American football is the country’s most popular sport, so it’s only right there is support right across the Union. Naturally, there will be more interest in the game if a state has a team representing them in the NFL.
That’s good news for New York as there are currently two teams battling it out for glory at the elite level. This is a sports-mad state with a huge fanbase, so it’s no surprise that they have two top teams to get behind.
Traveling to the Game
It doesn’t matter that the current NFL franchises play their games across the Hudson River at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. They are representing New York State, and the majority of their supporters are based here.
Both teams have a long and interesting history and the Giants and the Jets have previously won the Super Bowl. In recent years, however, there has been more of a struggle, and current NFL playoff odds tend to put New York’s franchises down among the underdog teams.
It’s fascinating to look back at their history and to learn that New Yorkers previously had more than two NFL teams to support.
Jets Take Flight
The New York Jets can trace their history back to the time before the NFL-AFL merger. The team was formed in 1959, and their name at that time was the Titans of New York. They played their first game at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan and were accepted as a charter member of the AFL in the 1960 season.
In 1963, the franchise was sold and renamed as the Jets. By this time, the team was a competitive force in the AFL and was on course for the greatest moment in its history. New York Jets won the AFL in 1968 and went on to win the third edition of the newly formed Super Bowl.
The Jets beat the Baltimore Colts 16-7 in the final game and were led to victory by the man who is arguably the greatest player in their history. Quarterback Joe Namath won the MVP at Super Bowl III. He is named in the AFL all-time team and when he finally left the game, the Jets retired his number 12 jersey.
Top Talent
Along with Joe Namath, the New York Jets have included a number of top players who made their way into the football Hall of Fame. The 1968 Jets’ side was undoubtedly the best and it features several men who appear in their all-time team.
Backs Emerson Boozer and Matt Snell also played in Super Bowl III and are part of the Jets folklore. Other top players from the all-time roster include Waye Chrebet, Wesley Walker, Shaun Ellis, and Marvin Powell.
With so much talent through the years, it’s a surprise that the New York Jets have yet to add to that solitary Super Bowl success.
Standing With Giants
While the New York Giants had to wait a little longer for their first Super Bowl title, the team has gone on to enjoy more success than their rivals. The franchise first lifted the Vince Lombardi Trophy in 1986, while further victories came in 1990, 2007, and 2011.
Before those triumphs, the Giants were one of five teams to join the NFL in 1925, and they can proudly boast that they are the only original franchise still standing.
As the New York National League Football Company, the team won its first NFL Championship in 1927, before adopting the Giants name two years later.
The New York Giants were one of the best teams in the pre-merger years. In total, the team won four NFL Championship pennants between 1927 and 1956.
The combined NFL years were tougher, and the Giants had to wait until 1986 before lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy. A 39-20 victory over the Denver Broncos was masterminded by MVP and one of the all-time Giants’ greats, Phill Simms.
Quarterback Simms is among some of the NFL’sbest ever players and the list of other significant former Giants men includes Eli Manning, Harry Carson, Justin Tuck, Frank Gifford, Sam Huff, and Ottis Anderson.
Long Gone
Football fans in New York have two teams to choose from, but historically, there were other franchises to get behind. The New York Yankees were among the first teams to play in the AFL from 1926, but they went out of business three years later.
The Brooklyn Dodgers subsequently played in the NFL between 1930 and 1945, while the state has also fielded a number of minor league teams.
Fans of both teams should also be proud that neither of their current NFL franchises has ever relocated. It’s tough to get behind a team that has flown in from elsewhere, but the Giants and Jets are part of New York’s sporting fabric.
Both teams have a rich and noble history, and hopefully, some more success will come their way in the near future.