Adversities aside, stay the course

G-MAN ON THE G-MEN

- Kevin Gleason

The Jets quit on Le’Veon Bell the other day, a couple years after he quit on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jets fans have never quit on the Jets though, I guarantee that, because fans never, ever quit on their team.

It’s just about the only constant in sports. Owners, general managers and coaches come and go while fans remain fixed to their seats with varying degrees of optimism, some of it blind. It’s why Jets fans are among the most loyal creatures in sports, still caring year after excruciating year, team after excruciating team, coach after excruciating coach — and don’t forget an ownership group as clueless as any organization in all of sports.

It’s why Giants fans would be forgiven if they are feeling more and more like Jets fans these days. Aside from the similarities in records — both winless heading into the peak of fall foliage season — these are franchises in desperate search of identities, of critical answers, of results.

I suppose the only solace for Giants diehards is that they aren’t shelling out exorbitant fees to see their team in person. They aren’t testing household budgets and weekend family time, pushing through parking stalls by 9 a.m. for three hours of barbecue and beer precisely preceding another three hours of bad football.

But while Giants fans have saved a few bucks through another fitful season, they certainly haven’t been saved from the stress and anxiety and frustration of watching loss after loss.