Mets vs Braves, Round 2….
I post this as more of a public service annoucnement, seeing as how most of the mainstream media - I’m specifically looking in YOUR direction, ESPN - will provide wall-to-wall coverage of the Yanks/Sox series this weekend.
Mets fell flat last week in ATL - no suprise there, really - but now the weather is warmer and they are playing in the friendly confines of Shea. Met bats seem to be awake - 33 hits and 19 runs the last two games. It’s still only April, and we are only 14 games in to this season, but it’s still important the Mets stick it to those bastards this weekend.
On paper, Braves seeme to have the better rotation for the 3 games, with Smoltz and Hudson going for for ATL (and Hudson seems to be back to the Hudson in OAK circa 2002) against Pelfrey, the enigma known as Oliver Perez and Mr. Reliable, Tom Glavine, looking for win 294 against his old buddy Smoltz.
Bring it on, as they say!
April 20th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Um… yeah… why would ESPN focus on *the* best rivalry in sports, featuring a dynasty (maybe or maybe not in decline) on one side and a recent WS winner on the other side, who paid a king’s ransom for a pitcher who’s team won last year’s inaugeral World Baseball Classic… and will be pitching on Sunday night. You’re right, Gonzo, makes no sense.
Better they focus on a series involving one team who’s “dynasty” involved winning one WS while consistently dominating the other team, who *should’ve* at least gotten to the WS last year - much less win it - but instead haven’t done anything since before drugs claimed the careers of Gooden and Strawberry.
I mean… which series would enthrall the nation more? Sox-Yanks or Mets-Braves? Never mind mainstream media, your issue should be the mainstream public… 99% of whom couldn’t care less that those teams play baseball, much less that they happen to be playing each other. Heck, the Braves can’t even fill their own stadium for some playoff games - and the Mets are #3 in a 2-team town (behind the Yankees and Red Sox, who don’t even play in NY).
Gonzo, you ignorant slut.
April 20th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
Are we back to this again? The BEST rivalry in ALL of sports? Whatever…
99%, huh? Did you take a poll? The baseball world does not live or die around the Sox/Yanks.
April 21st, 2007 at 5:27 am
Yup, you’re right. America would rather watch a 7-0 ho-hum drubbing than (a) a guy set a HR record (of sorts), while (b) the home team comes up with 5 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning against The Best Closer in the History of the Game, and then (c) watch some Japanese import (but not *the* Japanese) import shut down the meat of the Yankee order in the ninth to preserve the 1-run victory.
Damn ESPN, what *were* they thinking putting the focus on Sox-Yanks instead of Mets-Braves?!
Maybe there’s still time for Fox to switch out of today’s game to the boring Braves-Mets tilt, or ESPN to move out of the Sunday night game to a Mets-Braves game that nobody will want to watch - rather than watch more epic matchups between the best rivals in sports involving two Sox pitchers off to terrific starts (includint *the* Japanese import) vs. two young Yankee starters thrust into the spotlight undoubtedly relying on the best offense in the game to bail them out.
What are these networks thinking?! They actually want to put games on that *more* people will be interested in? I just don’t get the logic!
April 21st, 2007 at 6:45 pm
Now you’re resorting to hindsight?
The “great” game you were referring to was almost as lopsided until the 8th inning. Luckily for the Sox, Torre shows yet again how he blows chunks at managing the ‘pen…
Yes, Yanks/Sox are guaranteed epic battles. Just like last year, when ESPN showed at least 4 (if not all 5) of the Boston Massacre of ‘06 - how did THAT turn out for exciting baseball? Bet ESPN was real glad they showed all those games.
And its so cute how you are sticking to your myopic world in insisting that Yanks/Sox is the best rivalry in sports.
And just for the record, I don’t necessarily have a problem them showing the games; rather, its the “throwing it down your throat” nature, with the promos, teasers, etc. Just like they overplay the Bonds thing, IMO.
IIRC, we were in agreement how it was completely RIDICULOUS that a Bonds HR was a top 10 play when there were numerous other choices. Funny how you don’t seem to have a problem when ESPN goes overboard when discussing your favorite team. I mean, what are the odds?
April 22nd, 2007 at 2:47 pm
Apples and oranges. ESPN is promoting what they know most of the nation wants to see. Do you really think a poll of American sports fans, or just the American public, would reveal anything other than Sox-Yanks as the #1 rivalry? Would they get 100% of the vote? Nope (though they should). But they would clearly be ranked #1. You can’t be that ignorant a slut to deny that.
The Top 10 is a far different animal. It’s designed to be what a few ESPN folks deem to be the most exciting things from the previous day/weekend - and indeed was in stark contrast to what I (and you, among others probably) would deem to be a Top 10 if most of the nation was voting on such a list.
Pick a relevant analogy - or admit I’m right. Actually, just admit I’m right since… well, at least in this case, I am.
And it’s not hindsight at all. The Sox/Yanks are so competitive that it’s not surprising that one team or the other came back late. Happens a lot in this rivalry - in large part because its the greatest rivalry in sports. Mets/Braves? Yawn.
As for the ‘06 fiasco, let’s see… the best rivalry in sports, between the top two teams in the best division in baseball… yeah, you’re right - I cannot imagine why ESPN would think that the nation would be most interested in that matchup on that weekend. I’m sure they should’ve devoted time and energy to whoever the Mets were playing that weekend.
April 23rd, 2007 at 2:14 pm
“Do you really think a poll of American sports fans, or just the American public, would reveal anything other than Sox-Yanks as the #1 rivalry? Would they get 100% of the vote? Nope (though they should). But they would clearly be ranked #1.”
“Actually, just admit I’m right since… well, at least in this case, I am.”
HAHAHAHAHA! Good ones, Clifford - keep those jokes coming…
And where would you hold this all-telling poll? You better only ask people in the Northeast, becuase that’s the ONLY place it would “clearly” be ranked #1.
Instead, why don’t you do the poll in North Carolina? I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that Duke/UNC basketball will get a few more votes than Yanks/Sox.
Or SEC country - I’m guessing that FLA/FSU, Auburn/ALA, etc will get just a few more votes than some silly baseball rivalry.
Or the states of Ohio and Michigan - I’ll guess that Ohio/Univ of Michigan football will get just a few votes.
Or the Mid-west - I think the Cubs-Cardinals would win out there…
I would say it’s still cute that you live in your incrediable fantasy world - I would, but at this points its really pathetic.
Now, I expect you to comeback with one of your lame quotes - something like “…Well, all those places could vote for something else to be #1. Except they would be wrong.” Or some such nonsense…
April 23rd, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Nope - just tell me who *you* think would “win” a nationwide poll asking that question.
April 23rd, 2007 at 7:57 pm
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again - Yankee fans are the most obnoxious, Sox fans are the most annoying, Phillies fans are the worst to their own players, but there are no bigger scumbags then Mets fans…
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-braves-mets-ejection&prov=ap&type=lgns
April 24th, 2007 at 11:16 am
Way to paint everyone with the same brush based on one isolated example.
Yeah, Met fans are the only ones that do stupid things.
It’s not like some Red Sox fans poured beer on Garry Sheffield last year. Heck, the Sox just an an incident where one fan threw a slice of pizza at another fan.
Or some A’s fans heckled Francisco Cordero enough to piss him off and go into the stands.
Or Cubs fans heckled Dodger players enough a few years back - including swiping a players hat - enough to cause THEM to go into the stands.
Or a White Sox fan who went postal on the unsuspecting Royals 1B coach (forgot his name) a few years ago.
Yup, Met fans are the only “scumbag” fans out there…
April 24th, 2007 at 11:55 am
Not to mention the Eagle fans (presumably who are Phillies fans as well) actually cheered when Michael Irvin got hurt and was carted off on a stretcher…
April 24th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
Hey now, Eagles fans are in a class of their own… that happens when you’re collectively known as “the fans who booed Santa Claus”. I mean, what more evidence does one need? Sure, cheering that an opponent appears seriously injured is bad, but… who the hell boos Santa Claus? What could possibly be worse… throwing a hand grenade on a bunny rabbit?
I can only assume that Leonard Smalls was an Eagles fan. If you’ll recall, he was especially cruel… to the little things.
April 25th, 2007 at 11:47 am
First off , I should have also prefaced my comment by restricting it to baseball only. And there’s a difference between booing and heckling and fighting in the stands versus doing junk like shining high-powered flash lights in the opposing pitcher’s eyes. And if you will remember, Mets fans were also the ones caught chucking batteries at players on the field.
And I didn’t say Mets fans were the “only” scumbags - I said they were the “biggest” scumbags.
April 25th, 2007 at 11:58 am
A’s fans threw batteries at Milton Bradley (when he was an opponent).
Phillie fans threw stuff (batteries among them) at JD Drew.
Padre fans threw a syringe at Bonds last year. And as much as I HATE Barry Bonds, you just DO NOT throw stuff at a player on the field. Period.
Dodger fans threw stuff at Bradley WHEN HE WAS ON THEIR TEAM.
Shall I go on?
And wow, exactly, is trying is futilely trying to give your team an advantage a bigger act of scumbag-ism than a fan ATTACKING THE OPPOSING COACH UNPROVOKED? You conveniently didn’t address THAT one…
Your argument holds no water, and you have failed to prove your point - fans of every team have scumbag elements to it, and Met fans are no bigger (or less) than any other team.
But don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story…
April 25th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Um, I guess I didn’t “address” it because I wouldn’t call those guys who attacked the 1B coach as “fans”. They were tatted up shirtless hooligans who were heffed up on goofballs and happened to be at the ballpark.
But you are correct - they win the award for biggest scumbags.
And every fan base has their share of scumbags. I guess in Atlanta we get exposed to the Mets more often than any other, so maybe it just seems like they have the most. Then again, the Braves play in every NL city and never seem to have the same problems as they do with Mets fans.
April 25th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
“…so maybe it just seems like they have the most.”
Looks can be deceiving, eh?
Glad to see you backtracking from your completely baseless stereotype of Met fans…