Exclusive: It's a Bird, It's a Plane...It's a 'Fire Adam Gase' Banner Over Manhattan
First it was ‘Fire John Idzik.’ Several years later, the target of a group of New York Jets fans is Adam Gase.
SportsIllustrated.com has learned that dozens of Jets fans have banded together to fundraise and protest the current Jets regime which includes Gase, the team’s unpopular head coach. The result of the fundraising will be a plane flying over New York City’s West Side on Friday afternoon with a banner that reads ‘Fire Adam Gase!’
Also included will be the group’s social media handle as a way to help continue mobilizing the movement. The Jets are 1-7, a disappointing record under Gase, in his first year with the team. They’ve struggled with injuries and several underwhelming seasons from stars signed this previous offseason by former general manager Mike Maccagnan, who was fired after the NFL Draft.
It has been an unusual year for the Jets to say the least. And now it is start to turn ugly not just on the field but in the stands.
According to a source, the group has other protests planned in the coming weeks. The plane is set to take off from central New Jersey and fly over Manhattan at 1:30 PM ET.
Working under the umbrella of New York Sports Fan Media, this group of fans, under the direction of Jets season ticket holder Jason Koeppel, has pulled off other protests in the past. In 2014, they used similar fundraising to protest then general manager John Idzik, who was fired at the end of the season, capping off a very unsuccessful two years with the team.
As part of the ‘Fire John Idzik’ movement they flew a plane and banner not only over a Jets practice but also pregame before a regular a regular season game late in 2014. The fundraising was so successful that billboards were also purchased as part of that push.
The group also pulled off a prank, the next year flying a ‘Cheaters Look Up’ over New England Patriots practice to mock their AFC East rival.
As of Friday morning, 149 fans had made contributions to the ‘Fire Adam Gase’ movement, which has raised almost $2,500 to date.
