Jets fans know how to display their pride in every way imaginable Take Michelle White from Waltham, Mass., for instance.
In late October, White and her husband took an old Halloween tradition and added a green and white spin to it. And in doing so, she earned the New York Jets' Show Us Your Green award for the month of October.
"It was a Sunday night in late October, and my husband, Jason, and I were getting ready to carve our pumpkins," she said. "We were watching football and that is when I got the idea to carve the Jets logo into my pumpkin. I was able to draw the logo onto the pumpkin and carve it out. I had no idea what it was going to look like, but I was happy it turned out as well as it did!"
White proudly displayed the pumpkin that depicted her love for the Jets since she was a child.
"I have been a Jets fan my entire life because of my father," she explained. "My dad has been a Jets fan and has had season tickets since they were the Titans. I went to my first game when I was 8 years old and that was it for me. I fell in love with the game and the team and have been a huge fan ever since.
"We have had the same season ticket seats my whole life and I just love them," she added. "I'm going to be sad when they knock down the Meadowlands, but they really need a new stadium."
While she has many fond memories of Gang Green, one instance sticks out for White. This particular moment has touched the lives of many other Jets fans as well as thousands of people across the country that aren't even football fans.
"My favorite Jets memory is when Dennis Byrd walked back out onto the field after having the severe spinal injury," said White. "I was at the game when he was knocked out and they had to take him away on a stretcher. That was the first serious injury I had seen. It was very scary and I realized just how dangerous the game can be and how quickly your life can change, in only a few moments.
"I thought it was wonderful how he was brought back out onto the field and everyone gave him a standing ovation. It was very touching and something I'll remember for the rest of my life."
Being a Jets fan isn't always easy for White, and not just because of the sometimes less-than-favorable records or tough defeats. White lives behind enemy lines, deep in Patriots territory near Boston.
But Michelle remains calm and proudly displays her Jets admiration on things other than pumpkins.
"It is very difficult to be a Jets fan here. I have a Jets tire cover, and when I first moved here I was afraid someone was going to slash my tires. My tire cover is safe, as is the rest of my car," she happily announced.
"Most fans are very nice and like to joke with me, especially this year since they are undefeated and our record is less than stellar," she said. "I have to say I have only run across a few people who were very rude and I don't really think they even knew a whole lot about the Patriots. I think they were just frontrunners."
In December, Michelle even had the courage to pack up the car and head down the road to Gillette Stadium to watch the Jets take on the Pats in a snowy and icy affair.
"My father and I went to the Jets vs. Pats game and we were sporting all of our Jets gear. Most people laughed or booed us, and several people told us how brave we were, but I have to say, it was a lot of fun, and the majority of the fans weren't too bad to us. I think it would have been different if we had won."
