In an unexpected twist, President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to appoint billionaire Warren Stephens as the next U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom has ignited outrage—not among policymakers or international affairs experts, but among New York Jets fans.
Why? Because this choice effectively dashes their hopes of team owner Woody Johnson relinquishing control of their beleaguered franchise.
For context, Woody Johnson, a prominent Republican donor and ally of Trump, previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to the U.K. from 2017 until the conclusion of Trump’s term in 2021. During that time, Johnson handed over operational control of the Jets to his brother, Chris Johnson.
While Chris’s leadership wasn’t exactly stellar, some Jets fans saw his tenure as a refreshing alternative to Woody’s stewardship, which has overseen decades of disappointment. Since Johnson acquired the team in 2000, the Jets have struggled mightily, with a dismal 171-228 regular season record and only six playoff appearances.
For many, Trump’s decision to pass over Woody Johnson for a second ambassadorship felt like a missed opportunity. By resuming control of the Jets after his diplomatic stint, Woody has become the focal point of fan frustrations. With the team floundering this season and yet again missing the playoffs, fans were holding out hope that Johnson’s reassignment to public service might spell a reprieve for their struggling franchise.
Social media erupted with reactions ranging from sardonic humor to outright despair. “Welp, looks like the Jets are stuck with Woody Johnson messing things up for 4 more years,” one frustrated fan lamented on X (formerly Twitter).
Another commented, “There’s no hiding from the next 4 years of ‘sell the team’ chants.” Even attempts to console the fanbase—pointing out Chris Johnson’s equally uninspiring track record—did little to soften the blow.
StatMuse data underscores the grim reality Jets fans face: in over two decades of Woody Johnson’s ownership, the team has notched only six playoff wins and has yet to secure a Super Bowl appearance. For a fanbase already starved of success, the idea of Johnson taking a diplomatic post represented not just a glimmer of hope for change, but a small escape from the seemingly endless cycle of mediocrity.
While Trump’s choice of Warren Stephens as ambassador points to broader considerations, including political and financial alliances, it’s clear that for Jets fans, the announcement is a bitter pill to swallow. As one fan aptly put it, “This appointment is a disaster for Jets fans. We needed him away from the football team.”
