It's not uncommon for sports teams to have celebrity fans of their team. From rapper Snoop Dogg rooting for the Los Angeles Lakers, to wrestler CM Punk rooting for the Chicago Blackhawks, to heavy metal music artist Pantera rooting for the Dallas Stars, or even comedian Jim Florentine rooting for the Miami Dolphins.
One Ottawa Senators player who is a die-hard fan of a sports team is Shane Pinto, who roots for the New York Jets. For those who may not know, Pinto is a native from Franklin Square, New York. People from New York have three potential teams to root for in the NFL with the Jets, New York Giants and Buffalo Bills to choose from.
At 24 years old, Pinto hasn't seen much success as a Jets fan. In a recent appearance on the Spittin' Chiclets Podcast, Pinto now relates and understands to how Sens fans can be mad when the Senators lose, just as Pinto does when the Jets lose.
Pinto understands how fans get mood ruined when their team loses with being a Jets fan
Pinto made a guest appearance on the Spittin' Chiclets Podcast and discussed how he had "no life" from age 15-18 to make it to the NHL. While on the episode, Ryan Whitney mentioned Pinto's fandom for the Jets. Whitney mentioned how Pinto gets all "poopy pants" when the Jets lose a game. Pinto now understands the pain how Sens fans feel when they lose a game, considering the Senators haven't made the playoffs since 2017 and have yet to win a Stanley Cup.
"Now I get the fans when they're shredding us when we're playing bad," Pinto said when talking about the Jets on Spittin Chiclets. "It's totally understandable. Cause when I watch, I sit down for three hours of my time, and I just watch just s****. It's horrible."
Pinto was 10 years old when the Jets last made the playoffs. The Jets fell in the 2010 AFC Championship Game 24-19 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was the second consecutive season the Jets fell in the AFC Championship Game. Since the 2011 season, the Jets have had just one winning season. That came in the 2015 season, but the Jets still missed the playoffs with a 10-6 record.
The Jets' 2024 season had high hopes with Aaron Rodgers returning from a torn Achilles tendon injury, but the Jets are currently 4-11 with two games left to play. With having 11 losses, Pinto hasn't had much to cheer about this season.
The Jets have their fair share of celebrity fans. Two of the most popular fans are Adam Sandler and Kevin James. Now, the Jets can add Pinto to the mix.
After the 2024 season is done for the Jets, it'll be 14 consecutive seasons since they last made the playoffs, which is currently the longest playoff drought in all of North American sports. The Jets haven't won a Super Bowl since the 1968 season. Despite the long droughts, Pinto is hoping the 2025 season will be better.
"I think next year, hopefully we'll be better," Pinto said. "But, we'll probably bring back Rodgers for one more I think, but who knows."