Fight Met Apathy... or Don't

By – Mack Ade 

I had a telephone conversation with David Rubin tonight (3-1) and we talked about how little is being written by the MMs writers on the site lately. David pointed out something that’s been going around my mind also. He said that most of the writers were probably suffering from the same thing David has been feeling, which is the lack of caring to even root for the team this season.

I never thought I would hear Rubin say this about his beloved Mets, but, let’s put the cards on the table. He’s had a tough year financially, his wife is still recovering from a major organ transplant, and his job ranks somewhere up there with managing Afghanistan. Isn’t the start of a baseball season supposed to be a fun thing? Shouldn’t baseball give you the opportunity to get away from your problems, rather than deal you a whole new deck full of shit?

I then forgot that I hadn’t wished my brother-in-law, Jim Conforti a happy birthday. I called the second biggest Mets fan I have ever known and, naturally, the conversation turned to the Mets. Jim’s heroes have always been Jose and David and he told me that he doesn’t even care if the team plays this season.

David Rubin and Jim Conforti not rooting for the Mets? What you talkin’ about, Willis? It was then that I realized that we just may be staring into the abyss. I’ve seen this before. My favorite sport was always hockey and the New York Rangers were everything to me. I had season “orange” seats at the Garden and never missed an away game on television. But, I move away from New York in 1980 and found myself living in southern cities that had no professional hockey team. Eventually, every Ranger I ever knew retired (where are you, Nick Fotiu?) and I just simply lost interest in, first, the team, and lastly, the entire sport.

I’m also reminded (as I’m writing this) that my brother told me last year that he had switched over to the dark side and was rooting for the Yankees. A lifetime Brooklyn Dodger fan rooting for the fucking Yankees? I would check to see if our father rolled over in his grave, but he’s not where we buried him (another story).

I’m not exactly sure where this blog is going right now. I’ve been treated absolutely miserably by the front office this month, and close blogger friends of mine have done everything that could to twist the knife that the Wilpon brain trust has thrust into my heart. I’ve lost my press credentials, I’ve been removed from the daily press release list, and I’ve been denied access to the blogger press conferences. Jay Horvitz, the Mets VP of Media, told me it was his decision, but he also alluded to one of the other MMs writers that there are policies in place for people like me. Last time I looked, I haven’t opened fire in a high school.

This blog will survive is some form. I mean, 18 writers have to write something once in a while, right. I think all we need is some actual games to report on. Me?  Well, as I mentioned, my life was going to Lucy for ST and hanging out with the Sand Gnats. Horvitz 86’s the first and Toby Hyde drove me away from the latter. Hyde has moved on to SNY and I’m looking to renew the wonderful time I had gotten to know the kids that have gone through this affiliate.

Look for me to continue a daily report on the draft, though similar reports are springing up all over the Mets blogdom. And I will dig my head back into the minor affiliate’s sand while (I hope) the other writers will continue to comment on what’s coming out of Queens.

Someone recently called Mack’s Mets a “niche” blog. An average of 12 posts a day for 8 years . Such a niche.