COUNTDOWN IS ON

One of the coolest things happening in this final year at Shea Stadium is the "Shea Countdown", where each night at a Mets home game, a number is taken down, counting down to the final game at Shea.

The taking down of the number is done by someone with a connection to the Mets/Shea Stadium. For instance, already this year members of the Shea family and old Mets teams have taken down the number. It's purely a photo op, but I like that sort of thing. The Mets and Shea Stadium don't have the greatest history in sports, but it brings back some nice memories.

Monday night, the Mets will honor the Jets, for the years (19) they shared Shea. During that time, both teams won championships in the calendar year of 1969. On Monday, in a total "Try to get people to come to a Pirates game" publicity stunt, members of the Jets (from way back to the final years at Shea - Don Maynard, Joe Klecko, Wesley Walker) will be around the stadium, and involved in ceremonies and such. Joe Namath isn't being advertised, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's the one trotted out to take down the number.

And that brings us back to the "Countdown". I wonder if it will get really special down towards the last bunch of home games. Like at number 31, will John Franco and Mike Piazza be brought back? Will other famous Mets get their numbers - Keith Hernandez at 17, Ron Darling at 12, Gary Carter at 8? Who will do it the last night? And, hopefully, come post-season time, will there be a new countdown, or will the Mets just put that to rest?

I like this sort of thing. I especially like Monday night, where the Mets and Jets will be together - a friend of my brother's said to me, jokingly, "Billy Joel is also singing the national anthem, and Boston University alumni get in for free." He's exaggerating, but it really does come close to a dream night catered just to me.

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

This isn't the first time I've been an outsider. I spent about half of my life (I'm pushing 30 now, and I was an odd duck for about the first 15 years) as more of a social observer than interactor. So maybe I'm suited to be a fan of the Mets and Jets. Occasionally, I'm invited to the party - make an appearance, have a little fun, go home early. (Jets - 1991, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006; Mets - 1988, 1999, 2000, 2006). Once in a while, I'm the hit of the party - 1986 - but that's when I was 8, and my cute kid-ness covered up the other inadequacies.

Anyway, a look at the past couple of years, playoff-wise, shows that once again, I'm on the outside looking in, while all of the people around me are having a blast:


The toughest part is living in New England, where the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots have had tremendous success, just about from the time when I moved up here until this day. (Really - starting with the Patriots making the Super Bowl in 1996, then lots of Red Sox playoff appearances, then both teams winning multiple championships.) It's bad enough the Jets and Patriots play in the same division - but seeing all of this success right in my own backyard, while I'm always left out - it's rough. The equivalent of this is you make a friend at school, bring him/her home to your neighborhood, and the popular kid next door, who doesn't go to your school, steals your friend and they have a bunch of fun together, and all of a sudden you're a third wheel.

Then there's the other options. I could have been a Yankees fan...or a Giants fan. And then I would be happy - celebrating recent championships or championship game appearances (Giants - 3 Super Bowl appearances in my lifetime [2 wins], Jets - 0...and we all know about Yankees vs. Mets), instead of watching smarter team-pickers than I having more success than me. This group ranges from acquaintances to close friends to members of my own family. So that's just a constant reminder of bad choices...but, in the end, appropriate ones.

Of course, we all know about my second choice. The Packers are a team I've always rooted for when my real team fades. During the 1990's, it was the Packers who were making playoff appearances year after year, while the Jets were going 4-12, 3-13, 1-15, etc. But, they're a second choice - they're not my team. Plus, they weren't even tremendously successful...one championship, one other Super Bowl appearance. I guess that's the friend you kind of have fun with, but you don't see very often, and maybe they don't even consider you a friend. You're like a hanger-on.

Then there's the rivals. The Patriots we've already commented on....but for years the teams the Mets couldn't beat were the ones who stood in their way - the Atlanta Braves for many years, and the Philadelphia Phillies this past, horrid, horrible year. And that's watching the kid you hate, the bully, having fun, getting all the rewards, being Mr. Popular, even though he's a jerk.

And, finally, there's the new blood. I'm sitting here, nearly 30 years old, and the teams I root for (I'll even throw the Rangers in there) have won two championships....one if I take away the Rangers. The playoff appearances I could even count on my fingers...maybe a couple of toes. And then there's the Arizona Diamondbacks, who broke the Mets' record for success out of the gate (1998, created, 2001 championship - the Mets were 1962, 1969), and are back on a successful run again. And the Rockies - who are on the upswing and made the World Series this year. This isn't the strongest argument in the world, but it's fresh in my mind. It's like your younger brother becoming more popular with your own friends, just when you've established some friendships. Not that I'd know.

So here I am, on the outside looking in. Sure looks like a lot of fun. I'm going to go back to watching TV now.

FRIDAY THE 13TH

There's really nothing to be afraid of, if you're a Mets fan, on a day like Friday the 13th. Superstition doesn't usually work against the Mets, usually it works in their favor.

Case in point, the picture at the left, where the cursed Cubs began a tailspin from their perch atop the NL East in 1969, and the Miracle Mets overtook them, though they were as far back as 9-and-a-half games in August. The reason for the Cubs fall? The black cat, which ran out onto the field at Shea Stadium, and crossed the Cubs' path, circling Ron Santo.

Another instance would be the fact that even though the Mets were down to their last strike against the Red Sox in the 1986 World Series, facing elimination, they were still able to come back and win the game, and the series.

Now, none of this happened on a Friday the 13th - but they're evidence that when it comes to superstition, don't mess with the Mets.

That's a big heads-up for the Mets' opponent on Friday the 13th, the Cincinnati Reds...right now the Reds have a 7-1 lead on the Mets...but it's still early. And it's Friday the 13th...unluckily for Cincinnati.

COMMENT ON THE COMMENTS: An anonymous comment, but a thoughtful and well-written one, has appeared on my post about Erik Bedard from a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to anonymous for reading, and contributing. But please don't be anonymous - throw your name on there...or an alias or something. Since you chose to be anonymous, though, and you wrote that you are also a fan of Erik Bedard, you leave me no choice but to assume that you were indeed Erik Bedard. So thanks for reading, and posting a comment Erik! Hope you come back and read some more.