34 Responses to New York Becoming the Place for Athletes to Avoid

1. Kinfa
   June 4th, 2011 at 10:14 am

   I think you’re off the path, Mike. New York fans are sick and tired of watching high-priced prima donnas take their money, while loafing through games. New Yorkers take their sports seriously, and, in spite of what you think, are a very tolerant fan base. What they don’t tolerate is someone sticking it up their butts, and laughing all the way to the bank. Look at the current lineup: In spite of the bad outcome, is anyone being booed? No, and you know why. These kids are trying their best, and the fans expect a certain level of imperfection. We’re tired of players like Jason Bay turn to Jello under the pressure of a big contract. Send him to Kansas City or somewhere like it where expectations are nil. We don’t need these crybabies.

2. BergenFan
   June 4th, 2011 at 10:26 am

   This has to be the most ridiculous article ever written. NY has the most knowledgable sports fans in the country and we support a large number of professional teams. Expecting quality is not a crime.

3. PatG
   June 4th, 2011 at 10:26 am

   I totally agree with you. I once read an article about the Yankees in the Boston Globe that was kinder than any I’ve read in the New York Post or The Daily News. The New York Times is a part owner of the Red Sox. Do you think its sports writers are a tad biased?

   I know you are referring to Boomer and Carton with regard to spending an entire morning talking about A-Rod’s cousin. That show is a joke. I think Esiason is ruining his reputation staying on it with a jerk like Carton. I no longer have any respect for him. Carton believes that he is being controversial, but nothing he says provokes an intelligent debate. He’s just a jerk.

   And, Kinfa, you are exactly the problem of what’s wrong with New York sports’ fans. Every media outlet in New York (as well as stupid Esiason) goes on and on about the Yankees’ payroll and now Yankee fans expect their players to hit .1000 every season. It’s also a sin the way A-Rod has been treated by the NY media. He is a great player, has won 2 MVP’s with the Yankees and carried them to the World Series. But, the stupid fans just blindly follow the media along in their opinion of him.

4. Phil
   June 4th, 2011 at 10:33 am

   What you describe Mike is like that anywhere in this country. People expect instant success today and tend to find the next best thing if they don’t get it.
   As for the star quality of New York, Jeter is recognized worldwide today only because he plays in NY. A great example is Tony Gwynn who was a great player but can probably walk the streets in most major cities and not be recognized.

5. Dave
   June 4th, 2011 at 10:38 am

   “High cost of living, arrogant Fortune 500 companies beholden to Wall Street that enslave their employees, and a transit system that will sap the life out of even the most positive person create a fan that needs to beat up on someone.”

   Geez Mike. Did you have a bad day yesterday or something?

6. Ben
   June 4th, 2011 at 10:38 am

   This is an awful article. You write this with little knowledge of the facts that you’re using. A-rod was booed because he was consistently inconsistent. Yes, he had the numbers coming in but they sure weren’t showing up early. Besides, A-Rod gets booed in EVERY stadium he goes.
   Joe Torre wasn’t kicked out of the door. There was controversy in the first place, and he did not help to ease any problems between him and the Yankees, especially after immediately writing a “tell all” book about them. In addition, that’s in the past now, and he goes to Yankee stadium and gets cheered. Yeah, that’s a lot of hate right there.

7. Ben
   June 4th, 2011 at 10:39 am

   Rex Ryan is among the most likeable characters all around. You can’t just say, well they will hate you soon, because that isn’t true. He is a one of a kind head coach that is not only getting results with a scrounged together team,but doing it his own way as well.
   As for David Wright, hes just playing on a terrible minor league team with a ball park the size of Rhode Island. That’s one place, and it’s not like that problem has been around forever, nor will it stay. Outfield walls can be changed.

8. Mike Silva
   June 4th, 2011 at 11:46 am

   @Dave – ha, no, but what did I say that isn’t true?

9. Mike Silva
   June 4th, 2011 at 11:48 am

   @Kinfa

   The comment you made about loafing is what I am talking about. I don’t think Jason Bay is loafing at all – he just isn’t very good. Should he be booed? Perhaps, but what good will it do? The punishment will come when the team drops him in the order. Don’t blame him for hitting cleanup due to all the injuries.

   When every player that struggles here is labeled “loafing” or has “no guts” then it diminishes the impact of those that actually are guilty of that.

   I see more gutless activity by non athletes in corporate America on a daily basis that probably in my lifetime of watching professional sports.

10. Mike Silva
    June 4th, 2011 at 11:49 am

    @Ben

    Listen to Joe and Evan on WFAN talk about Rex Ryan and then tell me if his 15 minutes aren’t up.

11. Tom
    June 4th, 2011 at 1:01 pm

    I don’t know Mike. There’s a certain amount of truth to all of this, New York is a bigger and more intense place to play than anywhere else, and so both the aggravations and rewards tend to be greater. Some athletes and coaches like it, others don’t. None of this is really new. The best point though is about A-Rod. Yankee fans’ insistence on worshiping their home grown boys like Jeter and Rivera while finding ways to criticize A-Rod – such as perpetuating the myth that he isn’t clutch – is just really, really, stupid.

12. Valerie Nevola
    June 4th, 2011 at 1:10 pm

    I’m not sure why you wrote this article, but I think you have forgotten what the city represents. New York is the biggest stage on the planet, not just for sports but so many wonderful things. Would a New Yorker be satisfied with a mediocre preformance at an opera, play, or musical? Why should sports be any different? Celebrities, artists, musicians, authors, and athletes are all subject to scrutiny in the greatest city on earth. And you know what Mike? That’s okay, because that’s exactly what makes New York the special place that it is!

13. Hardcore Yankee Fan
    June 4th, 2011 at 3:30 pm

    I think Valerie states it best. It’s not just sports in New York but EVERYTHING. Even including boring jobs like being an attorney or an accountant. There’s just the highest level of competition and expectation all around.

    As for just sports, I think your article describes the Boston base much more accurately than it does New York. At least New Yorkers revere those who have contributed in their past, even if they are prone to frustration for players currently not performing. Bring bank a Willie Randolph, Bernie Williams, Paul O’Neil, Tino Martinez, Ron Guidry, Phil Simms, Patrick Ewing, et al and see the rousing cheers they get.

14. Abe Frohman
    June 5th, 2011 at 7:56 am

    NY city doesn’t exist because of mediocrity.
    It represents excellence and excess, tradition and expectation. It wants the same of it’s sports teams.
    And yes, sports is a form of escapism, it is interesting that it’s one of the few things that allows us to criticize openly the short comings of people for something most people can never do themselves…. The human animal is weird..

15. Lisa
    June 5th, 2011 at 8:59 am

    I disagree, especially on the Joe Torre issue. He went eight years without winning the World Series. He had the worst collapse in MLB history under his watch. And he clearly lost interest in coaching anybody but “his guys.” Yet he got a pass over and over and over from the “tough” New York media, and from a good portion of the fan base.

    Torre should have lost his job after 2004, or after he scapegoated A-Rod in the 2006 playoffs, and certainly after the Bug Game in 2007. But the fact is that he still got offered a contract in 2008. Some tough town, alright.

    As for your other examples, the fact that Isiah Thomas and Tiki Barber are uncomfortable in this town doesn’t exactly make your case. Don’t think Kevin Brown was that comfortable in New York, either, but that’s on him, not New Yorkers.

16. Bennie
    June 5th, 2011 at 10:09 am

    This is the best article I have read in a long time. It is so honest, regardless of whether folks agree with it or not. For example, you are RIGHT ON about the WFAN. As a matter of fact, after this week, I have decided NOT to listen to it anymore! I cannot take it! I am so happy to see someone actually say what I was feeling. What is bad is that the sports radio and print sports media can say whatever it wants, with no facts, and the folks here in NY believe every word! People want to give James such a hard time for not coming here and going to Miami. But do we ever ask ourselves what role the fans and media here have played in that decision? If I were James and I saw how players are treated here, I too would not have come. I am not saying that is why he did not come here, but NY fans, of which I am one, and the increasingly bad sports media should not be so blind to our own faults.

17. Chris M
    June 5th, 2011 at 1:02 pm

    I think the articles was right on point. And it’s funny because all of the responses people left disagreeing or defending the conduct of my sports fans and media, only really reenforce your points, not counter them.

    Like Lisa saying torre should have been fired after 2004??? Or Valerie with her sense of entitlement to ‘only the best of everything’ simply because she lives in NYC. Or the constant assumptions that any play who’s struggling doesn’t care or isnt trying. Or the guy who thinks being a knowledgable or supporting your team entitles the fans to act like morons.

18. Kevin
    June 5th, 2011 at 1:17 pm

    I guess Carmello Anthony disagrees. He wanted to come to NY and nowhere else. Plus their is a salary cap in the NBA so he didn’t come here for the money.

19. Just_MLB
    June 5th, 2011 at 1:19 pm

    In the media…negativity sells…

    so is it a wonder that in the biggest media market in the world…it would also be one that focuses most on the negative?

20. Just_MLB
    June 5th, 2011 at 1:21 pm

    unless u think its a coincidence that Adam Rubin reported every single inning that Oliver Perez had this off-season while trying to get his act together in Mexico…

    of course this did nothing but incite mini-riots everyday on twitter from met fans who are in their comfort zone when b*tching and moaning…

    (along with jokes from the rest of the sports world )

21. Richie A
    June 5th, 2011 at 1:25 pm

    It seems like your major gripe isn’t with NY fans, but with the NY media. All the examples you cite come directly from silly sports radio personalities and the awful sportswriting in this city, both of which are devoid of any journalistic integrity or accountability.

    Yes, NY fans expect a lot, but when I’m expected to hand over chunks of my hard earned money to see a sporting event in this city, I better damn well get something with at least a modicum of quality. As a Mets fan, I’ve been robbed of that for years while ownership and management continued to drive the team into the ground, and it’s really not fair for you to criticize fans for being angry about it.

    As far as what you say about the city itself, there are cities all across the country you can say similar things about. The difference is that their sporting events are affordable. Their fans don;t get constantly taken advantage of by ownership and their media market isn’t nearly as competitive as it is here in NY, where everyone talking or writing about sports desperately seeks an angle, even if they have to pull it out of thin air. Don’t pin that on the fans.

22. Daler
    June 5th, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    Players play where most $ is.

23. Daler
    June 5th, 2011 at 2:18 pm

    U also shouldn’t use isiah and tiki as ur prime examples.

24. Jim
    June 5th, 2011 at 3:46 pm

    I agree with Bennie. Good points in this article. As an A-Rod fan, while I really enjoiy watching A-Rod play here in NY, I often wonder if he would have been happier playing someplace else. Yankee fans like A-Rod much much more now than in the past. However, you can always leave it up to the NY media to say negative things about him, as if that is the only thing that will sell papers. For that reason and others, I stopped reading the NY Daily News and NY Post, and stopped listening to WFAN. They are like the National Enquirer for sports. Sadly, it is only getting worse. Also regarding, the Daler comment, it is not true players always go where they make the most money. Ask Cliff Lee.

25. Hank in Colorado
    June 5th, 2011 at 3:58 pm

    Consider the jump off point of the article. An OUT OF TOWN ballplayer suggests Wright would do better elsewhere, where the intensity is dialed down a few notches. Is it possible the ballplayers who thrive elsewhere are simply incapable of handling the pressure? As an ex-New Yorker, I remember the case of Ed Whitson, he went from low instensity San Diego to the pressure cooker of the Yankees and he melted. Or more recently, Randy Johson being incapable of handling the presence of a TV camera on a sidewalk. How ridiculous, I suggest some guys can handle it and some can’t. Johan (when healthy) has thrived.

    But in the end, this just goes to show you why homegrown ballplayers with top notch skills, are better than imports. NY rookies, generally learn the extra skill of dealing with or tuning out the garbage and distractions.

    Could the NY ballplayers use a break from the talk radio nonsense? Sure, but in the end the mentally tougher player can and will thrive.

26. Phil Curtolo
    June 5th, 2011 at 4:18 pm

    Was the “AL Superstar” named Jeff Francoeuer?
    Seriously, David Wright had his best offensive seasons in 2006 and 2007, when he hit well over .300. Something happened to David, but it has nothing to do with CitiField. Jose Reyes doesn’t seem to mind hitting at Citi. Neither does Ike Davis. David needs to get back to driving the ball gap-to-gap and sto trying to hit 30 HRs a year — and we fans have to stop expecting that from him!

27. Just_MLB
    June 5th, 2011 at 6:24 pm

    PHIL – the trying to hit HR issue was something Reyes was dealing with after signing that low-ball extension in 2006 ( then seeing David get a bigger contract AT THE SAME TIME…seeing Hanley Ramirez get a bigger contract and he is no where near Reyes defensively…) so…2007/2008, he was TRYING to hit HR which is why there was an increase in fly-ball outs and less infield hits…

    the Crawford contract showed reyes that if he EMBRACES his strengths…he can be rewarded for it…

28. Thomas
    June 5th, 2011 at 6:41 pm

    Mike,

    I largely agree with you. New York is a city that thrives on greed and immorality and is made up of people that think they are better than they really are. I am thrilled to now live in a small town the Midwest, where people still value God and family, and where people treat each other with respect.

29. kenn
    June 5th, 2011 at 6:42 pm

    You pay ridiculously high prices for tickets and food/beer and then watch your team do dumb decision after dumb decision (Mets, Rangers, Knicks, Giants chokes, Yankee prices). Watch David Wright strike out time and time again, and then have people use Citi Field as an excuse, professional ball players do NOT let that get in their head.

    I wonder why Isiah Thomas’s life was hell here, it wouldn’t be because he took a powerful franchise and put it in ten years of hell would it? And how dare NYers bash Tiki after he badmouthed the team… followed b the Giants winning the SB the next year. How dare they get upset at A-Rod for being paid all that money and then choking when the time matters.

    How can you bash the people on the radio yet think the writers (like yourself) are squeaky clean? Sounds hypocritical don’t you think?

    If you cannot handle the heat get out of the kitchen, playing in NY is tough but if you play your cards right and do well you will become a legend. No city respects their legends like NY does. If you choke and can’t handle the pressure on the big stage, then yeah don’t play here. Be like Lebron James and go somewhere where life is much easier, or you can take a chance and atleast try to be something special. We may bash them in career, but we respect that once everything is finished.

30. Lisa
    June 5th, 2011 at 7:50 pm

    @Chris M, my point about 2004 was that George Steinbrenner had such a reputation of being such a demanding boss. Yet Torre still kept his job after the worst collapse in baseball history not only happened on his watch, but he had a lot to do with this. If New York were as tough on his athletes as Mike’s claiming in the article, Torre would have been run out on a rail.

31. Lou
    June 5th, 2011 at 9:15 pm

    To all of the people complaining that you’re paying a lot of hard earned money to see the team you supposedly love do stupid things and lose….here’s an idea….DON’T GO TO GAMES AND STAY HOME. It’s pretty simple. Watch it on TV, or just change the channel and watch something else. This entitlement crap just has got to stop!

32. RS
    June 6th, 2011 at 1:30 pm

    @Lou

    I’m sorry Lou, last I checked don’t you have to pay for Cable/Satellite or the MLB/NFL/NBA packages??

    One way or the other you are paying for it, and as far as I am concerned if you pay for a product you can voice your displeasure for it. Case Closed.

    If athletes can’t take playing in a big city, leave, don’t come. Lebron decided to play 2nd fiddle to Wade and damage his legacy so he could avoid it.

    To each his own.

33. Mike Silva
    June 6th, 2011 at 2:35 pm

    RS

    What makes you think Lebron won’t have a legacy not coming to NY? It hasn’t hurt Kobe, Shaq, MJ, or Duncan

34. kenn
    June 7th, 2011 at 10:47 am

    @Mike

    Shaq, MJ, Kobe, and Duncan all stepped up on BOTH sides of the ball when the time came, not let Dwayne Wade do the work on offense.

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