“I’ve had enough; I’m getting out to the city, the big, big city.” – Peter Gabriel
Even for a town like New York, where everything is magnified, yesterday (3/21/12) was a rare convergence of circumstances. Johan Santana’s impressive start against the Cardinals was not the least of it, but it was semi-buried amid all the shouting that occurred later in the day. To the majority of the New York sports scene, right now, the Mets rank somewhere in the middle of the Nets, the Islanders, the Red Bulls and pro lacrosse in terms of relevance. It takes something major to put them on the heat map. The acquisition of a Cy Young pitcher, perhaps. The firing of a manager, certainly. Unfortunately, Johan’s magnificently good start wasn’t big enough. Not by a long shot.
The fact that Santana went six innings, throwing 69 pitches, walking none and striking out six would be cause for great celebration – even among Yankee fans, I’d wager – on a slower news day. The first real ray of good news to come the Mets’ way in a long time should be noteworthy. Not yesterday, though. It was relegated to page six and not without reason. The Knicks and Rangers both scored big wins, relative to their respective playoff prospects, and something or other happened with the Jets.
It’s not often that a national sensation becomes available. Most sports teams that own the rights to a national sensation guard that “possession” with zeal usually reserved for government nuclear weapons secrets or the formula for Coke. Let’s face it, national sensations don’t come just strolling down Park Avenue every day, despite how we out here in the Big Town like to think. So when one of our local squadrons scoops one up, the news cycle can consider itself dominated. Tim Tebow was coming to New York from Denver, it was announced, then wasn’t coming to New York, based on a very smart general manager not vetting Tebow’s existing contract. Suddenly a 10:00 PM press conference announced that Tim Tebow – he of the “Thinker’s” stance and questionable QB mechanics – would indeed be coming to the Jets to be Mark Sanchez’s backup. There are very few people – Jet fans, included – who understand why. It cost the Jets a fourth and a seventh round choice in the upcoming meat market, plus Tebow’s considerable salary, of course, plus a figure in the neighborhood of $5 million due back to the Broncos, due to that piece of fine print not read by Jetsian hierarchy.
All this, of course, makes fine fodder for the airwaves, ink and pixels, here in the greater Apple metro area. I use the present tense, because even as we speak, the air is turning blue with prose lavished on Tebow and both tenants of Madison Square Garden. The cross promotional possibilities have the modern-day Mad Men positively drooling. Imagine an ad campaign featuring Tebow, Jeremy Lin and Marian Gaborik?
But Johan went six, struck out six and walked none.
As a Jet fan, I’m still disgusted by the Tebow trade. As a Met fan, this might be a blessing in disguise. If no one hears about Santana’s great outing, did it really happen? Let him surprise some opponents in April with a performance like yesterday’s. It’ll be a much bigger story if no one heard about Tuesday’s effort.