Category: mets

Today I have been getting a fair amount of people asking my opinion about particular sections. I guess folks are considering renewing or moving down.

I thought it might be useful to start a thread here – if you have a question, tip or trick post it in the comments. I will be sure to weigh in and I bet others will too.

I don’t know Citi yet as well as I knew Shea. Hopefully we can all help each other.

While the Mets’ official position is that there are no obstructed views at Citi Field, I personally try to sit at least 4 rows up to make sure I can see over the plexiglass.

Another good rule I use is that if you are offered aisle seats make sure the aisle is not between you and home plate. That’s true of any park. Keep the aisle on your outfield shoulder so that you aren’t blocked by vendors and fellow fans.

I personally like the Promenade Infield Reserve as the best bang for my buck but I know otters disagree. Media Goon likes the 400s (he’s a high roller).

Any other tips?

Any section questions?

Let’s keep the snark to a minimum on this comment thread. The goal here is to help fellow fans not joust with Dave from Flushing.

By the way, Media Goon’s email is mediagoon@gmail.com. If you ever see something worth posting and I’m not paying attention you can try him.

I can be contacted at Shannon@metspolice.com and will reply to everyone (and the folks who emailed today you weren’t bothering me, you inspired!)

Dear Mets Fans:

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

As you know, Mets Manager Terry Collins met with the New York media last Tuesday. You might have seen or heard Terry on television and radio, or read about his introductory press conference.

We thought you might enjoy reading the following exclusive Q & A with Terry that we are sharing with Flushing Flash Insiders.

Flushing Flash: Terry, congratulations. Thanks for taking the time to sit with us.

FF: What can Mets fans expect from you?
Terry Collins: They are going to get energy, and a work ethic that is second to none. We are going to be a team that is prepared, which I hope leads to better execution. Our fans can expect a team that is going to win.

FF: How would you describe yourself?
TC: Intense, caring, I care about the game and the way it’s played. I competed to the max when I played, because I had to. Have I mellowed? Yeah, a little bit. But I’m still competitive.

FF: What’s the most fun for you?
TC: Watching your team succeed, when you watch and execute something you really believe in.

FF: What are your biggest frustrations?
TC: Guys who don’t care if they win or lose.

FF: What are important qualities in players?
TC: Preparation. I know I have the intensity and the love of the game. The players, they are all very gifted and get themselves prepared to play on a nightly basis. This is where my focus is going to be. They also need to have the ability to adjust.

FF: Is there anything you want to say to Mets fans?
TC: There are 30 teams all trying to figure out how to win. I want the fans to know that we are going to work hard and not be outworked. Nobody is going to be more prepared on a daily basis than us. I believe in winning and talking about winning, you need to have that swagger.

FF: How do you get that swagger?
TC: You need to get everybody to understand they are good enough. Bad times happen and you have to learn how to rebound. We have to move on and pick ourselves up. I will talk to every single player on the roster. There is a new attitude here, what happened in the past remains in the past.

FF: How do you get the players on your side?
TC: You have to be on each others side first. It’s still a team game. They have to rely on each other, team unity, and what a team is about, and what every guy on this team brings to the team framework. Every player wants to be a champion, if they truly believe that, they will leave their egos at the door. In my background, with one year of knowing these players, the makeup is here, the attitude is here.

FF: Thanks for your time, Terry. Good luck!

Complete coverage at mets.com »

I got a letter…

Shannon,

I wanted to bring to your attention a Mets-ticket related issue that has really bothered me over the last few years that you may or may not be aware of. Currently, the Mets charge a fee  per ticket for a season ticket holder to electronically forward a PDF of their ticket to a 3rd party. As a former Mets season ticket holder (and as a former Rangers and current Jets and Knicks season ticket holder), I often find myself in a position where I am going to a game with a friend (or even one my season ticket partners) but we are travelling separately. Thus, using the physical hard tickets can be inconvenient because then we all need to wait for everyone to arrive before entering. The electronic forwarding system has been an extremely efficient and helpful addition to my season ticket subscription life…

…except when I have to pay for it…. the notion of having to pay a fee to email tickets that I already own and have paid for is absurd. And it’s not like it costs the Mets anything to process the transfer. It’s an email.

The reason why I bring this to your attention is because it strikes me as precisely the type of thing that with proper media attention could actually effect a change in policy. The new regime has spoken on and on about a new culture and a new relationship with the fan base, so let’s see some of that in action. End the pettiness!

Best,
Av

Having never used this service myself I thought I should poke around.  The information below was on Mets.com yesterday morning as I ate my bagels.

Once you sign in as an eligible Account Holder, click the “My Account” link at the top of the page, and then click the “Ticket Transfers” button.

You have the option to transfer all or some of your tickets for any one game in a transaction.

You have the option to pay the $4 transaction fee or have the Recipient pay for the transaction fee.

The Ticket Transfer Recipient has 48 hours to accept or reject the transfer invitation. In either case, you will receive an e-mail advising of the Recipient’s decision. If no action is taken by the Recipient within 48 hours, the transfer invitation will automatically be cancelled and you and the Recipient will receive an e-mail advising of the transfer cancellation.

Once your ticket transfer has been accepted by the Recipient, the barcodes on your original tickets will be deactivated, so they will not be accepted for admission. Do not discard your tickets until you receive an e-mail acknowledgement that the Recipient has accepted the transfer.

You may cancel a transfer within the 48 hour window only if the Recipient has not yet acted on the invitation. To cancel a pending invitation, click the “My Account” and “View/Cancel Pending Transfer” links upon signing in.

A Ticket Transfer transaction becomes final once the Recipient accepts the transfer. No cancellations or refunds will be made following the Ticket Transfer acceptance.

Ticket Transfers must be initiated and accepted by game time.

Hmmm, so if I understand correctly – if I wanted to transfer my two tickets to Media Goon it would cost us $8. ($4 per ticket). –   updated: readers suggest it its one $4 fee for up to 4 tix.

That does seem like a lot of money for a barcode generation.

I poked around the Yankees and found this link which suggests a $2 fee in the Bronx  (a number confirmed by Stadium Insider) – although it’s possible I found an outdated website.

The football teams offer some sort of ticket forwarding but I couldn’t determine the price.

Then there are the Knicks.

Be an MVP to your friends, family or clients. Simply e-mail them your tickets from “MY KNICKS ACCOUNT MANAGER”. It’s the easiest way to share your tickets. It’s available up to one hour before game time. And it’s free.

The Knicks know something.  They have some magic technology which allows free ticket transfer.  Have they monetized it with an advertisement?

I’ll be half-way reasonable.   Perhaps a small fee is needed.  A human must work in the IT office that keeps the computer working.   He makes a salary, benefits, takes up some real estate somewhere, uses lighting and heat.  I could understand the fee covering the cost of the IT guy…..but $4 a ticket?

Seems high to me.