FAKE RONJAN!!An Opening Day dilemma
There may be snow on the ground in New England right now, but baseball season begins! And with the start of a new season comes a critical dilemma that I'm wrestling with.
Should I raise my son as a Mets fan or a Yankees fan?
Baseball is arguably the most magical sport growing up as a kid. There are games on almost every day, so it's fun to track and talk about. The stats are a big part of keeping up with the sport, which gets kids engaged with numbers. And of course, there's nothing like going to the ballpark on a nice summer day and watching your favorite player hit one out of the park.
I grew up a Cincinnati Reds fan, of course, so part of me would love to see Little Man rooting for daddy's favorite team. But I have to be realistic, too. He was born in Manhattan and is going to grow up in NYC, and he's going to want to follow a local team.
So, which one should I get him started with? I've tried breaking this down on several factors:
- We currently live in the Bronx (going on eight years). If we stay here, all of my son's friends will be Yankees fans. +1 Yankees
- Citi Field is a far better experience than the new Yankee Stadium. You don't have to be super focused on the baseball when you're at Citi Field. This is a good thing. Also, better food. +1 Mets
- Yankees fans are reviled nationwide. However, Mets fans are pitied nationwide. I feel like the latter is worse. Site writer Chris is a great example of what Mets fandom can do to you. +1 Yankees
- The idea of being a Met(ropolitan) is super appealing, particularly since my son is mixed race. +1 Mets
- The Mets are responsible for my worst baseball-related memory, ever. I attended the 1999 play-in game between the Reds and the Mets, and I was sitting in miserably cold weather, in the top row, behind the scoreboard (our writer Mike also attended). The Mets won, 5-0, leaving the 96-win Reds as one of the best teams ever to not make the playoffs. +1 Yankees
- The Yankees have one of the worst contracts in baseball history. +1 Mets
- The Mets have one of the worst contracts in baseball history. +1 Yankees
- The Yankees are losing icons left and right to retirement. Mariano's gone, and Jeter's done after this year. +1 Mets
- The Mets have no icons to lose. No, David Wright does not count. +1 Yankees
- The Mets have more interesting colors. I loved orange and blue growing up, as I'm a former Denver Broncos fan. +1 Mets
- The Yankees have better uniforms. +1 Yankees
- My friend Mike (different Mike than the one who writes for us) already bought my son a Mets t-shirt. +1 Mets
- I attended the Mets' final loss at Shea Stadium and the Yankees' first victory at the new Yankee Stadium. Seems like a pretty fair "legacy snapshot" for each franchise. +1 Yankees
- The Mets have a mascot similar to the Reds' mascot. Both are hilariously offputting. +1 Mets
- The Yankees are just better, and seem likely to remain so. Do I want to subject my son to a losing legacy? +1 Yankees
- Conversely, there's nothing better than rooting for an underdog. No one roots for the 1% in real life, so why should we do so in sports? +1 Mets
Well, that settled nothing! What should I do?
-rj