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Yahoo! Contributor NetworkNew York Mets Announce Ill-timed Banner Day: A Fan’s View
The New York Mets announced Feb. 1 that they will be bringing back Banner Day for the first time in 16 years.
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The idea behind Banner Day- which was a Mets tradition from 1963 to 1996- is to give fans the opportunity to show their love for the team by creating homemade banners that illustrate their favorite memories and moments in franchise history.
The event is scheduled for Sunday, May 27, prior to the Mets' showdown with the San Diego Padres at 1:10 p.m. at Citi Field. When asked in November by Newsday about potential inappropriate banners, Mets executive vice president of business operations Dave Howard replied, "We are confident Mets fans will be appropriate."
Given the team's shaky offseason and its uncertain financial situation, this Mets fan isn't so sure Howard's words will ring true. It's going to be a long season and the Mets may be already out of the playoff race by the end of May, so planning a Banner Day celebration for May 27 may be ill-advised.
Most Mets fans are classy individuals, but this long-suffering and extremely passionate fanbase is very frustrated by the way the franchise has degenerated into a low-budget team playing in a large baseball market. Fans are also upset at the way the Mets' brass let several stars recently walk away from the team without making any serious attempts to sign them, so Banner Day may be one of the first chances for the fanbase to publicly express its feelings.
Three of the Mets' top five stars- Carlos Beltran, Francisco Rodriguez and Jose Reyes- have left the organization within the past six months, and New York baseball fans don't have much reason to get excited about this team heading into the new season without those players in the mix.
Will fans show up with exciting homemade signs proclaiming their love for the team, or will Banner Day become a parade of banners featuring dubious remarks like "Fred Coupon" and "Madoff Created This New York Mess?"
According to the New York Mets website, tickets for Banner Day are on sale now through the Mets 50th Anniversary Banner Day Pack on Mets.com. The five-game pack starts at $50 and also includes games against the San Francisco Giants (Saturday, April 21), Cincinnati Reds (Friday, June 15) and Miami Marlins (Thursday, August 9 and Friday, September 21).
Is it a good idea to have a Banner Day in a season that will be anything but a banner year? This Mets fan says 'No.'
Eric Holden is a lifelong New York Mets fan. Follow him on Twitter @ericholden.
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