So, a lot of celebration in the form of hand signals have been happening and a new one has caught some attention.
The Mets have been struggling lately, and the fans are making their frustrations known. And the players have something to say about those boos. And I for one love it.
Fans think that because they pay for the games that they have immunity for their behavior. And yes, you can boo. Booing is fair game, but that doesn’t mean the players can’t respond. It is not a one way relationship. And I think the players responding during their successes with the thumbs down is a good gesture. It builds morale to a team having a tough time and trying to stay in the playoff race and it’s a fuck you to fans that turn on a team they root for. Javy Báez said that "If we win together, then we got to lose together, and the fans are a really big part of it,". And honestly, it’s a harmless gesture and it’s fun. Fans dish it to the players, they should be able to take it when the players respond.
I also just watched the new Malice at the Palace doc on Netflix and people should watch it to see how an unfair standard is applied to players versus those in the stands. And for some reason this year we’ve seen fans actually punished when their actions cross the line, from the person who dumped popcorn on Russell Westbrook’s head and the one who spit at Trae Young (in the middle of a pandemic). And I know those are big jumps from being booed, but players are finally empowered enough to say that they don’t like fan behavior.
And instead of attacking fans, the Mets are doing this to bring themselves together and showing people what it’s like to get booed by those that support you. It sucks, doesn’t it?
