"The Mets Are In Trouble, Buddy"

I'm sitting at work, dealing with a bunch of different matters. I'm answering e-mails that won't stop, rushing from office to office for answers, and trying to arrange meetings around other meetings. Every half hour, when he catches me at my desk, one of my work acquaintances (another Mets fan) walks by, glares, and states with venom and vigor: "The Mets are in trouble, buddy."

The first time he walked by, I mutterred something and shook my head. The second time, I tried to offer a retort but he scurried out. The third time he did it, he sat next to me and added this for effect: "If you don't think the Mets are in trouble, there's something wrong with you. You got Johan and 4 bums." When I responded that a Mets team with a similar rotation and a bullpen that's far worse than the 2010 team should be (the 2008 pen) won 89 games, he started to bash the offense. When I noted that Jason Bay in effect replaces Carlos Delgado's production, he called Daniel Murphy a "liability."

It was then that I paused to take in exactly what was going on here. It's February 24th...all of the Mets have gathered in Port St. Lucie, and Opening Day is in 39 days. 39 days! We've been without Mets baseball for nearly five months and it seemed lately that even the most pessimistic of Mets fans had started to look forward to the 2010 season. However, my work acquaintance isn't one of them.

I then came to the conclusion that it is some fans' preference and wont to relish in the fact that the Mets might fail, instead of hoping that they become Champions -of the Wild Card, the Division, the National League and/or the World. I used to think these fans were simply pessimistic, but now I think they actually enjoy acting this way.

This is perplexing to me. Is someone who claims to be a Mets fan, yet spends his or her day (during Spring Training no less) attempting to make other Mets fans miserable by stating how the season is over in February actually a Mets fan? I say no. I would term these people Mets followers.

A fan (especially one of the Mets), has every right to be aggravated or angry at the state of the team/franchise, but a true fan would never relish the possiblity of his or her team failing - since that result would hurt too much.

Now, I understand that Citi Field (for many reasons) will never have the feel of Shea Stadium. However, we should all hope (and for those of us who attend lots of games - we can make this happen) that in 2010, Mets fans shake off the pain that was the last 3 seasons and focus on rooting and making noise instead of sulking and arguing with eachother. If not, this faction of followers will multiply and then the Mets may actually be in trouble, buddy.