Harkening Back

In fifth grade, I learned long division, about the American Revolution and read The Hobbit.

Some of the important facets of the day consisted of being useful on the soccer field at recess, perfecting my skills on the computer game Javanoid and learning not to puff my cheeks while playing my trombone.

Yes, it was a simpler time.

But that year, 10-year-old me made a very important decision…

My fifth grade science teacher was Ms. Von Vange. In her class, we did a bunch of experiments. We learned about batteries and light bulbs and other scientific stuff.

Ms. Von Vange also ran the Environmental Club, for which I went to some meetings. And that year, she taught me to Go Green, environmentally…and football-wise.

Ms. Von Vange was a big Jets fan. Green-and-white adorned her room and she made pretty well known her love for the Jets. At the time, I was a fledgling student, still impressionable. I had been a 49ers fan but my favorite player Steve Young’s career was winding down and it was a transitional period.

In 1998, I was not yet a fully entrenched Jets fan. It was just the beginning. It was Young’s last season and the end of my 49ers love. Along with Young, I rooted for Keyshawn Johnson, Vinny Testaverde, Wayne Chrebet and Curtis Martin (defense was not my forte yet at this age). The Jets had a bye, handled Jacksonville and reached the AFC Championship game.

The hype was big time that week leading up to the game. There was a Wear Green Day at school. You couldn’t help but get swept up in this hysteria. That week in fourth grade started it all.

Then the game happened and the Jets lost. At the time, I didn’t realize the significance of this. I didn’t realize how fleeting these moments could be as a sports fan. At ten years old, I didn’t truly appreciate it.

11 years later, the Jets are back at this same stage. It’s the week before the AFC Championship Game. Instead of worrying about playing Pele on the dusty school soccer field, I’m trying to finish reading bunches of pages detailing media law cases. Instead of putting together batteries, I’m preparing oral presentations in Español.

Junior year of college is just a little bit more complicated than fifth grade at Huntington Intermediate. And I’d like to think I’ve become a bit more sophisticated in this time span. Sophisticated enough to realize the meaning of this Sunday.

11 years later, I know these moments do not come around often as a Jets fan. I’ve felt the heartbreak of thinking Chad Pennington was Joe Montana and seeing it fall apart in the Black Hole. I’ve felt the agony of Doug Brien missing two field goals in Pittsburgh to prevent a berth in the final four.

Some things are still the same. I’m still wearing green and white this week. I randomly get excited thinking about Sunday at 3 PM. The Jets once again have to beat one of the greatest quarterbacks of our generation to reach the Super Bowl. But now I’ll be watching the game in Ohio, not New York. My jerseys say Sanchez and Cotchery on the back, not Testaverde and Johnson. There’s no doubt about my fan allegiance this time.

This week, I’m harkening back to where it all began. To those innocent days, when I was not quite as tall, when my vocabulary was much less full.

It all began then. You might think it’s weird to say that this was a transformational decision. But in the past 11 years, I’ve watched almost every Jet game. That’s three hours every Sunday for 16 Sundays a season (not counting possible playoff contests). So using those times tables I was still perfecting back in fifth grade, it comes out to about 528 hours. That’s a pretty good amount of time devoted to one hobby.

So, yes, I still remember the fifth grade Science battery experiment. But sometimes teachers can help shape us in ways that fall outside of the box. Ms. Von Vange helped shape an opinion that has produced so many memories and conversations with friends over the years. Some of the most important things we discover in school are not hidden in flowery sentences inside a thick textbook. The year after that AFC Championship, I remember taking that full leap, officially becoming a Jets fan in fifth grade and for that I say, thanks Ms. Von Vange and go Jets!