Met fans are like Red Sox fans pre-2004 Word Series: They know not to get too excited when the team is contending into mid to late summer, because the crash is inevitable. Any time the Mets look like world beaters, ask most true Mets fans if they think the team will still be around when the leaves start to change colors, and they'll offer a weary shake of the head.There's a word for this Metsie mindset: a Metssimist, says very funny Wall Street Journal sports guy Jason Gay.
Gay effectively sums up the last few weeks for Met fans, which he describes as a roller coaster only a sadist would design.
Just a few weeks ago, Metland was celebrating a successful first half of the season. The team tripped early, but they corrected nicely, finding unlikely life with contributions from surprise presents like knuckleballer R.A. Dickey and outfielder Angel Pagan. Entering the All- Star break, they were tailgating the first-place Braves, and getting back their All-Star center fielder, Carlos Beltran. They were poised.
But then the West was lost. For weeks, the 11-game swing through Arizona and the Republic of Schwarzenegger loomed dangerously on the schedule, but only a deep Mets pessimist (A Metssimist?) predicted it would unravel so spectacularly.
UPDATE: Oddly, Gay wasn't the first to coin the term. I see the blog MetsWalkOffs.com referred to "Metssimists" before the 2007 season even started--when Met fans had no idea what sort of misery would await them in the ensuing years.
The blog reads:
True Metssimists know...The biggest decline in Mets walk-off wins from one season to the next is 7.
The best index of Metssimism is the brilliant Confidence Rating over on MetsBlog.com. Even after yesterday's 8-run output and rare win, it shows a Dubya-esque 47%.
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1 comment:
I think if we adopt a low expectation philosophy one of these years we may get a surprise. I'm just glad I don't have to pay to support these guys.
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