By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
TIMES SQUARE — Times Square became a sea of green and white Thursday as hundreds of fans came out to cheer for Gang Green ahead of their do-or-die AFC Championship game on Sunday.
Jets fans, players and team owner Woody Johnson joined Sen. Chuck Schumer and Mayor Michael Bloomberg as they rallied for the New York Jets.
"This Sunday all New Yorkers — Jets fans, Giants fans, even Dallas Cowboy fans — are for the Jets. Everybody is for the Jets!" Sen. Schumer said, with a fist pump. "Ben Roethlisberger is going to have an easier time finding a receiver in crowded Times Square on New Year’s Eve than he is on Sunday when he gets marooned on Revis island."
Megan Newman, 20, of Staten Island, was thrilled to be in Times Square for the event.
"This is my first big Jets season," said Newman. "[Nearly] 21 years of my life and I’ve never seen the Jets this far, so this is pretty exciting for me, so I’m hoping that they go all the way this year!"
The New York Jets Flight Crew — the team's cheerleaders — warmed up the crowd with a dance routine.
"I’d like to see these guys go out there and really take care of business because if they can play at the level that they played last week against New England, we’re going to be a very happy town around here," former Jets defensive lineman Joe Klecko said in between signing autographs at the Jets Shop in Midtown.
The Jets play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pennsylvania this Sunday and are hoping to maintain their current excellent form, following their stunning defeat of the New England Patriots last weekend.
"I think we match up well against the Steelers and I think it’s going to be a close game," said Lee Schlesinger, 32, of Queens, who was at the Jets Shop on Thursday afternoon.
"We have to be able to run the ball, and if we run the ball I think we have a really good chance of winning, so hopefully we’ll be able to do that and go to Dallas."
If Gang Green wins on Sunday the team will head to Dallas on Feb. 6 to play in Super Bowl XLV against either the Chicago Bears or the Green Bay Packers, who also face off on Sunday.
The Jets haven't been in the big game since Joe Namath led them to a a surpise win over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III in 1969. That game is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history.
