After fifteen years the New York Mets are in the World Series. I can’t believe it’s been fifteen years, Fifteen years of ups and downs, frustration, hope and then let downs. This year’s team is special because of the chemistry that is between them and once the pieces fell into place back in July they could not be stopped, it is the human element that comes into play here and interestingly enough the human element as to why we root for our sports teams.
For us people that root for Baseball, Football, Basketball, Hockey and soccer teams it is interesting to see why we do, we are not on the team, we do not get a salary, we don’t get to ride on the float down the Canyon of Heroes. So what is it that makes us spend our money on Tickets, Cable TV sports packages, Hats, Jersey’s etc.
I think that rooting for your team has to do with your upbringing; my parents were rabid Dodger fans, when the team moved to California, they became Mets fans along with my Aunt Uncle and cousins so it is like a family tradition. This also brings back memories of time spent with the family. I used to sit and watch the Met games with my late father-in- law and we would cheer and then yell and complain five minutes later, but those Sunday afternoons in my in-laws kitchen were priceless. We lost him three years ago and while I was watching the playoffs I was thinking of him thinking if he only held on he would have finally seen the fruits of the teams rebuilding pay off.
This year Davin and his Dad flew to Chicago and watched both the Cubs and the White Sox play in the same day which must have been a great father and son get away weekend filled with memories that would last a life time.
My nephew Todd and I have a bond with the Yankee- Met rivalry, for years he would message me when I was going to cut my Nonsense and be a Yankee fan and every year I tell him never, I will never go to the dark side.
Years after your team is in the playoffs you will never forget where you were. I remember exactly where I was when Buckner dropped the ball in eighty six; I remember in two thousand the Subway series between the Mets and Yankees. Opie and Anthony were hosting Dice at Madison Square Garden the same night of one of the playoff games, and there I was back stage at MSG with one of my comedy idols and we were watching the Met game in the green room.
I think people are major fans as the team is also something you believe in and when they win you win, and when they lose you believe that we will get them next time. It is also fun to play “what if” and agree with how the team handled a play or disagree on how they didn’t. Stations like WFAN make millions of dollars a year from this.
The great thing about sports is you see suspense and drama live as it happens, it is the ultimate in entertainment that no movie, TV show or play can compare as there is no script and the outcome can take any direction.
Sports are also a great diversion as the games take you away from real life for a while. It is also fun to watch the fans discuss and defend their teams, especially on the road when a Detroit Red Wings fan saw Davin in His Jersey Devils jacket at a salad bar in Flint Michigan.
Yes we do bitch about how much sports stars make, how the teams play, the decisions coaches and upper management make in any given year. But for us fans we wouldn’t have it any other way.
!!!!!! LET’S GO METS!!!!!!