New York Jets Lose Super Fan “Fireman Ed” for the Season

The New York Jets have not had the kind of season that they or their fans thought they were going to have this year. After being competitive the last few years the didn't have reason to think that they would not be the same this year.

Boy, where they wrong!

Now in all fairness, it hurts when you lose your two best players for the season pretty early on. When Darelle Revis was lost in Week Three that was not a good omen for the defense. The following week they lost wide receiver Santonio Holmes for the season as well.

Had they not been hurt it is hard to say that the team would have been much better than it has been. Yes, they are excellent players, but the season has been pretty rough. Just ask Mark Sanchez how rough it was after this play against the New England Patriots Thursday night:

It isn't unusual for a team to have an off year; even one like this. That is why competitive sports are so great. After you stink it up one year there is always next year. The trouble is just getting through the current season...

For one fan--probably the most well-known non-celebrity fan--enough was enough after Thursday's debacle. "Fireman Ed", aka Ed Anzalone, has quit the team.

Huh?

Fireman Ed is not actually on the team of course and in no way was he employed by the organization, but the former firefighter has been the most visible fan of the team at home game as the leader of the "J-E-T-S! Jets! Jets! Jets!" chant.The man has done a pretty great job of getting the crowd going with the infamous chant, but has decided he is done with it for the remainder of this season.

With the state of the team it can't come as a big surprise, but in a column printed in the Metro he said it had nothing to do with the team. It's his fellow fans that have made him decide to take a step back:

...I decided to leave Thursday because the confrontations with other Jets fans have become more common...

...The fact that I chose to wear a Mark Sanchez jersey this year and that fans think I am on the payroll — which is an outright lie — have made these confrontations more frequent. Whether it’s in the stands, the bathroom or the parking lot, these confrontations are happening on a consistent basis...

In the bathroom people? Really? The longtime fan will still go to games, but don't expect to see the familiar fireman's helmet come out.

Maybe since Tim Tebow doesn't actually play much football the team will let him see if Ed will loan him his firemen's helmet during the games...