The Mets Police

UPCOMING SCHEDULING CHANGES: FOX has selected the
Mets’ September 17 game at Atlanta so the starting time will be
moved up to 4:10 p.m…New York’s game on September 7 at Florida
has been changed to 5:10 p.m. to accommodate the Mets travel
plans for their 4:10 p.m. doubleheader on September 8 vs. Atlanta
…ESPN has selected the Mets’ game on September 11 vs.
Chicago…That contest will now begin at 8:10 p.m

..

I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend.  I’m taking it wasy in blogger-land since I have been doing this long enough that I know these 3 day summer weekends are always low traffic.

Some odds and ends from the beat:

– I appreciate Amtrak trying to brand this an “Acela rivalry series” (and I too will happily take a sponsorship from Amtrak so I don’t begrudge anyone on that) but there ain’t no rivalry between these two clubs and never was.

– Media Goon is trying to set me off.  He sent me something from another site and well, let’s just hope Other Site doesn’t ruin it for everyone.  Think folks, think.

– I’ve had it with idiots that go for it on 4th down everytime in online Madden.  Sometimes they make it. sometimes they don’t.  I don’t want you to hand me the ball on your own 32, that’s not football.  Play right.

One of those things I forgot to link – so here’s some holiday weekend reading for you.

I can’t remember exactly when I decided to collect the autograph of everyone who had played for the New York Mets and to collect them on 3×5 index cards, but the year was probably 1966, the team’s fifth year in existence.

I realized that the only way to have an attainable goal in autograph collecting was to have a limited focus with the distinct possibility of completion. I decided that every Met was within my grasp and the challenge was worth the goal.

Forty-five years later, I have a collection that features an autograph from everyone to play for the Mets. They include stories both happy and sad, every player from the Asian Rim, and all the Hall of Famers, most of whom — like Duke Snider and Warren Spahn — were merely passing through the Polo Grounds or Shea Stadium on their way to Cooperstown.

via A most Amazin’ collection – Mets Blog – ESPN New York.

After the dog woke me up way too early this morning, I laid in bed thinking about what to post.  (I’m crazy). My mind went to the TV booth and how they were raving about the blue uniforms.  And the fans like the blue. And Howie likes the blue. And everyone on twitter likes the blue.

Then I started thinking about Banner Day.  The other day I posted that the Red Sox are having Banner Day and I didn’t get much of a reaction.

This morning it hit me.  It’s the same as the blue uniforms.

There is a generation of Mets fans who were raised on no-traditions and black uniforms. They don’t know what they are missing.  A black and white photo of people from the 60’s means nothing to them.

The Mets gave away the brand.

Here’s what happened since 1996.  The Yankees are pride and tradition and winning.  Ignore the reality of George Steinbrenner, he was a saint. David Wells? True Yankee.  Johnny Damon from Boston? True Yankee. You know the drill.

Meanwhile in Queens: is there anything positive to say since the 2000 NLCS?  I think even 2006 has been tarnished now.  Here too you know the drill, it’s words like Wilpon and Omar and clown and collapse.

So…. Banner Day.  The kids don’t know what they’ve lost.

Here’s what I imagine happening.

It’s 2012 and somehow some way the Mets hold Banner Day and guess what – everyone loves it.  In your mind can’t you hear GKR talking about what a great event it was and how great it was to see the kids walking around the field?  Search your feelings you know it to be true.

Folks just don’t know what they are missing.  Mets Baseball is supposed to be fun!  It’s The People’s team!  We are working class folks.  We weren’t born into skyboxes and seats behind moats.  We’re the sons of bartenders and train conductors.  Give us some cheap seats and we’ll bring a sign.  (Oh, Mr. Met I am calling you out, how about taking an escalator to the 500’s once in a while?)

Howie, Kranepool and Faith & Fear remember.  Everyone else is just too young to remember.  That’s not their fault, it’s the fault of the stewards of the legacy.  A legacy they haven’t maintained.  15 years of Nickelodeon theme parks, the Greg Maddux of Japan, some questionable marketing in the middle of last decade and everything that has gone on in the new building. Out with the old and in with the new trendy thing.

What exactly is “Mets Baseball” here in the fall of 2011? I bet you won’t say something good.

1962+50 = 2012.  We can fix this.  It’s about the fans.

Fans, fans, fans, fans, fans.

Translation: customers, customers, customers, sales, money.

Mets, tell the story you want to tell, not the version in the Post.

Casey, Gil, Seaver, Ya Gotta Believe, 1977, Mookie, 1986, 2000, Piazza, Alfonzo, Reyes & Wright, Banner Day, Mr. Met, Let’s Go Mets, Blue and Orange.

Tell that story, warts and all, and be proud of it.  Or, chase the elusive magic elixir and wind up with the story of Madoff, Satoru Komiyama and Bobby Bonilla’s annuity.  Your choice.  I survived 1977 so I can put up with anything.

Get back to where you once belonged.