Misery loves company

As loyal readers know, I've washed my hands of the New York Mets pending a change in   ownership. As a result, I no longer agonize over their pitiful plight.

But, having suffered through the epic collapses of 2007 and '08, I have a special empathy for fans of the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox. Both teams seem to be doing everything possible to blow their chances of earning a Wild Card spot in the upcoming post-season playoffs. The Bosox demise is especially dramatic considering they actually sat astride the top of the A.L. East on September 1st. But, hey, that's nothing compared to the all-time worst collapse in MLB perpetrated by the Omar Minaya-created, Willie Randolph-led Mets of a few years back.

It takes guts to root for teams that routinely disappoint their fans. In fact, I find rooting for the Yankees both easy and a major league cop out. The team has the largest payroll in baseball, routinely grabs the best available free agents and, as a result, is almost a shoe-in to win their division each and every season. Rooting for the Yankees is akin to cheering for Facebook, Google or Microsoft. Sure, they dominate the world, but what joy comes from witnessing the launch of yet another breakthrough product or service? Give me a rough-and-tumble rags-to-riches story any time.

In fact, I think the more aggressive and obnoxious Yankees fans should be hauled into a court of public opinion and handed one of two sentences:

- Those fans who have been arrogant, patronizing jerks, year-in and year-out for the past decade, should be sentenced to rooting for the Pittsburgh Pirates. For those not familiar with that woeful franchise, the Pirates hold the all-time record for most consecutive losing seasons by any professional team in any sport (a season or two of that would teach humility to the most hateful Yankees fan).

- Those Yankees fans whose fathers and grandfathers were arrogant, obnoxious rooters and have, in turn, passed along their superiority complex to the next generation, should be forced to suffer a special sort of hell: rooting for the Chicago Cubs in perpetuity. Since the Cubs haven't won a World Series in 103 years and seem cursed to have at least another century of doom and gloom ahead, the sentence would oh-so-fitting. Just imagine a Yankees fan who's used to boasting about scores and scores of pennants and World Series titles being saddled, instead, with the curse of the goat and the very real prospect of never living to see the Cubs play in, much less, win a World Series. Seems to me that sentence would more than fit the crime.

And, so as I dream about bad things for the Yankees and their fans, I do want the Tomahawk types and Red Sox Nation to know they are not suffering in isolation. I feel your pain and, if it's any consolation, I've been where you are.

So, here's a suggestion we can all get behind: let's transfer all that negative energy and angst at your teams' collapse and transfer it, instead, to rooting for whatever team challenges the Bronx Bombers in post season. I can't speak for Braves and Red Sox fans, but the next best thing to watching the Mets win is seeing the Yankees lose.

Comments

[Jimmy]

Nice. There is hope for both the Cubbies and Pirates, though. You'll recall it wasn't too long ago that my beloved Phillies were stealing headline news for being the first professional sports team to reach the coveted [sic] 10,000 loss achievement. Since then, though, things have been looking up. We even won a World Series and have a Phightin' chance to do it again this year.

I'm sorry that the Mets are what they are...but I am glad they are in the NL East.

[BookAndBlogGeek]

I am a Yankees fan who is neither arrogant nor patronizing. Most of us are the same - we rock!

[RepMan]

There's no hope for the Mets until new ownership takes control, Jimbo. The Phils have done everything right the past five or six years whereas the Mets have committed one blunder after another.

[RepMan]

You are a notable exception to the rule, Book. I've met more arrogant, obnoxious Yankees fans in just the past year than New Jersey Transit has had delays.

[PEngelinNYC]

Repman, why is it that I don't really believe it when you write that you've washed your hands of the Mets? I keep thinking of Bogart's Rick Blaine in "Casablanca," telling Paul Henreid's Victor Laszlo that nothing's worth fighting for.

Laszlo's response: "You know how you sound, Mr. Blaine? Like a man who's trying to convince himself of something he doesn't believe in his heart."

I do admit to staying up too late watching movies lately, but I'm an expectant parent.

Approximately 195 days until 2012 Opening Day.

[RepMan]

I'll respond by paraphrasing another line from Casablanca: '1986? Ah, yes, I remember it well. The Mets were in blue. The Bosox wore red.' Of course, I'll always love the Mets as an idea and a dream. But, I'll simply not emotionally re-engage until new ownership is in control. It's not worth the heartache.