Author: Shannon Shark @metspolice

I don’t know what to say about this  I am disgusted by it.

My take: If the billionaire wants to build a casino, then he should acquire some for-sale land and go ahead and build five casinos on the for-sale land….but not on our parkland.

Mr. Cohen has the means to make his existing parking lot more like what some think a park shoud look like.  Build that tiered lot you want, and plant some grass., some trees, and treat the people of New York to a few benches.  Maybe even a see-saw.  Why does there have to be a casino?

 

Gothamist reports…

The Democratic-led state Senate voted 54-5 on Tuesday to allow New York City to reclassify 50 acres of parking lots surrounding the Mets’ stadium, a key approval for the Cohen-backed project that is seeking one of the state’s three remaining licenses to operate a private casino.

The bill, which the state Assembly approved earlier this month, now heads to Gov. Kathy Hochul for her signature or veto.

…The land, which is currently occupied by Citi Field parking lots, is currently public parkland. For the private project to move forward, lawmakers had to vote to allow New York City to “alienate” the parkland.

In October, the New York Post shared:

The hedge fund king has been a major benefactor to Hochul and the Democratic Party over the years.

He and his wife, Alexandra, donated a combined $136,700 to the Hochul campaign in 2021, according to state records.

Cohen, the founder of Point72 asset management, also was the biggest donor to the New York State Democratic Committee in its effort to gain control of the House of Representatives in the upcoming election, donating $235,000 from Jan. 1, 2023 to July 11, 2024, according to  Gothamist.

I’m no expert but I have a guess on which way the governor is going to vote.

Man, even Steve Cohen would rather watch the Knicks than a Mets game.

I’m not sure why Steve even went.  He seemed to sit there emotionless, like he was Data.  I didn’t notice him interacting with the other cool celebrities.  Just quietly sitting there in a Mets cap.  Maybe it was an expensive ad for baseball.

Some are saying Steve jinxed the Knicks, which is totally unfair.  Obviously Alex jinxed the Knicks.

Anyway this weekend MLB flips over one of its best cards when Ohtani and the Dodgers take on Soto (who I see people have decided is a bust…well THAT’S gonna be a long 15 years.  Calm down.  You guys turned Lindor into the Joker and now you wanna make him Captain.) ….anyay a good matchup in LAD-NYM and everyone will be focused on the Knicks Friday night and again Sunday Night up against Sunday Night Baseball.  Sorry baseball.

This is a good job by Steve.  This is how you do it.  You can’t just show up during the good times.   Nice job Steve.  More of this.

While I have your attention, ask the GM how he thinks Senga and Holmes are gonna make 38 starts after not pitching many innings last year.   That’s gonna be a major problem and I am gonna TOLD YA SO when it happens.

Whether you like it or not, the area around Citi Field is parkland, so I don’t understand why we are giving it to one of the richest people on the planet to build a casino.  He has the means to add some greenery if he wants to.

Let’s take a close look at this map, which seemingly nobody does.

Let’s start with (A) – 20 Acres of Public Park Space!   Wow that sounds like a lot!  We’re all City Folk, we have no idea what an acre is.  Sure sounds like a hell of a lot of park.  Well, why don’t you look at A on this map…

….did you find the A?  Looks like we’re getting something the size of the infield.   Now the internet tells me that an acre is about 75% the size of a football field, and to me (A) doesn’t look like its many football fields big.  So are we including everything here?  Pay attention folks.

OK let’s look at (L) the Community Athletic Fields.  Let me know when you find them.  Did you find them yet?  There they are on the southside of Roosevelt Avenue.

How about (J) the Public Plaza.  Yep, there it is – tucked over in the corner by the soccer stadium and the new apartment buildings.  That’s gonna get tons of use.

What about the Playground (M) – let me know when you find it.  Yep, there is is, as far away as possible from the new buildings on the right (not part of this project) and across the highway from the Corona neighborhood west of 114th.  I am sure a lot of families will be walking over to use this playground.

Well, at least Mets fans will have somewhere to tailgate (H).  It took me three tries to even find that on the map.

Now, can you find “Gaming Facility” (G) –  why are we avoiding the word casino? – yeah I bet you did!

Don’t be a fool guys.  Pay attention to what’s going on here.

Look, if a park is a good idea, then build a park.

If a casino is a good idea, then BUY SOME LAND and build a casino on it.

Don’t hand parkspace over to rich people who can afford to buy land and as my uncle used to say “Don’t kid a kidder.”

A few things on my mind today.  Let’s start with Steve, and I can’t help thin back to the talk show host Bob Grant who used to call people “fake, phony frauds.”

What happened to Steve’s phone?  On April 23rd, when we last heard from him, the Mets were 18-7.  Since then they are 10 and 10.  I thought we’d hear from him after a Mets win last night, but we did not, as they lost.

When the going gets tough, the phone doesn’t work.

Anyway, in my circles with the Regular People, nobody was talking about the Subway Series.  People who know me as a Mets fan will ask me, “What’s with your boy Soto?” which is interesting phrasing but usually how it s phrased.  I remind people that he will play to the back of his baseball card, so calm down.

I then point out to them my theory that the Mets don’t have enough INNINGS on their roster (Senga 5 innings in 2024, Holmes 60ish in 2024….and you expect them to make 38 starts through November 1st? Good luck!).

I also explain to them my 5th Starter Theory which is that the 5 can go 4 and 17 with a 7 ERA as long as they pitch 7 innings every 5th day.  Don’t make me waste the bullpen.

But we’re living in an era of interchangeable middle relievers.  Every day the @mets account tells me they got rid of someone I have never heard of, and they are calling up someone I have never heard of….makes the product unmarketable…..but then again the marketing they do do is around a guy who did this to the paying customers.

All that adds up to me not watching any baseball even if the record is pretty good.

I HAVE been watching the Knicks, as this is KNICKS TOWN.  I have been preaching to the younglings that they have no idea how powerful KNICKS TOWN can be, as this hasn’t been Knicks Town since 1994.  If you saw some of the shots from last night on 7th avenue you now see how powerful the Knicks can be.

Nobody was talking about the Subway Series yesterday in my circles, but us Casual Knicks Fans which include me (I hadn’t watched an NBA game since I dunno some random Warriors finals game) and my wife….we’re all about the Knicks.  We’re kinda like Steve.  The Knicks are winning, we’re all about them.  As soon as they go 10 and 10, we’ll forget how to use our phones.

At least I admit to being a Knicks Fraud.