Glad to be a Mets Fan

It’s days like this I’m especially glad to be a Mets fan. After taking Opening Day from the reigning World Champion Cardinals, Mets fans could bask for two days in the afterglow, and read countless summaries of the game highlights. It was not redundant reading 17 different columnists refer to his 191st career victory as “vintage Glavine”; my eyes did not tire watching the double play that ended the eighth inning three dozen times on ESPN; my ears heard Paul LoDuca’s voice as a song — perhaps by Sinatra — in the postgame interview. As a Mets fan, we can enjoy the victories to the fullest.

Our friends who follow the “other” New York team, however, don’t enjoy victory. Perhaps because they expect it. If the Yankees went 160-2 on the season, Yankee fans most likely would dwell on the two losses, shaking their head with disgust.

I say this because after the contest, I wasn’t sure whether the Yankees had won their season opener. The radio, the blogs, the newspapers — everyone it seemed — were focused on the much bigger events in Yankeeland. Specifically, The Divorce. Secondarily, the subject of A-Rod, particularly his error and inability to hit in the clutch. The postgame interview that kept playing was of Joe Torre deflecting the blame of The Popup toward Jorge Posada and away from Alex Rodriguez. Nothing about the win, or the way Carl Pavano pitched, or how their bullpen did a great job. The biggest news in the Bronx were two questions: “why is Jennifer divorcing Steve?” and “will A-Rod opt out of his contract?”

Fans are clamoring for A-Rod’s exit already, one game into the season. It’s amazing that a guy can get a base hit, steal second, score the go-ahead run, later hit a two-run homer to put the game away for good, and fans are still unhappy with the performance. The most critical fans point to the homerun and say, “typical A-Rod, hitting a tack-on homer to pad his stats. He never hits in the clutch.” One fan who called into a radio show had the audacity to criticize Rodriguez for coming into camp with 3% less body fat. “He should have been in better shape last year … he got himself in shape now so he could opt out of his contract and make more money.”

Amazing.

Makes you feel that much more grateful to be a Mets fan, and root unequivocally for everyone in the orange and blue.