Handful of Fans Show Up at the New York Jets Facility to Protest Adam Gase

A smattering of New York Jets fans made the investment to show up at the team's facility and protest their head coach.

If a protest takes place outside the New York Jets facility, and no one is there to participate in it, did it happen?

That’s the question for four fans of the 0-2 Jets, sick of the apparent direction of the team (or they might argue a lack of direction), who showed up for a planned protest of the organization on Thursday. The Jets currently have more players on Injured Reserve then protesters who showed up for the event. That’s a cheap shot, of course, but there is a general apathy around the fanbase after another slow start to the year.

The target of the protest event was the unpopular Adam Gase who is in his second year as head coach of the Jets.

Last year, despite a roster that not only was lacking talent but also had the most games lost due to injury in the entire NFL, saw the Jets under Gase go 7-9. This included a promising six wins in their final eight games.

All that momentum has changed in 2020, albeit in the limited sample size of two games. Entering Week 3 of the season, the Jets have been physically dominated and looked questionable on both sides of the ball. Gase, whose hiring last year was not embraced by the majority of fans, has come under criticism for the team’s poor start.

In a way, it makes this Sunday’s game at the 1-1 Indianapolis Colts almost a must-win for Gase if he hopes to change the narrative around the team.

The protest is truly not something to be mocked and the handful of fans who showed up during the middle of a workday showed definite enthusiasm for their cause and their team. Undoubtedly, there should be a concern among the front office and the fans about the direction of the team.

My one goal for this was to attract media attention over the one goal we all share as #Jets fans and that is to #FireGase. I did just that. Bleacher Report, CBS, WFAN, USA Today, shared the story. Although the protest didn’t work, we got the attention of people including the Jets

— Optimistic Jets (@OptimisticJets) September 24, 2020

If that falls in part or the whole on Gase is open to debate. On one hand, the team has looked bad to start the year. But on the flip side, he heads into Week 3 likely down two starting offensive linemen and his top three wide receivers. It is hard to imagine any team faring much better if they too were in rebuild mode.

The Jets also lost to two playoff teams to start the year. While they looked poor in the process, they still have an incredibly tough schedule. There’s a tug-and-pull here.

It appears that the fans who showed up learned their lesson and are planning a protest on the weekend to draw more fans to the event. The problem is that generally speaking, the team’s facility is closed on the weekend as players, coaches and management are usually in transit for an away game or sequestered at their team hotel in the Meadowlands.

So there might be more fans next time around, but there may not be anyone inside the building of note to witness the protest.

Same old Jets.