The LTJ Editorial: “It's just a game, right folks?”

“The LTJ Editorial”
Author: Luis Tirado Jr.
Date: 10-25-13
Twitter: @LTJ81
Website: http://www.TheNYExpress.com

“It's just a game, right folks?”

A few days ago, a man was arrested for tweeting severe threats to players of the NY Mets, other members of the team, and saying that Citi Field would be bombed. NY Giants Running Back Brandon Jacobs was threatened on Twitter as well yesterday. A man tweeted him that if he didn't run for a lot of yards and score touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles, it would be over for him and his family. This so-called “fan” even ended it using a racial slur. Some college football teams have banned players from even having their own Twitter accounts due to “distractions” off the field. Over the past few years personally, I've grown to love Twitter over any other social media outlet, even more than Facebook. It's a place where sports fanatics like me don't have to worry about silly statuses, thousands of pictures of food posted, or read how people enjoyed their lunches or naps. Twitter is all about information and having it customized just the way you want it. Lately though, it's been used as an outlet to violently vent some frustration directly to those that caused it... the players.

Many high profile sports athletes have an official Twitter tag. It's a way to advertise products, charity events, and just promote anything to your followers. Most of the time, you can actually tweet directly to your favorite athlete. This is an easy way to let them know you're a fan, how great they are doing, or lately, how much they need to disappear off the face of the planet. The latest involving the Mets fan who tweeted to almost every official Twitter player account of the team definitely took things way too far. I know these past few years have been really hard being a Mets fan, but nowhere near the extremes to start violating the livelihood of the players you root for. Could this fan have had some mental issues? Had he not been arrested, could he have done any serious damage to a Mets player? We'll never know, but I'm glad he's been taken into custody and away from the team I root for and the stadium I call my second home.

If you are frustrated with a player or team, then don't watch them. Don't attend their games, don't buy their merchandise, and just block them out of your everyday routine. To resort to threatening players on Twitter is sad since the majority of the time, they all tweet good things. I follow all my favorite teams/players and enjoy what they contribute. Even when the going gets tough, they show their human side and how they will practice harder to get that win. It's also pathetic how these so-called “fans” will threaten players based on something as silly as a Fantasy League. I've never done a Fantasy League before but am part of one for this NFL Season. I'm not going to lie, it's extremely fun and addictive. Every week I'm checking the ESPN Fantasy Football app on my iPhone to see who will be in my starting lineup and adjusting where need be. It's great, even more so since I play with a bunch of good friends of mine. You know the most obvious thing people forget about what makes Fantasy Leagues so great? It's actually in the name.... FANTASY!

Shocking I know. It's all a game when you really think about it. The players in any Fantasy League accumulate stats based on what they do in real life, nothing more, nothing else. To think that some so-called “fan” would tweet racial slurs and family threats over something as silly as that is beyond ridiculous. Hopefully fans remember that at the end of the day, it's all just a game. No need to tweet things that embarrass yourself and the organization you claim to be a fan of. Remember, part of being a fan is going through the ups and downs of sports. Your team won't win a championship every single year and some of your favorite players will get into slumps. Real fans root for them no matter what, not bash them on Twitter for something as minor as Fantasy League points.

Stay classy, folks.

Meet Sandy Alderson the Stand-Up Comedian, media not laughing

The New York Mets are just days away from having their pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training on February 20th. They will be packing up their supplies, gear and personnel and driving to Port St Lucie, Florida.

The road trip for the team from New York will take a few days and we can expect updates from several members of the team as the February 20th deadline draws near.  One of those Mets has already started. Mets GM Sandy Alderson has become a recent addition to the world of Twitter. You can follow him here.

He has only been tweeting for a few days, but is already stirring up some reactions form fans and media alike. His first few tweets poked fun at the Mets finances.

On February 9th, he said "Big fundraiser tonight for gas money. Also exploring PAC contribution".

Two days later, he tweeted "Prepping for trip. Bought four like-new tires at chop shop across from Citi. He threw in free wiper fluid. Better than the Wheeler deal!".

The next day, he made fun of Jose Reyes and himself by tweeting "Inspired by Jose & Joba, got a haircut for charity, but MLB Network wasn't interested".

On Sunday, he continued to make light of the Mets finances when he posted "Will have to drive carefully on trip; Mets only reimburse for gas at a downhill rate. Will try to coast all the way to FL".

While fans have loved these pokes at the team and the lighter side of their hard-nose GM, the media have reacted with less levity as they reported these tweets as if they were news.

Call it a boring patch of the off-season or an excuse to write something about the Mets not financially related, but the media has a way of not being able to take a joke too well.

After all, it was this same media that over-reacted to R.A. Dickey being reminded of his contract when he decided to climb a mountain for charity. It was this same media that over analyzed every single rumor over the past few months.

It was this same media that painstakingly posted every boring word of each legal document released over the past few months in regards to the Madoff lawsuit.

They lack a soft side, a funny bone. They don't respond with emotion as the fans do. They embrace the journalistic side of every scenario with the sole purpose of reporting the story.

Sandy Alderson discovering twitter and poking fun at himself, his former player and the financial status of his bosses is NOT  news unless Fred Wilpon releases a statement saying Alderson will be fined or punished for said statements.

This is the same Mets ownership that endured Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel for several years.The bigger story here is that the Mets brass isn't overreacting to this and letting it go for now. Perhaps the media needs to take a lesson from them in this case.

Not everything is news worthy and reportable. Try to relax and enjoy the laughable moments the team you cover provides without ruining it with your straight-line analysis.

After all the Mets fans and this media have been through over the past few seasons, we could all use a laugh.