NY Times uses Congress & Mets in same headline

“Treasury has the power under TARP to make broad changes,” Kucinich, Democrat of Ohio, said in a telephone interview. “They have to. It’s not whether they can or should; they have to. The legal issues are very easy to maneuver.”


Should Citi Be Allowed To Name The Stadium?
Yes, $400 million is a good price for a stadium name. 5% (224 votes)
No *#$@ing Way 95% (4037 votes)
Total Votes: 4261

If I were a politician and there was an issue with 95% support…..

Remember that’s a Joe Consumer website, not a baseball blog.


Published: February 4, 2009
It’s one thing for Citi to explore ways to back out of the naming rights deal for the Mets’ new stadium, and another to find the escape hatch.

www.metspolice.com

Omar: We’re Not Getting Manny…or are we? (Video)

Watch for yourself. 

We aren’t getting Manny.

Start bitching. 

“There’s not gonna be no more big move after this.” A double negative. Maybe Omar gave a Clinton-esque response? Not no big move = big move? A guy can dream, right… 

www.metspolice.com

Consumerist’s Citi Poll: People are Ticked

http://consumerist.com/5145280/should-citibank-pay-400-million-to-name-a-stadium-while-taking-taxpayer-money

as of this writing, one "no" vote is mine.

Thank you for voting!
Yes, $400 million is a good price for a stadium name. 7% (83 votes)

No *#$@ing Way 93% (1172 votes)
Total Votes: 1255

That's just one of the 529 articles that Google tracked in the last hour.

Citigroup deploys $36.5 bln, eyes exit on Mets
Reuters - 24 minutes ago
Citigroup is considering backing out of a $400 million, 20-year marketing agreement signed in 2006 with the New York Mets, the US baseball team, …
Citi Field Naming Rights Is The Least Of The Mets Problems Deadspin
Should Citibank Pay $400 Million To Name A Stadium While Taking … The Consumerist
Citi outlines plan to utilise $36.5 billion Federal funds Hindu
International Business Times - Personal Money Store Blog
all 529 news articles »  C

How Citi Gate will play out

Bloomberg reports:
 
“In conversations this morning, Citi reinforced that they will honor our legally binding agreement,” the team said in a statement today.
 
Bloomberg tried to get a comment from Citi but they have not yet returned calls.
 
Let me tell you and the Mets how this will play out.
 
Politicians looking to make noise will pile on.   The fans will follow the politicians lead.  All you have to say is “taxpayers money” and people get mad.   Whether it actually is taxpayer money or not is irrelevant.  Perception is reality.
 
Then the stupid things begin.  I have been watching the Mets a long long time and they always get it wrong (hence my dopey blog).
 
They’ll invite someone from Citi to throw out a first pitch.  Maybe not Day One (although they did open 2008 with a marching band, so you never know).  But Citi Suit will throw out a ball and get booed harder than anyone ever did at Shea.
 
The complaints won’t magically go away on April 13th.
 
Eventually the Mets cave.  Maybe even on April 15th.
 
The stadium will be named Jackie Robinson Stadium.   The Mets will get cheered.  
 
Then one day, the Mets will miss their naming rights fees.  They will want the money, and they will sell naming rights.
 
The Mets will be the ones to take Jackie’s name off the stadium.  
 
How do you suppose that will go over?
 
This one isn’t going away.   Re-do the deal and let Citi pay you on the back end. 
 
 
The Bloomerg article is here:
 

Citi To Bail On Deal? /Manny rejects LA / Springsteengate

The Wall Street Journal reports that Citi is considering backing out of the Mets deal.   I love saying “told you so” so “told you so.”   For the millionth time, all the Mets need to do is re-do the deal so the money is on the back end and everyone will look cooperative and respectful of taxpayers.   Jackie Robinson Stadium here we come (until they rename it after the Not So Great Depression ends).  Story here 

The Ledger quotes the LA Times as saying Manny rejected one year for $25M.   Hey Mets, you need media coverage on the Citi thing.  Good time to offer Manny two for $25M.  If he rejects it you shut up the fans.  If he accepts you win the pennant.

Finally, I will guess many Mets fans are Springsteen fans.  Did you have problems with Ticketmaster yesterday?  Some folks are making accusations.

www.metspolice.com