If you've ever shielded your eyes while watching Game of Thrones and cursed the man who created the show, just know that he, too, is shielding his eyes every Sunday while watching another onscreen struggle: The New York Jets attempting to play football.
Over at his Livejournal blog, counterintuitively titled "Not A Blog," Martin muses on matters of work, celebrity, and his beloved — yet disastrous — Jets (and sometimes the Giants).
Even a man who’s built a career on imagining the unimaginable was shocked by the Jets’ 20-13 win over the Steelers last Sunday. Here’s a couple highlights from this week’s recap:
"I woke up this morning expecting a long day of pain in front of the television. The Jets were playing the Pittsburgh Steelers and their red-hot quaterback, Big Ben, and the Giants were facing the world champion Seattle Seahawks."
But in the grand tradition of being a Jets fan, Martin went quickly back to cynicism:
For the moment, I will enjoy the win, and wonder what might have happened if Rex had only benched Geno Smith earlier. (I was distressed to see Geno back as second string, and Matt Simms inactive. Simms showed more in his brief appearance last week than Geno has all season). Some good play there by Percy Harvin, Erik Decker, and Chris Ivory. And the D line. Gang Green DOES have some good players, if only they could get a quarterback.
After the Jets lost 10-24 to the Chiefs on November 2nd, Martin seemed to have had enough with the team. In a post titled "Jets Crash Again," he started his recap with:
"Life is meaningless and full of pain. Watching the Jets week after week has become an exercise is masochism."
Martin might have summed up what it feels like to be a Jets and/or Giants fan in 2014 with this title and photo:
It's been a tough few years for Jets fans, and George R.R. Martin is not immune to feelings of hopelessness. But he concludes his latest post with an oath to the Jets: "A true fan remains a fan in defeat as well as victory."
And if there's anyone who knows about pain and despair, it's George R.R. Martin.
