I am a proud New York Jets fan. It’s humiliating, I know. The amount of laughter that has been directed at me and the amount of apologies I have endured for being a Jets fan are innumerable. And yes, it sucks, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. In fact, I believe that the pain and suffering I have experienced as a Jets fan have taught me a valuable lesson.
If you are unfamiliar with football, all you need to know about the New York Jets is that in some unexplainable, inextricable, almost supernatural way, they always fall short. Always. No matter their players, their coach or even their record, something will always go wrong. And I am not in any way exaggerating. With one Super Bowl win (ever) and the longest current playoff drought in all of professional sports, being a Jets fan is hard.
At some point in my fandom journey, I recognized the hopelessness of my situation. Seasons I was excited about – whether that be because of a high draft pick, talented players, a new coach or a hall-of-fame quarterback – all ended in disappointment, without fail. I learned over the years that to avoid the soul-crushing pain of missing the playoffs, I could not expect success. In other words, I go into every season with low expectations, so if and when the Jets win a game, or if they somehow finish with a respectable record, I can appreciate it to a greater extent.
This mindset, to a lesser extreme, is universally applicable to situations that you and I will come to experience in life. I am not advocating for you to never get excited or never be confident in a pursuit, but I do believe that remaining rational, and not letting high expectations get in the way of your enjoyment is important.
So if there is one thing being a Jets fan has ingrained in me, it is the ability to approach life with tempered optimism. This mentality isn’t about settling for mediocrity. Rather, it’s a recognition that happiness often comes in unexpected forms, and appreciating those small moments is just as crucial as chasing Super Bowl victories.
