Sandman my ass
In all the fuss over what song he was going to warm up to, one small detail was overlooked: Billy Wagner actually needs to save the damn game. As a general rule, winning > entrance music. Hey, it's the Sandman everybody!
No, it's not.
It's the guy who cost the Mets the game. Although let's not forget the Mel Rojasesque Jorge Julio for doing his fine work.
I meant to weigh in on this stupid little "controversy." The minute it started playing on Monday I said, "Hey, that's Rivera's music." Now, I don't give a damn about the stupid argument that Wagner isn't showing the proper respect by using that music. Last time I checked, Metallica isn't Hetfield, Ulrich, and Rivera. Mariano Rivera is a baseball player just like Billy Wagner, and there is no deference owed to Rivera. Yankee fans who argue that that's Rivera's song in Rivera's town are idiots. Of course, Yankees fans who cure AIDS are idiots, because they are Yankee fans, and Yankee fans are idiots.
However, I'd like Wagner to have his own music anyway. I don't want to give Yankee fans ammo, and I would like my closer to have a song distinct from Rivera's. Wagner was perfectly willing to break with his routine by signing with a strange team that offered him a lot of money - so why must he be wedded to Sandman because it's his ritual? Isn't there another Metallica song he could find?
Actually, you know what? Come into whatever song you want. Just don't give up a game tying homer to Ryan Zimmerman, how does that sound?
Annoying loss for the Mets tonight? Yeah, just a little. Now I'm going to try to avoid making this too much of a Mets game reaction blog, but I ask for your patience as I feel my way through the whole blogging during the season thing. I'll get it right.
Two interesting philosophical questions came up during tonight's game. As you may know, Brian Bannister had a no hitter going through 5.1 innings. I buy into the superstition and don't say anything about it. When your team has gone 44 years without ever having a no hitter, you do what you can. Sinensky asked what I would do if it were the 8th inning and wanted to make sure a friend was watching the game. If you don't believe in the superstition then you call and tell him exactly what's going on. If you do believe in it, do you call at all? I say you may call but can't say why. You can't say "watch the game," and nothing else - if your friend doesn't get why you can't elaborate he's not a friend worth keeping around anyway.
And yes, I know the superstition is ridiculous. But indulge me.
The other question is a little more interesting. How much of your team's season would you be willing not to watch if it ensured a good year? Obviously you'd be happy to skip a couple of games. And presumably you wouldn't offer to watch nothing. What would be the point of being a fan? You'd lose the connection with the franchise if you couldn't watch at all. I don't watch any of AC Milan's games, and I don't care if that means they're winning. So what's the tipping point? And you can't cheat by offering to skip games you'd skip anyway - that means no volunteering to forego Friday night games, you crafty deal making street rioting Jews out there (I can say these things because I once met a Jew). I feel like I'd skip about 20% of the games, but this is obviously not very scientific.
Pushing it further, imagine this scenario: Your team is in Game 7 of the WS. If you don't watch it/listen to it/follow it as it unfolds, they'll win. If you do watch, 50/50 chance. Nobody will know about your decision, so you don't have to factor in people knowing you as the asshole who ruined it for everybody else by watching the game. I'll tell you: I'd watch the game. Same logic as above. Who wants to be on the sidelines, why would you get enjoyment out of that? I'll take my chances by watching the game and participating. I've gotten one agreement and one disagreement on this so far. What are ya'll thinking about it?
The D-Rays scored 6 runs on 13 hits tonight. And they lost 16-6. I have a feeling there are going to be a lot of games like that this year for that team. Although maybe Mark Hendrickson, Doug Waechter, and Seth McClung are really good pitchers who just all need a change of scenery. That sounds about right.
No, it's not.
It's the guy who cost the Mets the game. Although let's not forget the Mel Rojasesque Jorge Julio for doing his fine work.
I meant to weigh in on this stupid little "controversy." The minute it started playing on Monday I said, "Hey, that's Rivera's music." Now, I don't give a damn about the stupid argument that Wagner isn't showing the proper respect by using that music. Last time I checked, Metallica isn't Hetfield, Ulrich, and Rivera. Mariano Rivera is a baseball player just like Billy Wagner, and there is no deference owed to Rivera. Yankee fans who argue that that's Rivera's song in Rivera's town are idiots. Of course, Yankees fans who cure AIDS are idiots, because they are Yankee fans, and Yankee fans are idiots.
However, I'd like Wagner to have his own music anyway. I don't want to give Yankee fans ammo, and I would like my closer to have a song distinct from Rivera's. Wagner was perfectly willing to break with his routine by signing with a strange team that offered him a lot of money - so why must he be wedded to Sandman because it's his ritual? Isn't there another Metallica song he could find?
Actually, you know what? Come into whatever song you want. Just don't give up a game tying homer to Ryan Zimmerman, how does that sound?
Annoying loss for the Mets tonight? Yeah, just a little. Now I'm going to try to avoid making this too much of a Mets game reaction blog, but I ask for your patience as I feel my way through the whole blogging during the season thing. I'll get it right.
Two interesting philosophical questions came up during tonight's game. As you may know, Brian Bannister had a no hitter going through 5.1 innings. I buy into the superstition and don't say anything about it. When your team has gone 44 years without ever having a no hitter, you do what you can. Sinensky asked what I would do if it were the 8th inning and wanted to make sure a friend was watching the game. If you don't believe in the superstition then you call and tell him exactly what's going on. If you do believe in it, do you call at all? I say you may call but can't say why. You can't say "watch the game," and nothing else - if your friend doesn't get why you can't elaborate he's not a friend worth keeping around anyway.
And yes, I know the superstition is ridiculous. But indulge me.
The other question is a little more interesting. How much of your team's season would you be willing not to watch if it ensured a good year? Obviously you'd be happy to skip a couple of games. And presumably you wouldn't offer to watch nothing. What would be the point of being a fan? You'd lose the connection with the franchise if you couldn't watch at all. I don't watch any of AC Milan's games, and I don't care if that means they're winning. So what's the tipping point? And you can't cheat by offering to skip games you'd skip anyway - that means no volunteering to forego Friday night games, you crafty deal making street rioting Jews out there (I can say these things because I once met a Jew). I feel like I'd skip about 20% of the games, but this is obviously not very scientific.
Pushing it further, imagine this scenario: Your team is in Game 7 of the WS. If you don't watch it/listen to it/follow it as it unfolds, they'll win. If you do watch, 50/50 chance. Nobody will know about your decision, so you don't have to factor in people knowing you as the asshole who ruined it for everybody else by watching the game. I'll tell you: I'd watch the game. Same logic as above. Who wants to be on the sidelines, why would you get enjoyment out of that? I'll take my chances by watching the game and participating. I've gotten one agreement and one disagreement on this so far. What are ya'll thinking about it?
The D-Rays scored 6 runs on 13 hits tonight. And they lost 16-6. I have a feeling there are going to be a lot of games like that this year for that team. Although maybe Mark Hendrickson, Doug Waechter, and Seth McClung are really good pitchers who just all need a change of scenery. That sounds about right.
posted by Eric at 11:07 PM
2 Comments:
On the first question, having been in this situation many times, I've called my friend but obviously could not say exactly what's happening. Said things like "something very important is happening," may have even gone as far as saying "something that's never happened in a Mets game before," which probably is too leading and is why Pedro didn't get a no hitter against the Dodgers last August. And I do this for any team, unless its the Yankees or Clemens, in which case I tell everyone within hearing range that there's a no hitter in the works. What's the earliest you can tell someone? I'd say around the 7th inning.
The other question is very difficult, I'm not sure how I come out. A somewhat similar situation from my experience: 2 years ago when the Jets played the Steelers in the playoffs, it was a Saturday afternoon game, I'd surely be able to see the 2d half after shabbos, but the question was do I try to find some way to see the 1st half (sit at a bar, accidentally turn on a TV). I decided not only wouldn't I do that, but I also would go to shul rather than wait to turn on the TV the second shbbos was over. My thinking was that I didn't want the Jets to lose as punishment for my being a bad Jew. But of course as we all remember they lost anyway. So were my efforts futile? No. Because rationally I realize the same outcome would have happened, but if I had done things differently I would feel responsible. So I made the right decision.
I'm still not sure what I do in your situation. I'll say this- if it were 50/50 if I don't watch, and sure loss if I do, I wouldn't watch. But that's an easier question.
Watch it
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