Melancholy at Indian Wells as Jets Lose in the AFC Championships

A somber mood pervaded the on Sunday night as patrons watched the New York Jets lose the American Football Conference Championship game to the Pittsburgh Steelers by a final score of 24 to 19.

The collective melancholy of the sea of green-and-white jerseys was palpable, with the bar groaning in harmony when Jerricho Cotchery injured his hamstring and when Mark Sanchez was sacked by Ike Taylor. When the Steelers, already leading 10-0, scored an additional 14 points within two minutes during the first half, one irate fan directed a call of “Sanchez, are you drunk?” at the unfortunate Jets quarterback.

There was a temporary measure of hope when the Jets rallied significantly in the fourth quarter with a scoring pass from Sanchez to Cotchery, but the fans’ reprieve was fleeting.

Jets fan Sean Ryan of Amagansett watched helplessly as the clock ran out for his team. “It’s awful,” Ryan said. “It’s not a good time right now.”

Other depressed spectators were more analytical. “In the first half the defense was non-existent,” one East Hampton woman suggested, “but it’s gotten better in the second half.”

The tavern emptied quickly when the game was over, with a steady stream of people in green-and-white jerseys choosing to head into the cold rather than brood over the evening’s result. One jersey-wearer who declined to give his name, but took a philosophical attitude. “It was a good run,” he said. “Gotta make the best of it.”

Randy Steyert of East Hampton, a New York Giants fan, had the following advice for the night’s forlorn: “Jets fans-act classy, like you’ve been here before. You could learn from Giants fans.”

The victorious Steelers will face the Green Bay Packers at the Super Bowl in Arlington, T.X. on Feb. 6.