I've been alive 37 years. I just missed by 2 years being alive for the Jets in the Super Bowl, not that I would have even remembered it at that age. Now, I'm suffering and sweating it out as the Giants make their 4th Super Bowl appearance during my life time.
I can't imagine what it would be like to witness the Jets WIN the AFC Championship game, especially on a field goal in overtime to get this team to the Super Bowl. Even more, I can't imagine it being a HOME game in New Jersey and winning. Can you imagine the walk leaving the stadium and heading back to the car? I get chills just thinking about it. I've had a Mets World Series Win. I've had three Devils Stanley Cup Championship Wins. But, my sports life is incomplete without that Jets Super Bowl Win. I can't imagine how good it would feel? For 2 weeks my team would be in the paper with the big game being hyped up. Then, imagine waking up and not moving from the TV from 8:00 am until game time. The knots in the stomach. The pacing back and fourth. The cheers. The nausea. The sweaty palms. Seriously, I don't know if I could even handle it. I'd be a mess.
Obviously, the Jets are not there yet and when they have been, it's been heart break. We were close a few times. Remember the Mud Bowl? We lost 14-0 because Don Shula didn't want Freeman McNeil to run all over their asses. So, he didn't cover the field and made it impossible to run the ball. So, it forced Richard Todd to throw the ball which he did great...to the wrong team (see AJ Duhe). Then, there was the AFC Championship in Denver. We had a 10-0 lead at half-time and then mid-way through the 3rd quarter, we had a meltdown. I think we had 6 turnovers. The game quickly became an embarrassment. The feeling inside was pure nausea. Finally, there was a game in Pittsburgh. A win there, and we'd be in the AFC Championship vs. the Patriots. But, we figured out how to blow that game by becoming too conservative and trying to kick an impossible field goal on 3rd down instead of trying to move the ball closer to make it easier on the kicker. To this day, I still don't blame Doug Brien for missing the kick. That loss was all Herm Edwards not playing the odds and not properly managing the clock. So, it was heart break again.
It's been way too long since we've made the Super Bowl. The last age group to witness a Super Bowl victory was 39/40 years old and there is no way they even remember it. So, I'm saying around 7 years old, you start having sports memories. So, for arguments sake, you have to be around 47 years old to even slightly remember the Jets' Super Bowl victory over the Colts. That was EONS ago.
In this same span, now the Giants, our hated cross-town rivals, are back in the game for their 4th time. I hate the Patriots as well as they are divisional rivalries. People don't understand how I can not root for the Giants. First of all, growing up, the biggest Jets rivals were the Dolphins. No one ever gave two craps about the Patriots. The Patriots didn't become our main rivals until midway through the 90's. Secondly, how can you root for your rivals in state? Not many people understand this as not many cities have TWO teams. When you only have 1 team in your area, your arch enemy becomes your division rival. For most avid Jets fans, hating the Giants is a must. And for those people that root for both the Giants and Jets because they are local, I have one thing to tell them - PISS OFF. You are not a true fan if you root for both teams. That's just stupid so their rooting interest isn't worth listening too.
Some people have given me the argument of Division Rivals being deeper than Geographical Rivals. But, those giving me that argument come from Giants and Yankees fans. It's different for fans of those teams. Yankees have a long glorified history purchasing 26 or so championships. So, if the Mets made the World Series vs their hated divisional enemy, the Red Sox, they'd probably root for the Mets as there is nothing more hated than the Sox. However, if the Yankees were in the World Series playing the Braves (the Mets divisional rival), I'd root for the Braves as the history is not as strong of a rival as Yankees / Red Sox. Plus, I hate the Yankees more than any other baseball team. They've won so many World Series that no one but Yankees fans would EVER root for them. Same applies to football. The Giants are the Jets geographical rivals. Giants have now made their 4th Super Bowl and have a history of championships before the Super Bowl ever began. If the Jets were to EVER make the Super Bowl against the Cowboys, the same applies for Giants fans. The history vs the Cowboys is so much stronger and has so much more hatred than a Jets / Patriots rivalry which, in terms of NFL History, is pretty new. So, Giants fans would root for the Jets to beat the Cowboys and would bother them less than the Cowboys winning another Super Bowl. This is why the Patriots better destroy the Giants.
Come on. The Giants aren't a great team. Hell...they've had a hell of a year winning all of these road games. And it makes it worse that they are in the Super Bowl after what Strahan pulled in training camp to now be rewarded with a Super Bowl appearance. Eli is a weak QB. He's made it through the play-offs playing all of the other WEAK NFC opponents as you have to play someone...right? The Bucs didn't even have a better record than the Giants but won their division to have home field advantage. I don't think the Bucs even deserved to be in the play-offs. Then, there was the Cowboys who have been NFC choke artists for 7 years. Tony Romo takes a Mexican vacation with his girlfriend a few days before the biggest game of his life and played like he was still on vacation. Now, the Giants take on the Packers who played above their heads all year. And, Farve makes his typical HUGE interception with the game on the line. Crap...all of a sudden, the Giants are in the Super Bowl.
Bring on the Patriots. Yes, the Giants played the Patriots closer than any other team in the NFL but still lost. The game was meaningless. Yeah, it was nice for the Patriots to try and get to 16-0 but again, the game was meaningless. I'm not convinced they played 100% but instead, played to get by. This team is now focused on making history, trying to become the league's first 19-0 perfect season. And I don't see those Big Blue fags getting in their way. I actually think this game could be like the Super Bowls growing up - Ugly and Over by half-time.
Yes, it definitely sucks that the Giants are in the Super Bowl and I'm quite jealous since I've never been in that position, but when the Jets ever do get there (knock on wood), I hope they don't run into a team of destiny.
