I have only a casual interest in baseball. I love watching the games, but haven't paid close attention or fallen for a particular team since the mid-90's. Even from afar, though, I can surmise that the New York Mets are having a really shitty season. Not only are they floundering, but they're finding novel, slapstick ways to lose, and humiliating themselves off the field as well. I've come to this conclusion based on what I read in the news, what I see on Sportscenter, and Russ Bengtson's tweets. Anyway, given that the Knicks and their fans are plenty familiar with the sickening blend of losing and embarrassment, I've been wondering what sort of hangover effect this past baseball season might have on fans of both teams. Might this coming Knicks season (which most expect to be typically mediocre) be a relief for New Yorkers? I'd be interested to hear from all of you who follow both.
For his part, Howard Beck of The Times took a break from his Knicks beat to visit Citi Field and get a glimpse of misery that lasts through the summer. He draws parallels between the two sorry squads, including injuries, managerial dysfunction, and physical folly. Beck's main question, though, is which fanbase has suffered more of late. His conclusion:
I cannot quote the infield-fly rule, but I have a doctorate in dysfunction. And this much is clear: the Mets may soon take the mantle as New York’s screwiest franchise, but they have a long way to go to match the Knicks of 2004 to 2008.
Since I'm sure a lot of you are avid baseball fans, I'd like to open the following poll. Leave any additional thoughts in the comments, and check out Amazin Avenue if you're a Met fan tryna commiserate.