Last Sunday when the Mets blew it I was close to 5,000 miles and 7 times zones away and many of my friends thought that I had jumped off the ledge. The truth is that I already knew they were going to blow it and was not all that mad. Mets fans were out for blood and in "shock" last Sunday and I was not. I was prepared for the collapse when I saw it was inevitable around Wednesday of the week before-and the warning signs were there a week before that.
Not many Mets fans will admit this, but the implosion is just part of being a Mets fan. While I wanted to win, we have a history of losing and are use to it.
I was not happy. Since I was prepared for the collapse it was not a shock, but it still hurt. I looked at the final standing and seeing Philly in first place while not really earning it, but benefiting from the Mets demise, poured salt into the wound.
That said, seeing the Phillies lose in 3 straight games made the pain easier. Seeing the Yankees lose in 4 games and the turmoil it has caused made the pain easier. Watching the Phillies lose and taking joy from that is because they represent the chance the Mets could have had and watching them celebrate the NL East was not fun. So that made me happy. It shouldn't, but it does. Watching the Yanks lose did not make me happy insofar as the lose, but the aftermath of the loss takes the focus off the Mets and hey, misery loves company, all of NY is just plain pissed. So we are in it together.
Now that the New York teams are playing golf, Steve and the Tank will cover the playoffs without a New York spin. We'll cover hot stove and the A-Rod decision and play the role of blogger GM. Sometimes the real fun is the winter trades and free agent signings, this year promises to be one where the Mets should spend like crazy for bullpen and pitching and the Yankees, well are the Yankees, expect them to run up the national debt for some sluggers and old pitchers.
Posted by Steve in New York
PS Steve also hopes that the Tank is more realistic next year and stops picking the Yankees over the Mets in the World Series in 7. (We all know the real prediction should be Mets over Yankees in 7.)