Naccarato flies high as youngest member of the Jets' Flight Crew

Chris Naccarato is the self-proclaimed biggest Jets fan in Idaho.

Growing up in Sandpoint, the now 38-year-old elementary school teacher would trek to the corner grocery store in his youth and collect Jets bubble gum cards. He had more Joe Namaths than you could shake a football at.

He admits he had thoughts about having his name up in lights in the Meadowlands along with Broadway Joe. But, truth be told, Chris is a push over five feet tall and maybe 140 pounds with a full football uniform on. Do you remember Rudy? He would be Ruby light.

But as luck would have it, a Naccarato did make it up on the Jumbotron at a Jets game.

That Naccarato would be Adaline, daughter of Chris and Rachelle.

At six months old and cute as anything, Adaline’s photo appeared on the Jets’ Jumbotron during preseason game in August. In fact, the Jets beat the Philadelphia Eagles that game and have been on a winning streak since then.

We’ll call it the Adaline Effect.

Dad sent the photo in to the jets after a photo session with Wonderland Photo this summer along with a PowerPoint presentation.

Each month, the Jets select one photo of a fan and that fan receives the honor of being the “Show Us Your Green” designee.

“I wanted to show the Jets there are fans in Idaho,” he said. “I called her a future member of the Flight Crew, the Jets cheerleading team.”

For her efforts, Adaline received a pink Jets outfit, a Jets dinner set and a Jets nightlight. Dad received a coffee cup, Jets stationary, a team guide, schedules and 20 New Jersey Lottery tickets.

“Maybe we will win enough money to fly back for a game,” Naccarato wished.

  Who is a bigger fan than Chris and Adaline? I know one guy who has a “GBP fan” license plate and a son named Brett, as in Brett Favre. Don’t mention Brett Favre to Jim Hutchens these days though. Favre defected to the Minnesota Vikings and was never a Green Bay Packer, Hutchens claims.

Speaking of football … it’s nice to see the University of Idaho attempting to play that sport again. I have noticed a few of the alum have brushed off their old UI sweatshirts, etc. and are wearing them again. For a few years the “I” stood for incomplete. Hopefully they can give Boise State a challenge.

I received a phone call from Ray Chapman last week to inform me that Margie Kinney Campbell, SHS Class of 1948, had passed away in Calgary.

Mrs. Kinney was married to Ralph for 58 years and the couple had three sons and a daughter. She died Sept. 18. She also had a brother, Bill, who lives in Pennsylvania. Her mom taught at the Lincoln School here and her dad was a county assessor, according to Chapman.

The reason I mention the Campbells here, is that back in 1988, Calgary hosted the Winter Olympics and the Campbells opened their home to me and two co-workers who ventured north. Chapman, who is also a Bulldog, worked with me in Kellogg and set us up with his friends.

Chapman also arranged the first date the future Campbells had.

“I got that one right,” he said.

I thought about Caroline Lobsinger’s editorial on civility in Tuesday’s Bee. In my opinion, until road rage and yelling at soccer referees becomes a felony, civility is out the door.

I have been reffing soccer for a few years and I am amazed at some to the things that come out of so-called adults mouths.

In one game last year, I had to escort a Coeur d’Alene mother to her car after she wouldn’t quit yelling at her daughter, her daughter’s team and me — and not necessarily in that order.

After she was excused from the game, the daughter, the coach and most of the Cd’A parents thanked me for dealing with their problem parent.

It was one small step for civility.

All the best!

David Keyes is publisher of the Daily Bee.