The Jets Took Fireman Ed Out To Lunch And Tried To Woo Him Back

Jets superfan Fireman Ed retired from the superfan game a few years ago, so now he's just Fireman Ed. Actually, he's retired from firefighting, too, so he's just Ed Anzalone. Anyway, the New York Jets are so desperate for that superfan-led J-E-T-S chant that they tried to wine and dine Ed back into being Fireman Ed. A professional sports organization took a fan out to lunch, asked him to be a superfan, and he shot them down.

Kristian Dyer with Yahoo:

This past April, Anzalone said the Jets reached out to him about making a comeback. This led to an April meeting with a member of Jets management.

"Originally, they called me to see if I would come back to what I had done. They took me out to lunch to see if I had any interest in coming back," Anzalone told Yahoo Sports. "I said no because it was the same problem, I couldn't take my kids to the game. I told them I wouldn't come back.

Fireman Ed stepped down from leading the chant two years ago because he claimed he was getting harassed by fellow fans who thought he was a team shill. It essentially came down to his decision to wear a Mark Sanchez jersey (during the precipitous fall of Sanchez) and fans feeling like the team got to Fireman Ed, that Fireman Ed sold out.

The Jets have since tried in vain to replace Ed—a drum corps called the "Aviators," celebrities, crowd orchestrations, you name it—and they came up with two new solutions this year. Bringing Fireman Ed back was a no-go, so they are holding a fan contest to pick a new superfan from season-ticket-holder submissions. But don't worry, Fireman Ed welcomes his new (eventual) leader.

I would never stop it or try to. Never. I love this team too much," Anzalone said. "I will do the chant along with the fans with the new leader. And I will do it just as loud as everyone else if not louder.

Maybe they'll find an ex-Patriots fan to do it this time.

Fireman Ed wants 'J-E-T-S' chant to return to glory, but with new leader [Yahoo]