Rick Suris, winner of January's Show Us Your Green Contest, gives new meaning to home field advantage in his basement.
For some people a job is nothing more than a way to collect a paycheck. For others, work encompasses their life.
And then, there are those individuals like Rick Suris who find unique ways to strike a balance between their professional and personal interests by combining their two passions.
Rick Suris is a Long Island native with a career in the carpet business. He is also a New York Jets season ticket holder. He attended his first game in 1972 at Shea Stadium and has been a fan ever since. Now, with five children of his own, ranging in age from 3 to 17 years, he and his kids make the trek to New Jersey on Sundays to cheer on the Green & White.
Five years ago, after asking (and receiving) permission from his wife, Rick converted the basement of his house into his own version of fantasy football to share with his family and friends.
Welcome to the Jets stadium, Suris style.
The basement features a carpet outfitted as a football field with all the requisite hash marks and Jets logos. Cheering fans, shaved into the wall, surround the field. A Pennington jersey, photos of Curtis Martin and a shelf full of helmets complete the room.
"I just love being a fan," said Suris when asked what inspired him to create the Jets haven in his own home. "I love the Jets."
And, now, even when the Jets go on the road, the Suris family can still cheer for their favorite team from their own home field advantage.
