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Jets Fan Group Talks About Why They Trolled the Patriots With A Banner

We spoke to one of the members of the Jets fan group that hired an airplane to fly a banner over the New England Patriots' training facility.

On Wednesday, an airplane flew over the New England Patriots training camp with a banner reading, "CHEATERS LOOK UP! @JETSFANMEDIA." @JetsFanMedia is the twitter handle of NYJetsFans.com, an independent Jets fan site.

"We wanted to express our opinion on the Patriots," said Tyson Rauch, 42, part of the site's leadership triumvirate, and a New Jersey resident who lives about an hour from the Jets' practice facility in Florham Park.

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"NFL Fans as a whole pretty much hate the Patriots."

According to Rauch, the @JetsFanMedia team recently brainstormed to come up ways to troll the Patriots. The airplane banner idea was one of their first ideas. It also helped that the pilot was also a Jets fan, though @JetsFanMedia did cover fuel and other costs, which totaled less than $1,000.

"We thought about going with bigger statements," said Rauch, when asked if there was much debate about other message options. "Something about Tom Brady's legacy."

But ultimately, they decided that a simple message would be best. Rauch has been pleased with the response to "CHEATERS LOOK UP!" The banner has given the two-month old site national attention. Rauch said the goal of NYJetsFan.com is to provide thorough and unfiltered coverage of the Jets.

"Our biggest gripe is that mainstream media has a tainted view of the team," said Rauch, who previously was a freelance writer covering the Jets for CBS New York. "So we've taken it into our own hands."

In addition to the site's three leaders, the site employs about 30 people, all Jets fans according to Rauch, who do everything from writing to producing video content and podcasts.

"Our biggest mission right now is to get Joe Klecko into the Pro Football Hall of Fame," said Rauch. Another priority for the site is to convince Fireman Ed to return for this season's home opener, as well as ensuring that people know every tidbit about the team, including all of defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson's charity events.

But it's unlikely they'll send out another airplane banner over the Patriots' or any other team's training facility.

Said Rauch, "Once you do it more than once it kinda loses it's impact."