Meet the Mets

It's unfortunate that I waited so long to write this post, but perhaps the few days that I allowed to elapse before composing this was a good thing (that and I'm overwhelmingly lazy lately). I realize that TW's post immediately before this one was entirely about the subject I'm about to tackle, as well as DGD's post before that, to a certain extent. It's just that the Mets are too big for me to ignore right now, especially while postseason baseball is taunting me from every angle. I can't walk down the street right now without seeing a copy of the Daily News or the Post, front page mind you, absolutely shitting on the Mets. It's been over a week now, since even before the "collapse" (as if Shea itself crumbled to the ground, pinning everyone inside). Anyway, if you're getting sick of these Mets posts, fuck you. Go read something else on the internet that is far and away less insightful/zombie related. Don't be a bandwagon AoFer. This is what consumes two-thirds of our editorial board.

As to my personal feelings on the matter: I was/am still occasionally physically ill over the matter. It comes and goes in waves. It began about Friday of last week when it began to look particularly dire, especially after the game and the Phillies took over first place. I remarked last night to my roommate, also a Mets fan (an Eagles fan, though, which is gross for sharing a comaraderie with those fucking animals in Philadelphia. The name of the city just sickens me. If "It's Always Sunny in _______" wasn't the best show on TV right now....), that my emotions cover the spectrum from complete apathy to homicidal rage, and no place in between. I'm either dead inside or, given the appropriate weaponry, would probably murder a Phillies or Yankees fan/player. There is nothing enjoyable about this, there's no silver lining. That is not to say that it is completely unexpected. I'm 25. I've been a Mets fan since 2nd grade. That's 18 years. Maybe not a lot to the older generations who can speak to it more, but this is what the Mets do. They don't win. They've been around for 45 years and have won two World Series. That's only about every 20 years or so. Granted, we're due. But still, they've been the butt of every baseball joke since their inception in 1962 when they set the record for baseball futility with 120 losses. Our identity is to lose, and not in a lovable Cubs fashion. We will win again, don't get me wrong, but a true Mets fan survives this, because it hasn't been the first time and it won't be the last.

As to the opinions of the media and possibly the rest of the public: Either everyone in the world is nuts or editors are just trying to sell newspapers. I'm hoping it's the latter. The headlines are probably hysterical to a non-Mets fan. To us it just hurts. I don't understand how a hometown newspaper could so purposefully crap on the hearts of a huge segment of their readership. It's as if they haven't seen the studies that show that more New Yorkers are actually Mets fans. It's the dirtbags from bullshit places in the world like Colorado and New Jersey that comprise the Yankee fanbase. Here's a great and abbreviated list of some of the headlines that have graced the New York Post (a fine Rupert Murdoch publication. Fair and Balanced indeed): "Amazin' Apathy", "Another Stain in Flushing", "From Champs to Chumps", "Reyes Leaves a Season Stolen", "There's No More Joy in Met-Ville! Shea Faithful Driven to Tears as Once-Mighty Crew Chokes".

As to my personal silver lining: None as far as the Mets are concerned. It's unfortunate, however, since last weekend was shaping up to be a PERFECT sports weekend for me. On Saturday, Maine threw his incredible game AND the Phillies, Padres, and Rockies all lost. All looked well. Auburn was on the schedule to play Florida, AT Florida. (Side note: not sure if I ever mentioned in previous posts, I'm an Auburn fan. Kinda random, but that's just the way it is.) When Wes Fucking Byrum split the uprights to seal the upset, all seemed perfect. I just had a great feeling that the Mets were gonna close it out. But then Glavine shit the bed on the scale of Montezuma's Revenge and it was over. Never mind that I took the Lions at +3 and the Giants put on a defensive clinic to make the weekend almost perfect. Too bad the one exception was the biggest. But it's almost OK. Auburn saved their season. My Aunt sent me the pictures of Toomer's Corner after the game, which you can check out here. For those who are unaware, it's on the edge of the Auburn campus, kinda where it meets the traditional proper of the town. It's also where everyone goes to celebrate after wins. These images are what's gonna get me through this horrible horrible horrible Mets finale this year. But hey, there's always next year.