I was born on January 10th, 1988. Just about 14 months or so after the Mets won the World Series and to this date, the last one won by the team since then.
I became a Mets fan in 1999 and havent looked back, taking the good and the bad, hoping the team can finally win a world championship.
I have never seen one of my teams win a championship, ever. I dont count the 1994 Rangers, I was 6 years old and Hockey wasnt exactly on my mind and my concern back then.
I should probably blame my Dad since he could have introduced me to Hockey at that time, but like most Americans, couldnt care less then or now.
The Jets? well the last two years not withstanding, they havent really been too close, and the only team that hasnt reached a league title game since my birth. They probably wont make it this year either.
The Knicks made runs in 1994 (Didnt Watch, you know, blame Dad, blah blah blah) and in 1999 to the NBA Finals, didnt win either one, but I can remember a ton about that 1999 team, one of my favorites.
Then of course the Mets made the World Series in 2000, losing to the Yankees and outside of 2006, havent even made the playoffs, let alone come close to winning a championship since.
So what exactly does this has to do with the 1986 Mets and their World Championship? Its actually simple really.
I have no connection to that title, I wasnt around to see it and the fact the Mets have been close only once to a World Title since that point 25 years later is not exactly great in my opinion.
I cant stand the talk, the articles, the rememberances of the 1986 title because mostly…Im jealous.
Why should I not be, right? I mean its like the older Mets fan gets to have this wonderful memory to go back to, even during the dark times for the franchise.
I mean, I could go back to the Ventura Grand Slam, or the Endy catch, but the Mets lost those series and like 29 other teams in those years, didnt win the World Series.
The 1986 Mets are kinda like the inside joke that nobody wants to let you in on. The older Mets fan can talk about it and laugh, smile and think that “hey, at least they won a World Series in my lifetime”.
But for people like myself, Mike Ganci, Sean Engel, other young writers on this blog and on other blogs, we dont get to share those memories and happyness with the older Met fan. We just get to hear the stories and wonder, what if?
So as the 25th anniversary of the 86 Mets winning the World Series comes and goes, I will sit here, with my other young Mets fans (27 and younger) and let the day go by, maybe here a story or two about that fateful time from the older Mets Fans who remember it and then go about my normal Mets fan life.
The one where arguments about why Ownership sucks, the fences should or shouldnt be moved in, if the General Manager is cheap and if Moneyball is a book of evil.
I find the 1986 Mets annoying because I want a title of my own, for the young Mets fans around the world who dont have a 1986 to go back to, to finally have their day in the sun.
Until then, we can just sit back, wait and hope. Because maybe, just maybe, our version of 1986 is just around the corner and we can all share in the glory of another world title and have the next generation be jealous of us.
