So, I took my first trip to CitiField last night. I think most of you know that's the Mets new stadium in Queens. Here are some bullet points on my thoughts of the new place:
-Yes, it's very nice. The outside is designed to look like the old Ebbets Field. Very sharp looking.
-Many New Yorkers have been complaining that there is too much memorabilia around the stadium for the Giants (baseball, not football) and Dodgers. I think I agree. There isn't enough about the Mets history. Sure, the Mets have been a sad franchise for some time, but it is what it is. They have two World Series titles and have had some great players. So where is the tribute to the Mets?
-It's brand new and wonderful…but it's not Citizens Bank Park. I'm not saying that because I follow the Phillies and not the Mets, but there is a certain charm and coziness that CBP has that Citi does not.
-I like that all the food listings have the calories next to them on the menus. Great idea. 475 calories in those Nathan's fries? I'll pass. Or at least I'll only pick at them as I walk to my seat to give them to my girlfriend. Something like that.
-$7.50 a beer! Awesome! It's like they are paying me to drink. Yankee Stadium is up to $9 if you can believe that. They did check my ID though so that made me feel good.
-There were wayyy less Philly fans at last night's game than I used to see at Shea. It could have been because one only needed to glance at the pitching matchup (Chan Ho Park vs. Santana) and the weather (cold and rainy) and decide that there is no good that's going to come of attending the game.
-I don't like the orange foul polls. Bright yellow is perfectly fine. And they are quite short I must say. Get ready for a lot of disputes about balls that sail over those foul polls.
-The food selection is just ok when compared to CBP. Maybe we are spoiled, but I like that CBP has Bull's BBQ, the Schmitter and Tony Luke's. You feel like the food reflects the local cuisine. Do Nathan's hot dogs scream New York City? I don't think so. Where is the Junior's cheesecake? Maybe it's asking a lot to get Peter Luger's steaks in there.
-This comment is not a reflection of the stadium as much as the fans in general. And this isn't just NY, this is everywhere. I personally am not a fan of Broadway musicals. Just don't like them. So you know what? I don't go to Broadway musicals. If you don't like baseball and don't want to watch the game, why did you go? Stop with this getting up every two seconds and running around. At least wait until between batters.
-I like that you can still go to CitiField for a reasonable price. For $19 you can an upper level seat. That is very reasonable. Compared to their cross-town rival in the Bronx where it's $2,500 to sit behind home plate (I know they reduced it to $1,500 but…c'mon). The Mets do seem to keep their fans in mind more than the Yankees. Then again, maybe they have to.
-I think Mets fans can be frustrating. I'm not much of a rah rah guy. I like to watch the games and call it like I see it. Whereas Mets fans have a built-in inferiority complex due to playing second fiddle to the Yankees for all these years. Chanting "Philly [stinks]!!" over and over just doesn't make any sense. Did you just watch the game? Chan Ho Park gave Santana a run for his money and the Mets were only able to score on a poor Feliz throw to win a 1-0 game. That's a great game no matter who you are rooting for. Last I checked, the Phillies recently had a parade and it had nothing to do with Thanksgiving or St. Patrick's Day. It just makes people sound stupid.
-That said, some of the Phillies fans running around screaming "World Champs!" repeatedly in the first inning wasn't a good way to spread joy and happiness. There were a few groups that were just over-the-top obnoxious and it's a shame because it's makes us all look bad. Overall though it was good-natured and I didn't see any physical violence.
-To wrap up, it's a great stadium. Most new stadiums are. It's a great place to watch a game and I highly recommend checking it out this season if you get a chance to come up this way.
Have you had a chance to go there yet? Let me know what you thought of the place.
