Blind Faith and False Hope

NOTE: this is a post by Matt Himelfarb

I went via the Long Island railroad to the Mets’ home opener, and man, the dickey was wild (sorry, couldn’t resist).

So, after a three-game winning streak sent Metropolitan fans into a giddy frenzy like Bartolo Colon at Cheesecake Factory, the Mets dropped three straight, setting their record at 3-4 going into last night’s ballgame.

The home opener loss to the Nationals was particularly crushing. Sure, it would have been nice to win at least two out of three from the Phillies, but even the most cock-eyed optimist will take a 3-3 road trip. And we all know deep down inside that Mike Pelfrey isn’t really an ace, in case, y’know, three straight years of absolutely mediocre peripherals weren’t already enough to convince you.

But to lose your home opener to the Washington Nationals, a team in such dire straits at the moment that they currently employ Rick Ankiel, Pudge Rodriguez, and Alex Cora, with R.A. Dickey and his bearded awesomeness on the mound, completely rips your heart out (at least when your freezing your fanny off in $75 seats that will typically run you 20 bucks on gameday).

Now, Mets fans are like that weird guy at your fledgling office. You know, the one who you’re almost certain is going to walk in to work any day now with a trench coat and an Uzi. If this were politics, Mets fans would have long ago hit the bunkers to prepare for armageddon like teabaggers if Keith Olbermann opted to run for president.

Basically, if you aren’t trying to fall asleep in your car with the engine turned on, you probably over-qualify to be a Mets fan.

I just don’t get it. I mean, I do, since I’ve long ago realized that the vast majority of Mets Mets fans, like all sport fans, are driven primarily by emotion and not logic.

Still, it never ceases to amaze me how folks are so incapable of grasping the concept of sample size. Or how fans and many writers alike are so devastated with disappointment. Ok, so it turns out the Mets are probably a .500 team, and aren’t on track to win 95 ballgames this year. Mind=blown.

Yet, commentators are left scratching their heads as to why the Red Sox and Rays are 1-6, while they talk about how the Orioles are on the upswing and will be duking it out with the Yankees come September.

Want to know what the real inspiration for this column was? A kid in my 10-team fantasy league just offered me Shin-Soo-Choo for Adam Lind and Joel Hanrahan. Seriously. By the way, he’s on track to be class valedictorian.