Here is my well-organized tirade trashing the Yankees and explaining why Mets fans are the best fans.
Lets break down the basics, the well known facts, the evident truths as to why Mets fans and all things Mets is so, so much better than the evil empire.
1.
We are the underdog in every way. We don't root for the team that wins just because they win, we root for a shitty squad and stick by them because going to their games will always be so, so much more fun. According to the WSJ, we are poorer and drink more thank Yankees fans, but, as explained in #3, we are more loyal. According to a Mets fans article on Bleacher Report, "We'll take our two championships and appreciate every minute of Mets victory we can get, a million times over before we surrender to the oft-victorious Yankee empire and their money-throwing, condescending ways. It's just in our blood whether we like it or not—we hate the Yankees."
2.
We're louder. The loudest! Measurements of sound at Yankee Stadium pail in comparison to Citi Field. We are more likely to stand up, more likely to chant, more likely to do the wave.. which brings me to #2.5...
No fans in baseball go bat-shit crazy better than us. I could point to hundreds of examples, but perhaps none represent Mets fandom pandemonium better than
this one.
3.
We are the kings of loyalty. When the Mets suck, we call them the "lovable losers." That sums up our loyalty. But of course, theres statistics and factual reporting to back up our loyalty. According to the Wall Street Journal, we follow our team way closer than Yankees fans. Mets fans are more invested in their team. From the WSJ: "Not only do they monitor their team's progress more often and make more bets, they listen to substantially more sports radio than do Yankees fans."
4.
We self-depricate best. That's why all the comedians in New York are diehard Mets fans: Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, Chris Rock, Kevin James, Larry David, Bill Maher and Ray Romano to name a few.
5.
We have, by far, the better stadium. This isn't just according to professional analysis and the city's media, it's according to the New Yorkers, the locals, the fans. Mike Francesca says even Yankees fans admit it. According to NBC's Golden Local, 62% of New Yorkers pick Citi Field over Yankee stadium. Better food, better hallways, better seats, more family friendly, less advertisements...etc. The list of reasons Citi Field is better than Yankee Stadium is endless. Although they have the better name, which has inspired the phenomenal and very successful campaign "
I'm calling it Shea"
6.
We have the best fans-on-field moments in all of baseball. This speaks so perfectly to who Mets fans are as a people, almost as a race! I had to give it it's own number, even though it ties in to bat-shit craziness, but it really is a thing of it's own. A man parachuted onto the field in debatebly the greatest game in Mets history (Game 6 of the 1986 World Series- the greatest world series comeback game ever.) He held a huge banner reading "Lets Go Mets." The fans in attendance went crazy in celebration, and the historic moment was written about brilliantly in "The Bad Guys Won." Moreover, the Mets have some of the best streaking moments in American sports history, most notably the streaker with "Lets Go Mets" painted on his body who ran across the field naked in 2009. And lets not forget one of the greatest moments in Mets history, when fans stormed the field in 1969.
7. The best mascot in baseball. Everywhere you look, Mr. Met is always voted the best mascott in baseball. The Yankees, with no personality and no pizzaz, don't even have a friggin mascot.
8.
We're loved outside of New York, and we stand for what's right, whereas the Yankees stand for the worst of capitalism. Lets unpack all of that. It's the dominant
Evil Empire vs. America's team. Since the beginning the Mets have been loved across the country. There are more Yankees fans than Mets fans, but the Yankees are hated all around the country while the Mets are loved. In 1969, we were called "America's team", post-war underdogs that everyone rallied around, with masses rooting for us everywhere we went, outside and inside stadiums.
Our team is about sportsmanship and teamwork. The Yankees stand for individuals, with shitty personalities (A-Rod, Giamibi, Clemens...etc) who are paid to be there.
...9.
And yet, we're phenomenal at being the bad guys. It was a mid to late 80s thing solely but the Mets were the bad guys then. Every drug, every liquor, many crimes, and imprisonment of our players. In 1986, we were the bad guys in a way no other team ever has been. And it was awesome!
10.
The 7-Line is fresher, more fun, funnier, and more original than the Bleacher Creatures. The Bleacher Creatures have more history, but the 7 Line is way, way cooler. In October of 2009, Douglaston, Queens native Darren Meenan had a vision. He, just like the rest of us, was finishing up his third straight season of disappointment. In honor of the season's final game, Darren produced a few t-shirts for himself and some buddies that read, "I SURVIVED," and briefed the team's mishaps of recent years. On opening day 2010, Darren officially launched The 7 Line, his Mets-themed brand of shirts inspired by the fans. Fans could log onto his online store to browse the collection and purchase T7L tees. In just over two years, Darren's brand has taken off. Aided by his presence on Facebook and Twitter, his interaction with Mets fans has played a huge role in the popularity of the brand and he is now a familiar face among Mets diehards. Twitter interactions with players including infielder Justin Turner and pitcher Jon Rauch have led to The 7 Line shirts popping up in the Mets clubhouse. Most notably, Darren's "RIP KID" tee—a tribute to Gary Carter—was worn under the jersey of every Met during their first spring training game. All proceeds from the shirts have been donated to the Gary Carter Foundation—close to $9,000. Darren's movement first saw major exposure last summer, during his "Don't Trade Reyes" campaign. By midsummer, hundreds of orange-shirted fans rallied at Citi Field to send a message to the front office: Keep Jose for 2011, and sign him for beyond. Now, you'd be hard-pressed to walk through a Citi Field concourse without seeing a Darren Meenan creation.
11.
Our team celebrates best. Off the field and in the stands, we are by far the loudest and craziest. And on the field, so is our team. The Mets sense of humor was the best in baseball throughout the 1960s. The Mets did the most and best pranks on eachother, and others, in 1986. In 1999, the Mets became the first team ever to stop a player from reaching second base out of celebration. Robin Ventura hit a game winning grand slam, and the winning run scored from second. But Ventura's run was not scored, because he was mobbed rounding the bases.
12.
We master the wave. On 5/28/09, fans decided to do the wave in full force 16 times in a row...on a Tuesday night game vs. the Nationals! (Back when the Nationals sucked!) Yankee fans can't say anything like that. They are terrible at the wave.
13.
We dominate road games in the stands. I won't take too much away from Yankees fans in this reason, because, in all honesty, they do this well too. Still, we invade Fenway better than them. But, it's a New Yorker, huge population, thing. We overflow out of the tri-state area and we live everywhere as New Yorkers first. Lets consider this reason a rare point of unity. There are more New York fans in Florida than Florida fans. 60-70% of fans at Marlins vs Mets games in Miami from 2006-2008 were Mets fans. The same can be said for Yankees fans in Tampa. In 06 and 07 in Philly, Mets fans made up 35% of fans at Citizens Bank Park.
Check out this video of Mets fans taking over Fenway!
14. We get the season started with excitement. Our fans bring the noise and our team brings the Ws. We've got the best opening day record in baseball, winning 20 of our last 22 Opening Day games.
15.
Our history dates back further. Yes, the Yankees came before the Mets. But the Mets logo came first, because it was originally the logo of the New York Giants. And we were created by the man who ridded the Brooklyn Dodgers from New York, a team we've honred tremendously. We wear orane and blue in honor of the Dodgers and Giants, two teams far older than the Yankees. This is why
we honor Jackie Robinson best. Bill Clinton spoke on the first Jackie Robinson day at Shea Stadium
Other reasons that don't make the Top 15
- The mayor is a Mets fan. It's evident when the two teams play by the way he reacts.
- We have better celebrity fans. Proof:
http://celebritymetsfans.blogspot.com
