JET NATION GROWS...

Tuesday January 19th. Two of my best friend's birthday's today. John and Sean. HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

I feel like I've just been born. I swear I'm still recovering from the emotional ups and downs of the Jets/Chargers game Sunday. I still don't think it's fully sunk in somehow, but that's fine. There'll be time to reflect on the magnitude when the fightin's done.

I was on line at a bank yesterday to cash in change I've been saving (any change I come home with I throw in a jar and apply to a trip or something special for myself) and a really cute girl behind me told me she liked my hat, my Jets baseball hat my dad got me for my birthday this past Rocktober, and I said thanks. She said she'd bought a button for the last game, (where does one get Jet buttons? Do people still make buttons? "I Like Ike" kind of buttons?) but she's looking for a hat and was scoping mine out. (okay, she was scoping me out no doubt)

But it brought up some interesting feelings about being a long-time Jet fan. The fact that there WILL be New Yorkers caught up in the Jet-love and wanting to lend their support, and YES we who are life-long fans WILL be confused for fair-weather fans.

I thought of that while on the subway into Manhattan and this little guy down the train car caught my eye with a wave, pointed to my hat and gave me a HUGE thumbs up and a smile, which I returned with a Jet-strong fist pump. I almost yelled out, "YEAH BABY" like was drunk at the bar again but then remembered I was in public. (not that yelling passionately out of context is foreign in NYC)

But did he KNOW I've been with them all along? Does he think I bought the hat just because they've reached the AFC championship? Was HE going to run out and pick up a hat now so he can join in on the Jet fan fun of calling each other out and nodding, waving hello?

I know I FEEL like we long-time fans want some way to delineate. But in the end, I don't give a rats butt. I gotta let that crap go.

The more humans we can get cheering for the Jets, throwing the positive vibe out there, the better. I really believe that. If we're going to be paying attention to this team, and millions are joining us next week, even if for the first time, let's have that attention be positive. Completely. Increasingly.

So ROCK ON Jet new-comers. And WELCOME. Hopefully some of you will be converted and stick around no matter what happens this year, next, or the next few decades.

But for now, we chant as one. What's that chant they do, you ask? Let's get some practice in, newbies...

"J! E! T! S! JETS! JETS! JETS!"

Got it?

Now go get'm, tiger.

GO JETS. CRUSH INDIANAPOLIS.

Mark J. Williamson