One of the things we learn in the schoolyard is that if you’re going to dish it out you have to take it too. Ryan posted the below in the comments, and I thought it fair to post criticism of me:
I have read this website several times a day, as well as other mets blogs sites, and of course I’ve listened to WFAN day in and day out for weeks now in anticipation for the upcoming season. I’ve honestly gotten to a point where I can just no longer stand reading most of the arrogant posts and comments that “mets fans†have. How can any of you call yourselves mets fans when clearly you have a problem with every single thing about the mets?
I’ll give my take, and others are welcome to post comments. “Fans” comes from fanatics. We are fan(atic)s. We’re lunatics. We looked at the Shea scoreboard saying “Congratulations Red Sox” and were depressed, and 10 minutes later were on the moon.
As for me, I want nothing more than for this team to win repeatedly. I’d like to see a proud franchise, not a franchise that occasionally has one good year. I want my son to take his son to the Mets museum and look back with pride about Tom Seaver and Mookie Wilson and David Wright and whoever is yet to come.
There are plenty of blogs for game recaps. I can’t do what metsblog does, plus it would be stupid to do when they do it so well. Amazin’ Avenue does a great job, why would I do that? This is a fan advocacy blog. It’s (for the most part) one man’s opinion. Agree, disagree, ignore, support – it’s all good. I’m pleased to have learned that there are others like me.
Every day there are new posts or stories about how terrible citi field is, or the name of it, or how bad our front office is, or how ugly the black back drop on the uniform is, or ticket prices, or how bad our minor league teams are, or how they go about selling there tickets through presales and such. I just want someone to explain to me how people can literally hate everything surrounding the mets organization but still call themselves mets fans. All the crying, all the complaining, all the whining and yet you people can still pretend your the biggest mets supporters alive. Its unreal.
That’s just it..we’re emotionally invested. Something about this franchise spoke to us when we were children, and we actually care. As for your specifics…
Citi Field: we wanted it to be awesome. Then we couldn’t see the left fielder or had plexiglass in our face. That’s like waking up Christmas morning and finding out Mom bought the wrong Star Wars figure. It’s cool but somehow disappointing. Then when Dave Howard goes on record saying the seats aren’t obstrcuted? Now you’ve insulted me.
The name: to me it’s called Citi Field. I still don’t like the idea of tax dollars being used to pay for stadium naming rights (I don’t even know if that’s accurate, but it’s the perception and I personally don’t like the idea). I hope the building remains Citi Field forever, and doesn’t change names every 2 years like what happens in Miami.
The black: it’s ugly. Opinion. My blog, my opinion. Clearly the Mets don’t agree.
Minors: maybe I’m forgetting, but I don’t think I have commented on them to often, other than my current jostling with the Bisons to get one of my guys credentialed.
Pre-sales: again, my blog and it’s fun to write about. I think it’s funny to watch the organization promote “exclusive” pre-sales every day. I do try to be entertaining.
How can we be fans? We want it all. Fanatics. I was there many a Friday night in 1985 when Dwight Gooden was on his way to the hall of fame and it felt GREAT. I was there on Opening Day 1987 and it felt GREAT watching that flag go up. I was there when #41 was retired and it felt GREAT. I was there when Seaver threw the final pitch at Shea and it was GREAT.
I want that feeling. I need that feeling.
I can’t wait until the mets get going this year. I expect them to come out and win 30 games before they lose 15. I cant wait until that day because I know come that day all of you people will all of a sudden be true fans again. Its truly disgusting.
Ryan, I appreciate your comments but if you don’t think I want the Mets to go 30-15 you don’t understand me. I actually want them to go 35 and 5, and when they wear black caps in Game 4 of the World Series sweep, you betcha I’m gonna complain about the black in between the 10 other posts about how great I feel.
I agree with Ryan’s attitude as a generality, but one of the reasons I started commenting more regularity over here is that while I disagree with a lot of the finer points (Don’t dislike Black, completely love the stadium, colors, rotunda, configeration, etc.) you present your thoughts and feelings without the hatred that Ryan mentions. Without ‘shouting’.
“The black: it’s ugly. Opinion. My blog, my opinion. Clearly the Mets don’t agree.”
Just that you understand that the Mets have an opinion too, and that it matters. And the teasing of the Mets exclusive presales is funny, it’s not even a hate/dislike thing. It’s just a “humorous thing my franchise does”
What Shannon said! I agree 100%. You have to be a Fanatic to understand us. Not saying Ryan isn’t a fan but he ain’t no fanatic. Nothing wrong with that whatsoever but don’t question the fanatic’s twisted love for this team.
I really don’t have any issue with the Citi name, regardless of bailout status.
At least Citi Corp is headquartered in Queens and the name is loosely tied to New York “Citi”
I should say though, that by and large I find Mets fans that post on blogs (mostly MetsBlog but others as well) to be completely unrealistic in how they expect the business side of things to go and that grates on me after awhile.
Shannon, I agree about our “fanatic” passion that comprises the Mets fan. Actually, I think the first couple pages of the Amazin Avenue Annual address the crazy love/hate/love even more passion of the Mets fan.
The Citi thing only bothered me from the perspective that I wish they hadn’t gone corporate sponsporship, but hey, I wouldn’t turn down that kind of $$$ either. I just would have done CitiField at Shea Stadium, or something like that. Now I want it removed because I AM highly superstitious and I do believe that the name/team/stadium is cursed until they remove the name paid for with bailout $$$. How else can you explain 2009, a “C” falling, and leaky suites?
The black, I don’t care. I can do without because I prefer the blue, but thats me. I do think blue walls would make the stadium feel more like home though. Probably because Shea had blue and thats what I’m used to.
As for the other stuff, I just want some respect for being a fan. We are like the Rodney Dangerfield of fans. I don’t want to be told its not an obstructed view, but a symptom of geometry like we are dumb. I don’t want to be told that we will lower prices “on average” by 10% and only the rich see a real price drop. Don’t tell me that because I’m a Mets fan, even if we don’t win, at least it build character. Just treat me like an intelligent person. I might not agree with everything you say, but don’t blow smoke up my a$$ like I won’t figure it out and can’t formulate an opinion of my own. Thats all I ask for…honesty and be forthright. Trust me, I’ll still root for you (and more than likely buy your overpriced tickets, regardless of how many names my wife calls me for keeping to put up with you). Thats the price of being a fan.
Shannon, keep up the good work. Our fan base is unique in that we have our own “fan-advocacy” blog, thanks to the countless hours that you spend keeping this thing going. We all appreciate it.
Around the Mets’ blogosphere, I’m not much of a commenter, since I find it hard enough to make time to read all the other blogs let alone write on my own, all the while juggling real-life work.
But I do always find the motivation to post on your site.
Due to excellent topics and a conversational writing style, your posts resonate with Mets fans of all ages, and that’s what makes this site so addicting.
By the way, I hate the black, but love everything about Citi Field. Well, everything except the scoreboard in right field that blocks your view of the game from the Shake Shack line…. lol
I agree with Shannon here too. It doesn’t make Ryan any less of a fan to have his opinions. Same with Shannon, Ceetar, or me. Citi Field bothered me, but that was just an adjustment coming from Shea, named for a person, and a good ballpark in which to watch a game, which many Mets fans still want (at least in part). The black jerseys aren’t my favorite, but I do like the black drop shadow on the jerseys they do have. I think the Mets have done a poor job in many areas over the past few years, and as a fanatic, I have to call it out because it bothers me. I think it’s just too hard to have the optimistic point of view without deluding myself, and I wouldn’t just roll over and accept it.
I find people in all walks of life don’t like change. I suspect in 2020 people will love Citi Field a lot more, but hey, that’s just the way of things.
“How else can you explain 2009, a “C†falling, and leaky suites?”
The same way the Yankees got cracked walkways. Don’t hire the mob to do your construction.
Did I ever link my Orange-Walled Citi Field?
What would be cool, and this could be incorporated once the Willets Point stuff is finally done, but what about naming the entire ‘campus’ that Citi Field is on “Shea’s Park” or something along those lines. That would kinda fit the Citi Field at Shea Stadium that aaguero9 mentioned. “Shea Stadium Memorial Park” *shrug* just some random ideas. I have one regardling the MLB pressbox thing too that I’ve been meaning to work on.
My grandparents were fans from well before the day I was born until they days they each passed away. And if I had a nickel for every time my grandmother called a pitcher, a fielder, a hitter or the manager from the Mets, stupid, a jerk, or [insert whatever non-curse insult you can think of here] I wouldn’t be writing from my desk at work right now I’d be sipping margaritas down in Florida getting ready to go to the Spring Training game tonight.
We wouldn’t be fans if we didn’t think the front office were idiots and didn’t complain. Then we’d be casual observers, and there’s nothing casual about going to games in 40 degree weather in April or sweltering heat in August or when they’re 20 games out in September. That’s being a fanatic and I proudly wear the title.
If you could take all the Met fans and put them into one person, a pyschologist would have a field day…..insecutity, sibling rivalry (Yankees), hates, misunderstands, and doesn’t trust parents (Wilpons), loss of identity (Citifield)and dealing with people who don’t live up to your expectations (players).
While being NY fans may add to impatience and lack of satisfaction (hey, talk to a Yankee fan during a losing streak) that may not be present in other fandoms (say, the Cardinals), so much of our dissatisfaction is directly related to how this team is run. I’m not necessarily referring to player deciscions, but how the team relates to its fans.
Shea Stadium was designed for sight-lines. These “cookie cutter” stadiums of the 60’s were actually a reaction to the small “geometrically challenged” older stadiums with columns and blind spots. Sure, 96% of the seats at Shea were in foul territory, and the seats were HIGH..but…this design gave the best chance of seeing the entire field of play.
We now go back to the retro stadiums, have blind spots (and design flaws) and the tickets are considerably more expensive and the fans complain (throw in a crappy season. Ownership doesn’t seem to understand this and handles the situation poorly. Include a pathetic lack of Met history (there’s our insecurity) when other teams seem to do this right, and there you have it.
Hey…I love this team. I’ve been a fan since 1962. I’ve gone through the good, the bad, and the unmentionable. Many of the highlights of my life are associated with the New York Mets…..sorry, I have a right to complain.
I am a Met fan. Always have and always will be. I hope they win the World Series this year.I respect what Ryan had to say,but disagree. You see Ryan,what us diehard fans don’t like is the way the currant Met ownership is pissing on Mets history and its TRUE fans.I’m as loyal as the next guy,but when you keep on getting kicked in the groin by the Wilpons people get angry and frustrated.They are so far out of touch of what the fans want and deserve. Everything they do is a money grab. Do we really need 9 different uniforms?Ok sell the different unis and hats in the stores,no problem with that. Let the people buy the garb for themselves. But PLEASE do not have the players wear that crap on the field.They look like a Sunday morning softball team. In a perfect world the Mets wear pinstripes and blue hats at home and road grays and blue caps on the road. Sadley those days are long gone. We complain,I believe,because slowly and slowly we are losing our youth. We are losing the Seavers,the McGraws, and the Millans.Ryan,we are Mets fans.We just want to root for a team and organization that cares about its fans.More and more that concept is fading away as fast as the Sunday doubleheader. LETS GO METS!