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Just wait a New York minute — the Jets have called an audible and now will let a diehard fan try a $100,000 field goal this weekend.
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Ashley Castanio-Gervasi, a devoted Jets season-ticket holder, attends games in honour of her late father.
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As first reported by the New York Post, before a September matchup outside MetLife Stadium, the 33-year-old math teacher and former Stony Brook University goalkeeper caught the attention of Jets staff while kicking at a tailgate event. They invited her to compete in the contest.
Feeling confident in her ability to make the kick, she jumped at the chance and began prasticing for the big day.
But on Monday, in a scene straight out of a Peanuts cartoon — Lucy snatching the football from Charlie Brown — the Jets pulled her from the competition. Good grief!
The reason? The Jets claimed that because she was a high school soccer coach, she wasn’t eligible for “Kick for Cash.”
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That logic didn’t add up as Castanio-Gervasi had no idea that being a soccer coach would disqualify her from making the kick.
Confident she can make the big kick
“This is life-changing money for me,” Castanio-Gervasi told the New York Post. “I was confident I could have made it.
“This was the first time I was hearing of any of these (coaching) questions.”
Luckily, the Jets have had a Scrooge-like epiphany and reinstated her.
“We realized there was an unfortunate misunderstanding regarding Ashley’s eligibility for the contest. In an effort to remedy the situation, we are allowing her to kick this Sunday for an opportunity to win the prize,” the Jets said in a statement to The Post on Friday.
“We value the passion and loyalty of our fans and are committed to creating memorable experiences.”
Castanio-Gervasi was removed from the competition because the rules prohibited recent players and coaches from Olympic, college and high school soccer, rugby and football teams.
Contestants won’t know the exact kicking distance until the competition kicks off Sunday, when the Jets host the New England Patriots.
The 3–12 Jets may have struggled on the field this season, but at least they’ve righted a wrong, giving Ashley a shot at life-changing money.
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