The Great Stadium Debate

The great stadium debate has begun. Politicians are arguing their pro's and con's for building a West Side Stadium for the Olympics (cough, cough Jets.) Their passionate debates are over the financial and economic impact of the project. Not many politicians can just get a ticket to Giants Stadium on a Sunday anyway so let's leave them to their bickering.

In reading articles about this subject, most Jets "fans" are for the West Side Stadium and for the Jets to finally have a place to call their home. However, these are just "fans" of the team; the true fans are the ones that shell out $60 a ticket for ten Sundays a year. Yes, I'm talking about the New York Jets Season Ticket Holder. It's time for a season ticket holder to be heard, as we are the ones that sacrifice our 1/2 of our Fall Sundays to root for the Jets at Giants Stadium. I cringe every time I have to mention "Giants Stadium" which is why we do need our own home, our own identity, but not on the West Side of Manhattan. A stadium in this location would only leave the true Jets fans out in the cold.

There are THREE reasons that this stadium should NOT be built:

1. ECONOMICS:
We all hear that the Jets are going to pay $800 million of the $1.4 Billion cost of the stadium. However, in the end, the fans are the ones that are really going to be paying for it with personal seat licenses (PSLs), increased ticket prices, and more expensive concessions. For the basic Jets fan, a new stadium in Manhattan sound great. They can continue to watch it on television as they have done in the past; this will have no financial impact on them. My family has been season ticket holders since the Mid 60's and one of my biggest fears may come true. I am concerned that that that PSLs and a dramatic increase in ticket prices will no longer be affordable for the current Jets fan. A new Jets Stadium will no longer be full of true Jets Fans; it will be dominated by corporations and the wealthy. Going to a Jets game will be no different than going to a Knicks or Rangers game. It would be all corporate seating.

2. TAILGATING:
Football is not just a 3 hour game…it is a full day's event. Fans gather early with their grills and coolers in all weather scenarios to feast and have some cocktails to get ready for game time. Having a burger at a restaurant on 33rd and 10th is not tailgating. A new stadium would eliminate tailgating. But, with all current season ticket holders unable to afford their seats, corporate clowns can go for a meal with their American Express Corporate Gold Card and expense the meal for their co-workers. Tailgating gets the fans rowdy; we don't want corporate tight asses sitting in their seats at game time. After tailgating, the true fan is so pumped up for the game that you can hear the place vibrate when the letters J-E-T-S are chanted. That is the way it is supposed to be.

3. TRAFFIC:
Who wants to take a bus or train to a game? Not a football fan. Who wants to drive to the city on a Sunday? Not a Jets fan. A West Side stadium will be a traffic nightmare. Can you picture 75,000 fans either going to their car or cramming into trains and busses? It's bad enough at the Meadowlands getting out and that is easy access to many highways. I can't even imagine the disaster it would be to get out of this place for 8 regular Sundays a year. Can you even imagine a home Monday Night game? You'll have 75,000 fans trying to get in with millions of commuters trying to get out. This is not a tiny arena sport that hold 18,000 people per night for 40+ home games per year where mass transit makes sense. This is 4 times the amount of people who enjoy hopping in their car when they wish to leave the stadium.

So while some people may think a City stadium is a great idea, the season ticket holders will be the ones that pay the price. Protect the REAL fans out there…we are the ones that will get a stadium rocking.