One of the most amazin’ revelations of the Mets Hall of Fame and Museum is that they used to have something called Banner Day. Â As the legend goes, Mets fans loved their team and would make signs aka “banners” and walk around to display their affinity.
Some folks took photos of their experience and kept them as treasured memories. Â Some fans were small children when they took part in Banner Day, and even though the team had traded Tom Seaver and was horrible, these memories forged a relationship with the team that would last for decades. Â Eventually these kids would become adults with disposable income, which would find its way into the wallets of Nelson Doubleday and Fred Wilpon.
As this tradition no longer exists, one wonders what is happening to the children of today. Â Are they growing up Yankees fans? Â Who will have disposable income thirty years from now when Jeff Wilpon hires his son to be COO?
I digress….check out this cool exhibit
In all seriousness, the Museum is great. Â My son has been learning about this Casey guy that he finds interesting, and there is something about Gil Hodges that catches his eye. Â He learned on his own that they used to not have names on the backs of the uniforms.
I think it’s great that they included the Sign Man. Â That dude was a fan. Â A regular old money paying fan. Â Awesome.
Back to Banner Day – I know you guys are reading this site in the back offices at Citi Field. Â Have one more Banner Day. Â If it works, hey you sold tickets and then do it again in 2011. Â If it doesn’t work, you let some fans walk around on the dirt – really not much different than a Mr. Met Dash. Â Banner Day. Â Talk about it in the next staff meeting. Â I know you’ve liked some of my ideas. Â I know your fanbase. Â Trust me.
I’ll be the guy with the “The Good Guys don’t wear black” banner.
There are ways to make it work. Just have someone review all the signs as they walk onto the field (obviously they’re concerned with the message)
Put up the silly ropes so we don’t step on the grass.
Although, given the pathetic nature of the crowds/fans the last couple of days, I’m not surprised that Mets management wouldn’t trust us to do something this simple.
I’d be fine with them scanning the banners. It’s their house so if they don’t want “Omar Must Go” signs I think that’s ok – plus negativity is not the vibe of the day. I want my kid to experience the thrill of banner day. Since his dad is lazy we’d probably just write Lets Go Mets with a marker on a piece of cardboard.
Surely if you can do a Mr. Met Dash you can have a Banner parade.
Yeah. they definitely could. They could make any rules they wanted to make themselves happy. No site promotion, no profanity, completely unabashed Mets optimism only, that’s fine. Maybe even pick out one or two favorites and hang them for the duration of the game. Have Wright and Reyes each pick their favorite to display on the dugout fence.
As a former banner day participant (Canarsie Loves the Mets), I too worry about the profanity and negativism…those were more innocent days….no one even thought of a negative or risque banner.
My all time favorite: “To err is human, to forgive is a Met’s fan”