Short Hills Resident is Crowned “NY Giants Fan of the Year

By Jackie Schatell

Often found manning the grill in the Met Life Stadium parking lot, Jeff Bloom of Short Hills, who grew up in Livingston, is a die-hard fan of the NY Giants. In fact, the season ticket holder since 1976, was recently named “NY Giants Fan of the Year” in a contest sponsored by Captain Morgan, a sponsor of the NFL, and is now in the running against 31 other Fans of the Year for the other teams to be named “NFL Fan of the Year.”

Jeff, who was thrilled to win, and has one of the longest tailgate streaks in Giants history, says, “I love the Giants, always have and always will, in good times and bad – I bleed blue!”

Jeff’s friend Skip Trachtman of Short Hills invited Jeff to a meet and greet with the NY Giants and Jeff couldn’t wait. This, however, was merely a front for what was the formal announcement of Jeff’s NY Giants Fan of the Year win. Shortly after arriving at the stadium, Jeff was completely caught off guard when he was approached by Julian Love and Adoree Jackson, who told Jeff he won the contest and presented him with an encased football that said NY Giants Fan of the Year with Jeff’s name inscribed on it.

As Fan of the Year, Jeff was invited onto the field during a recent home game, with some friends and family, including his 86-yearold dad, Alan, who instilled Jeff’s love for the Giants. Jeff was awarded a huge, 10’ 6” statue, which was presented by Victor Cruz, two round-trip tickets to Superbowl weekend including the game, an invite to the live NFL Honors show, and access to other NFL live shows. In addition, Jeff and the 31 other winners will appear in the high-impact cover peel ad in the February issue of Sports Illustrated

Jeff says, “My friend Skip’s son, Sam, learned about the contest and unbeknownst to me, nominated me. Apparently, in the application, he shared a story of a particular time in which, on a frigid day, I went to a game and tailgated alone. In reality, on that day, no one else could be convinced to go the game because the Giants were 2 and 13, it was day of New Year’s Eve, and there were extreme weather conditions of 13 degrees out, and it was very windy. Even though it was the last game of the season, I wouldn’t miss it and decided to go by myself. After setting up 26 Suburban Essex February 2023 my food, table, grill, and heater, I realized that I locked myself out of the car, my jacket and gloves were inside—and the car was running. Freezing, and in just a long-sleeved t-shirt, I ran around to find help and ultimately, Giants Security sent a tow-truck, and we finally got the car open. I then cooked, tailgated, and invited everyone parked near me, who were staying in their cars to stay warm, to participate in my tailgate and despite the cold, we had a great time. Eventually, I went into the stadium alone and sat on the 50-yard line. There were hardly any people at the game and the Giants won. It was a cold and crazy day, but the win made it all worthwhile!”

From left, Jeff Bloom and Victor Cruz show off the 10’ 6” statue that Jeff won as NY Giants Fan of the Year, which Victor Cruz presented to him.

This is the third year that Captain Morgan has sponsored this contest, which according to the official NFL site, “honors fans who truly spice up the game through their love and passion for their teams.” This year, Captain Morgan spiced it up by immortalizing six of the NFL superfans with custom-designed larger-than-life statues with their unique personalities infused into them. The site says, “Throughout NFL history, statues have been erected in honor of beloved coaches and athletes, but for the first time ever, fans will be put on a similar pedestal (literally) for all the world to see.”

To vote for Jeff for “NFL” Fan of the Year (voting is unlimited), which will be announced at the NFL Honors Event on February 9th in Arizona, go to nfl.com/honors/fan-of-the-year/2022/vote