(New York, NY) – Boy, Sid Rosenberg sure picked a good time to jump ship, didn’t he? The guy has a knack for timing if nothing else — something every good radio host needs. And with the Mets losing every single game they play in completely inept fashion, Rosenberg looks downright prescient in his decision to “switch” his fandom to the Yankees.
Yet it begs the question, what does it really mean to be a sports fan?
Most of use become “fans” of a certain team for any number of reasons. Perhaps a parent or grandparent was a fan of that team. They took you to a game or watched a bunch on tv — or listened on the radio — while you sat in the backseat as a youngster. Others were gifted a tee-shirt or team jacket, which inspired their love of a certain team. Some players are so transcendent and become such an object of admiration that it leads to fanhood. Many a Yankees fan can count Mickey Mantle as the reason why, or a Mets fan who grew up watching the heroics of Mike Piazza.
Once upon a time, Sid Rosenberg became a Mets fan for similar reasons. And fanhood is not always fun. In truth, for most people, it rarely is. Unless you’re a Yankees fan, or Patriots fan, or Lakers fan, chances are you’ve been disappointed more often than not. Perhaps that’s why Sid is opting to side with the Yankees these days. Even though he’ll tell you it’s rooted in hating Mayor Mamdani, and the mayor’s hugging Mr. Met, (and the fawning love he’s received from Yankees brass by comparison).
Being a fan, however, is not easy come and easy go. Sid long ago abandoned the passions of fanhood much like he moved on from doing “sports talk.” The guy who anchored sports updates for Imus, and hosted pre-and-postgame for the Giants, and bled orange and blue, is now decked out in pinstripes. It’s generated attention and helped the morning show chatter, but it’s not going to move anyone who’s a Mets fan. Or a Yankees fan, for that matter.
Sadly, it’s not that easy to get out of being a Mets fan. Many will tell you that they wish it was that easy. Sid has decided there’s more important thing than sports: bombs, and taxes, and politics, and elections. He’s right, of course. Sports is a distraction from the everyday grind. It’s something we use as a proxy for the challenges we live and breathe everyday. We don’t scream at our boss: we yell at Bo Bichette for striking out. You don’t verbally blast that junior employee for not getting it done: you criticize Bret Batty as less than a major leaguer. Family members you’d rather not deal with? You grin and bear it. Then you yell and scream about Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr., and the injured Juan Soto.
Politics, truth be told, is easy come and easy go. The names and faces on the ballot change every four years. Of course, sports rosters are even more transient these days. That’s somewhat painfully true for Mets fans right now while the team also stinks out loud. Yet some of us know there’s certain politicians who you love because they break the mold. You stuck with them through thick and thin, even when the going got tough. That’s like President Donald Trump, who’s from Queens.
The baseball team from Queens, yeah they leave a lot to be desired. The going often gets rough. But a true “fan” would never — and can never — leave. Certainly not for that squad in the Bronx. That’s the difference between playing a role on a radio, and being a sick-in-the-head-wish-it-was-that-easy-to-get-out “fan”.
