Do The New York Jets "Belong" To NY or NJ?

Rex Ryan, peacemaker (AP)

Possessiveness is generally not an attractive quality in any relationship, but it's especially true when it comes to the Jets, whose zany antics, trash talking and underdog persona have captured the hearts of the entire Tri-State Area over the past two seasons. But Mayor Bloomberg and NJ Gov. Chris Christie got into a catfight yesterday over which state is the true home of the team—and this is one argument that can't be solved with a Mariah Carey song.

Gov. Christie got things started yesterday when he argued that the Jets, whose stadium and facilities are all located in NJ, belong to NY in name only. "Today when they're practicing, where are they practicing? New Jersey. And when they play their homes games, where do they play? New Jersey. And where do most of their players live? In New Jersey." Bloomberg responded later in the day with his own version of a history lesson, reminding people that the Jets first played at the Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan, then at Shea Stadium in Flushing. "We can all root for the Jets, but they don't call him Turnpike Joe," he said, referring to Jets legend "Broadway" Joe Namath.

The Jets are even getting two very different kinds of rallies across the Hudson: there's a pep rally this afternoon in Times Square with giveaways galore, hosted by Bloomberg, Jets owner Woody Johnson, and a handful of Jets players. Then on Saturday, there will be a NJ pep rally at the teams Florham Park practice facility; officials expect between 4,000 and 5,000 fans will show up to form a human tunnel to send the team off ton their journey to Pittsburgh. Coach Rex Ryan, who has been on his best behavior this week, tried to play peacemaker, saying, "There's enough of the Jets to go around."

There's also enough Ryan love to go around, both literally and figuratively. The loudmouth, rotund Coach has gone from lovable drill sergeant to distraction to savior as the season has progressed. After Sunday's commanding defeat of the Patriots, he's been given more and more credit, even from Giants players. Virile cornerback Antonio Cromartie gets it completely: "I am not surprised. It's just the kind of guy Rex is and how he carries himself. Who wouldn't want to play for him? ...Everyone sees how Rex is and how he loves to have fun, he loves to come out and joke around. At the same time, he's a business person, too. When it's time for work he works. We all try to make sure everyone here enjoys himself, too. This is the most fun I done had in the five years of my career."

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By Ben Yakas in News on January 20, 2011 1:29 PM

Comments [rss]

Jim Girard

New York has three football teams. I say that's one too many. It seems the easiest solution is to give the Jets to New Jersey.
"Buffalo Bills" is obviously New York, and the "Giants" name suits New York well, and that team has a "ny" logo. Let that stay. Bills for AFC fans; and Giants for NFC fans.
And then welcome the New Jersey Jets. Logo change is minor: "Jets" over cap "NJ" instead of "NY." Give NJ some respect.

Douglas Williams

You can end this now. What state does the giants and Jets pay their taxes too? We had a stupid mayor that let millions of dollars go to NJ. Pay up or change your name to New Jersey!

Guest

They are not NY. They are NJ. But who really cares. They suck no matter where they play.

aspiringrapper

Show the Bills some love. The only NY team that plays in NY.

openheads

"Show the Bills some love. The only NY team that plays in NY."

Please..................... Even NYC is not "that" provincial. And that's saying something.

verbal

The defectors, jets and giants, don't have any desire or incentive to adopt the name of their new home city/state - who would? NJ reaps all the tax benefits from the stadiums; ticket sales, concession sales, parking, and income taxes.

The, absurd, claim that they should remain 'NY' teams because of their proximity to the metropolitan area, or suburban status, is just that - ABSURD.

If they desire to be called NY teams then they should pay NY a licensing fee or naming rights fee. I suggest $25MM per year, per team. Otherwise they should have some self respect and pride and call themselves the NJ Douchebags or whatever. It was good enough for the Nets when they moved, and the Devils when they were brought into their league.

Tourists go home, NJ residents start paying a commuter tax, and don't forget the tolls on the way out - thanks for visiting, come back soon.

stoop_pooper

"Tourists go home, NJ residents start paying a commuter tax, and don't forget the tolls on the way out - thanks for visiting, come back soon."

NJ residents that work in NY pay taxes to NY. Whatever taxes they pay NY is credited to their NJ taxes. NJ actually loses out on those taxes since NY gets them. So all those New Jersey people working in NY are helping your state.

You should actually know what the hell you are talking about before you get on your soap box.

stoop_pooper

ahem

jaycjay

"The, absurd, claim that they should remain 'NY' teams because of their proximity to the metropolitan area, or suburban status, is just that - ABSURD. "

"If they desire to be called NY teams then they should pay NY a licensing fee or naming rights fee."

Seriously, you think that last position is actually less absurd than the first? I'd guess you're in the minority on that, and your "tourist" rant identifies the source of the irrational thinking. Agenda trumps reason, as always.

Do you have any idea how many businesses based in New Jersey have the words "New York" in their name? I know, I know, they should all pay a licensing fee. Right, nothing absurd about this stance.

verbal

That's actually a great idea! Seriously though, nobody gives a crap about Gino's NY Pizza in the middle of Paramus. These sports teams claim to represent a city, leveraging that status in major media markets for billions of dollars in revenue. Yes, there is an agenda; in professions and businesses that forgive a lack of loyalty to the Nth degree there should be a price to pay.

hb78

I still don't understand how they've made it this far. They haven't beaten a team in the regular season by more than six points since something like week five (Buffalo doesn't count). They seem to only win by mistake or when the other team is straight playing terribly. I've watched them all season and they've only really earned a handful of wins. I say give them to jersey.

Dubai Directory

In my opinion their fans should decide. This is not such a big issue unless we people make it.

hellsattik

They're named the New York Jets because the Meadowlands (and surrounding area) is in the New York (City) Metropolitan area.

Period. Done.

kevd

Maybe they should be called "The New York City Metropolitan Area Jets" then,

openheads

"at worse is a toxic cesspool and is the asshole of the eastern seaboard, culturally and otherwise."

NY'ers are such petulant children. Do you think anyone in NJ would care that the Giants & Jets were named New York if you didn't continually act like a bunch of cliquey, catty school girls? The "greatest city in the world" sure does like to focus on little old New Jersey an awful lot.
Small, provincial, myopic NY'ers like yourself are beyond obvious. You're boring & predictable. And that's why you cling to your zip code for dear life.

SPsGhost

The baseball Giants now play in San Francisco. They are the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers now play in L.A., and are the L.A. Dodgers. The Jets should be called the NJ Jets. Same with the football Giants. It shouldn't matter any more than with the two old NY baseball teams that they once played here.

The only reason that they still call themselves NY teams is because, let's be honest here, northern New Jersey, and pretty much the state as a whole, at best has zero sex appeal or marketing value, at worse is a toxic cesspool and is the asshole of the eastern seaboard, culturally and otherwise.

Shabazz Stuart

yea, this comment is nonsense. The team plays in New Jersey because Northern New Jersey is Part of the New York Metropolitan area, and there is alot of open space there. The Jets wanted to build a stadium on the west side a few years ago, and would be fine with a stadium in queens. It's just cheaper to build in the Meadowlands... because, well... the place is a dump

The Washington Redskins play in Maryland....

stoop_pooper

NJ is beautiful. All you probably ever see is the factories along the turnpike. Have you ever been to Spring Lake, Sea Girt, Alpine, Saddle River etc? It's the friggin Garden State. You base your judgments on whole state because of a few factories alongside the turnpike.

If you want a toxic cesspool look at Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Gowanus, etc... They are actually on toxic sites.

jaycjay

"The only reason that they still call themselves NY teams..."

Is the same reason that the Bills are called a Buffalo team, the Cowboys are called a Dallas team, the Redskins are called a Washington team and the Dolphins are called a Miami team, although none of them play their home games in the city limits of that "home city."

The Jets and Giants are two more examples of teams playing in a suburban stadium. It's only complicated a bit because the suburb in question is across a state line, but they're still both named after New York City. Which is also part of the point: they're not named for the state, but the city.

SPsGhost

"They're not named for the state, but the city." A city in which they don't play anymore. See example of San Francisco Giants and L.A. Dodgers. Rationalize it all you want. They're the East Rutherford/New Jersey Jets and Giants. Not that there's anything wrong with that... It just wouldn't sell as many T-shirts etc. Which is why they kept it NY.