Fireman Ed
Ed Anzalone | |
|---|---|
 Ed at a Jets Championship Rally of the 2009 playoffs 1-21-10 in Times Square. | |
| Born | September 19, 1959 College Point, NY |
| Occupation | New York City firefighter |
Edwin M. Anzalone (born September 19, 1959),[1] better known as Fireman Ed, is an enthusiastic fan of the New York Jets since 1986, although he was originally a fan of the Miami Dolphins until the age of 10.[2][3] One of the most well known National Football League fans, he rose to prominence by appearing on the Boomer and Craig Carton radio show on WFAN.[4][5][6] He was the originator of the famous chant, "J-E-T-S, Jets!, Jets!, Jets!"[7] though some dispute this, claiming that he merely leads the chant and that it originated elsewhere.[8][9] An actual New York City firefighter, Fireman Ed was injured on the job in 2007.[10]
Anzalone wears Bruce Harper's jersey to games[11][12] and has been leading the J-E-T-S chant from Section 134 of the Meadowlands since 1986. He used to be hoisted up on the shoulders of his brother Frank and has been lifted up by Bruce Gregor after Frank developed knee problems.[13] In 1999, Fireman Ed was included in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Hall of Fans.[14]
On September 25, 2009, Fireman Ed was given a game ball from the Jets Week 2 victory over the New England Patriots.[15] On December 30, 2009, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco claimed he would imitate Fireman Ed if he scores a touchdown in his next game against the Jets, on January 3, 2010.[16] The day after the Bengals' loss in Week 17, Chad Ochocinco got in contact with Fireman Ed through Twitter and provided him with a VIP package for the Jets first round playoff game at Cincinnati, as a way to make up for the "trash-talking" that Ochocinco did before the game. Though he was appreciative of the offer he declined to take on the moral ground that he did not think it was right to be flown out to the game by the opposing team. He did however say that if the Jets made him an offer he would take them up on it, though no offer was made.[17]
On August 16, 2010, during a Monday Night Football Giants vs Jets pre-season game, Fireman Ed's inaugural Jets chant in the New Meadowlands Stadium was interrupted by a Giants fan who raised his Giants hat while Fireman Ed's fellow Jets fans stood by. Fireman Ed repeatedly shoved the fan before the fan was escorted away from Ed's chanting post.[18] The Giants fan was later removed from the game. Fireman Ed was charged with simple assault for the incident,[19] but the charges were later dropped.[20]
On Monday October 17, 2010 Fireman Ed was used in the opening of Monday Night Football on ESPN. The Jets played the Miami Dolphins. This was the third new show opening since Country Artist Hank Williams Jr. was fired for making disrespectful remarks in relation to U.S. President Barrack Obama.
See also
References
- ^ Dyer, Kristian (2009-12-27). "Pilgrimage: A farewell to Giants". ESPN. Retrieved 2009-12-28.
- ^ Pressman, Stacey (2003-04-21), To date, or not to date, ESPN.com, retrieved 2007-09-19
- ^ Lange, Randy (2005), Stadium Stories: New York Jets, Globe Pequot Press, ISBN 0762737832
- ^ Greenberg, Jay (2006-10-23), PLAYOFFS STARTIN' TO ADD UP, retrieved 2009-09-27
- ^ Berger, Ken (2004-10-21), Martin, secondary spark the Jets, ESPN.com, retrieved 2007-09-19
- ^ Soshnick, Scott (2006-03-23), U.S. Pro Sports Fans Don't Know What a Fan Is, Bloomberg, retrieved 2007-09-19
- ^ Murphy, Brian, Here's to you, New York, ESPN.com, retrieved 2007-09-19
- ^ Where did the JETS chant come from?, retrieved 2007-09-25
- ^ Bromberg, Greg, Most Fierce NFL Mascot Competition: Fireman Ed vs. T.D., CBS Sports, retrieved 2008-06-28
- ^ Baumbach, Jim (2007-09-18), "'Fireman Ed' out for the year?" (– Scholar search), Newsday, retrieved 2007-09-19
{{citation}}: External link in|format= - ^ Baumbach, Jim (2007-12-15), Where are they now: Jets returner Bruce Harper, Newsday, retrieved 2009-12-02
{{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Waszak, Dennis (2009-09-25), Jets give Fireman Ed game ball from win over Pats, Yahoo! Sports, retrieved 2009-09-27
- ^ Powers, Ian (2010-01-24), Die-hard New York Jets supporter Bruce 'The Base' Gregor is the man the beneath J-E-T-S chant, New York Daily News, retrieved 2010-01-24
{{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Florence, Mal (1999-01-22), You Have to Be Fan of Absurdity to Make This Hall, Los Angeles Times, retrieved 2009-01-01
{{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Associated Press (2009-09-25), Jets give Fireman Ed game ball, ESPN.com, retrieved 2009-09-25
- ^ Ochocinco promises new routine, ESPN.com, 2009-12-31, retrieved 2010-01-03
- ^ http://twitter.com/OGOchoCinco
- ^ Duffy, Paula (2010-08-17), New York Jets Superfan, Fireman Ed Shows His Angry Side, The Huffington Post, retrieved 2010-08-23
{{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Benoit, Andy (2010-09-22), Fireman Ed Charged with Assault of Giants Fan, cbssports, retrieved 2010-09-23
- ^ McShane, Larry (2010-10-28). "Jets fan Fireman Ed cleared of assault as Giants fan Christopher Black drops charges". Daily News. New York. Retrieved 2010-10-30.
External links
