The Ultimate Jets Tailgate Experience: A Tale of Passion, Food, and Community

In the vast sea of NFL tailgating culture, one man stands out among New York Jets fans, transforming the often-disappointing game day experience into a celebration worthy of champions. Sean Winters, a Long Island trash hauler and executive consultant for WM, has created what might be the most impressive tailgating setup in the NFL – centered around a mini garbage truck converted into a massive, high-tech grill that feeds hundreds of hungry Jets faithful every home game. “I probably spend about $1,200 to $1,500 bucks between beer, meat, and dessert per Sunday,” Winters told The Post. “We probably feed about 100 to 120 people and cook about 200 pieces of meat in two hours.” This isn’t just any tailgate; it’s an institution that has been evolving for over three decades, creating community and joy regardless of the team’s perpetually disappointing performance on the field.

The heart of Winters’ operation is the remarkable grill itself – a green lifelike replica of the real Winters Bros fleet trucks that weighs approximately 1,500 pounds. This engineering marvel isn’t just stationary; it’s equipped with an “electrical hydraulic” system that allows it to autonomously roll around on golf cart wheels via remote control. The sophisticated cooking station requires a team of four or five longtime friends to operate, with Winters covering their game tickets as appreciation for their service. It takes five bags of charcoal alone to fire up this behemoth grill that stretches several yards in length. The menu goes far beyond typical tailgate fare, with Richie “The Knife” Shire, Winters’ dedicated grill master of nearly 35 years, preparing “marinated fillet mignon, marinated ribeye steaks, marinated chicken, homemade sausage and peppers – hot and sweet – plus some pork carnitas.” Rain or shine – and there was plenty of rain when Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers came to town for the season opener – the grill becomes a beacon of hospitality in the MetLife Stadium parking lot.

But the remarkable grill is just one component of Winters’ tailgating empire. Since 2010, the 60-year-old fan has transported fellow Jets supporters to home games in a tricked-out, memorabilia-filled green bus that departs from a Smithtown Uncle Giuseppe’s parking lot. “Everybody knows where we are… security holds the spot for us at the stadium,” Winters explained about their E-lot location that drowns out neighboring setups with powerful speakers blasting classic songs like “Sweet Home Alabama.” This isn’t just any tailgate; it’s a destination that has attracted the attention of Jets owner Woody Johnson and team legends including “Broadway Joe” Namath and Nick Mangold. The setup has become so renowned that Winters once asked Johnson if his bus could participate in a Super Bowl parade – should the Jets ever win one again – to which the owner reportedly replied, “no problem.”

For Winters, who has been a dedicated Jets fan since the days of the New York Sack Exchange defensive line in the 1980s, this elaborate game day ritual represents a labor of love that transcends the team’s on-field performance. “My favorite part is the excitement… getting so many people to meet at 8 in the morning on Sunday, there’s nothing like it,” says Winters, who extends his generosity to parking lot staff as well. What began as a simple tailgate with his wife 34 years ago has evolved into a multigenerational tradition that defines what it means to be a true fan. “There are kids on the bus who started coming when they were 5, and now they’re 20. It’s become such a family event,” Winters noted, mentioning that his own children have also become part of this ritual.

The community Winters has built is particularly impressive considering the Jets’ notoriously disappointing history. A season ticket holder since 1991, Winters has weathered countless disappointments, though he at least witnessed some bright spots like Bill Parcells and Vinny Testaverde’s 12-4 season in 1998 and the back-to-back conference championship appearances in 2009 and 2010. The St. James native acknowledges the challenge of supporting such a perpetually underachieving franchise: “It’s just very hard to be a Jets fan, especially the past 15 years.” His empathy extends particularly to younger generations of fans who have only known the frustrations of the Zach Wilson era and the brief, injury-plagued Aaron Rodgers experiment – never experiencing even the limited successes that older fans remember.

Yet despite the decades of disappointment, Winters and his community of tailgaters continue to embody the eternal optimism that defines sports fandom. “It’s exciting at the beginning of the year,” he says with the knowing smile of someone who has been disappointed countless times but refuses to surrender hope. “Nobody is better than us yet.” This sentiment captures the essence of what makes Winters’ tailgating experience so special – it’s not just about food, drink, or even football. It’s about creating a space where hope springs eternal, where community thrives regardless of the scoreboard, and where the journey becomes more meaningful than the destination. In the shadow of MetLife Stadium, with his garbage truck grill smoking and music blaring from his green bus, Sean Winters has built something far more reliable and rewarding than Jets victories – a tradition of fellowship that transcends the team’s perpetual struggles and reminds us why we become sports fans in the first place.