented favre double, triple coverage deep interceptions…you just gotta think about those as punts. Why i really feel sorry for you now is that favre for some reason i cannot comphrend decides to speculate about whether he’ll be back or not. I don’t understand why he has to go there…for your sake i hope he makes his decision quick so as to not drag it out so long it starts to hurt the team.
But, as you can imagine, i’m jealous of you. First, you had a great ride for a while there, and i know first hand that favre is a ton of fun to watch. But he is, at this point in his career, over rated, and COMPLETELY undeserving of being a pro bowler, He’s also shown he’s a bit of a diva. What i thought was rediculous was him bringing his superbowl ring on the plane to ‘inspire’ the team. Am i wrong or doesn’t multiple people on the jets have superbowl rings? Yet some how, some way, this favre/ring thing makes the news???
He’s played all those years, and just one superbowl ring. Tons of playoff appearances, though, and that’s gotta make you wonder, in much the same way that cowboys fans wonder about romo in big game situations.
It has not been a great ride in wisconsin…the way the packers have lost so many close, close games this year is something i wouldn’t wish on anybody. No teams fans deserve so many heartbreakers in one season, and i really can sympathize with the type of heartbreak you’re dealing with now.
Another thing that real packers fans have had to deal with is our blogs being divided, with the stupid non-packers fans who won’t let the trading away of favre go….they have effectively destroyed any possibility of having a real football discussion on jsonline. I would hope jets fans have more class than letting every blog deteriorate into a ‘pennington/favre debate. Because that’s what us packerfans are dealing with–EVERY news article, no matter what the subject is, turns into a favre/rogers thing.
So here’s what i’m requesting–if you’re starting to feel like favre has let you down, please, i BEG YOU, hop on over to jsonline.com and let the idiots there know that Favre isn’t a god who would have magically made the packers 11-4, or tell them how Favre was NOT the only move that was made by the jets to improve the team. tell them how solid your running game is, and how that helps favre (packers running game is weak) basically, what i’m asking, is that you help us real packers fans out and provide a reality check for the favre fans, because they’re not packers fans.
all the best (i still do want that second round pick from you guys ; ) )
Well done as always, R.
Also, the shameless “fans” that pollute this site with irrational melodrama after a loss are generally nowhere to be found after a win or in the offseason, so I wouldn’t pay them much mind. I can’t tell you how many people I saw calling names and lashing out this week that I’d never seen post here before, and haven’t seen since. But I understand your sentiment. It made me leave the blog for a day or two myself.
With that said, it’s the utter letdown and incredible tease of this season that get to me. Had we looked like a mediocre team all year, I would’ve been more or less fine with where we are. Having that four-week stretch (@ BUF, v. STL, @ NE, @ TEN) where the Jets looked like a legit contender for the first time in forever makes these last four games tough to accept.
It is just football, and I’m thankful to have the luxury of getting torn up over the Jets. Disappointment though, however trivial on its face, is never easy.
I’m still hopeful for a loss by the Patriots and a subsequent romp by the Jets. Remember what happened in 2002. We were dead in the water, but the Pats came back from 11 down to beat the Dolphins and keep us alive, then that momentum carried us to the 42-17 win over Mr. Favre and the Packers. That win not only put us in the playoffs, but eliminated the Patriots and Dolphins. The same thing can happen this weekend with a little help from another division foe. Say what you want about whether or not this team can do damage if it does get in, but if we’re going to finish 9-7 or 10-6, we might as well get a little playoff juice for our troubles. Let’s go Bills.
Great sentiment… but why do we Jets fans always have to worry about eeking in? Needing help? Counting on others to do our dirty work?
Where is our run of greatness? I take great solace in the fact that it took the Steelers 50 years to become, well, the Steelers we know today. The Patriots were also more or less a joke for the better part of 40 years as well until BB decided he didn’t want to be HC of the NYJ.
Give me a few years with the Jets where I don’t have to wonder. Where it’s fun and we know at the end of the day, other teams need to be afraid of us. Nice old Mr. Hess didn’t inspire that confidence, and the Band-aid baby, Woody Johnson and his crew of kids in the front office don’t either. Make the Jets a team to be proud of for god’s sake.
Great piece R in CT. I have to admit that I am one of those guys that has not been able to let the Chad thing go. It’s just that after 2002 and 2004, i believed he was one guy that had the talent and leadership to right this ship for us. If only he could have stayed healthy and they would put the right pieces in place around him.
So I’ve been angry all year long. With the guys they added this year, I had high hopes for Chad and the Jets.
So, OK, it’s over. So instead of all the fighting, let’s turn to why we love this team in the first place. What brings us all together? Most of us are not around to remember 1969 ( I was born in ‘70, so that tells you what my experience with this team is.) It’s the unbelievable, hard to fathom, with incredible regularity, never would have imagined, collapse after collapse.
It’s not just a crushing loss of a game that was important. Or a season gone wrong. It’s the great stories that come out of each one.
I mean c’mon. Who else has a Fake Spike game? A Mud Bowl? Where else have you seen a team miss two game winning field goals in the last 2 minutes of a divisional playoff game? What other franchise started a season 10-1 to finish 10-6 and blow a 10 point lead with 4 minutes to play in round 2 of the playoffs in Cleveland? How many teams can say they hired a Rich Kotite and kept him for two years to go a combined 4-28?
Who else drafted Blair Thomas in the first round? And Roger Vick? And Dave Cadigan? And Mike Haight? Johnnie Mitchell anyone? Dare I say Vernon Gholston?
Should we have picked Dan Marino instead of O’Brien? Jerry Rice instead of Al Toon?
Can you believe Vinny tore his achilles in the first quarter of the first game in 1999? Can you believe Belichek quit on day one and went on to win 3 SuperBowls?
It’s ok. 8-3 with a victory over an 10-0 Tennsee Titans team. A classic game to remember in New England. Followed by a classic, NY Jets Trademark collapse that we will file away in Jet lore and tell our kids one day. And hey, we had a Hall of Fame QB to boot.
Merry Christmas all. Maybe we have one more miracle in the bag to make this story a little richer.
absolutely right. it is just a game.
albeit one now with $15K psl’s and a ticket going for over $150 a pop. if franchises would like to avoid the vitriol…
I don’t know guys, as much as I understand the idea between posts like this, I find them a bit disappointing. I use tjb as well as tube8 as a way of escaping the brute realities of life right now. Lets keep in mind that we are going through an economic crisis of (hopefully) once in a lifetime occurrence that is one of the thirty odd reasons I read tjb for. Listen, I for one, don’t read tjb because i’m a football fanatic (please use the dictionary for the correct definition of this term), I read the tjb because the people that contribute to this site share much of the same sentiment that I hold true to myself. Countless times I have read a comment such as this one that receives audible reaction of either “i like” or “i dont like,” but that is why i read it. I read it to get away from the bologna that is espn (tv, and more and more .com), and the pandering that is SNY.
I also really like eating chips.
First, Happy Holidays R. Very good post.
Next, great post TruJetFan.
R, the reason that Jet fans are losing their minds is that, after the Tennessee game we started going downhill and we are still heading in that direction. Not a single adjustment has been made, during that time period. NY football fans live and die with their teams. Most of us feel that we could have done a better job coaching than the so-called pro coaches who make millions. How many of us would have rushed six players, from all angles, for most of the Seattle game. How many of us would have rushed the ball, instead of passing, for most of that snow-filled game. How many of us would have gone on fourth down on the first series. How many of us would have punted with two minutes left and three time outs, rather than go for it on our twenty yard line, giving Seattle the ability to go up by two scores. How much are we supposed to take without speaking up?
Unfortunately, we are not done yet. We now have to deal with Chad Pennington and his surging Dolphins. By all means, we should be able to beat up on the Fish. We have seven All-Pros. We have a solid O-line, a monster in the middle of our D-Line, we have proven that we can stop the run, we have league leading Thomas Jones in the backfield, and we have HOF Brett Favre. Unfortunately, we have possibly the worst coaching staff in football.
We have nothing to lose, at this point. We are relying on two other teams to lose, for us to get into the playoffs. Why not “bring the house” at Chad. Make him run for his life. But no, we will sit back and let him complete thirty passes in a row. We will give him so much time that he will even throw downfield on us, to humiliate us. That is our wonderful coaching staff.
Leon will bust one for sixty yards and never see the ball again. TJ will rip them up for eighty yards on ten carries, in the first half, and then he will disappear in the second half. Dustin Keller shouldn’t even suit up. They forgot who he is. Finally, a bunch of rookie defensive linemen will crush Brett in our moronic empty backfield formation.
Peace. Jet fans will have peace when the season is over. It will take a few months for me to get over the horrible job that our coaching staff has done. You have to forgive me. If I didn’t vent, I would beat the dog. And i love my dog. Look what the Jets are doing to me. I am starting to watch the Giants. How frightening is that. Like every other Jet fan, I start the seasons so optimistic. To end it with Chad kicking our butts at home — How am I supposed to get any peace?
Let’s go Bills!
A spoonful of medicine makes the sugar taste sweeter. When they finally win one, it will all be worth the heartache.
In the meantime, peace it is.
Best wishes to all for the festive season.
i ask for one simple thing for christmas…
stop hoping we try to get matt cassel for next year.
the guy slings the ball a little sidearm-ish…. and is a product of the short passing game/ screens the pats run.
enough already….some cnnsi.com writer ends his jets dolphins article with “and in a move i have been calling for months, mike tannenbaum gets in the matt cassel sweepstakes”….. after he predicts we lose sunday of course.
merry christmas to all….
Mikew
Get the facts straight bud. The more I read what you say the more I doubt that you’re a packers fan.
1: The packers went 12-3 not 11-4
2: The packers would be nothing without Favre…..do you remember pre-favre packers days?
3: How are post-Favre packers days treating you? 5 wins? OUCH
4: You cannot comprehend why he decides to speculate? He did not decide to speculate anything, he was asked the question and he answered it.
5: You thought it was rediculous to bring a superbowl ring to inspire a team? WHY?? At least he got it on your team. You sound bitter.
What team are you really a fan of?
“1: The packers went 12-3 not 11-4″
I’m not saying what they were LAST year, i’m saying that some people think we would have an extremely better record with favre, and they just come up with a number like 11-4.
2. “nothing without favre”
yeah, but i’m not talking about the past, i’m talking about now.
“3. How are post-Favre packers days treating you”
I said in my post how rediculously hearbreaking season it’s been, and how i wouldn’t wish it on anybody. But how are they treating me? aside from the record, great. Rogers has been great, so i’m very optimistic.
“5. You thought it was rediculous to bring a superbowl ring…”
I thought it was rediculous that somehow that made the news.
I am a packerfan. You clearly are not, and sound exactly like the people on the packers blogs who call themselves “packer-fans” when they are nothing more than “favre-fans”
Great post R_in CT, that actually made my Christmas a little more enjoyable. I’m also starting to feel sad knowing the season is almost over and the abyss called the offseason is upon us.
telling someone they are clealy not a packers fan on a jets blog? You think?
Enjoy post Favre football in GB, it will go downhill from here, mark my words.
One more thing Mikew, since you claim to be a “packers fan”
Might want to spell your qb’s name correctly.
The correct spelling is Aaron Rodgers.
Here’s a little stat for the Packman,
Rodgers in the last 5 min. of his game’s this year when the pack is behind…..0-8,6td’s and 5 pick’s and a passer rating of around 58.0
dear santa if the Jets need a QB next year, and they can’t get Cassel, because he stinks or whatever, get
Donovan F McNabb
regardless of what other Jets fans think
Great post r in ct. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and all that stuff to you Jets fans out there.
We all handle the Jets losses in different ways, but I imagine I have been a Jets fan longer than most here. I was in the sixth grade when they won SBIII and was really starting to get into sports. I loved the AFL and to this today the best football watching memories I have are of games with Namath to Maynard and Dawson to Taylor, and Lamonica to Wells – man, really great stuff. At least to me.
I only bring this up because each year that the Jets manage to screw up another season, it makes that SB III year all the more magical. So there’s some consolation there for me and I just refuse to get too worked up about their inevitable collapses anymore. That, and the fact that I make an ongoing habit of betting against the Jets in important games. That way I win either way. The Jets may still lose, but it helps fund Christmas.
Oh, and one other thing. Now living in Ohio I am closer to witness the futility of the Browns. And if you think we Jets fans have it rough , the Browns have to be way more frustrating. So that’s another coping factor.
I was at the game on Sunday. I was as happy as could be getting to see my Jets in Seattle, with a big win to make week 17 exciting. I was nervous when we marched down the field, and decided to kick a field goal inside the 10 with less then 2 to go, but hey, the weather was getting worse and I figured the game plan was to post points, then run and make them run. I watched drive after drive end as it seemed like Schotty was trying to out-smart rather than out-coach the Seahawks. I watched as the Hawks gained more and more confidence that they could hang with this team. I watched the same old story.
I was sick as I watched our defense get tired. I was sick as i watched Big Jenks conitnue to play 4-3 rather than 3-4 technique (which he seemingly has done since Tennessee). I was sick as we continue to try to drop Calvin Pace into coverage instead of turning him loose. I watched the same old story.
I took a few days to read this blog, I needed to remind myself why I root for them in the first place. And then this post landed, and all of the comments, and I realize I do it because of love the pain, and the hope, and the joy and the anguish. Same old story.
And regardless of what happens this Sunday, if I have another game to watch this year or if I have to wait for next year, I will be waiting in February for OTAs, and Spring Minicamp, and the draft and training camp, and pre-season, with the hope that once again, the Jets have a chance to win the Super Bowl. It’s the same old story, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Go Jets.
I want to win. I’ve heard those words spoken more than once, by more than one player this season. I have always spoken well about my team in the years past, but not the previous few weeks. There is talent, and weapons to be used in every phase (as they say) with the current roster. I would ask why we don’t use them. When I say we, I would never assume that I could do what our players do, only that I am watching every single game that they play. As selfish as that may seem, I have been doing it for over twenty years. It’s their team, not for me to question why.
Good posts all around one thing i gotta say tho hell yea JDB, McNabb to the Jets would be fn sweet but im sure wed have to give up alot for him
To everyone above including R in CT, I say Thank you. I was searching for a little light in the darknesss of this insanity that has been this week.
Sluggo, and InOhio, as well as MikeW, thanks also for the perspective.
We love our laundry what can we say, and The Beat Goes On…
Truth is I’m a 49er fan (since 1967 – though I now live near LA). I do have Jets fans friends in NJ though, so I’m kinda rooting for them “on the side.” True, I would be bitter as a Jets fan after the Seattle loss (I’m not bitter as a 49er fan, just kinda depressed – hey, it’s only been 6 down years since last playoff win). I still think it was a good move to get Favre. I’ve always liked Pennington (a lot), but he’s been hurt and the team has been losing. At least this year has been exciting for the Jets – and Favre has been great to follow, right? Now, BEAT the freaking Dolphins – the Ravens win and the damn Pats are out for sure!