THEY are no longer the same old turkeys, and so you, Joe The Jet Fan, has so much to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day.
Maybe Barack Obama’s election didn’t cheer you up, maybe your 401k and the economy has you down. But then you remember you have Brett Favre, and the rest of the NFL does not.
Favre, who wasn’t even born when Joe Namath won the Jets’ lone Super Bowl championship.
The same Favre who has all of New York buzzing about its first Subway Super Bowl.
On this Thanksgiving Day, Brett Favre has carved up that haunting memory of Same Old Jets. And the turkey sure tastes better today, doesn’t it?
In your mind’s eye, that’s Favre passing you the stuffing, isn’t it?
You give thanks to Woody Johnson, who gave the green-and-white light to go “4” it. You give thanks to GM Mike Tannenbaum, who sweet-talked Favre into coming out of retirement, to be the big fish in the biggest pond for a change. You give thanks to Eric Mangini, who could have felt threatened coaching a quarterback one year older than he is, but didn’t. And if the have some class, you give thanks to Chad Pennington, who sacrificed NFL life and limb to chase that elusive Super Bowl for you.
Christmas came 4 1/2 months early when Santa showed up at training camp with old No. 4. Your imagination ran wild – Brett the Jet! Jet Favre! The audacity of hope!
And still, because you are Joe The Jet Fan, those little green-and-white goblins inside your head kept reminding you that Favre was 39 years old, that he had to learn a new offense, that he had to win over new teammates who cherished Pennington, none more than Laveranues Coles. And you knew all too well that whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. Kotite’s Law, you called it.
And yet here you are, in first place atop the AFC East. Over a 10-day span, your road warriors beat Bill Belichick in Foxborough and the 10-0 Titans in Tennessee. The NFL has already made contingency plans for the Jets and Giants to host conference championship games on different nights at Giants Stadium.
A year ago on this day, your 2-9 Jets were getting humiliated 34-3 at Texas Stadium.
“We couldn’t handle the big stage,” Kerry Rhodes said. “It’s embarrassing to lose 34-3 anytime. It makes it even worse that this was a game seen everywhere with everyone watching.”
And so you watch the Lions, 0-and-the season, play the Titans today, and you pity Joe The Lion Fan. Their quarterback is Daunte Culpepper. Your quarterback is Brett Favre.
Sure, he’ll throw those reckless interceptions. But that’s him. It’s a fair trade as far as you’re concerned. Your team always has a chance. Your team is no longer terrified of the fourth quarter, or overtime. Your team always believes when No. 4 swaggers into the huddle.
So go ahead and get up from the dinner table, and run to the deepest part of the room, and hold your hand up to signal that you are open. Go ahead and shout: “Hey Brett, pass the yams.” Let everyone think you’re crazy. You won’t care.
This Thanksgiving is 4 you.