Watching Jet Superbowl Alone?

I had an interesting phone conversation with my friend (and fellow life-long Jet fan) Darren yesterday.

I was telling him about the documentary, and it led to us imagining the Jets in the Superbowl and how would we watch it?


He, like myself, always imagined getting friends and family together in one HUGE party to watch it. But then he said, "what if they lost???"

He brought up, and I remember too, the immense pain and disappointment after losing the AFC Championship game in 98', the loss to the Steelers a few years back, and many others. It was an emotional soul-drain that took a long time to move on from. (if we've ever really recovered)

So to lose the SUPERBOWL??? To be that close???

He figures he'd have to watch it alone. And I can see where he's coming from. Now I don't know what I'd do. Maybe just with my immediate family. My father and my brothers. We've shared plenty of Jets defeats and great victories together.

Ultimately I feel I'd rather have everyone together in a huge group. There has to be solace in sharing the agony if they lost, plus, if they WON, I'd always remember a room full of leaping, crazy maniacs hugging cheering and spilling beer and snacks.

Maybe I'd have everyone watch alone till half-time or the end of the third quarter, then everyone meet up if they're winning. Though with the Jets, there's never a guaranteed win till the final whistle blows (and your heart's in your throat if it hasn't exploded).

How would you watch a Jet Superbowl?

Let's all start imagining the event. We'll saturate the quantum level of the universe and vibrate some string-theory magic to make it reality.

(Imagine a VICTORIOUS Superbowl viewing. That ought to help. Being there's not enough.)

Mark

Thank you, Fans

Just wanted to say a quick thank you to all the amazing Jet fans we've met out at the stadium tailgating at the Eagle pre-season game, and the Pats and Titans games. You know who you are.

Wayne, who's producing/directing this puppy, Ben the camera man, and myself, have been overwhelmed by your spirit and generosity. I've never been offered more food and beer in my entire life. (Some wouldn't return their release form until we share a beer with them. Thanks 16B for the Keystone). You all offered us shelter from the storm quite literally with the rain coming down. Thank you.

Special hello to Peter and the great fans in 16 G, (we'll be back), and the great mass of fans in 16 F with the Jets bus and "THE CRAB" kiddie pool holding their icy refreshments. Also to the fans who fed us in their tent with the Pop-Warner Jet helmet, especially the guy who looked like a cross between Scott Brosius and Mike Rowe from that show "Dirty Jobs". And to the fans with the huge inflated Gorilla and logo'd out Jets Pick-up truck and HEARSE, complete with coffin, flowers, and young woman dressed like Tom Brady, who indeed died on the field that day. IT WORKED.

But hello to all we met, and some who we met for a second time. Like I said, you know who you are, and I wanted to thank you again. You're the reason we keep coming back, and why we know we have more story to tell about what it means to be a Jet fan.

So until next time, J! E! T! S! JETS! JETS! JETS!

Mark

Welcome to "The Jets Curse"

Greetings, and welcome.

What's this all about, you ask? The New York Jets are CURSED? Am I cursed if I root for them?

I don't know. But what I do know is this...

In 1969 the New York Jets won the Superbowl for the first time. It's 2009. FORTY YEARS have passed without them winning a second championship. Without them even BEING in the Superbowl. And I'm sick of it.

My name's Mark Williamson and I'm a life-long Jets fan thanks to my Dad, who got hooked on Namath's greatness. My brothers and I were kids in the 80's when the Jets fielded some amazing players and gave us repeated hopes for the ultimate prize...the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Richard Todd. Ken O'Brien. Freeman McNeil. Wesley Walker. Al Toon. The New York Sack Exchange.

Amazing teams and players have been fielded since. Testaverde (which is NOT Italian for "interception"). Curtis Martin. And my favorite (as I played a lot of wide receiver in my suburban NERF football days), Wayne Chrebet.

Even last year's team was mentioned in the same sentence as the word "Superbowl". (Thanks commentator Chris Collinsworth for jinxing us.)

My whole life the Jets have given me REASON to hope. And they've failed. Every year for forty years, thirty-six of them in my lifetime. And they've not just failed, but usually in spectacular fashion, at the last second, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

I talked to a New Orleans Saints fan years ago about which of us had it worse. He said he did cause the Saints sucked his whole life. I said he's got it EASY. It's easy to root for a team that sucks, cause you never expect anything.

The Jets give you HOPE they'll win, with no reasons NOT to win, and they blow it. BUT THEN COME BACK IN THE LAST SECOND! And then blow it. THAT'S worse.

He agreed.

So here we are. Forty years since Joe Namath became our team's greatest hero and world champion. Forty years! I'm ready to experience a championship. Ready for our next great hero. For more Jet jerseys and coaches sweaters to join Namath's, Klecko's, Maynard's and Weeb's in retirement on the wall of the stadium. FOR VICTORY! CRUSHING, CONVINCING, COMPLETE JET VICTORY AND THE SUPERBOWL TROPHY DRAPED IN GREEN AND WHITE!

Heck, the dang Carolina Panthers have been to the Superbowl and three NFC championship games, one MORE than us, and they've only been around since 95'! What gives? And saying, "But we're undefeated in the Superbowl!" doesn't cut it.

Is the team cursed? The organization? Or am I? Why am I rallying year after year around a team that can't get it done? Am I a masochist? Or am I psychologically geared toward loving the underdog? Or was I cursed to be born into a Jet family? If born into a Giant family I'd have experienced THREE championships in my lifetime.

I don't know. But with your help, maybe I can get to the bottom of it. Whether it's the team, the organization, or it's ME, I have to make sense of it. I can't go another forty years like this. And maybe, just maybe, figuring it out will help CURE whatever ails us and bring glory to we few, we (tortured) but happy few.

ONE CHAMPIONSHIP and forty years fade into the Meadowland mist. I can die a happy sports fan. I've come too far to quit now. I know many of you can say the same. We've no choice but to soldier on and enjoy the ride (despite YEARS of pulling hair out at missed game-winning field goals and shredding vocal chords screaming "NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!").

At the time of this post, the Jets are 3-0. On top of the AFC East, and fans are excited. The stadium is LOUD like I've never heard it before. There's something going on here. New coach. New rookie QB. Confidence. Swagger. But I won't predict anything just yet. I won't declare, "Superbowl here we come." Let's face it. I'm a Jet fan. Ever hopeful, but cautious...

But I am excited. These three games have been fun to watch. And that'll do for now.

I'll be posting tid-bits here on this site about how things are going with the documentary and any other thoughts/feelings that come up along the way. Hope you enjoy it, and if you have anything to share, please drop a line.

Thanks again for your time, and keep a look-out for us at the stadium.

GO JETS. BEAT NEW ORLEANS.

Mark

The Trailer

I was going to give a great big fantastic post about what we are doing, but I think the trailer sums everything up.



[For those who cannot see the trailer, you are probably running Internet Explorer and Internet Explorer HATES Vimeo. Our apologies. We'll have a link for you soon]

Best,
Wayne Earl