The Jets were looking for their first win on Sunday. But some fans were looking for something more.
Lot J at MetLife Stadium looked like it normally does on Sunday mornings. More than 100 fans were gathered to tailgate before the Jets took on the Panthers in hopes of finding their first win of the season.
But that’s not all that those at the Gotham City Crew — one of the biggest fan supporters for the Jets — tailgate were hoping to find this time.
That’s because Sunday’s Gotham City Crew get-together was the site of the first ever Jets Singles Tailgate. It was organized as a chance for Jets fans, who have had to suffer through the difficulty of 14 (and counting) straight seasons of missing the playoffs and, who are also searching for a romantic relationship.
The idea was created by Nicole Esther, a longtime Jets fan and realtor who works out of West Milford and has become a regular at Jets tailgates in recent years.
“I’ve seen a lot of people complain about how hard it is to meet someone online,” Esther said. “And how people aren’t always representing themselves accurately on these sites. … And I was just like, ‘got to be a way that people can meet who already have something in common. And Jets fans have the Jets in common. Jets fans like to do tailgates. So, like, a tailgate where singles could meet, and not necessarily, like, to find love, maybe just find, like, a new friendship, or somebody to go to games with.”
And Amanda Gudowitz, 25, was immediately enthusiastic about the event and reached out quickly to let Esther know that she would not only be interested in participating but co-hosting.
Gudowitz grew up on Long Island and lives in New York City and remembers watching Jets games from the upper deck at Giants Stadium when her family had season tickets during her childhood. Her fandom has only grown since then and she’s not shy about her enthusiastic support of her favorite team: her dark hair is highlighted with the same shade of dark green the Jets wear on the uniform, she regularly flew back from college in Wisconsin to attend Jets games, and she made the trip across the Atlantic for the team’s Week 6 loss to the Broncos.
“I’ve just made my life about the Jets,” Gudowitz said. “The hardest parts are that I’m generally a sensitive person and when someone talks bad about the Jets I take it personally, which is so not good. … But when they win, there’s nothing like it – like seeing Xavier Gipson return that punt for a touchdown [to win the season opener over the Bills in 2023], being there when Eric Decker caught the touchdown in overtime [to beat the Patriots in December of 2015] … nothing compares.”
Gudowitz feels strongly enough about the Jets that it has become something of a qualification when looking for someone to date.
“Well, I’ve always wanted to end up with a Jet fan,” Gudowitz said. “Like, it has been my priority. My friends yell at me because I think I limit myself to Jets fans, but I’m OK with it. … Like I want my kids to grow up Jets fans. And when Nicole [posted] about it, like, I was like, I would 100% be there. I also, like, thought about an event in my head, a Jets singles event, but I never thought anyone would actually do it.”
Esther was hoping to put together the tailgate in 2023 or 2024, but given the frustration among Jets fans after Aaron Rodgers first-game, season-ending injury two years ago, and the way the team struggled to meet expectations once Rodgers returned last year the timing didn’t feel right. But this year she decided she would do it no matter how the team performed on the field. So she set the event for Week 7 before the game with the Panthers.
She also wanted to take the time to make sure it would be a safe and comfortable situation for the women who did attend, that’s why she coordinated with Gotham City Crew’s established infrastructure and designed the morning’s events to make sure that participants would be in a situation where participants would feel safe and only be exchanging information they wanted to with those they met during an hour-long speed dating session during the tailgate.
Esther also partnered with the 29th and 9th Foundation, a charity organization led by former Jets running back Bilal Powell, to raise money for a good cause.
The plan was for an hour-long speed dating session and a dessert tasting, with the singles events wrapping up about two hours before kickoff.
Obviously, it wasn’t ideal that the Jets were 0-6 heading into the event. But she said there was enthusiastic support for the event.
“It was a really good response,” Esther said. “Obviously, there were some trolls – mostly guys on social media who were saying ‘It’s only going be guys showing up, women aren’t going to be interested.’ But we ended up getting a really mixed response and very supportive. A lot of women and a lot of guys from different age groups.”
Esther said about 30 people participated and that it went well enough that they’ll try to make it an annual thing going forward and build on the momentum of the first event.
As for Gudowitz, she went into the event hopeful but not with huge expectations.
“I’m just excited to meet people and take the opportunity,” Gudowitz said before the event. “I’m having, not low expectations, but I’m not going to walk out of there upset if I don’t meet the love of my life. I’m really not expecting that at all. But I think it would be fun to meet people. Hopefully, we can say like, ‘This was awesome to meet people’ and if the record’s better next year we can have a better turnout after one event.”
And when it was over? Gudowitz was still smiling.
“I had a great time,” she said. “But I don’t foresee having met the love of my life.”
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Category: General Sports
