The Mets Police

A long time Giants season ticket holder sent this to me.

An open letter to the Mara & Tisch Families

My family have been season ticket holders for over 40 years. I grew up reading all the old programs my dad saved for me and knew about almost every player from Frank Gifford and Sam Huff down to Les Shy and Eldridge Small.

First game I went to was actually in 1975 in Shea, vs. the Cardinals, the year before Giants stadium opened. I would say at least since 1989, I have rarely missed a game other than for Weddings (one of them my own!) or some other engagement that kept me out of time. During that time, I have been there for the team for the good days and the bad days. Whether it was Phil Simms or Dave Brown, QBing. I was there.

Despite this, you now add insult to injury.

First: The insult. Actually several insults. Even after the years my father was a season ticket holder, particularly through the awful late 60s and most of the 70s, we were denied seats to Superbowl 21. At the time we understood. There was a lottery and you can only allot a few since there was only enough space for fans of both teams.

But then Superbowl 25 came along. Same thing. Denied. Again somewhat understandable. It happens.

Then Superbowl 35. Again. Okay maybe I am glad I missed going to that one.

Now Superbowl 45 comes along. Nothing again!!! By this time all of the people who must have won the lottery should have been out of it to give those a chance who didn’t go. But no, that’s not the only case. Your organization feels fit to allot tickets to so-called “VIP”s, celebrities and all sorts of other corporate bigwigs who never had any loyalty to your organization during its up and down period.

And now the injury.

Somewhere around $40K I hear for “personal seat licenses” For what? I already own my seat. Yes, I know what you are going to say “everyone does it now”

But I thought the Mara/Tisch families were the “class” of the league? You woudn’t do anything underhanded to your loyal fans like that, many of us who were not entitled to see at least one of the four superbowls?

And don’t tell me its money. From what I know the Mara and Tisch families combined are pretty damn wealthy through your various holdings. I find it hard to believe you really need to scrape up the dough to build this stadium (which you will find the majority of fans dont find necessary anyway. Again, just because “everyone else is doing it” doesn’t make it right). No one is putting a gun to your head and forcing you to do this.

Ive always disliked front-runner fans. How about front-runner owners who only care about their fans when it is convenient to them? How about returning the loyalty to us that we have given to you for so long?

And where is the league office on this? The same league that comes down so hard on players using banned substances or exhibiting bad behavior, why not come down on the owners who commit a different form of bad behavior that is detrimental to the reason the league is in existence — the fans?

Ever since I heard the news of this PSL scam (which is what it is) I have been in somewhat in a state of denial. Many of us have been taking this sort of abuse for years on being rejected for the big game, but this is the ultimate insult.

It would be a shame to give up these tickets after so many enjoyable Fall & Winter Sundays (well maybe not all) over most of my 40 years on this earth.

To the Mara and Tisch families, you are supposed to be above the likes of the Jerry Joneses and Al Davises of the league. Now prove it.

Sincerely yours,

Alex Swingle
New York City

I thought the season might have ended tonight at 7:46pm when the All Star blew it, but they pulled it out.

Now just 3.5 back and back to .500.  Tomorrow is a big game and a real opportunity to put the Phillies on notice, and at least get them thinking about you.

Looking ahead to the Mets Police this week – plenty about teams named Giants.  In about an hour I have an open letter from a football Giants fan to the ownership about the Personal Seat Licenses.

Then on Tuesday and Wednesday the Mets Police have done an investigation in to the baseball Giants, and wait til Fred Wilpon hears what we’ve uncovered!  He will never believe it!  

The Mets Police are always right.   Look back to June 4th and you’ll see a post warning that Wagner might be the only All-Star.    Wright might still squeak in, but OverReyes does not deserve it.

Across town I feel bad for Mike Mussina.   With 11 wins and the game in his home stadium, he deserved to be there.

This nonsense where fans vote for the 32nd man is silly – didn’t we all just vote for two months?

OK I’m four years late on this, but this was my first time at Citizens Bank Park that didn’t involve Jimmy Buffett.  Left during the rain delay and I’m all the way home now, watching the conclusion on the big screen.

Here’s the best part of the Phillies park:  YOU CAN EASILY PARK!!!!

Oh my goodness, what a pleasure to jump off I-95 forty minutes before a sold out game and cruise right into plenty of parking.   It was just as easy to get out.  None of this Shea traffic, or the monstrous Yankee traffic.  

For those of you who haven’t been there, they have the baseball, football and hockey arenas all within a four square superblock area.   So I parked in the lot of the hockey arena.  There was also plenty of parking at the football stadium.  So smart. 

So easy I even called a friend and asked “Why does New York have to suck?”

Shea/Citi is a reasonable location and it’s not that hard to get to and not that hard to get out of – but why the hell are the Yankees moving across the street to that terrible location that’s a real pain in the neck to get in and out of, and why are the Giants charging people $20,000 for a seat license in a stadium with no rail line.  Still.  After 30 years. 

Well done Mr. Philadelphia Stadium Planner.  

I’m sure Citifield will be nice…it has to be better than Shea.  I wonder if it has the “open deck” style that the newer stadiums have.  I could see that being quite quite cold.  (Oh yeah, three new stadiums and zero domes – why does New York have to suck?)

While at the game I kept an eye out for overpriced $35 Stars & Stripes hats.  Not one.

Charlie (The Enemy) Samuels dressed the Mets in the road grays with the S & S hats – and as always, the Mets Police were right, this combination looks nice, unlike thehideous black combos they wore the first two games.   In fact, the Mets could wear these all the time and look nice.   Maybe they should ditch the black for a darker “Citifield Blue” if they really want to sell merchandise.