Whoa it was crazy town yesterday.
Usually I do fluff (well extra-fluff, more on that in a second) on Saturday but today you get a “real” post.
The sun came up on Friday and with it came articles with “bankruptcy” in the headlines. Chaos ensued. I get it. I enjoy it. I predicted it earlier in the week when I took January 5th in the #metspool.
Then everyone kinda moved on for a little while until the Mets tweeted this..
…and then looney tunes erupted.
Some folks said (on twitter) that the Mets were lying, or being “inaccurate”, not truthful and other similar vibes.
How do these folks know what the Mets are doing? Are they moles in the Mets inner offices who have created sleeper-acounts where they spent years tweeting about trivial things only yesterday to secretly expose the true lying ways of the Wilpons (and Katz. Never forget Katz.)
No. Rather it is likely that the tweeters don’t have all the facts.
Was this spin? Sure. Isn’t everything spin?
What’s the big deal anyway? They Mets wanted to get some information out, so instead of having Dave Howard call Mike Francesa (especially on a day that was presumably Giants football talk, I don’t know, I never listen) they used a method of communication where they could reach 58,000+ fans and/or influence makers (I think I am one of the influence makers.)
Then the next thing that happens is that folks tweet that some combination of me, me and Cerrone, and/or all the bloggers are in the Mets’ pockets. I have kind of expected that since I did the game with Dave. Believe what you wish.
I’m fascinated at how the perception of the blog has changed in some eyes. In 2008 it was “shut up, nobody cares about caps/jerseys, just enjoy the game.” Now I’m too soft and don’t complain enough.
The financial stuff is out of my realm of interest. I can’t change it. I can attempt to nag the team into changing jerseys or having Banner Day…but I can’t do anything about Madoff or that someone thought they would draw 3.2 million every year. So I just read about it from Megdal to @mets. It’s all interesting.
But at the end of the day (which is a bad crutch phrase but seems to work here) I’ve always been more interested in the “other stuff.” I’d rather blog about a Ruben Tejada jersey, or spring training tickets, Mr. Met pics, a silly video or caps. Like this one. It’s yellow but it kind of works. I wouldn’t use it as a primary but I could see some of you pulling it off.
And that’s that. The Mets will win 60, lose 60 and the other 42 will define the season. Dan Murphy will rock or he’ll suck. Wright will rebound or he won’t. Reyes will get hurt in April or he’ll win the MVP and the Wilpons (and Katz, never forget Katz) will be cheap/stupid/etc.
Just enjoy it folks. If you wake up in the morning and the first thing you need to do is attack the Wilpons (and Katz, never forget Katz) take a deep breath and think about a little roller up along first or Mike Piazza’s home run or whatever floats your boat.
Speaking of boats, I’m meeting Jeff at the Yacht Club after Dave and I knock out 18 holes. Enjoy your Saturday.
I understand wanting to post about the positives, but talking about what’s going to happen on the field does not ignore the fact that there’s an 800 pound gorilla in the room that is the Wilpons’ finances. And until that situation is cleared up, that makes anything that happens to effect on the field utterly irrelevant.
The Wilpon family has long since used up any credibility it had ever earned. Some might argue the day that Freddy commented that Mike Piazza wouldn’t be a good fit in 1998 as the beginning of it all the way through the day that they said the Madoff situation would have no impact on the ball club’s operations. So, when they tweet anything, it holds no relevance and is easily impeachable.
Many of us cannot stomach what’s going on between the lines until that situation is resolved. As a former season ticket holder at Shea, I too loved going games. I understand those who like going to games, great. But I am not going to help finance the Wilpons’ bailout when it is clear that the ballclub’s well being itself is not going to be improved by it.
I hear you. I don’t care if Wilpon Katz owns the team or not. Yes I’d like them to win the world series.
Unfortunately trying to quick patch things is what turns two years into 25. If there was ever a bite the bullet year it’s this one.
So let go of your anger. Root for Santana and murph and Ike and duda and R.A. and whoever else you like. Watch a game. Have a beer (not seven). Take your kid or your best friend.
If this team runs off 95 wins you will all be there. I assure you nobody will stay home to make a statement if Johan goes 24-5.
M Donald,
I empathize with your take on this. I don’t wake up thinking about Wilponz (that’s Wilpon plus Katz and reminds me of Ponzi)…but when it comes up, I get sick. This family has taken what should be a well-respected, profitable franchise in a great market and turned it into a debt ridden laughing stock. I wish we could separate the finances from the field, but we can’t…the team on the field will suffer. I don’t demand a winner every year to remain a Met fan, but a fundamentally sound team with a future would be nice once and awhile. It takes epic incompetence to lose $70 Million owning a baseball team in NY…now we will get an inferior product.
my instincts are to not trust Fred Wilpon & Co. in what they say, but you’re right that we shouldn’t jump to conclusions without knowing all the facts. But why does something like this become public knowledge (the Mets have to know that twitter and Facebook are indeed public)? are they doing it to throw us off the trail? is this a cry for help from someone inside the organization? or is this somewhat normal process but everything-Mets is so much under the microscope that any little news gets blown out of proportion. obviously, time and circumstances will tell us whether this move is what we want it to be, or it’s something else.
Whether you ca it spin or fact correcting I believe the Mets wanted to state their side. As I read, CRG is it providesany financial services. Perhaps they know ways of refinancing things.
Also people get carried away with terms. I owe money on my house. Do you consider me “in debt”. I also owe the electric company and some credit card companies some money. My plan is to provide some services in exchange for payment. My bank seems to think this is a good plan so they let me buy my house
The mets are the same thing just with more zeroes and their ex-wife cleaned out the bank account.
Last time I was out of work I cut expenses. I didn’t go on vacation, I didn’t buy DVDs and I didn’t sign Jose Reyes.
Everyone needs to chill and enjoy whatever 9 men show up to throw a ball with 9 men with shirts that say another city.
Alot of this is being magnified because the Mets are not making any real player moves this winter so there is not much to talk about!.
The best way to look at the 2012l team is to set the bar “REALLY LOW”, have ZERO EXPECTATIONS and for sure this team will not dissapoint you with a dead last finish!.
If they finish 4thin we can have a parade!
Hey, they signed Ronny Cedeno.
My simple advice to the Wilpons is to drop ticket prices and invite fans to our beautiful ballpark so that we can all enjoy our wonderful team while it undergoes a rebuilding and financial restructuring phase. It will bring out the kind of fans – those hard-core, hard working Met fans – that truly have the team and the organization’s best interest at heart.
And they absolutely should drop the structured ticket prices that vary from one opponent to the next. Make it simple. And, while they’re at it, they should drop the “convenience fee” for online ordering, or at least graft it into the ticket price, so the purchasing fan doesn’t feel like there is a tax with every click of the mouse.
And $20 bucks for parking? I’ll drive to Great Neck and take the train, thank you.
No unjust enrichments, just play baseball and win, Baby!
The specter of variable pricing hasn’t reared its ugly head yet. Wait until Johan goes for his 20th win on an 85 degree day and watch what happens to ticket prices.
I don’t quite understand why people seem more upset about the prospect of a having mediocre team on the cheap as opposed to a mediocre team with a payroll in the top 5.
I will welcome the day the Wilpons lose the franchise, assuming it ever comes, but quite frankly, the necessity of financial restraint may be the best thing that could happen to the team in the long run. Writing an endless stream of checks instead of doing its homework is why the team is where it is today.
This new level of venom directed at ownership is a case of emotion lagging behind reason. So much of it is just ego–“they can’t keep up with the Yankees,” “we’re a small-market, team now,” etc. Add the loss of Reyes, and you’ve got emotional chaos. If this were really about baseball and wins and losses, I would’ve had a lot more company the last few years in preaching the gospel of Blowing the Damn Thing Up. Funny how everyone else is starting to go ape-shiz just as Shannon and I are finally feeling a little better about things.
Sparks isn’t it funny? I have gone from the right wing blog and now everyone else went to my right. Oh well it’s all fun.