You may have picked up that I’m fascinated by the whole newspapers/blogs dynamic – and this morning I find myself writing about something I feel like has been well covered over here…but since the Times published an article about it today it will be “news” (and that’s not meant to be a diss at Times, it’s just the nature of the beast)…so I feel compelled to comment.
First the story…
Mets Lead the Majors in Declining Attendance
By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT
Published: May 13, 2010
After 22 home games, attendance at Citi Field is down 6,852 fans a game, which translates to 31,892 fans at games this season.
The article talks about the bad 2009, the weather, stadium fatigue and even some analysis from David Howard that I agree with.
My take: Â yep. Â 2009 was a disaster, “new stadium” isn’t that exciting after all (whether this one or the one in the Bronx or the unnecessary one in the Meadowlands, and I am LMAO at the Jets. Â Good luck selling 10,000 PSLs. Â Coming up at 1pm, Bills vs Dolphins!), people don’t have disposable income, and May has been wintry.
Solution: Â win. Â You know when there were lots of Mets fans? Â 1970, 1987, 2007 (strangely 2001 dipped from 2000).
You kids won’t believe how many “Mets fans” there were in the second half of 1986. Â If you are looking for them now, they are the folks with the Jeter jerseys with the name on the back.
Follow folks like @ericfishersbj or @bizballmaury on twitter and you would have read about this a week ago. Â Again I don’t mean to dump on the newspapers, it’s just a different medium. Â Â It takes time for stories to bubble up to the mainstream – and here at Mets Police I assume most readers are superfans or you wouldn’t come back day after day to read about a fat guy’s man-crush on Lee Mazzilli. Â Similarly, it’s not like I don’t read interesting things in the papers or the beat reporters don’t break news. Â Read matthewcerrone.com for more on this type of discussion.
I’m @metspolice by the way, I hope you’ll follow.