As Jets fan, Thomas has one Giant regret
For Eddie Kaye Thomas, his fate as a fan of the New York Jets and Mets was sealed as a child during a fateful trip to Toys R Us.
“When I was 3 years old, I went to Toys R Us, and I wanted the green outfit, which turned out to be the New York Jets outfit,” Thomas said. “And then a little team called the New York Mets won the World Series (in 1986). Mets rhymes with Jets, so I figured those would be my teams.”
Thomas, 36, says he didn’t know much about football as a young kid but loved the shoulder pads that came with his Jets outfit. Little did he realize how brutal it would be to grow up a fan of both teams.
“In hindsight, I really wish I would have gone with the Giants. There’s been three Super Bowls now since then,” Thomas said. “I don’t know why the Giants always seem like the sexier, richer team. The Jets were like the dirty, Staten Island fireman team. I don’t know if that’s just me; they literally play in the same place.”
Thomas says he’s not as “religious” about football as he is about baseball, so he’ll root for the Giants if they’re facing the team he hates the most: the New England Patriots. Despite the hatred, he’s picking New England to win the Super Bowl this season.
“I hate them, but I don’t see anyone stopping them,” Thomas told USA TODAY Sports’ For The Win as part of its Celeb Pick ’Em series. “It’s getting boring already. Can (Bill) Belichick lose some brain cells or something?”
Because of his job as a star in the CBS series Scorpion, Thomas doesn’t watch football as intently as he would like. He is too busy reading scripts and practicing lines but has the games on TV while getting ready for the workweek.
Thomas teased us, saying a main character in the show might be dying soon: “You’re just going to have to watch and see. I can’t tell you right now.”