Ticket Lottery and Schedule Update

I didn't post this as quickly as everyone else because frankly, I don't care about Mets-Yankees any more. We'll see how many others do care. Before you read any further or decide to pass, I haven't seen this posted anywhere else, and before you buy tickets - the Sunday Mets-Yankees game at Citi Field has been selected by ESPN and is now an 8:05pm start!

The Mets have their annual online ticket lottery registration. I linked to the Press Release so you can read the details if you haven't already.

June will be an interesting month in the battle of the new stadiums in New York City. Mets fans, at least some, some vocal, have voiced a displeasure with Citi Field. I hear that the new Yankee Stadium isn't that great either (I have yet to set foot in that building). I've also heard of some Yankee fans who think Citi Field is better (having asked one who's been to both). Both stadia suffer from some of the same problems (our friends at MetsPolice have covered this - a lot).

But we're coming up on the annual weekend where Mets fans make the road trip to the Bronx (and by the way, there are now Metro North trains that go directly to the big eyesore in the Bronx) - that road trip takes place June 12-14, 2 weekends from now. And 2 weeks later, Yankee fans will make their annual trip to Queens to see Citi Field (June 26-28).

It should be real interesting to hear comparisons of the two ballparks from die-hards of each team.

As far as anyone caring about Mets-Yankees, it wasn't that long ago when FOX televised both scheduled Saturday games (doubleheaders aside) and ESPN televised both scheduled Sunday games, leaving the scheduled Friday night games to be a viewers' choice night choosing between the Yankees broadcast and the Mets broadcast. I noticed on the schedule this year, FOX gets one Saturday game and MLB Network gets the other (a Saturday night Mets-Yankees extravaganza at Citi Field), ESPN gets one Sunday game (with no fanfare, it's the Sunday game at Citi Field that's on your schedule as a 1:10pm game) and TBS has the other. (My original point here was that neither Sunday game was picked by ESPN, but as I noted at the top of this post, the Sunday game at Shea was quietly picked to be a night game).

something to lighten the mood

I guess Fred Wilpon IS going ahead with his ideas of building a new Mets Hall of Fame at Chez Amazin'. That's a good thing. I'm sure he'll have great Mets players like Duke Snider and Gil Hodges. Way to think ahead on this one, Freddy! Even WFAN hosts were getting on you for the lack of Mets stuff at new Chez, and this while they're at the other ballpark's Opening Day.

Based on the feedback on other blogs, maybe not everyone cares about that. Take a page from the New Jersey Devils (the last team to open a major league sports venue in the NY/NJ area since the Meadowlands Arena opened in 1981). I walked in there, the for the very first hockey game they played there, and I knew two things. I was in a hockey arena (with all the local High School Hockey jerseys on the wall), and I was there to see the Devils (with beautiful artwork painted on some walls). I didn't get that feeling when I walked into the Jackie Robinson Rotunda from the Ebbets Field-looking entrance, into something that made me think Arthur Ashe stadium (not that any of those things are bad).

The new Yankee Stadium is opening today. Good for those fans. They get what we all deserve. A ballpark that feels like home, and with a big screen TV in the middle of the living room. The Onion may well have an article today saying that the recent Yankee Stadium was being moved over to Yogi's museum to be a permanent exhibit.

And according to the Onion, even Mr. Met is having some trouble there.