Mets Fans Have Become Embarrassing
By Mike Silva ~ April 15th, 2009. Filed under: Mike Silva.
Last night I recapped opening night at Citi Field on NYBD Radio. What should have been a discussion about the historic event turned into a personal diatribe thanks to the behavior of the fans at the game.
The last two years at Shea were filled with fear, negativity, and empty seats. I rationalized the behavior of Mets fans by pointing out the historic failures of the team. I even thought the rundown ballpark wasn’t conducive to winning any longer. Why would fans want to show up to a stadium where you couldn’t find parking and had a ton of lousy seats? Apparently I was off base because, all along, it was the Mets fan that was the problem.
From the booing of Daniel Murphy to the constant complaining about the Citi Field amenities on sports talk radio, Mets fans showed their true colors on Tuesday. They have become a whiny, negative, fearful, and unlikeable fan base. I criticize the Phillies fans all the time, but Mets fans might be not far off from claiming the title the “worst fans in baseball”. How ironic that the group of individuals you despise will move past you, not only in the standings, but off the field as well?
Jerry Manuel says it might take half a season to feel like Citi Field is home. Add in the lame fan base and it might not be a home field advantage for a very long time. I use to think Mets fans were the best in baseball. They channeled sports failure and pain and came back stronger. Now I think they are an unfortunate annoyance to the in game experience. Fortunately, if history holds true, you won’t have to worry about them showing up the last week of the season. In both 2007 and 2008 Shea was empty for critical games.
Perhaps this will change when the team makes the playoffs. I am not so sure the negative energy each night is going to help that cause. I am not sure that change is very realistic either since all you have to do is read various Mets message boards and comments on blogs. Some of those places have singlehandedly done a great job in “dummying down” Mets baseball. What hurts even more is that the Yankees fans will do a great job on Thursday at their opener. Say what you want, but the Yankees have a great home field and their fans help the cause.
Joe Demayo, who was at the game, gave his two cents by saying the fans “have taken the joy out of watching baseball”. A Mets fans from Indiana that called in made more sense than the “mutts” complaining all day on the radio. Have the fans taken the joy out of the game? Yes I believe that is the case. They have done far more than just become a pain, in my opinion, they have become embarrassing.
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April 15th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Newsflash you fool – the Mets led the National League in attendance last season. Yet you chose to cherrypick a couple cold/rainy September games from 2008 to make your point.
Go sit in the left field upper deck seats at Citi and you might be singing a different tune.
This site has become my daily laugh. Thank you, keep it coming.
April 15th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Mike your blog shows your favoritism to everything Yankee on a regular basis so why would Met fans care what you think? As for the nitwits who call in to fat Mike on WFAN or post on message boards I doubt they represent the Met fan base you take so much fun in critiquing. As for the great Yankee fans, that is really laughable yes there are some but from booing of players and crying about the cost of going to games I would say they sound pretty much the same as Met fans.
April 15th, 2009 at 10:51 am
I don’t get the knocking of a fan base that has been treated terribly by its owner, who does not care enough about winning while they trotted out the same bunch of chokers the last two years in a horrible national league that was ripe for the taking, and was able to build a more than free new stadium thanks to New York City while significantly cutting capacity and pricing tickets ridiculously. It’s a taxpayer funded corporate ballpark that the owners see as the draw rather than the product on the field – so that’s the type of fans you’re going to get. How many old time Met fans gave up their season tickets or sold many of them off as the Mets quadrupled ticket prices since 2006? I know a lot have – and I am one of them.
You want to compare the Mets fans to Philly fans, well the best seat in Citizens Bank Park is $50 while the worst seat in the bottom two decks of the Mets new park is $75. You’re going to have to go door to door to find many of the true long time Met fans.
April 15th, 2009 at 11:04 am
I’m going to agree with the above 3 posters.
Mike, stop listening to WFAN and Mike Francesca. It’s pretty obvious you wish you were him, first off.
Second, if you think the people calling in to that nonsense represent the majority of the Mets fan base you’re just wrong.
Lastly, and this is the same as my first point, stop listening to Mike Francesca! Or if you want to keep listening, stop complaining about him! The solution is in front of you!
April 15th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
If you want to comment on the booing at the games I will hear you out. But once again just because the ballpark is new and cost 600 mill doesn’t make it a home for the Mets and their fans. And if I, as a paying customer, want to comment on that fact I will. Jeff Wilpon basically had no imagination in putting this park together. I equate him with Ed Norton’s character in Italian Job. When asked what he will buy with the money from the heist he says he will take one of each of the other heisters ideas. In this case the heister being other ballparks. No imagination. It was a case of “i’ll have one of those. One of those. And throw in one of those.”
Walk into new Busch Stadium and you know you are at a Cardinals game. Go to Dodger Stadium and there is no mistaking where you are. Blindfold your friend and bring him to Citi and he won’t be sure if he is in Petco or Citizens Bank. Unless of course you go to the concession stand and wait on a 30 min line. Then you know you are in Flushing.
It’s baffling and almost heartbreaking as a Mets fan.
April 16th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Mike you’re 100 percent right. Citi Field is beautiful and some Mets fans just aren’t happy unless they have something to bitch and moan about.
April 21st, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Here’s a thought: Stop basing your judgment on Met fans according to what is put forth within the media. Your judgment is biased and based solely on Met fan’s who call into radio stations or post on blogs. These view points are skewed because the sample size of this is not reflective of all Met fans.
Are Met fans more pessimistic after the last two Septemebers?
Well what do you think?!!!
This doesn’t mean that were bad fans!! We’re some of the most loyal and knowledgable baseball fans in the country. Go ask a Yankee fan simple statistics, or what happened last Wednesday — I guarantee at least one if not more than one would have no idea. Then go ask a Met fan the same question. I bet the results would be the opposite.