And the winners are….

The Selection Committee has met and the winner of he A&E Home Video New York Mets 50th Anniversary Collector’s Set  is Joe LoVerde. The bold is mine.

I’d love to have this set for the simple fact that it could help avoid my kid’s becoming Yankee fans. Let me explain:

Young children living in New York have a choice to make while growing up. My son is currently four years old and even though my family is mostly mets fans and I myself have started the “brain washing process”, I find that he’s surrounded by Yankee fans at school and on his baseball team. I’m scared for his well being that peer pressure will lead him to turn to the dark side and become one of “those” Yankee fans. You know the type, fake jersey with name on the back, flat brim cap, unaware of who Bucky Dent is.

Now you’ ll ask yourself, “why having this DVD set helps my chances of winning the battle between good and evil?”. Simple. Growing up, i thorough enjoyed two Mets VHS tapes would play non stop at my house. We were hooked. There was “An Amazing Era”, which included the memorable montages of “you gotta have heart”,”traces of love” and my personal favorite “changes” when a player was noted to have been traded. “A Year to Remember” was the other video. Who could forget the montages of Lenny and Wally mixed to Duran Duran, that “buzzing” noise that would play during the game 6 rally and of course, the hot foot segment.

The runners up get the NEW YORK METS 50 GREATEST PLAYERS DVD.

Ellen submitted:

Because I once let Rusty Staub borrow my pen to sign autographs at an exhibition game at West Point! Because I actually own the Mets 25th Anniversary VHS tape, that I purchased at an actual video store, and the tale it tells ends before the ’86 season!

Because the Mets actually won the ’86 World Series on my birthday! Because I set up a group high-five message on my phone for Mets wins this season with my two brothers, four nieces and two nephews and Apr to mid-July was a lot of  fun!

Because I would share it with my 85-year-old Mom, who already has a brick at Citi Field! Because I have a Mets Fan Twitter list and you’re on it! Because as of now I think I listed the most reasons! And exclamation points! Now I have to go to work!!

and Stephen also wins a runner up prize.

I write this as I stare at my two ticket stubs from the last game of both the ’07 and ’08 season. I struggle with these 2 ticket stubs at least once a month. They are both historic but in very much the bad sense. Watching Tom Glavine’s worst performance as a Met (and ever), yet refusing to leave until the last out and holding out hope that by some miracle the Mets comeback to make the playoffs. Of course, the last game at Shea..it is the one the brings me the fondest memories as it’s my second home, but also so disappointing. These 2 moments though make myself and Mets fans stronger, because we fight through the bad and hope to the highest degree that there will be championships.

I’m 30 years old now..I was 4 when the ’86 Mets won, which I will fully admit does not count as my team winning a championship. In fact, none of my teams have ever won a championship that I’ve been alive for (also a Jets and Islanders) fan. The history, the better days are what I as a fan strive for. I need that reconfirmation that better days are ahead. This set is a living reminder why we should stick around and would love to have it to get through this predicted cold and snowy winter.

Thanks again to A+E Networks Home Entertainment/MLB Productions for providing these wonderful prizes.