#MetsTwitter for those of you who are not aware, is a large collection of die hard Mets fans, young & old, male & female, positive & negative, that use twitter as a way to talk about the Mets.
It has some really great people, it has some really not so great people and it can be both hilarious and depressing in the same day.
If I had one piece of solid advice when it comes to having an enjoyable time entering into this world, it would be not to take things at face value. As some of the people on there would say “It’s only twitter”.
(Although I will admit, even I still need to take that advice more seriously at times myself.)
It’s all supposed to be in good fun and it really it is. Meet these people in person and they are normally very nice and they can become your friends in the real world and not just on Twitter.
So without further ado, I wanted to give you all ten things to look out for while being involved in the #MetsTwitter world. A guide if you will of things you should do and not do while on there before, during and after a Mets game. (Btw, to follow the people I mention, click on the links below)
1. DON’T find yourself arguing with Greg Pomes or Tom Watson
Reason: The hatred that flows from these two gentlemen about the direction of the Mets would make the Emperor in Star Wars feel inadequate. They harp on the failures of this team and their perceived notion that Sandy Alderson is basically a moron. It’s very easy to read a tweet of theirs and feel compelled to step up and argue with them. It’s a waste of time really. Until the final out of a Mets World Series Title is secure, they will always be negative. I suggest sitting back, relaxing and watch someone else take up the fight, sometimes it can truly be great theatre.
2. DO follow @_mistermet, @metsjetsnets88 & @freebald
Reason: Now I could mention a thousand different people here and I would be a bad guy if not to mention my own staff as people to follow (@ttlsportslog, @Meriwyn, @DevOnSports, @tysim19, @SeanEngel05, @MikeGanci and @apy5000). But, I pick out the three gentlemen above because they truly are three of the smartest, funniest and down to earth follows you could have on #MetsTwitter. From the Vault, to the “Not Buying That” tweets to the overall hilarity of @FreeBald, these guys are my favorite follows and I almost guarantee they would be yours as well. They love the Mets, they love to talk Mets and they blend humor and baseball discussion very well. Not following them would be a mistake, trust me.
3. DON’T forget to honor the memory of @JedSmed
Reason: A legend in his own time, he walked away from Twitter last year and has not been heard from since. The man who made the Afternoon Mets hashtag a smashing success had it all and then decided enough was enough. He is like the Barry Sanders of #MetsTwitter, retiring way too early while at the top of his game. Every clever Mets hashtag created since he left always has someone remembering him and wondering when he will return. I don’t know this for a fact, but much like some believe Jesus will one day return, so will @JedSmed to #MetsTwitter and it will be glorious.
4. DO Enjoy yourself a nice pair of #WinningBoobs
Reason: Some of the female Mets fans last season started a tradition of taking pictures of their chest with The 7 Line Shirts ON (get your mind out of the gutter!) every time the Mets won a game. In my humble opinion, I think the faster the Mets start to win games off the rebuilding process, the better. Led by such legendary #MetsTwitter members like @SoozyWild79, @RageWynn, @Lud_Bug5 and @Nicolette517, these ladies show off what God gave them to honor the Mets putting one in the books. They are also funny and worth a follow for sure. Die hard Mets fans through and through. Heck @Lud_Bug5 once cursed out Chipper Jones on Twitter last year, which is pretty awesome.
5. DON’T underestimate the power of @Metspolice
Reason: Shannon of @Metspolice is more powerful then you could ever imagine. When banner day was going to be banner night thanks to ESPN, he was the driving force to see it moved. He started the #ImWith28 hash tag and now even the Mets use it on the score board at Citi Field. He hated the black uniforms and what happened to them? Gone. He gets whatever he wants when it comes to the aesthetics of the Mets and nobody better mess with Banner Day again. He does have power to make things happen, so I don’t suggest saying you like the Black Mets Uniform. All joking aside, he is a die hard Mets fan who focuses on the stuff worn on the the field, the people buying tickets to see them and is truly a great follow.
6. DO take the time to enjoy the meme’s, gif’s and other assorted nonsense from @MetsKevin11
Reason: He is famous the world over for some of the funniest pictures that have big white lettering all over them that tell a joke. @MetsKevin11 is one of my favorite follows because he is so darn funny. His ability to come up with GIF’s at a moments notice is impressive and his ability to catch Mets picking their nose on live TV is extraordinary. He has been featured on Sportscenter, USA Today and the MLB Meme’s account on Facebook. Of course most people don’t know this cause he forget to watermark (aka put his name on his work) the pictures, but he will never make that mistake again.
7. DON’T take what the Beat Writers tweet so literally
Reason: To some Mets fans who inhabit #MetsTwitter, the team’s beat writers from Newspapers in New York and New Jersey are basically a bunch of a-holes who hate the team and complain way too much about a job most would love to have. Certain guys like Andy Martino or Adam Rubin get pretty much slaughtered on a daily basis by #MetsTwitter for having any kind of thought, whether negative or positive. Sure, it can be annoying at times to have the guys who cover the team complain about their job and yes it is annoying to see them at times rip the organization. But, their job is not to be fans. It is to be objective observers of the team. Yes, most would say they lean way more to the negative, and I can say that might be true. But, you will enjoy your time on #MetsTwitter a lot more if you take the opinions of the beat guys with a grain of salt.
8. DO learn how to use the different hashtags used on #MetsTwitter properly
Reason: From #TRAID to #ImWith28 to #BackToYouGare and #BlameBeltran. The Hashtags that have stood the test of time within #MetsTwitter need to be used properly and not over done as to ruin the joke. Using #Traid whenever David Wright does something good is always the proper thing to do. #MetsTwitter is always full of odd tweets and breaking out my own created hashtag #BackToYouGare is good, but also best in moderation. Then you have the legend of all legends, #BlameBeltran. Why? Because lets face it, whenever something goes wrong for the New York Mets, it will always be the the fault of Carlos Beltran, even if he hasn’t been on the team since the middle of 2011.
9. DON’T be nasty to anyone on #MetsTwitter
Reason: Honestly, there is no need to get personal when disagreeing with someone on #MetsTwitter. We are all fans of the same team and although our opinions on the team may be different, be respectful about it. You will find yourself at times getting angry or disappointed at what you read and you will want to fight fire with fire. Don’t do it, it’s not worth the aggravation and the annoyance that can come from making an enemy who is protected by his computer screen. Just remember that at the end of the day, we all just want one thing, for the Mets to win.
10. DO yourself a favor and follow me @DailyStache
Reason: Come on now, did you really think I wouldn’t throw in a plug for people to follow me on Twitter? Of course I would and at least I put it at the end of the list and not at the beginning.
So there you have it. A list of just some of the things to look out for when you enter the wild and wacky world of #MetsTwitter.
It should be another fun year within the group for the 2013 season and with the guide above, you should be able to survive without too many bumps and bruises along the way.
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