This blog is about me.
I’ve done a lot of psyho-analysis, especially as I have started working on my ebook Send The Beer Guy (coming after the season) and this is all about me wanting to be 9 years old again with my dad. Since I can’t do that I drag my kid to games and try to nag the Mets into making everything the way it was.
Yesterday on twitter there was a little flurry. Don’t worry about who said what, but it inspired me to write this column, because as I said, the blog is about me.
I’m just a “blogger”, whatever that means. I guess it means I blog.
I don’t consider myself to be news or “a journalist” or any of that. I’m a fat guy who sits upstairs and likes Daniel Murphy.
I write choppy sentences, post some pictures people find interesting and occasionally get on my high horse and berate the Mets organization about something.
Some people dig it.
At some point the Mets noticed it and I was given the “A” word…Access. Sometimes that word is used as a synonym for sellout.
I pay for my own seats. I have a 15 game plan and have a deposit on a 15 game plan for 2013 already in.
Sometimes the Mets invite me to things. They invited me over for food right before the season. I went. They invited me to the REO Speedwagon concert. I couldn’t go. I asked if Media Goon could go. They said yes.
On Easter the Mets gave me two comp tickets to the Party Deck. I took them. My mom and I had a good time. I wrote about my experience. Nobody asked me to write about it. I’m sure they assumed (correctly) I would, but it was not a condition. For sure nobody asked me to spin it nice.
I many times said Dave Howard and I should catch a game. One time we did. I wrote about it. We used his seats. He’s welcome to come to a game and sit in mine anytime (Saturday at 4 Dave?)
If I get to know somebody and I like him is that selling out? I can still disagree on things but why can’t I like someone?
If the Mets offered you a field credential would you not go?
And if my blog is any “softer” – hey I don’t know if you noticed but the uniforms look great, Banner Day was held and the team is good.
I don’t want to be a beat reporter. I don’t want to hang out in the dugout. I don’t want free stuff. I don’t need free press box food. I just like the Mets. And if the Mets invite me over for dinner, I might just say yes.
Expect nothing, appreciate everything.
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Some of you have emailed me about Old Timers’ Day. I see your cries for help and will deal with them as soona s I can. Email is a little backed up, and I apologize for any overdue repsonses.
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On to 90’s week..it kicks off Monday and below is a sneak preview of just some of the items in the editorial calendar. There should be like 8 posts a day!
I love this site. I am a little late to the party but I have now turned my son onto it also. I feel like you are speaking for me when you comment on all things Mets. You write what most of us think and I for one am glad that you have gained access to Management–thats the only way to ever effect changes. Bravo for the uniforms and Banner Day-I am going with the family on Saturday –$371 for 5 tickets which included $46 service fee-I feel that is outrageous but it is what it is–Lets Go Mets
Shannon – first off, great post. Glad I helped inspire it – even if part of that process was painful to me!
I’m a big believer in bloggers and commentators of all types stating their “thesis point of view” – and you’ve done that very well here. I too dig the blog, as you know – though I have one very bloggy suggestion: you need to leave posts on the front page longer. Go with 10-12 front page posts (per settings) rather than the handful you have now. It works better for real conversation – though I know it loads slower on your phone.
Now as to the journalism thing. You practice it and you are one. You self-selected into the pool. Doesn’t matter if you wear the label or treat it as a profession. You very clearly have standards, report the news, try to accurate and respond to readers. Clearly, you practice advocacy journalism. Just as clearly, you also have a relationship with the organization/company you cover! And I fully appreciate your transparency in describing it.
But MetsPolice matters. You can’t really escape that, because you caused that to be so. You’re an important part of the media that covers this sliver of fandom. You’re not just an average fan – because the average fan 1. doesn’t have the impact you do 2. doesn’t have the access you now have 3. doesn’t have the passion you clearly enjoy and 4. isn’t moved to dissect the inner workings of the team that drives us all batty.
So my humble suggestion is to not be the “aw shucks” rookie just up from Buffalo for much longer. You’re an A-list Mets blogger with real influence. Oh, and a journalist besides.
Shannon, just don’t let the Mets Bullpen annoy Tom on a bad day…he gets all batty
good stuff Tom I am going to pull all these in to a post. But not right now – I’m squinting on the laptop from my deck. Getting in some sun before the game.
As for the posts on the main page – I have it set to 5 because of load time concerns – and we do a fair amount of images. At times I have had 5, 10. I often set out to post “less” and then someone emails me that there are Los Mets jerseys coming and off we go.
As a former “guy” in the media, (people may or may not remember me, thats fine), the charge led by Matthew Cerrone these days for bloggers to act like they don’t want to be seen as a credible source and the Aw shucks mentality is ridiculous. Get that ish out of here. if you don’t like it, shut down the site. Not just you, Shannon, but every blogger out there who keeps dropping that line. Bloggers are members of the media in 2012. Act accordingly.
I’ll agree to disagree Will. Last night Goon went to the game with his own tickets and posted some pics. Today I will do the same. I don’t think what I do and what say Adam Rubin does or even what Matt does is the same thing.
Now my “access” did allow me to confirm the Los Mets jerseys. Without it I would have found out at 6:45 last night like everyone else. But my “access” allowed me to know who to ask.
I dunno. Media is changing. I just like doing what I’m doing. The rest is semantics.
The thing is…knowing who to ask (and getting an answer) is the only difference between some schmuck with a Twitter account and Cerrone. (And in fact, the guy on Twitter may actually be capable of holding an opinion and analyzing an event…but that’s a different topic altogether.)