Who Should Mets Fans Root For?

The question of who Mets fans should root for was recently posed to us and I thought it merited attention. What I've primarily heard so far is that Mets fans will be rooting for the Phils, since they hate the Yankees so much. But I think we have to weigh the options a bit more carefully.

Mets fans are really between a rock and hard place, forced to choose between two teams who are far superior to theirs, and have made a habit of embarrassing them. On the one hand, you have the Phillies. They currently dominate the NL East, forcing Mets fans to have little else to look forward to other than in what creative new way the Mets will piss away their season in the face of a Phillies onslaught.

On the other hand, you have the Yankees, who have the audacity to play in the same city as the Mets, and the sheer balls to have been the most storied sports franchise in America long before someone came up with the idea of giving New York the Mets as consolation for the Dodgers and Giants leaving the city. It was kind of like when you wanted a computer for Christmas, but got a calculator instead. They're similar, but not quite. You still have to pretend you like, even love, the calculator, because the economy sucks and someone at least thought to get you something, but you're still a little empty inside. Such was the adoption of the Mets by NL fans in New York, and they have since tried to fill that emptiness with contempt for the Yankees.

Those aren't two great options to have to choose between if you're a Mets fan looking for someone to root for in this World Series. Both teams involved pretty much assure your team won't ever matter to anyone, no matter how blue and orange your logo is. I know that's hard to hear, but it has to be said.

But let's leave the logos out of this. This is about who to root for. Your division rival, whose star pitcher (until they traded for Cliff Lee) called you 'chokers'; or your crosstown rival, whom you hate but deep down secretly admire, because, after all, how could you not? They're the f----g Yankees!

The Phillies ultimately have a more direct role in the successes of the Mets. You play them 18 times a year, and you compete against them for a playoff spot. Perhaps this regular competition has left you with some amount of respect for the Phillies. And hey, at the end of the day, you live in New York, even if it's Queens, and they live in Philly. You may feel that letting them be successful is the least fate can do for them.

The Yankees play no real role in determining your success. But you don't compete with the Yankees on the baseball field, you compete with them for national, hell even local, love and attention. You're Leonardo's little brother. He just painted the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, and you're one hell of a tracer. Man you hate that guy. But you're still family. You live in the same house, and at the end of the day, what's good for the Yankees is good for New York. But you don't care about that do you? You're too bitter.

So what should a Met fan do this World Series? Move to Jersey, and root for the Phillies.