A New York Jets super fan – who attends games in honor of her late father – has hit out at the NFL team after she was denied the chance to compete in a $100,000 field goal challenge.
Ashley Castanio-Gervasi is a season ticketholder and the daughter of a diehard Jets supporter. She initially qualified for the final round of the ‘Kick for Cash’ competition, which is set to take place on the field at Sunday’s game against the Patriots.
But, as reported by the New York Post, the Jets have cancelled her invite because she is the head coach of a high school girls’ soccer team on Long Island.
Competition rules ban recent players and coaches from Olympic, college, and high school soccer, rugby, or football teams.
Castanio-Gervasi, 33, played in goal for Stony Brook University between 2010 and 2014. But that didn’t bother the Jets, the Post reports. Instead it was her current role with Long Beach High School that prompted the team to take action.
‘This is life-changing money for me,’ Castanio-Gervasi told the Post. ‘I was confident I could have made it.’Â
A Jets super fan – who attends games in honor of her late father – has hit out at the NFL team
Ashley Castanio-Gervasi was denied the chance to compete in a $100,000 field goal challenge
Her love for the Jets was inspired by her father, Frank, who died from esophageal cancer in 2011. ‘He bleeds green, and that’s why we do,’ said Castanio-Gervasi, who believes the family have spent around $1million on the team.
‘The whole thing is extremely upsetting,’ she told the Post. ‘Me and my whole family are let down.’
Castanio-Gervasi – who has $3,000 season tickets with her husband and travels to away games – would have put the money toward buying her first home and donating to the Esophageal Cancer Education Foundation.Â
The math teacher was initially scouted for the competition after making a kick outside MetLife Stadium during the tailgate for the Jets’ clash with the Bills in September.Â
She claimed two Jets staffers ‘chased her down’ and invited her to take part. ‘The one question I was asked was if I played college soccer, and how long ago,’Â Castanio-Gervasi said.
The 33-year-old was the only woman to reach the final after she nailed a kick at the Jets vs. Panthers game a few weeks later – in front of 75 loved ones.
But she has now been denied the chance to take on the other three finalists. Last week, it’s said, she spoke to the Jets to discuss the upcoming competition and that is when she was quizzed on her coaching role.
‘In accordance with competition rules and regulations, one individual who successfully made the qualifying kick will not be able to advance to the final stage of the challenge,’ the Jets said in a statement to The Post.
Castanio-Gervasi qualified for the final round of the ‘Kick for Cash’ competition at MetLife
‘The whole thing is extremely upsetting… me and my whole family are let down,’ she said
‘We understand the disappointment associated with this and have made an effort to provide an alternative benefit to show our appreciation.’
It’s claimed Castanio-Gervasi was offered – as a consolation – a custom jersey and $100 Visa gift card. But the teacher will instead miss her first home game in a decade in protest.
More than a dozen friends and family – including her mom – had reportedly bought tickets to see her kick but they have now sold them. Castanio-Gervasi claims her dad would ‘absolutely’ get rid of his season tickets over the snub – if he were still alive.
The Jets offered to cover the costs of her loved ones’ tickets and said the franchise would donate to the Esophageal Cancer Education Foundation.
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New York Jets slammed after denying super fan chance to win $100k challenge in honor of late father