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Here's a scenario: the Mets are having a good season, and so are the Marlins. You can take this to the bank--our friendly local media will tell us that the Mets and Marlins are intense rivals. All of a sudden, neither the Braves nor the Phillies will be mentioned in local papers. (Brings to mind George Orwell. Now we're at war with Eurasia. Now we're at war with Eastasia).
Local media AND Fox too. Fox pushes the rivalries more than anyone, and in some cases they are legitimate ones and in others not so much. But once Fox decided that if you wanted to watch baseball on television on a Saturday afternoon you had to watch them, they suddenly were faced with the burden of selling these games to some markets who might not really care about them and would rather be watching other teams in action.
Between Fox and MLB's own interleague play, now everyone has some sort of a rival. The problem is that it really waters the game down. If everything is a rivalry then after a while nothing is a rivalry. It's not just the Mets and Phillies, it's all around the league.
The game used to play itself out on the field, but some "smart" people have decided that the fans weren't savvy enough to enjoy that for what it was... Now Fox tries to sell baseball to the public like it's football. I happen to love football, but it's not football, and no matter how hard they try to sell this to us like it's a war, if you get to a game early enough you still see players from both teams hugging each other all over the field. These guys don't want to tear each other apart, because they know in a year or two they could both be teammates somewhere else entirely. That's OK, though; because when everyone out there is playing hard none of the stuff we read about in the paper or hear about from some generic pre-game show matters. Like I said before, the game tells its own story better than anyone else can.
Why are the Mets in the news? They're about as irrelevant as irrelevant gets. And for it to be a rivalry, it's generally a close competition with one team winning the division one year and the other the next. Since this whole thing became a rivalry (est Rollins' spring training comments 2007) it's been one-sided to say the least.
I was listening to WFAN (Mets flagship station and top sports station in NYC) coming home after the game last night, and 90% of the callers were bitter Mets fans. Some of the stuff they were coming up with was amazing too. One caller said every game the Phillies lose in the series will be a win for the Mets. WHY? The Phillies are in the World Series and the Mets finished in fourth place. Next year could look exactly the same. Another caller said they didn't care who won the series, he was watching for someone to get hurt. So because the Mets are a disgrace and can't get a decent team to stay on the field, the objective is to wish the same kind of misery on other, better players?
With each new day the Mets are becoming more of an embarrassment. When I say that almost every caller to the station last night was from a bitter Mets fan wishing ill-will on these two teams, I'm not exaggerating. Radio gives these people a chance to be completely obnoxious and still remain anonymous. That's the ultimate cheap shot from a fan base that should be in hiding right now. The makeup of this organization and its fans has shifted from loveable losers to miserable losers. Until there is a complete overhaul which is not coming, they will continue to be a disgrace. It's a shame what's happened to them, at least from the point of view of someone who used to really care but can't anymore.
Why not....2 of the best teams in Baseball its a great rivalry.
You post on this forum maybe once every three weeks, and it's always the same thing. Usually you just come right out and say "The Mets are the best and everyone else is going down" or something simple like that. Simple, and yet still wrong. Have you actually been to a Mets-Phillies game? Have you actually been to ANY Mets game? Because in one of your posts your reasoning for getting behind the Mets was because they have a lot of Dominicans. You and Omar think alike. You should probably both be making the same salary... The one they pay you, not the one they pay him, in case you were wondering.
Here's a little tip for you. When a team finishes in fourth place and hasn't made the playoffs since 2006... And didn't make the playoffs for half a decade prior to that... And probably won't make it again for another five or ten years... They're not among "2 of the best teams in Baseball" as you put it.
I was listening to WFAN (Mets flagship station and top sports station in NYC) coming home after the game last night, and 90% of the callers were bitter Mets fans. Some of the stuff they were coming up with was amazing too. One caller said every game the Phillies lose in the series will be a win for the Mets. WHY? The Phillies are in the World Series and the Mets finished in fourth place. Next year could look exactly the same. Another caller said they didn't care who won the series, he was watching for someone to get hurt. So because the Mets are a disgrace and can't get a decent team to stay on the field, the objective is to wish the same kind of misery on other, better players?
With each new day the Mets are becoming more of an embarrassment. When I say that almost every caller to the station last night was from a bitter Mets fan wishing ill-will on these two teams, I'm not exaggerating. Radio gives these people a chance to be completely obnoxious and still remain anonymous. That's the ultimate cheap shot from a fan base that should be in hiding right now. The makeup of this organization and its fans has shifted from loveable losers to miserable losers. Until there is a complete overhaul which is not coming, they will continue to be a disgrace. It's a shame what's happened to them, at least from the point of view of someone who used to really care but can't anymore.
Why wouldn't Met fans be bitter? I know some Yankee fans, who were bitter back in 86. It's hard seeing two teams you hate, playing in the WS. That's baseball. WFAN, has always been a place for New York sports fans to vent. I've heard plenty of Rangers, Knicks, Devils, Nets, Giants, Yankees, Mets, and especially, Jets, fans lay it all out on the radio. I guess it makes one feel better to have someone lend an ear. I think we also shouldn't judge a whole fan base just on a few callers. I myself am a diehard Mets fan, but I wouldn't want to wish any ill on the Yanks or Phills - that's just stupid. Who ever is the best team, will win. Wheather it's the Phills or Yanks, well, more power to 'em.
I think we also shouldn't judge a whole fan base just on a few callers.
I'm not judging a whole fan base just on a few callers. I used to go to just about every home game. I saw MAJOR changes all around the stadium as I already pointed out in another post. I knew so many people at Shea from pretty much growing up inside the place, and many of them have moved on. A very large number of the people who were going to the games from around the middle of 2005 until almost the last game at Shea were NOT the same people who were there before. The new place was loaded with tourists who couldn't get to a Yankee game and people who just wanted to see the new stadium. The fan base has changed. Many of the "bitter fans" of today weren't even fans five years ago. They jumped on the bandwagon when the organization changed directions. You could see the difference for events like opening day, the last game of a season with playoff implications, and for the final game at Shea when the old guard would come back.
I have been very close to this organization both personally and professionally for a very long time. The hierarchy has done a lot to alienate their true fans. The next step is the bandwagon fans get bored and move on, and then it's back to the way things were at Shea years ago. That's the part most people don't know about because they weren't around. You could hear two people having a conversation two sections away back then... Well, if there WERE two people two sections away from you anyway, which wasn't necessarily a given.
\A very large number of the people who were going to the games from around the middle of 2005 until almost the last game at Shea were NOT the same people who were there before. The new place was loaded with tourists who couldn't get to a Yankee game and people who just wanted to see the new stadium. The fan base has changed. Many of the "bitter fans" of today weren't even fans five years ago. They jumped on the bandwagon when the organization changed directions. You could see the difference for events like opening day, the last game of a season with playoff implications, and for the final game at Shea when the old guard would come back.
I have been very close to this organization both personally and professionally for a very long time. The hierarchy has done a lot to alienate their true fans.
I wish I could make myself believe otherwise, but I think you've hit the nail on the head. And by the time the front office realizes what they've done (assuming they're actually going to), the job they'll have to do then will be ten times more difficult than it is now. Bandwagon fans aren't a problem; they'll come and go according to which way the wind is blowing. But if you succeed in turning off the true fans, that's when you've created a problem.
You post on this forum maybe once every three weeks, and it's always the same thing. Usually you just come right out and say "The Mets are the best and everyone else is going down" or something simple like that. Simple, and yet still wrong. Have you actually been to a Mets-Phillies game? Have you actually been to ANY Mets game? Because in one of your posts your reasoning for getting behind the Mets was because they have a lot of Dominicans. You and Omar think alike. You should probably both be making the same salary... The one they pay you, not the one they pay him, in case you were wondering.
Here's a little tip for you. When a team finishes in fourth place and hasn't made the playoffs since 2006... And didn't make the playoffs for half a decade prior to that... And probably won't make it again for another five or ten years... They're not among "2 of the best teams in Baseball" as you put it.
They stink.
Lol to be honest the ONLY reason I made that post is to hear you talk about how much you hate the Mets. Lets be real here the mets in 07-08 Were in 1st place MUCH longer than the Phillies yet since the Mets cant play In September the Phillies took the division when it was Obvious the Mets were a better team, The Phillies play in a garbage park where a 10 year old can hit a homerun hence the reason the base their team around power, and I wont even get into this year since the mets 5 BEST players were on the DL and the fact that with the team they had they managed to win 70 games is incredible and something the Phillies WOULD NOT be able to do.
Lol to be honest the ONLY reason I made that post is to hear you talk about how much you hate the Mets.
Well then you're misinformed about THAT too.
Quote:
Lets be real here the mets in 07-08 Were in 1st place MUCH longer than the Phillies yet since the Mets cant play In September the Phillies took the division when it was Obvious the Mets were a better team
Stop babbling about something you don't know anything about. They don't give out anything for the team that's in first place the longest. If you can't play in September, then you're not the best at anything. Now back to your run-on sentence...
Quote:
, The Phillies play in a garbage park where a 10 year old can hit a homerun hence the reason the base their team around power, and I wont even get into this year since the mets 5 BEST players were on the DL and the fact that with the team they had they managed to win 70 games is incredible and something the Phillies WOULD NOT be able to do.
I would post some stats to show you how much power the Phillies had on the road this year, but you wouldn't / couldn't read them anyway, so I won't waste my time with you.
I'm happy you love the Mets the way they are. Really, I am. I hope you're really happy next year too when you have the next Julio Franco or Luis Castillo on board with a ridiculous contract that only a GM like Omar Minaya would offer. Then, after the Mets win another 70 games in 2010 WITH their star players healthy, Omar will be on his way out. Don't worry, though; eventually he'll head back to the Expos / Nationals in some capacity, and you can be their #1 fan.
Thanks for being exactly the kind of "new age" Mets fan I'm talking about.
Lol to be honest the ONLY reason I made that post is to hear you talk about how much you hate the Mets. Lets be real here the mets in 07-08 Were in 1st place MUCH longer than the Phillies yet since the Mets cant play In September the Phillies took the division when it was Obvious the Mets were a better team, The Phillies play in a garbage park where a 10 year old can hit a homerun hence the reason the base their team around power, and I wont even get into this year since the mets 5 BEST players were on the DL and the fact that with the team they had they managed to win 70 games is incredible and something the Phillies WOULD NOT be able to do.
You really have to learn when to stop. I'm sure I've been a Mets fan much longer than you have, and I must say that I don't know anyone who'd actually put up a posting like you have.
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