Baseball Games Are About BaseballI had the misfortune of watching Billy Wagner give away another game last night.
As frustrating as Wagner's performance was, any long-suffering Mets fan (except Mr. Sunshine, a/k/a Elster) is jaded enough to know that whoever closes for the Mets will blow lots of saves and put fans through intense stress even when the save is preserved.
What I can't tolerate is the apparent dreadful return of the wave. Last night, a crowd of nearly 50,000 packed Shea Stadium. Alas, even in the 9th inning, many of those "fans" were more focused on the wave then on the game.
If people enjoy standing up, lifting their arms and then sitting down again, aren't there more appropriate venues than Shea Stadium at which this could be accomplished, such as the beach? Can't those of us interested in the game be allowed to watch the game?
Certain stadium rituals are fun, like the singing of 'Sweet Caroline' at Fenway Park (and in the past, at Giants Stadium for Jets games in the 4th quarter). Others are tolerable, like the 7th inning stretch. Still others are ridiculous but essentially grandfathered in, sort of, l'havdil, part of the mesorah, like shouts of "Potvin sucks," at Rangers home games.
There is no place for the wave during play.
And - as long as I'm ruining my fingers and wrists to feed my blogging addiction - nor is it tolerable for people to enter and exit rows during play.
posted on 6/22/2006
