kutsch47
Contributor
Manish Mehta: I'm here with the new owner of the New York Jets, Kutsch47. You've been a hard man to track down since the news broke that Woody Johnson sold the team to you. Word on the streets is that you had a list of teams you that you were pursuing ownership of. What was that process like and why did you decide on the Jets?
Kutsch47: First off, I just want to say that I'm happy to finally sit down with you in order to give Jet Nation a feel for the new ownership. It's been a hectic few weeks since the sale of the team became final. I'm ecstatic to be here as the new season gets ready to kick off. Now back to your question. Ever since I was little, it's been my dream to own a sports franchise. I grew up in New Jersey as a fan of the Jets. So when the opportunity presented itself to become an owner of an NFL franchise, the New York Jets immediately topped my list. And yes, there were a few teams I was interested in becoming an owner of. But they were essentially fallback options in case the deal fell through. I'm a diehard Jets fan and it's been a dream come true to not only own a team, but to own the New York Jets.
Manish Mehta: So what's your story, how does a 26 year old from New Jersey find himself as the owner of the New York Jets?
Kutsch47: Great question. If you asked me when I was a little kid what I would be doing when I was 26 years old, I certainly wouldn't have said I'd be the owner of the Jets. In fact, I would have told you I would have been playing in the NHL. You see, hockey was my first love as a kid. And I was so dead set on making it to the NHL. While I may still have aspirations to play in the NHL, I realized as I got older that I just wasn't very good. So I decided to do something else with my life. I went to school to become an Officer in the United States Army. I may not have been a pro hockey player, but I still had a bad ass job of being a helicopter pilot in the greatest army in the world. When my commitment to Uncle Sam was complete, I had the option of staying in for a career in the army or doing something else. It was a tough decision, since the army had been such a big part of my life and made me the man I am today. But I ultimately decided to move on to a new chapter in my life and pursue other goals and aspirations. The first few months after the Army was great. I worked out all the time, ate a bunch of great food, and went on vacation to all sorts of places that I couldn't do while I was in the army. Unless you count a deployment to Afghanistan as a vacation. Once I finally got the partying out of my system that had been suppressed by 8 years of army life, it was time to go to work. I linked up with an old high school buddy and we started to develop some apps. And by we, I mean him. He did the programming, I handled the business aspect. Not all of our apps were successful, but a few of them were a hit and gave us a nice cash flow- in which we then used to invest into real estate and paper assets. We were extremely successful with this. I eventually found myself in a position to have the capital to purchase a sports franchise.
Manish Mehta: Wow. What a story. But couldn't you have killed two birds with one stone by purchasing an NHL franchise and fulfilling your dream of playing in the NHL since you would have owned the team and mandated that you play?
Kutsch47: I'd be lying if I said that thought didn't cross my mind. And I actually did look into purchasing the New York Rangers, who are my favorite hockey team. But James Dolan refused to consider any offers. So that dream will have to be put on hold. And while I might have a few dangles and snipes under by belt, I'm nowhere near the level those guys are at in the NHL. It's remarkable what they can do. So I'd only be a liability on the ice. As an owner, I want to win games. And that's what I want Jets fans to take away from this interview. I'm a diehard fan just like you. I want this team to win a Super Bowl. You hear about how owning a team is still a business and that some owners just care about making money. I don't, I care about winning.
Manish Mehta: Well I think that will be refreshing to hear for Jets fans. It's about time they have an owner that actually cares. So what are your thoughts on this new slogan the Jets have going into the new season "Stronger, Faster, Greener"?
Kutsch47: My mom always told me that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. So no comment on the previous ownership of the Jets. As far as the new slogan is concerned, the Jets had implemented that prior to my ownership. So I can't take any credit for it. But I love it. The team is absolutely stronger and faster in all aspects of the game, especially special teams. That's an area we struggled with a lot last year. And it cost us a few games. As far as being Greener, I'll show the fans that my blood is a whole lot greener than the previous ownership. So much for not saying anything at all.
Manish Mehta: You touched on how things were implemented prior to your ownership. Is there anything within the organization you plan on changing or Jets fans can expect to see with this new ownership?
Kutsch47: Being so close to the start of the season, I didn't really want to change much. The change of ownership is already a lot for the players, coaches, and fans to handle. If we start making drastic changes, we risk losing the momentum and chemistry we have going into the season. I'm happy with where the franchise is at. There's definitely a lot of room for improvement though. Throughout the year I'm hoping to unveil some of the plans I have in store for the Jets and our fans. We're still in the planning stages for most of these projects, so I can't divulge much info on them. But I promise our fans are going to love it. We've got a great football season ahead of us and I can't wait for Week 1, our home opener against the Bengals on September 11th. It will surely be a very emotional day.
Manish Mehta: I'm sure I speak for the rest of Jets Nation when I say that we're also excited for this season to get underway and to hear more from you throughout the year. We'll talk next week about your thoughts on the schedule and your predictions for this season.
