An Open Letter To Mets Fans
By Adio B. Royster
THE PHOENIX
To the fans of the New York Metropolitans:
Normally, I am very good at not letting my Philadelphian bias show in my columns, but every once in a while, it’s good show my readers where I come from.
There’s a certain attitude that Philadelphians possess. If you’ve been there for five — well, seconds — you know this all too well. One thing we won’t tolerate is naivete. It’s a sin worse than taking advantage of your friend’s drunk 21-year-old sister.
When you’ve suffered from as much sports ineptitude as us, you’ll understand (Editors Note: Please take his word for it!). Up until 2004, Boston was the whipping child. Up until last year, that was us. A World Series championship doesn’t change much … especially when a certain fan base gets too excited WAY too early.
The Mets and Phillies have enjoyed a one-sided rivalry for the last two years. The Phillies have ruled while the Mets have drooled. (Wow, how terribly high-schoolic of me). To avoid further ridicule by using phrases that kids were using in 1995-2000, let me proceed.
I happen to be a member of Facebook (like just about 3-4 trillion other people, including my mother … which is just wrong in so many ways), and one of my friends happens to be a rabid Mets fan. I was watching the Lakers/Rockets game from Saturday — you know, the one where the Lakers became sole personal property of the greater Houston area — when I made a status comment about the game.
I was amazed because Kobe started the game, yet the Rockets still led by 21 at one point. So I made the following comment:
“Adio is wondering what universe he’s living in where the Rockets can lead the Lakers by 21 without Yao Ming AND Tracy McGrady. I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!”
Without provocation, my smooth Mets fan friend proceeded to say that I’m taking crazy pills because the Mets are in first place. (Little does he know technically that insults the Mets). That got me thinking. Do Mets fans really have a right to brag about being in first place … IN MAY?!
If recent history has shown anything, Mets fans should not want the kind of history that they’ve enjoyed the last two seasons. If I were a part of the Mets fan base (heaven forbid), I would want the exact opposite: hang around the middle or bottom half of the division hovering over .500 and then getting that August/September charge into the playoffs. There has been only one team since 2005 that led the division at the June 1 point, only to lose the division … That’s right, the New York Mets. Being in first is not necessarily the best thing in the beginning. It matters in the end.
The 2007 version of the New York Mets led the NL East by 3 1/2 games on June 1, only to lose the division in one of the worst collapses in the history of Major League Baseball: by dropping 12 of their last 17 games and losing the division by a game. The 2008 version of the Mets led the NL East at the end of August, but went 13-12 in the month of September. Mets collapse again.
Are Mets fans seriously grasping for any glimmer of hope they can get their blue and orange hands on? If that is the case, I have no problem letting them have this one for now. When the Mets make a play for another starting pitcher (or three), then I’ll be concerned, but for now, I’ll worry more about the Marlins.
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I’ve noticed the overreactions from Mets fans myself. My personal favorite is how many times I’ve heard how the Mets are so much better because they won the “head to head” matchup last season ie: the season series. I guess to them, that is a bigger achievement then winning the division, NLCS, or World Series.