TOUR OF THE NEW STADIUM

Sharing some pics of the new Jets/Giants stadium out at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford New Jersey, right next to the old Giants Stadium where the Jets were tenants from 1984-2010. MAP (click "BACK" arrow to return to blog)

My Dad, as a season ticket holder (starting his second season this fall), got the chance to tour the new stadium while finishing touches are being put on, accompanied by mom and I.

It'll open later this spring with a college lacrosse game, and then the bands Bon Jovi and U2 or someone is coming to play there. (play music. not lacrosse. though I'd pay to see that.)

Enjoy.

Exterior jumbo-trons. (or monoliths from the movie "2001: A Space Odyessy")
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Workers with high pressure water sprayers.

View of old Giants Stadium from the new one. It's being dismantled bit by bit. Similar circular staircases on the opposite side are already torn down.

Remains of a Giants fan. All we heard was, "I'm MELTING! I'm melting..."

Hiking into the upper atmosphere to our seats. (if you reach up high enough you can touch the under-belly of jets landing in Newark Airport)

Our view of the games next year.

Dad and I practicing for next season. (not sure if this is excitement or alarm. thanks to the Jets we're skilled at both, often experiencing them simultaneously)

One of 4 mighty jumbo-tron screens that makes watching the action on the field irrelevant.

I hereby declare I was the first person to order an alcoholic beverage in the new stadium. (I didn't get one, but I ordered one) Note the guy on the ladder wondering what the hell I was doing.

I also hereby declare I was the first to do "the ol' huck'n'buck" in the new stadium. think I ain't? Prove it. I got photos... (more on the ol' huck'n'buck)
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Good luck finishing up. Can't wait to see the place fully operational this autumn.

GO STADIUM. BEAT INCOMPLETION.

Mark J. Williamson

SAINTS WIN BEFORE JETS IN MY LIFETIME????

Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints for winning Superbowl 44. A great win they most certainly deserve.

HOWEVER. It hit me as they were holing the Vince Lombardi Trophy aloft...

THE SAINTS. The SAINTS who MY ENTIRE LIFE have nothing but SUCKED. And I mean SUCKED. COMPLETELY. ENTIRELY. Have WON A SUPERBOWL in my lifetime - before my beloved Jets. Jets that have had NUMEROUS teams that have come WAY closer than the Saints to the ultimate prize in American football.

THE SAINTS!!!!

Now, I know we were close to being in the game tonight. I know there's promise for the Jets and all that but PROMISE grows thin after watching a team ACTUALLY DO IT. BE VICTORIOUS. HOLD THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY.

I just can NOT believe the Saints beat us to it. THE SAINTS. amazing.

That's all.

GO JETS. WIN BEFORE SOME OTHER LOSER FRANCHISE DOES AND INSULTS US EVEN MORE!

Mark J. Williamson

REX GIVES DOLPHIN FANS THE FINGER

Jets head coach Rex Ryan was photographed this weekend giving some Miami Dolphin fans the finger at a martial arts even in Florida. The pic made the news and he's since apologized to the Jets organization, Jet fans, the National Football League, and may face a fine.
Okay. Look. Let's get one thing straight. I know the league wants to create some code of conduct for coaches and players off the field and hardy har har. Whatever.

But if a grown man is being insulted by nagging idiots, and he's got a temper to begin with, the finger is the LEAST thing he could have done to them. They're lucky Rex didn't sever their heads with his bare hands and punt them fifty yards.

And people need to get over this whole "sensitive" world we're creating. He's a FOOTBALL COACH. NOT THE POPE. He's NOT at a game, he's NOT at a team function and NOT in uniform. This is a man, on his own, being harassed by idiots who clearly have nothing better to do with their lives than defend an organization that doesn't even know they exist but for the purchase of the jerseys they wear or stadium seats they sit in. (I know it's the same for us Jet fans, but I don't go yelling at the Miami coach should I see him. Nor would I.)

People need to get over this trivial crap in my opinion. Stop turning everything into a spectacle or issue just because everyone in the country has a camera phone. Nonsense. Just nonsense.

I love that he did NOT apologize to the fans he gave the finger to, nor to the Dolphin fans at large, or their organization. Good. But I'm sure some fools will call for it. I say NO.

GET OVER IT YOU CRY BABIES. THIS IS THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL. NOT A TEA PARTY. Sure he represents the organization and team and he apologized. Enough said on our end. On their end, they can blow it out theirs.

(Yeah, I said it.)

GO RYAN. BE YOURSELF.

Mark

THE BIRD ARTICLE

Watch out, Rex. Remember how sneaky those Dolphins are. I wrote about it long ago... MIAMI DOLPHIN LOGO vs INFINITY

JETS DARED TO BE GREAT

Liz, our friend from the all-ladies tailgate this year, forwarded us this great description of what it means to be a Jet fan, but too, how beyond our own ups and downs, the team is perhaps daring to finally reach for the stars and stay there.

Could it be true? Decide for yourself...

And thanks Liz for the forward!

The Jets Dared To Be Great by Jason Juceam

Mark J. Williamson

JET BABY AIDEN - THE NEXT GENERATION

Wanted to share a picture of our Jet fan legacy. My nephew Aiden. Son of my oldest brother Mike, and his wife Sabrina.

Aiden and his dad, my brother Mike.

All of us were this young once. New to life. 6 months of age. None of us knew it yet, but we'd eventually entangle some of our future hopes and dreams with a sports franchise called the New York Jets.

Some of us, the fewer of our number, witnessed a championship. But most of us have not in our lifetimes. Will we? Will Aiden? Here's hoping. (Hope being what we do best as Jet fans).

Aiden with his grandpa (my dad) Jim, and Lucy the pup.

What I do know is he's already one of us. Even though he can't speak, walk or use a porta-potty. What I know is he's destined to follow the ups and downs of this team with his father, grandfather, and uncles. He'll share the experience with us. For better or for worse. For decades to come. (so long as the Jets stay in business...)

Here's to you, Aiden. Welcome aboard. Please take your seat, buckle up, and make sure your high-chair is in the up-right position. This Jet is taking off soon.

And though we aim to fly high, it's certain to be a bumpy ride...

GO AIDEN. BEAT DIAPERS.

Mark J. Williamson

OUR JET FRIENDS IN INDY MAKE THE NEWS!

I'm excited to share that our friend Paul, who we interviewed for the first time in the sub-arctic weather of the final regular season game against Cincinnati, and his crew of amazing Jet fans assembled as strangers off Craigslist to quest west in support of the Jets, made the local news!

Congratulations Paul Ciochetto, Jesse Librot, Mo Shaalan, Angelo Soprano, Mike Deissig, and Anthony Mills.

Glad you made it home safe and sound, and thanks for sharing your story with us.

CHANNEL 7 NEWS

DAILY NEWS

GO JETS FANS.

Mark J. Williamson

SOUL RECOVERY...

Been letting things sit.

I'm still disappointed we got SO smoked in the end of the first half, and the entire second half.

Where was the coaching? We got out-coached. Completely. That's the main thorn in my paw right now.

A friend shared a piece of commentary he heard about the game. That the Jets went into the game with momentum. The Colts went in with confidence. Momentum is a lot easier to break than confidence. So true.

But, instead of whining like a little bee-yatch anymore, I'm going to move past it, like it or not, to the good stuff. The silver lining.

In YEAR ONE of the Rex Ryan era, and YEAR ONE of young as hell rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, WE MADE IT TO THE FINAL FOUR of 32 teams. Not bad at all. In fact it kicks major azz.

Our rookie QB has three huge playoff games under his belt. That's HUGE. And he performed excellently. Made some amazing, key throws when he had to.

We now know what needs fixing for this coming year. Where we were weak, where we can get stronger. Who to re-sign, who to let go, who to pick up.

And I can hear someone busting my chops already about us ALWAYS hoping for next year. ALWAYS looking to pull positivity from the twisted, burning wreck of our hopes and dreams.

Which to that I say OF COURSE we're going to do that. We're JET FANS. And I don't say that cause they always end in failure, I mean we're TOUGHENED by it. We're "seasoned" veterans. (forgive the pun)

Also, hoping a team will be better after playing in the AFC championship game is WAY different than hoping a team will be better after 8-8 and missing the playoffs or 1-15 and wanting to jump off a bridge. HUGE difference. Anyone with a brain can comprehend that.

So it was a wild ride. I thought we'd finish 9-7 at the start of the season if all went well with the rookie coach and QB, and we did actually finished 9-7. (though we lost games I thought we'd win and vice versa). But could I EVER have imagined what came after? Heck no. I don't care how big a fan you are, NO ONE could have predicted this.

But this is the Jets. Who can EVER predict what they'll do? That's part of the charm, the madness. The allure. The agony. The exhilaration. They're certainly an entertaining team to watch. You have to admit that.

Maybe we're lucky all in all to root for such a squad. This organization. This history. These colors. Despite the premature gray hairs they've given me, maybe they've given me more good times than bad.

And maybe the journey every year IS more important than the destination....

OH BULLSH*T I WANT A DAMN CHAMPIONSHIP.

And so we look to next year...

Again...

GO JETS.

Mark J. Williamson