Getting to know a die-hard football fan

Anybody who knows me well could tell you that I’m a die-hard New York Jets fan. Some would even say I’m obsessed with the Jets.

They could have a point, but I disagree. I wouldn’t call it an obsession; it’s more like a devotion.

Most people don’t know this, but I’m not a lifelong Jets fan.

The first football game I ever watched was the 49ers vs. the Chicago Bears in 1985. Chicago won, 26-10, but I was hooked on the 49ers.

Four of my favorite players of all time played for the 49ers back then: safety Ronnie Lott, fullback Tom Rathman, quarterback Joe Montana and wide receiver Jerry Rice.

As a kid growing up in Jersey, there weren’t too many 49ers fans with whom to hang out. That was OK, though. I loved my boys, especially Lott, my favorite player of all time, and I wore all my 49ers gear with pride: a knit hat with a fuzzy ball on top; sweatpants; socks; an oversized raincoat; and a wannabe Starter jacket (my prized possession), among many other items.

Over the years, for no particular reason, I drifted away from the 49ers. I was left without a favorite football team. I continued to watch football weekly, though.

Finally, before the 1998 season began, I found a new favorite team, one I pull for till this day, the J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets!

I decided to adopt the Jets as my favorite team primarily for three reasons: they were a team I spent many hours watching as a child; they were from the Tri-State area; and my favorite coach of all time, New jersey native Bill Parcells, had the team, which was notorious for losing, headed in the right direction.

I’ve been a rabid fan ever since.

Since 1998, I have missed only one Jets game, a 30-10 loss to the St. Louis Rams the same year I became a Jets fan. To this day, I still haven’t forgiven myself for missing that game. I felt like I let my boys down.

(Just to let you know, I missed the game because I had to study for an Italian final at Georgia State University. My grade was on the line. Dr. Liupi would have been disappointed in me had I failed. I actually received a “B” in that course. Ciao!)

1998 was a memorable year for Jets fans. The Jets went 12-4, winning the AFC East and going all the way to the AFC championship game, where they played the Denver Broncos.

The Jets led 10-0 at halftime, and appeared to be on their way to playing in their second Super Bowl.

Then came the disastrous second half.

Denver scored 20 third-quarter points en route to defeating the Jets 23-10.

Had the Jets won, they would have played the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl. I truly believe the Jets would have beaten the Dirty Birds.

The Jets’ loss to Denver is the most painful I’ve ever experienced. I think I’m going to cry just reliving the game.

I eventually recovered, eagerly anticipating the 1999 season. Many pundits felt the Jets were the AFC favorites to reach the Super Bowl.

I was confident that the Jets were talented enough to win their first Super Bowl since 1969. Parcells was back to lead the team, as were future Hall of Fame running back Curtis Martin and quarterback Vinny Testaverde, who was coming off a career year in which he had a 61.5 completion percentage and passed for 3, 256 yards and 29 touchdowns, with only seven interceptions.

My hope plummeted in the first game of the season. Testaverde suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury. I was ready to take a flight to New York and jump off the Brooklyn Bridge.

I’ll never forget a guy walking past me as I was watching the game at a local restaurant say to me, “Well, there goes the Jets season.”

Led by Jersey’s own, quarterback Ray Lucas, a Rutgers graduate, the Jets surprisingly made a late run at the playoffs, but they fell short, much to my dismay.

Parcells stepped down as coach following the season. Defensive coordinator Bill Belichick took over as coach, but he shocked everyone by resigning one day later. He left to become coach of one of the Jets’ most hated rivals, the New England Patriots.

Belichick has lead the Patriots to three Super Bowl titles, and many feel the Patriots are the favorites to win the Super Bowl this year. It hurts me to admit it, but I’m one of them.

Life as a Jets fan can be painful, to say the least.

Despite all the hardships I’ve experienced as a Jets fan, the Jets remain a major part of my life. Besides watching all their games, I spend hours each week absorbing all of New York Daily News Jets beat writer Rich Cimini’s articles — Cimini is a genius —and browsing jetsinsider.net for the latest news on the Jets. I’m on NewYorkJets.com’s mailing list, as well.

I also own enough Jets memorabilia to make their numerous fans across the globe jealous. No Jets item I own means more to me than my mini helmet autographed by Hall of Famer Joe Namath. Meeting Namath, the greatest Jet of all time, was one of my most memorable experiences. Great guy.

If you even mention the word “football” around me, I’ll rant on and on about the Jets. I’ll praise the Jets’ current coach, “Man-genius” (Eric Mangini); tell you why former defensive lineman Joe Klecko should be in the Hall of Fame — he’s the only player in NFL history to be selected to the Pro Bowl at three different positions (defensive end, defensive tackle and nose tackle) — and discuss the career of my second-favorite player of all time, wide receiver Wayne Chrebet.

I don’t feel there is anybody who could question my fandom. So, dear readers, I’m issuing you a challenge: Prove to my colleague Mike and I that you are the biggest, most passionate fan of your favorite football team. The qualifications are:

1) You don’t miss any of your favorite team’s games; 2) You read about your team daily; 3) You feel, at the very least, unhappy after your team’s loses; and 4) You despise all of your team’s biggest rivals.

Tell us why you deserve to be called the biggest, most passionate fan of your favorite football team by contacting us via e-mail: sports@thecitizen.com. We will choose a winner, and put the winner’s picture in the newspaper.