Cerrone threw me one helluva compliment yesterday….
I’m sure someone from the team will soon call me to explain all the logistical and financial reasons why doing a Mets-style Redsfest in New York City is difficult. And, though they’re all probably valid, it doesn’t change the fact that I imagine such an event would be really fun, good for players and fans, and great for selling things. There has to be a way to square that. Frankly, they should let Darren Meenan and Shannon Shark organize it, because Mets fans love being Mets fans, and the team should encourage that… especially in a time when they don’t necessarily make it easy to be a Mets fan
via Why isn’t there a Mets FanFest? | Metsblog.
And Matt’s right. Someone will have eight billion reasons not to have it. There are always reasons. Mark Healey made such a list on Gotham Nation.
But here’s how you grow a business. You don’t convert people who don’t care about baseball into Mets fans. You go to the people that are Mets fans and re-engage them. Get them attached to your brand at different interactions: Games, SNY, maybe even a Fanfest. Get the core, then get the people who have walked away. The millions of Mets fans that have disappeared since the 80’s. Get them back.
Make Flushing fun again. Being a Mets fan has been a burden since the team couldn’t close out a 7 game lead with 17 to play. We all know the list of stupid that has followed.
We’re in another one of those cycles now. The phrase that keeps coming to mind is tone-deaf. $63 Opening Day Tickets. An unwillingness to move Banner Night back to the sunshine. And this fan-fest thing.
I do think there should be a FanFest but the time to nag encourage is not now. The time is July. Let the Mets fans experience the All Star FanFest and then you will really see a cry for a MetsFest. And that’s when Dave Howard should “slip” a line that the Mets are considering having a Mets-themed one in the Winter of 2014. Then gauge the reaction.
As for the compliment from Matt – I am flattered. As I have said to the Mets, to Matt, to my readers -I like sharing ideas and I am happy if any of them influence things in Queens. People seemed to like Banner Day, people seem to like the blues, people seem to like dropshadow’s death…maybe they will like a fanfest. I’d be happy to sit in a meeting and generate ideas; I’m just as happy to show up at one and see what happens.
As for stuff I can control – I hope to turn the Mets Police Awards into something…and maybe enlist the help of Matt and Darren. I have circled 1-4-14 as the date. The 14’s in there make me think it should have some sort of Gil Hodges element. I’d like to see if Kevin Burkhardt’s schedule would allow him to do it (he does Cowboys fans) and if he’d be interested. Maybe I’ll drop $500 in my advertiser-generated revenue and have Mr. Met come.
I don’t think The Mets Police Awards mean anything. I’m not that full of myself. It was a fun idea, and the people who came had fun. So let’s go bigger and invite the Hodges family, Kevin, Mr. Met and more Mets fans with more notice. That’s not a FanFest, but it could be something on a Saturday in January. And if the Mets won’t do it – maybe we (you are part of that Reader) will just have to make something ourselves.
It’s a good start. The Wilpons still have to field a competitive team.
Like I’ve said before, this is an example of how Mets ownership and management completely doesn’t understand Mets fans. I don’t think they care to. They only care to get us to spend money. Which is the whole point I guess. Our problem as fans is that we put emotion and passion into this team. Mets management and ownership could give a rat’s ass about our passion and emotion. If they di, they’d engage us like you mentioned in your article. Instead it take several people to complain, scream and shout before these idiots think of the only people that actually care about the Mets, US DIEHARDS. Oh well, whatever, nevermind. 🙂