How Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination led to the Jets’ Adam Gase hire

The average reader may think former New York Jets head coach Adam Gase and Archduke Franz Ferdinand have no connection whatsoever, but that’s why you’re simply the “average” reader. But above all, don’t you dare take this article too seriously. Why? Well, because the Jets beat the Steelers.

Aggressive headline aside, the Butterfly Effect is a completely real thing.

One single moment can lead to a ripple effect of events that can change the course of history. This moment could lead to a global war, or even worse … Adam Gase becoming the head coach of your football team.

It all starts with the Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, a name you will remember from high school history class. (Well, maybe.)

The heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary was assassinated in June of 1914. This led to the mobilization of troops in Europe and kickstarted World War I. Fun fact about our guy Franz: He reportedly went AWOL in the army when he was younger. Exactly one century later in 2014, former New York Jets cornerback Dimitri Patterson would do the same.

As mentioned, this pivotal world moment led to the commencement of the first World War. The after-effects of World War I and the instability in Western Europe led to World War II.

Just stick with me; I promise we will get to the Jets soon—your beloved New York Jets that just stunned the Steelers in Pittsburgh. 

World War II caused a ripple effect across the globe and impacted 100s of millions of lives—including the lives of Archie and Jean Burnett. Who are these two, you may ask? They are a couple who fell in love at the Ford Motors facilities in Europe, specifically in Dagenham, Essex.

This Ford Motors facility was built in response to World War II.

After meeting at the facility, Archie and Jean gave birth to their only child, Mark Burnett. Now, if this name sounds a bit familiar, Mark Burnett is a famous television producer, most commonly known for his work on the hit show “Survivor.” After leaving Europe and immigrating to the United States, Burnett also was the executive producer of a little show called “The Apprentice.”

Let’s take a pause here and just acknowledge that the Jets beat the Steelers and are .500 in October. OK, let’s resume … 

Mark Burnett’s hit show, “The Apprentice,” starred Donald Trump. With Burnett’s help, the show was hugely successful and grew Trump’s popularity throughout the 2000s. So much so that he decided to run for President of the United States, a position he would go on to win in the 2016 election.

Trump built his cabinet which included Jets owner Woody Johnson, who was named Ambassador to the United Kingdom. The very same man who greeted each Jets player at the locker room door after the Jets beat the Steelers. (Have I mentioned the Jets beat the Steelers this past Sunday?)

Woody Johnson is at the locker room door, greeting each #Jets player as they head into the locker room.

— Robby Sabo (@RobbySabo) October 2, 2022

After accepting the position, Woody named his younger brother Chris Johnson as the team’s acting owner. 

Following the 2018 season, Jets ownership fired Todd Bowles, and Christopher Johnson would then lead the new head coaching search. As we all know too well, he hired offensive mastermind Adam Gase—a man who was coaching en route to where football was going. 

Now you might think what I just laid out was a stretch, but I dare you to poke holes in my vision. The timeline above is accurate and is a perfect example of the butterfly effect and how one moment changes everything.

So, there you have it. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, which led to World War I, which led to World War II, which led to the creation of Ford Motors facilities in Dagenham, Essex, which led to Archie and Jean Burnett meeting at work, which led to the Burnett’s falling in love and having Mark Burnett, which led to Mark immigrating to the US and starting “The Apprentice,” which led to Donald Trump’s rise in popularity, which led to Trump winning the presidency and appointing Woody Johnson as the ambassador to the UK, which led to Christopher Johnson becoming the acting owner of the New York Jets, which ultimately led to the Jets hiring Adam Gase.

Now, Gase is an offensive coordinator at a high school, according to some fictitious reports that only a select special few individuals would take seriously. Now, if you’ll kindly excuse me, I need to apologize to my family for writing an article about absolutely nothing.

Oh, and by the way, the New York Jets defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers—just in case you have not yet heard.