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Michael Kay: Greatest Ever or Elitist Yankee Shill

Dear Michael Kay at 1050 ESPN Radio in New York,

I caught the end of your show last Wednesday and I came to the conclusion that you are the greatest talk-show host in America.

The job of the host is to get an emotional response out of people, and that you sure did.

The topic was the New Yankee Stadium.   You did a rant about how fans shouldn’t complain about the Yankees asking for more help from the city.  That was annoying enough.

Then you said this, which is why you are the greatest talk show host in the country.   Your premise was that fans should not complain about ticket prices.  You stated that there are 30,000 seats at the New New Stadium for $25 or less.   Your co-host then suggested that $25 is no small piece of change.

Here’s where you take the prize because nobody could possibly be this much of a Yankee shill.  You must have been trying to get the phones to ring (even though the show was over, so that’s weird).   Michael, you said that someone who can’t afford $25 tickets probably couldn’t afford $10 seats either.  (I think at one point you even said $6 seats).

Your co-host correctly pointed out that taking a family of four to the game would mean $100.   You seemed to think that spending $100 and spending $40 were the same.   Really dude?   Then you went on some tangent about bringing a sandwich.

Yeah I guess I could bring four sandwiches.  Of course I will have to carry them in my hand because there are no bags allowed in the stadium.

PROHIBITED ITEMS
No backpacks, briefcases, large purses, bags, coolers, glass or plastic bottles, cans, laser pens, video cameras, laptops, firearms or knives are permitted in the ballpark, and there is no claim check area to store any such items.


I also can’t realistically bring any drinks.   No bottles, cans or coolers.  So I guess I’ll ice down some 4 ounce juiceboxes overnight and carry them in the sandwich free hand.

Yankee Stadium security screams friendliness (which Michael you can read about Yankee Stadium Security Ridiculous or here Yankee Stadium Security Slightly Less Ridiculous).

Maybe you think it’s normal to make people take off a BASEBALL CAP on their way into Yankee Stadium.  After all, the notorious Al Qaeda baseball cap bomber nearly destroyed the old place.   I hear the guys in Mumbai had bombs hidden under their Yankee hats.

It’s good too that nobody can bring a bag into Yankee Stadium.  I mean, who are these crazy people that bring a bag somewhere?   It’s as if people think they can come straight from work and bring their bag with them.  That’s crazy.

So I agree with you.  No bags, bring a sandwich.   I will carry in a sandwich and some frozen juice boxes.

$40 is the same as $100.   I’m also lucky that I live across the street so I don’t have to pay $18 to park or spend $16 in Metrocards for ny family of 4.   I’ll let my son know he can’t have a $7 hot dog and yell at him for losing his sandwich (mine will be safely tucked under my seat not in a cooler).  My sandwich will probably stay cold anyway since I sit in the shade since the great suntan lotion ban of Summer 2008.   You remember that one right…

The NY Yankees banned sunblock at Yankee stadium “to prevent terrorism.” On a blistering hot day. And sold high-markup, crappy sunblock inside the gates. You know, as soon as we said “There is no price too high to pay in the war on terror,” we lost — and every sleazy con-artist, profiteer, greedhead and crook won.




I felt so much safer after that.  If that pesky Al Qaeda isn’t sneaking bombs in bags or under baseball caps they are clearly doing things with suntan lotions.   

 Security guards collected garbage bags full of sunblock at the entrances to Yankee Stadium over the sweltering weekend, when temps hit 96 degrees and the UV index reached a skin-scorching 9 out of 10 – a move team officials said was to protect the Stadium from terrorism…

Yes Michael, $40 or a hundred dollars is the same thing.   I know you know that because as an employee of the Yankees and ESPN and a former sportswriter you pay for tickets all the time.   I’m sure you blow off the media lot and park 4 blocks away.

Michael I’m convinced you are the greatest talk show host in the world.   I remember that day you pulled everyone’s leg and sounded serious about it being fine that the Evil Money Grubbing Giants stuck their fans with $20,000 PSLs.   (link – https://metspolice.com/2008/07/michael-kay-doesnt-care-about-you.html ).

Congratulations dude.  Great radio.  I know you can’t possibly think $40 and $100 are the same to a regular guy like yourself.

Hopefully someone over there at the Michael Kay Show at 1050 ESPN Radio New York has a google alert and this makes it to you.   You are welcome to write back.  Drop me a line at [email protected] or post a comment right here at  https://metspolice.com/.  See ya!

Please visit www.metspolice.com and help stop black uniforms.
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A Discussion With Juanny Futbol

We had a chat with a friend I’ll just call Juanny Futbol about the merits of the MLS vs MLB:


Juanny Futbol:  Metspolice.com  needs to write about how not only the Mets as well as the rest of baseball is a dying sport. The upcoming economic disaster is going to be the demise of baseball in which just baseball revenue won’t cut it anymore. Building new stadiums to continously jack up ticket prices and charge $7 to $8 for beers does not make a successful business model.


I see less and less kids at the few games I end up each year. American Football IMO is now the all American sport. Young people, those in High School or younger don’t watch baseball, play it or care. And there are more soccer jerseys being worn out there everyday………While I am at it, the NHL is hurting and will eventually contract in league size.





Cyclones Fan (from the Mets Police):   Disagree that it’s a dying sport – take a look at attendance numbers, particularly among the 200+ minor league teams.  Over the last 10 years they have set attendance records each consecutive year.  More people see professional baseball games now than football, basketball, and hockey combined


Juanny Futbol:  That is because they are trading down. In manufacturing that is a bad sign, because you are losing margin when your consumer does so. (An example would be Toyota, now people are buying Yaris and Corollas, instead of the Lexus). TV revenue will go only so far………and the upcoming young adult age group does not watch baseball or care, there is where the problem is, not us older folk and the retirees.


Cyclones Fan:  Trading down in terms of cost yes, but exposure is on the rise.  Minor leagues crowds are no longer comprised of old farts and retirees.  More and more you see young families going to games, and from a long term prospective that is good because they are exposing the younger kids more and more to a live sport


Juanny Futbol:   Even Pujols knows the future of American sports are headed……………….


Mets Police:  I think for soccer to work, the MLS will need to get much bigger and regional.   If 

“Long Island” played “New Jersey” I would root heartily against NJ.   Then if LI played “Brooklyn” I would talk trash to Cyclones Fan for a week.
I think “FC Queens” appealing to a South American base makes sense…make it pseduo-national the way Chivas LA is.  “LA Galaxy” seems like the team for the trendy people who want to look cool because Beckham is there.   Teams also need futbol style names, no more of this “San Jose Earthquake” nonsense.
The downside of adding teams is that you water down the talent.



Juanny Futbol:  Soccer is working! Soon all the current MLS clubs will have their own stadiums, the league is looking to expand to 20 clubs just as there are in many other soccer(football) leagues in Europe. USL (2nd division) already has 36 clubs, with many in smaller markets areas(IE. Long Island Rough Riders). There are club level teams which are an informal 3rd division(many are ethnic based). Our National team improves each couple of years as well.


1) The names do suck which you are right, but there are clubs with decent names (IE. Toronto FC, DC United, Dallas FC) but that is secondary issue for now at best.
2) Once there is a relegation system in place (10yrs away at this point IMHO), then soccer will flourish here and become a true pro sport, with 2nd division clubs coming up and 1st division being sent down to try to come back eventually will lead to more excitement. And will lead to those LI vs Brooklyn type match ups.
3) I had been reading that MLS TV ratings are surpassing NHL not too long ago.

Mets Police:  I cannot quickly find any NHL data, and while I wish your premise was correct, I think the below refutes your premise.  

MLS needs Beckham to not suck and the Galaxy to not suck to sucker in the trendys, and they should market to immigrants and 2nd generationers.
Again back to the names – stop with “Wizards” and be FC Chibcha Queens Colombiano if you want fans.  The trendy folks can go root for the Galaxy, who can be hated by “real fans.”

According to the latest issue of the Sports Business Journal published by Street and Smith’s (now the parent company of the Sporting News incidentally)  MLS TV ratings are about as bad as can be imagined. ESPN2’s Thursday night rating fell this season and thetelecasts averaged a 0.2 rating and was watched in an average of 251,000 homes weekly. ESPN 2 has achieved higher average ratings in prime time for such sports as Poker and Bowling in the last year


Despite the signing of David Beckham, MLS averaged less viewers in 2008 on ESPN2 than the league did in 2006 before Beckham was signed and before the new TV deal took affect.  But even more worrying is that MLS games averaged according to BNet a 0.5 rating on ESPN and a 0.3 rating on ESPN 2 for the 1998 season. MLS also averaged a 0.9 rating on ABC that season, when the network broadcast 13 regular season games.  The lone ABC telecast this season between the league’s two most successful clubs historically, garnered a 1.1 rating as a lead in to the Euro 2008 final which achieved a 3.2 rating. So in essence a smaller percentage of TV viewers nationally are watching MLS in 2008 than did in 1998, despite the league having more of a mainstream media presence and having two more franchises.


MLS ratings on FSC have not been as encouraging for the sport. The matchup between Chivas USA and Houston, the top two teams in the west got a rare 0.0 rating and was viewed in only 24,000 homes. Including the first weekend of the playoffs, FSC is averaging 30,000 viewers for MLS Saturday night matches.


International stars won’t work any time in the near to medium future.  There is too much money overseas.  it would be like expecting A-Rod to go play for Nippon Ham Fighters.  Ain’t gonna happen.  Similarly the Japanese baseball leagues lose people to USA.  
Even if US comes up with a Freddy Adu they can’t keep him.

But there’s tons of college players who no longer play – and maybe you can go the local hero route, like the John Franco of soccer.
Please visit www.metspolice.com and help stop black uniforms.
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More Insight Into K-Rod, The View From Out West And Allegedly Racist Angels Fans

So last week I wrote about this:  View From Out West: Racist Angels Fans?  which led to an anonymous poster writing:

Jeff Miller is an imbecile that can barely formulate sentences. OC Angels fans were so disgusted with this baseless article that thousands of fans contacted the Register to file a complaint. I personally cancelled my subscription to the newspaper due to an ongoing slew of trash journalism that finds its way to print at this rag. Don’t believe me? Read the comments section regarding this pitiful article.

There are a myriad of reasons why OC fans said so little on the departure of FR–which met fans will unfortunately find out. Oh, it should be noted that Arredondo will most likely be our next closer and Angels fans are more than happy about that. Strange…coming from such a “racist” fan base that Jeffy suggests.

So while I don’t claim to be anything but a loudmouth with a blog, and by no means 60 Minutes, I decided to look around the comments section from the Miller article: 

The real reason is, THAT Frankie is just a poser in a closer’s uniform. He’s not a TRUE closer… He benefitted from all of the Angels success, and the close games that they had in the last few years… especially last season. True closers are LIGHTS OUT… Think of Mariano, Lidge, Papelbon, Eckersly, and even Hoffman, Percival and Gagne in their prime. They were untouchable, unhittable, wouldn’t budge an inch, and most of all, they all are, or were, lights out. They don’t give up walks. They don’t give up a double or two, they didn’t muster up that feeling of “I don’t know”, and most of all, they didn’t go out trying to show up the other team with that cocky attitude that Frankie has. He’s been lucky that he didn’t play in the N.L. all of his career. He would’ve been plunked on numerous occasions if he had to bat. Nobody, especially pro ballplayers, likes or appreciates a player that shows off an attitude like Frankie has… But now he’s on the Mets, and I only hope that he doesn’t get hurt with a beanball, or with that god-awful delivery of his, if you can actually call it a delivery… It’s freekin’ painful to watch that crap, falling off the mound, with no chance of ever being able to field a come-backer. 

My only sentiment to K-Rod is, God Bless Him… The N.Y. media is going to eat him alive when he fails, and that’s gonna be a whole bunch, most likely.



It looks like a lot of fans were upset by the article, and said they were glad to get rid of him not because of his heritage, but because he puts guys on, which I warned about here:  7 Things Mets Fans…

What’s really interesting is that Miller has not backed off his statement.  In fact Miller even quotes an anonymous Angel:

A prominent Angels player contacted me to thank me for writing my original column that ran in Wednesday’s newspaper. Since identifying him here could cause him problems, he will remain anonymous.

“As a player, you always have to watch what you say,” he told me. “But thankfully you have a platform to talk about things like this. You don’t have to worry about the things we have to worry about.

“I really liked what you wrote. You were right on. People identify with their own kind. That’s human nature.”

If you’re waiting for me to back down on this one, all I can say is sorry. Contrary to what so many of you have suggested, I didn’t write that column to generate reader reaction. I wrote my opinion, what I believed — and still believe — to be 100-percent accurate.


Wow now that’s interesting.  It’s almost LoDuca in reverse…as if Pedro or Delgado had said something when a lot of Mets fans were questioning Omar’s alleged marketing plan.


I don’t know what’s in the soul of an Angel fan or not.  I do sense that they don’t care that he left, and I keep thinking about how Philly fans felt about Rich Kotite coming to the Jets (they laughed).   I think it was the right move for Omar to make (they needed a closer, he got the best one available).   If K-Rod can blow fewer than 27 saves this team will be improved from last year’s debacle.

www.metspolice.com

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I Know a TD When I See One (NFL Should Ditch Replay)

One of the interesting things that came out of ESPN’s telecast of the 1958 NFL Championship Game was how it’s clear the modern player hits replay.  

I feel the NFL should get rid of replay.   It not only slows the game down, but winds up ruining the game when coaches take stabs at hoping a replay turns into the reset button.

I need you to watch something from yesterday’s Falcons game.  I know a touchdown when I see one, and this is a touchdown.  I had nothing riding on the game.  No money, no fantasy players, and I couldn’t care less about the Falcons, but this is a touchdown.

I’d embed the file, but I guess the NFL will go bankrupt if we all start sharing highlight clips, so the best I can do for you is a link:  This Should Be A TD   Go watch that and then come back.

OK, now isn’t that obviously a touchdown?   Why review that?   I know a TD when I see it.   That’s a touchdown.

www.metspolice.com

Please visit www.metspolice.com and help stop black uniforms.