You may want to consult a thesaurus for the most creative ways to describe the dumpster fire that is the New York Jets organization.
The Jets’ on-field performance this part season certainly didn’t live up to their Super Bowl aspirations, and “shameless” wouldn’t be the first word that comes to mind. However, when peeking at their first offseason move, it’s clear why it still fits.
Instead of Super Bowl glory, the Jets reign supreme in the realm of offseason hype. March through August is usually their annual reign of hype before their notorious offseason championship crumbles under the bright lights of reality.
True to form, they wasted no time showcasing their characteristic lack of self-awareness. The franchise announced new uniforms mere minutes after Mecole Hardman, their discarded wide receiver, snagged the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl LVIII for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Woody Johnson, team owner and former United States ambassador to the United Kingdom, is known for his online presence and for engaging with fans. Following the success of the team’s white legacy uniforms in 2023, the team announced plans to introduce black and green versions in April. This decision reflects Johnson’s attentiveness to fan sentiment, which is evident in his reported conversations with head coach Robert Saleh about Twitter reactions to the team’s offense.
Despite enthusiastic fan reception to the news of new uniforms, the announcement’s timing – immediately following the season’s end – triggered predictable social media reactions. Jets fans, accustomed to winning off-season championships, playfully poked fun at the team’s tendency to excel outside of September through February.
https://twitter.com/SmokeyHellNFL/status/1757085352723124528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1757085352723124528%7Ctwgr%5Efee39ae3abf8ed1d0b3c5632acd6e4e6031e7ad7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FSmokeyHellNFL%2Fstatus%2F1757085352723124528
Woody dropping this the day after the SB to remind us his organization is a dumpster fire again, but the unis will be cooler next season. #Jets https://t.co/kFnn8pFmu3
— Louie (@Louie_Rock) February 12, 2024
https://twitter.com/JeffCohen610/status/1756912420847493548?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1756912420847493548%7Ctwgr%5Ed4123a741badfb8530342f9550ebd47ad5b8a50a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FJeffCohen610%2Fstatus%2F1756912420847493548
While you can credit an owner for listening to a passionate fanbase and making a popular move, it’s hard to ignore the awkwardness of the timing and the optics of the situation. The announcement inadvertently highlights potential ownership blind spots regarding the team’s underlying dysfunction, especially after a player you cast aside caught a touchdown to clinch a Super Bowl mere minutes beforehand.
Gang Green will need more than new uniforms if it wants to right the wrongs of one of the more disappointing seasons in franchise history, which is saying something.
[New York Jets, Woody Johnson on Twitter/X]
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.