Below is the next installment of our Reader Spotlight, if you’d like to have your own FEATURED post, click here, and email me your answers to the questions, as well as a photo of yourself to samlsheryll@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing your responses!

Gang Green Nation Reader Spotlight: vin.fodera

The Basics:

What’s your name and/or username? My name is Vin Fodera, my (very creative) username is vin.fodera

What city/state do you live in? I live in Plainedge on Long island

How old are you? I am 23 years old.

The Miscellaneous:

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is “Do your own thing, create your own opinions, don’t mistake anyone else’s opinions for truth. If other people like what you’re doing and saying, then great. If they don’t, well who the hell cares?” Basically, it says to think for yourself, inform yourself, and draw conclusions yourself- but at the same token accept that others may have opinions you don’t agree with and that’s okay.

If you could grab lunch with anybody in the past, present or future—dead or alive, who would it be and why? I’ve never really been one to dream of going to lunch with someone famous (not a great natural conversationalist, so I don’t know what we’d talk about), and I already regularly see all of my friends and family, so I’ll pick my grandfather who passed away just over a year ago, I’d love one last talk with him (sorry for the somber answer, but truth is truth).

If you were stranded on a deserted island for the rest of forever, which musical artist would you be listening to, and which television series would you be watching? Easy one. For music, I’m picking a band that potentially nobody on this site knows called Streetlight Manifesto. They’re a ska-punk kind of band but they’re really almost their own genre at this point. Just an amazingly talented band. For TV show, the pick is easily “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” which I regard as the funniest show on television, and one that has 13 seasons worth of content.

The Jets Related Questions:

How did you become a Jets fan? I was born into being a Jets fan. My Dad is a die-hard fan, I’ve been watching the team as long as I can remember. I was born in 1995, my Dad got season tickets in 1998, so I’ve been regularly attending games since I was 3 years old. We had to give up the tickets a few years back, but we still go almost as often since 3rd party tickets are so cheap with the current state of the franchise. I started playing football myself in 2nd grade, that’s really when my love for the team became what it is today.

What’s your favorite Jets memory? What about your most painful Jets memory? My favorite Jets memory is a tough one. I want to say beating New England in the 2010-2011 playoffs, but that’s too easy. It’s probably the comeback win versus the Texans in 2010. I was there for that one and that game winning TD was still the loudest I’ve ever heard Metlife Stadium get. Some others are beating New England in the 2009 home opener with rookie Sanchez (Giants Stadium was visibly shaking that day), the comeback win versus Dallas on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 was special to be in the building for, and that time the crowd got so loud versus San Diego that we broke the play clock.

My worst Jets memory is easily losing to Pittsburgh in the 2010-2011 AFC CG. That one sent me into a real tailspin. Coincidentally, the San Diego game I mentioned was actually one of my most painful memories as well, because that was the game that ended my all time favorite player and idol’s career, that was the game that Wayne Chrebet had his final concussion.

In your humble opinion, who is the most dominant Jet to ever play and why? Not having been fortunate enough to see Klecko and Gastineau play, my answer has to be Darrelle Revis. He was the definition of “dominant” for those Rex years.

Who is your favorite Jets player and why? As mentioned earlier, Wayne Chrebet is my favorite player ever. I love an underdog story, and what an underdog he was. He was small, not very fast, and played college at Hofstra (just 15 minutes from my house). That knack he had for clutch plays, he just made you feel like, if he could do it, you could do it. My favorite player on the team right now is Jamal Adams, he’s just so exciting to watch and so passionate.

If Woody Johnson handed you a blank check and gave you a choice to be a part of the New York Jets organization in any capacity, which position would you choose, and why? (It could be GM, Head Coach, Quarterback, Linebacker, Head of Scouting, Waterboy—the sky is the limit). I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I am in any way qualified to head up any kind of football role for a professional team - player, front office, coaching, anything. If the sky is truly the limit, make me owner so I can sell the team to someone who is qualified to make those decisions. As owner, my first order of business is to sell the team to Gary Vaynerchuck. If owner is off the table, put me somewhere in the marketing department or somewhere in the personnel department where I can learn and advance through the organization so I can become qualified one day for a GM role.

Mike Maccagnan gets fired after the season and Woody Johnson decides to name you the next GM, giving you one very clear goal: win the Super Bowl within the next 4 years. What is your strategy to make the Jets a Super Bowl winner? What is your strategy to build this team into a perennial Super Bowl contender? Well, since the QB of the future is already on the team, the strategy is to maximize his potential and foster his development. First order of business is to hire an offensive-minded Head Coach that can do that for Sam. Zac Taylor from the Rams has grown on me for just that reason. McVay gets most of the credit for Goff’s rise, but Taylor has been a huge part of his mechanical improvements, which is Darnold’s Achilles heel right now. To further that point, the Rams have really set the blueprint for what this strategy should look like. Invest free agency money into O Line for the immediate future, draft late round O Line for the long term future. Invest early picks in game changing offensive skill position talent and mid round picks into both defense and supporting offensive skill players, as well as using those mid round picks to trade for already developed talent. It’s okay to overpay slightly for guys in free agency when you have the cap space to afford it. This year, I think you have to target Bell, Paradis, and the top EDGE on the market. Then in the 2^nd tier, look to add a CB and another edge rusher. I would also look to trade down in this draft and acquire some additional day 2 picks for this and next year.