With all the bad press the Mets are getting these days, at this point it seems as if the Mets are seeking out more bad publicity. You know the sentiment: any publicity is good publicity.
With news leaking about the police cracking down on alcohol consumption in the parking lots at Citi Field, the Mets suffered yet another black eye in the public relations department. Tailgating is such a time-honored tradition and to mess with it, you mess with the whole institute of tailgating and fandom. It’s an affront to fans on so many levels.
Is this a ploy for the Mets to sell more of their alcoholic beverages in their place? If so that’s low. Why punish hard-working fans who just want to unwind and relax before the ball game in a tradition that has long been a part of the sporting event experience? Whatever the reason, the Mets have dropped the ball here.
Tailgating is not about just food and beer. It’s about family and friends. It’s about gathering and shooting the breeze while soaking in the memories. It’s about bonding with other fans and making new friends.
Open alcohol consumption is, of course, illegal in New York City, but police rarely enforce this at stadiums considering the peaceful and family-friendly atmosphere tailgating entails.
With the Mets bleeding economically, the prevailing thought here is that the Mets want their fans to pay for their beers (which is an ungodly price to begin with) to help offset the low attendance numbers. I mean this is the same franchise that is hyping up Matt Harvey’s home starts as events these days. (Granted, with the way he is pitching his starts have that feel). They need all the money they can get from their fans, but this approach is wrong on many levels.
Plus, as the article points out, the Mets did a terrible job of notifying the public that this rule would be strictly enforced. Where was the communication on this?
Look I hate to kick the Mets and their ownership when they are down; I want to see the silver linings in most things this franchise does, but this topic sure rubs me and many others the wrong way.
So Mets’ management, I plea with you. While you can mark up prices for tickets, merchandise and concessions, tailgating is one thing that is too sacred to interfere with. Please do the right thing and give us our tailgating back.
If not, you could be on the precipice of losing more fans-something you clearly don’t want. So, let’s smooth things and have a beer over it.
I know the perfect place.
They don’t call the Mets the Amazins for nothing. Nothing is beneath them.
Penny pinching the loyal Met fan who is willing to spend his or her hard her income to go and watch the team play is as despicable as it gets. How about everyone skipping a game or two just to remind ownership what the word loyalty means. Let’s screw the few fans who come and cheer. Wow! Simply Amazing!