Opinion: The Mets can Learn from the Jets
Yes, I am also a New York Jets fan. And, I realize, had their schedule been a bit different at the end of the regular season, the Jets could have been an 8–8 team, who missed the playoffs; as opposed to a 9–7 team, who made it to the AFC Championship game.
That said, in either scenario, Jets fans would have ended the year content, just as they are today, while feeling confident about the general direction of their favorite pro-football franchise.
I talk with people in the Mets organization on a regular basis, and to a person, I always hear essentially the same thing, which is, ‘We were so injured last season, and if every one returns, and if we win 90 games and get to the playoffs, all of sudden people won’t be so critical and all will be right for the Mets and Citi Field.’
This is true, no question. The problem is, that’s a whole lot of ifs, and it doesn’t inspire confidence.
The Mets can learn from the Jets, who, regardless of whether they made the AFC Championship game, turned on a dime and immediately changed the attitude of their fans, who are notorious for being among the most pessimistic, paranoid fans in sports… and, if ever there was a team who needs to change the attitude of its fanbase, it’s the Mets.
This is not to say the Mets must replicate how the Jets went about things. However, the Jets are proof that significant changes, from top to bottom, including an overall, on-field attitude and philosophy, all wrapped in an organic group of talent, can inspire fans and reignite interest.
For instance, in 1998, the Jets also made the AFC Championship game and lost. However, Jets fans left that game with their heads in their hands, lamenting how the team blew it’s one chance for a Super Bowl, because we all knew it was occurring on borrowed time; since the coach, quarterback, running back and others were all aging mercenaries, who already had success on other teams. This time around, though, it’s an organic product, with young talent and management, who we believe will only get better with time. In fact, losing yesterday feels not like an ending, but the beginning of something new and exciting.
The most important thing the Jets did, though, was how clearly they identified a new philosophy, i.e., they repeatedly said they wanted to be a tough, aggressive, hard-nosed team, who would run the ball and be a top-rated defense, and then they found a coach who was consistent and believed in that mindset, and then acquired and drafted players to carry it out. The fans were made very aware, early on, what the team wanted to be, and more or less every subsequent move from that point forward supported that goal. And so, even when the team was struggling, Jets fans could unite knowing what was going on, and where their team was headed. Obviously, eventually the Jets must win, otherwise fans will again tune out. But, for now, the Jets have us right where they want us, believing and buying tickets.
The Mets, on the other hand, talk in vague terms. I mean, shouldn’t every team want pitching, speed and defense… add hitting and catching and they just described baseball… the game… in it’s absolute basic form. Instead, the Mets need to learn from the Jets, and create a more specific organizational philosophy, with values consistent with its talent, management, Ownership, minor leagues and ballpark, so that we, the fans, can be excited and confident in the direction they are heading, and so we too can believe again… and return to buying tickets.
