The O’Toole Chronicles: Marc (not Benny) and the JETS

Is it fair for a parent to condemn or otherwise sentence their child to lifelong agony and frustration?

The natural answer is an emphatic NO.

So, I ask the question: Is it fair for a parent who loves a specific sports team to brainwash and condition a young child to love that same team? How about if that franchise has a history of being hapless and hopeless?

My daughter Ryan Marie and I go to a local gym and we see with rather precise frequency an individual, Marc, who by all accounts is living the American Dream. Marc is an extraordinarily successful businessman and an amazing philanthropist. He is president and owner of a nationally recognized company and is a devoted family man. Marc appears to have everything going right in his life.

Here comes the “but.”

During the winter months, Marc wears a hat with the logo NEW YORK JETS on it.

How can this brilliant individual, who, with an unparalleled work ethic, committed drive and an unrelenting arc of perfection have this one obvious lapse in judgement?

I finally asked Marc the other day what is up with the affinity for a perpetually losing franchise like the Jets?

Marc sighed heavily and said, “my father.”

Marc’s dad was a huge Jets fan, his family has had season tickets for decades (in spite of PSLs). He said he loves the team and will never quit them. Marc’s dad was his idol and since he loved the Jets how could he not copy his dad? Little did he know then that a life sentence of suffering had been imposed.

I asked how he dealt with the never-ending losing seasons, blown draft picks (think Ken O’Brien over Dan Marino!) and obvious disconnect that Jets management has with its diehard fan base.  He said he is loyal and wistfully hopeful it will change one day. Doubtful, but it’s nice to have a dream.

Advice to parents: Be careful which teams or politics you root for and it would be prudent to allow the next generation to be exposed to as many options (and ideas) as possible and let them make their own decisions. I don’t want to get into the mindless indoctrination of children with the harsh politics of today. It is almost parental malpractice to see kids in kindergarten wearing apparel with disparaging political slogans and put downs. Sickening in fact.

P.S. – My daughter saw Al, a family friend, and his son, Kamran, the other morning and both were wearing Jets hats. Ryan knew I was writing this column and she knew Kamran’s father’s obsession with the Jets. She quietly picked up the baby and swapped his Jets hat for a nice, nondescript wool cap. Cycle broken – hopefully.