Betting on the New York Jets

Ownership

Woody Johnson: (2000 – Present)

Woody Johnson is the great-grandson of Robert Wood Johnson, co-founder of
Johnson & Johnson. Following the death of Leon Hess, Woody and his brother
Christopher bid $635 million to win the auction, the third-highest price ever
paid for a professional sports team at the time.

During Johnson’s tenure, he attempted to get a new stadium built in Manhattan
but was denied in 2005. Five years later, in partnership with the Giants, he was
able to get a new Meadowlands Stadium constructed. It eventually became MetLife.

Woody was nominated to become the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom by the
Trump administration. He’s currently serving in this role, leaving Christopher
Johnson in the position as Jets chairman and CEO.

Leon Hess: (1968 – 1999)

Leon Hess was one of the investors that initially purchased the New York
franchise in 1963, along with Sonny Werblin, Philip H. Iselin, Townsend B.
Martin, and Donald Lillis. Between 1968 and 1984, Hess gradually bought out each
of his partners.

He became the controlling stakeholder after purchasing Werblin’s shares in
1968, then acquired Iselin’s in ’77, and Martin’s in 1981. Finally, in 1984,
Leon obtained the last quarter-share from Donald Lillis’ daughter, making him
the sole owner.

That same year, Hess moved the franchise to Giants Stadium in New Jersey.
Towards the end of his life, the Jets’ third owner started making questionable
moves in a desperate attempt to “win now.”

For example, in 1995, New York drafted Kyle Brady over Warren Sapp in the
first round. Hess was quoted as saying, “I’m 80 years old, I want results now.”
Leon died in 1999, and the franchise was put up for auction in January 2000.

Sonny Werblin: (1963 – 1968)

In 1963, Sonny Werblin and a group of investors bought the New York Titans
from Harry Wismer. Upon completing the purchase, Werblin changed the
organization’s name to the “Jets,” and ditched their blue and gold jerseys for
green and white. Under new ownership, the team thrived, primarily due to their
ability to spend money.

In ’63, he drafted Matt Snell, stealing him from the NFL’s NY Giants and, in
1965, Sonny forked over $400,000 to lure Joe Namath to the AFL as well. In 1968,
Sonny Werblin-who was resisting the AFL-NFL merger-was bought out by Jets
management. That same season, the Jets beat the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl
III.

Harry Wismer: (1959 – 1963)

Harry Wismer was a broadcaster who eventually became the sports director and
NFL play-by-play announcer at WJR, a Detroit radio station owned by George A.
Richards (founder of the Lions). As an announcer, Wismer was a key figure in
trying to push the sport of football on primetime television, though he was a
little ahead of his time in that regard.

In 1959, he became one of the founding members of the AFL. As one of the only
AFL owners with experience in professional football, having owned stakes in the
NFL’s Redskins and Lions, Wisner designed the television revenue sharing concept
that set the standard still used today.

Harry’s franchise was initially named the New York Titans. Unfortunately, the
team was severely unpopular in their home market. It didn’t help that Harry
lacked the deep pockets of his AFL colleagues. Over time, the troubled founder
began to drink more and eventually ruined his relationships with the other
owners. In 1963, they arranged a sale of the team to more financially stable
investors.

Team Logos

Classic “Jets” Football (2019 – Present)

Today, the Jets are utilizing yet another variation of their classic design.
The oval has been altered to more closely resemble a football shape again, but
the wordmarks are not layered on top of each other. Now, “NEW YORK” is written
in bold white font a few spaces above “JETS,” also in bold white. There is still
a white football at the base of the “E” and “T” in “JETS.”

Green Oval (1998 – 2018)

When Bill Parcells showed up in 1998, he wanted to change the culture of the
long-suffering franchise. The Big Tuna introduced a design heavily based on the
green football logos from the 1960s, only the football shape was changed to a
standard horizontal oval. Otherwise, the “NY” and “Jets” overlay was the same,
with white letters on a green background and a small white football graphic at
the base of the wordmarks.

“Jets” Wordmark (1978 – 1997)

For nearly two decades, the organization ditched their green football design
for a new logo. During this period, the logo was a simple wordmark that reads
“JETS,” with a stylized “wing” running from the top of the “J” over the rest of
the letters in a way that’s made to look like the logo is moving or aerodynamic.

Football With “Jets” Wordmark (1964 – 1977)

1964 – The Jets introduced a new logo in 1964 that would be the basis for
most of the franchise’s designs from that point forward. The graphic featured a
green outline in the shape of a horizontal football, with white interior. Inside
the football is a large “NY” with a similar green outline filled with white.
Layered above the “NY” is the word “JETS” in solid green bold font. At the base
of the “NY” is a smaller green football.

1967 – The team flipped the design in 1967. All of the areas that were
previously green were changed to white and vice versa. Otherwise, there were no
changes at this time.

Green Jet (1963)

After Sonny Werblin successfully acquired ownership of the NY franchise, the
team got an immediate rebrand. They lost the “Titans” name and blue and gold
color scheme for the green and white “Jets.” Their first logo under the new
administration was simply a solid green airplane shape with “Jets” written in
white font across the middle of the logo.

History of the NY Jets