The football world has sounded off on a suggestion that the New York Jets move back into the Empire State.
Though they’re marketed as the “New York Jets”, the club actually plays their home games at MetLife Stadium (as do the New York Giants) in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Before moving into MetLife, both clubs played at Giants Stadium, which was also relocated in East Rutherford.
Per Mike Mazzeo of Legal Sports Report, New York State Senator Joe Addabbo would like the Jets to play their home games in Willets Point, Queens. As Mazzeo noted, a new 25,000 stadium will be constructed for the New York City FC of MLS in the Willets Point region.
Here’s what Addabbo said on the matter, per Mazzeo:
“If you’re building a stadium — and I know it’s only 25,000 seats — but if you’ve got that kind of incentive to build a stadium, if the opportunity is there with the land and the expiring leases, we can connect the dots, why miss this opportunity?
“They’d have their own stadium, a newer, more technologically-advanced stadium, with all-new amenities and everything. To go into a brand-new stadium as the New York Jets and the marketing behind it, that just blows it out of the water.
“And the original residual effect, at least to me, in terms of online sports betting.”
Here is a look at some of the best reactions from social media on Addabbo’s suggestion:
The Buffalo Bills are the only New York-based team that actually plays their home games in the Empire State (at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park). The New York Yankees and New York Mets of Major League Baseball play in the Bronx and Queens, respectively.
Three NHL teams play in the state of New York: The Buffalo Sabres (in Buffalo), the New York Rangers (in Manhattan) and the New York Islanders (Elmont, New York). The state’s two NBA teams, the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, are based in Manhattan and Brooklyn, respectively.
Before moving into Giants Stadium in 1984, the Jets spent 20 years playing at Shea Stadium in the Flushing Meadows–Corona Park region of Queens (1963 to 1984).
It’s been nearly 40 years since the Jets actually played home games in the state of New York.
It’s been nearly 40 years since the Jets actually played home games in the state of New York. Of course, there’s no indication that owner Woody Johnson is keen on moving the team back to the state itself.
The 7-4 Jets will try to pick up their eighth win of the season when they visit the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday.
