New York Jets To Switch Ownership With Woody Johnson Headed To UK
Aug 11, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets owner Woody Johnson before the preseason game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Careful what you wish for because you just might get it. New York Jets fans have been screaming for new ownership and now they’re going to get it.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it, folks. Things have been awful lately for New York Jets fans everywhere. I feel your pain.

I would equate my emotions to a guy getting his hairy thighs waxed and then bathing in lemonade. Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

2015 and the 10-6 campaign seem like a distant memory. I can’t even look at myself in the mirror and with a straight face say, “those AFC Championship games were pretty cool back in 2009 and 2010, right?”

Other fans don’t take us serious when we use that as an argument, but really what else do we have to lean on? Seven straight years out of the playoffs? Countless draft picks wasted and maximized as toilet paper before being flushed.

We want change we can actually believe in.

Well, it appears change is on the horizon, for better or for worse.

So what does this all mean?

“If Johnson is nominated and approved by the Senate, his younger brother, Christopher Johnson, 58, will assume the role of chairman and CEO of the Jets”, the team announced.

This tanking that is about to officially start feels like a new era. So why not have a new face that runs the place? While the name tag will look the same, this could be the facelift that the Jets have been looking for. Woody Johnson has owned the team since the dawn of the 21st century.

In that time what have the Jets accomplished?

  • A brand new stadium (MetLife Stadium), which is pretty sweet.
  • He bought the team originally for $635m. According to the Forbes list, the Jets are the seventh most valuable franchise in the NFL at an estimated: $2.75 billion, with a B.
  • 6 separate playoff appearances in 17 at bats. A .352 batting average. Pretty solid in the majors, not so much in the NFL.

But what the Jets haven’t done would be a much longer list. Namely, the Jets haven’t been back to a Super Bowl since Broadway Joe Namath.

They haven’t found a legitimate franchise quarterback who can even seriously get them in the championship conversation, despite flirtations. Johnson isn’t going to live forever and I don’t want this column to get morbid, but there’s a generational gap between Woody and his brother Christopher.

15 years to be exact.

He can bring a fresh perspective to the team. Speaking to that, I spoke with NFL Insider, Connor Rogers, about this change on The Score 1260 on Friday.

Here’s what he had to say:

“Everything that I’ve heard is that Woody Johnson is an erratic owner. Somebody who chases star talent ie Brett Favre in 2008. They’ve done crazy things over the years. You can bet this whole tanking plan has Woody Johnson’s name all over it. Woody if he gets this job, will not run this team from Europe. The team will be handed over to his younger brother Christopher. Who’s a lot younger than Woody. Everything I’ve heard and I haven’t met Christopher is that he’s a lot more level headed. He’s going to buy into a long-term rebuild. He won’t just fire people after small sample sizes.” – Connor Rogers, NFL Insider, Bleacher Report

You can listen to the whole interview and my thoughts on Tyler Lydon getting drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft.

Rogers ends that bite saying it’ll be interesting to see how the dynamic changes. While I think that the change will be palpable.

The immediate impacts of this potential change you’ve got to start with the framework of the front office. After this upcoming season is over, will there be bloodshed?

We all understand it’s going to be bad, but is there a line of demarcation? For example, Todd Bowles losing the locker room. More questionable game time decisions with either clock management, or playing younger guys over players that can help them win right now controversies?

I could see those things happening, I just hope that Bowles isn’t a scapegoat. If he gets fired, he better deserve it. The Jets have a lot of promise for the future. A younger owner who may be able to adapt better. Over $80m in future cap space. A ton of draft selections and in seemingly the best quarterback class since “2004 with Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, and Philip Rivers” according to Connor Rogers.

People call me Boy Green for my unwavering dedication to all things New York Jets. I work at The Score 1260 in Syracuse and I'm extremely passionate about sports. I aspire to continue my rise through the business and hopefully I'll end up working for the New York Jets in some capacity.