Fireman Ed is sad and it’s your fault, Jets fans. Ed Anzalone, the super fan since 1975 that is best known for his J-E-T-S JETS! JETS! JETS! chant, has decided to step down from his famed position. He will still come to games as a fan but will not get into Fireman Ed mode. Ed claims the recent mean spirit of Jets’ fans at the stadium prompted him to rethink his role. Fans have begun yelling at Ed and becoming confrontational with him in response to him wearing a jersey in support of quarterback Mark Sanchez. Ed had this to say in a guest column in Metro New York:
"The stadium has become divided because of the quarterback controversy," he claims. "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."
Is this what it has come to? Fans so sick of their team that they turn on their own. The anger of the fans is directed at the wrong person. They should be looking for Rex Ryan instead. Ed is a patron just like the rest of them and wants to see the team do well. Just like on the field, in the stands folks aren’t on the same page either.
