Today I’m not bantering about the team and its issues, but just some issues I have with us the fans and our behavior at Mets games.

Single: The ‘Yankees Suck’ chant.  Even when we’re not playing the Yankees, at home games we seem to break out in spontaneous ’Yankees Suck’ chants.

Yes, the Yankees do suck.  We know it, and I’m getting the feeling they are starting to figure it out lately too.  Yet, we don’t have to stoop down to their level of behavior. Its just not needed.  Listen, I’m sure if you have friends who are Yankees fans they rub in your face the 26 World Championships, then they ask you, ‘Wait, how many do they Mets have? Two, that’s all?’ But, you can always defend your fandom by saying the Mets are classier, the Mets don’t use the DH, and they have a much more dedicated and well-rounded fan base.  You lose that if all of a sudden we stoop down to their level for a meaningless ‘Yankees Suck’ chant midway through a summer blowout against the Pirates. 

Double: The ‘Jose-Jose-Jose’ chant.  In 2006 as Jose Reyes was developing into a star and we were in the middle of wining our first division championship since 1988, there developed an amazing cheer, for Jose Reyes.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out youtube.

Here’s my issue with the Jose chant: in 2007 we did it too often.  Before at-bats we did it, after meaningless singles we cheered it, and that’s not what its meant for.  It should be saved for those crucial RBI doubles, and singles that we want to spark come behind rallies in the bottom of the ninth.  Granted, not all of the blame here goes to the fans.  The higher powers that control the music at Shea started playing it before at-bats and after every meaningless single.  Together, along with better performance from the audio crew at Shea, we can avoid ruining this great cheer.

Triple: It seems to be almost regular now, that at a Mets game (and my guess is at every other ballpark too) that somebody decides they will be that guy and bring a couple beach balls to the game and hit them around in the crowd.

Now the general notion of the beach ball does not bother me.  I’d just like to set a few guidelines regarding the conduct of the beach ball at the baseball game.  First of all, beach balls should only be brought during day games.  Day games are supposed to have a spring-summer almost picnic like feel, so beach balls are appropriate.  However, day game or not what really bothers me is how people act towards the ball.  There could be one floating getting bopped three sections away and the person sitting next to me is all giddy for the ball.  They’re on the edge of their seat yelling, as if the person three sections over will hear, “This way. THIS WAY!”  And for what, to take a smack at this beach ball?  Is it really such a thrill? It’s as if there are these men playing some sort of sport on a field in front of them that they could perhaps pay attention to, rather than a beach ball 100 seats to their right getting smacked by a random stranger.

Home Run: The ‘Hoo’.  At games, there tends to be a ‘Lets Go Mets’ chant, only to be followed with an even louder ‘Hoo’.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out youtube. 

I think the cheer is pointless.  What bothers me by far the most is that the ‘Hoo’ is usually much louder than the actual ‘Lets Go Mets’ chant.  What is the ‘Hoo’? Is it supposed to be intimidating, because its definitely not.  ‘Lets Go Mets’ is a classic chant being ruined by an idiotic roar in between each verse.  If you are a die-hard ‘Hoo’ person, I ask that you at least chant the ‘Lets Go Mets’ as well.  It’s just the worst when there is a faint ’Lets Go Mets’ but then there is an absurdly loud ‘Hoo’.  It’s a silly chant that takes away from a classic chant.  This doesn’t even graze my other issues with the ’Lets Go Mets’ chant.  For example, why do we try and do it so quickly?  Most of the time when we’re chanting it, Shea provides us with a nice steady beat to do it on, but people go way too quickly, and it results in parts of the stadium doing it at one pace, another section at another pace and it is in no way the classic chant that it could and should be.

I talked with Matt Cerrone of Metsblog about the ’Hoo’ and he expressed similar sentiment, however he had a unique reason for his views:

 ”The yelling of, ‘Hoo, is not my preferred version of the cheer.  However, like the black uniforms, I have learned to accept it as a product of a new generation of Mets fans, and I can live with that.  What bugs me most about it, though, is that after the game, in the parking lot after a win, people will beep their horns to the rhythm, ‘Lets go Mets,’ and it’s a great environment.  By adding that fourth beat, for the, ‘Hoo,’ it will turn in to one long series of beeps, and that is unacceptable.”

Whatever your reason is, please don’t chant the ‘Hoo’, and even if for some reason you feel compelled to, chant the ‘Lets Go Mets’ louder than the ‘Hoo’.

PS

This isn’t to the fans but Shea Stadium: Stop taking my freakin’ bottle caps. Now I just have to bring my own to put on top, which is moderately inconvenient.  Thank you.