Stadiums New York Jets

shea stadium, 1964

owner harry wismer sought out place team play home games able secure dilapidated polo grounds, had not had major tenant since baseball new york giants vacated stadium in 1957. titans played first 4 seasons @ stadium—in final season renamed jets. titans shared stadium baseball s new expansion team, new york mets, 2 years before both teams moved shea stadium in queens in 1964. jets hold distinction of being final team host game @ polo grounds, 19–10 loss buffalo bills on december 14, 1963.

wismer hoped titans play in become known shea stadium beginning in 1961. however, funding difficulties , legal problems delayed construction of stadium. wismer signed memorandum of understanding in late 1961 secure titans new home. memorandum recognized mets have exclusive use of stadium until had completed season. team moved shea under new ownership, were, in years, required open season several road games, problem made worse in 1969 , 1973 when mets had long playoff runs.

feeling arrangement put jets @ disadvantage, team announced in 1977 play 2 home games year during month of september @ giants new home in new jersey, giants stadium. litigation began between new york city , jets on issue, , in lawsuit s settlement, city agreed allow jets play 2 september home games season @ shea beginning in 1978 remaining 6 years in jets lease. in 1977, jets play 1 september game @ giants stadium , october 2 game @ shea.

in spite of these issues, majority owner leon hess interested in renewing team s lease @ shea, due expire in 1983. hess negotiated new york mayor ed koch. hess wanted city redevelop stadium expand capacity. hoped renegotiate other aspects of lease—the jets received no money ticketholders parking @ shea. hess s proposals met resistance koch. when negotiations reached impasse, jets announced intention depart new jersey. on december 10, 1983 jets played final game @ shea , lost steelers 34–7. fans pillaged stadium mementos, scoreboard read n.j. jets in reference jets departure meadowlands.

when jets joined giants @ stadium, many jets fans hoped name, giants stadium, changed. however, giants, had authority approve change, refused. in effort conceal fact played in stadium built , decorated team, stadium grounds crew assigned make stadium more jet-friendly during jets games putting green banners , placing jets logo on giants . no change made blue , red seating bowl. jets featured in first nfl playoff game in stadium s history, falling patriots on december 28, 1985.

as jets sought become stronger franchise , remove counterparts shadow, team entered negotiations metropolitan transportation authority in attempt build stadium on west side of manhattan, entering bidding war transgas energy systems , cablevision rights west side yard property—hess, prior death, had been approached former mayor rudy giuliani bringing team west side when lease @ giants stadium expired in 2008. cablevision fixated against jets owning land madison square garden, located few blocks away, forced compete stadium. team owners had voted, 31–1, buffalo bills objectors, award 2010 super bowl new york contingent on jets winning bid , completing construction of stadium prior 2010.

an inside view of metlife stadium during first-ever preseason matchup between giants , jets

the mta unanimously voted sell land jets approximately $210 million committee agreed having stadium beneficial in long run. angry cablevision, community groups , transportation advocates determined derail jets attempts @ building stadium , 2 lawsuits challenging construction of stadium on environmental grounds filed.

although confident secure stadium, hopes dashed when sheldon silver , joseph l. bruno, both of whom held veto power on stadium construction, refused support project, alleging hurt rather development of west side.

defeated, jets agreed enter 50–50 partnership rival, giants, build new stadium agreeing 99-year lease, giants had signed earlier in year, remain in new jersey. stadium, known metlife stadium, became first in history of nfl jointly built 2 franchises. stadium, illuminated in different colors depending on team hosting game, opened in april 2010 , saw jets , giants open stadium in preseason exhibition game. jets first regular season home game @ new stadium held on september 13, 2010 , shown nationwide on monday night football. new york lost ravens 10–9. team owners voted have stadium host super bowl xlviii, held in 2014.