You Play to Win the Game, but you have to Play

I just read an amazing article written by former NHL player Patrick O'Sullivan in Derek Jeter's website, The Players Tribune. TPT often gets mocked by snobby sportswriters (some who happen to be my friends) but there are some really great personal stories on there. None have been better than O'Sullivan's.

O'Sullivan talked about how his father used to beat him up every day, in the hopes of making him an NHL player. O'Sullivan did make it to the NHL but he says his father and more importantly the beatings had nothing to do with his success. He wrote the article in hopes that other parents would just let their kids have fun, and play.

Anyone whose played with me knows I'm one of the most competitive players in the game, no matter what game it is. I'm the guy who makes game strategies and videos and sends them to my teammates in my coed hockey league. I figure if we are going to play, we might as well win. I love teaching willing students on how to become a better player. I get more satisfaction when Melissa B. comes running to the bench telling me Trevor is covering the wrong guy, then when I score an overtime goal. And yes, I've scored plenty of overtime goals in my career. So I have no issues with parents and coaches teaching their very young children, you play to win the game.

But you've got to play. And that brings me to my niece Natalie.

I believe it was Mothers Day, 4 years ago. My niece Natalie was 10, playing lacrosse with her older sisters Emily and Nicole who just turned 12. Natalie was definitely one of the youngest players on the team if not the youngest, and probably one of the worst. I say probably because I really don't know, since I mostly saw Natalie stand on the sidelines the whole game. I was disgusted as almost all the girls received plenty of playing time and Natalie just stood there. Finally the coach put her out on the field. She stayed on for 2-3 minutes and then brought her off. This happened a few times. While Natalie's older sister Emily got to run around almost the whole game, and Nicole played goalie, Natalie just stood there. Bored out of her mind.

The ironic part was the coaches absolutely sucked. I never played lacrosse a day in my life but I would have been a better game coach. The kids never learned how to defend against the other girls forehands, and they never even put up their sticks to block or alter their shots. Yet for some reason despite not caring enough to learn basic defense, the game was so important that Natalie could't play for more than 3 minutes at a time.

The game ended and my nieces team got smushed. It wasn't even close.

Don't get me wrong. You play to win the game. If it was a close game with a few minutes left, I have no problem benching your worst players for the best players, even at a young age. But you better make sure all the players play a fair amount before those final minutes.

So if you ever play with me, and I'm the captain, you are going to play as much as anyone else the first 95% of the game. The last 5% is my time. Because you compete to win, but you also play.

Paint this Town Orange and Blue

“I can’t be more excited or more proud to wear the orange and blue. I’ve said it from day one, I bleed orange and blue. To be able to celebrate with these fans, this city, this team, it’s an unbelievable feeling.”

- David Wright

You can find people way more knowledgeable than me to analyze the impending Mets vs. Dodgers playoff series. But what I can offer better than anyone in the world is, why this season matters to me.

I'm 44-years-old and as legend has it, my parents bought me a Mets jersey and when they tried to put on a  new diaper I said something to the affect of, "I got my Mets jersey, I'm a big boy now." Sure there have been a few accidents over the years but for the most part, the Mets turned me from a baby to a big boy.

And its sorta turned full-circle because this team has turned me from the adult man into that little kid again. You see, the pain of losing in the playoffs in 2006, and choking our season away in 2007 and 2008 really didn't bother me. I watched and rooted but win or lose it didn't affect my day. I honestly didn't care. Glavine, Santana, Delgado, Beltran, Pedro...these guys were paid mercenaries. They were on the team because the Mets offered them the most money. Beltran publicly begged to be a Yankee. 

"Hey Jeets. Can I play?"

Even had they won the World Series these guys wouldn't be remembered as fondly as the 69 or 86 teams.

But they didn't win and they lost in horrific fashion. And I'm glad they did. Because it allowed me to become a true Mets fan again. I'm not a bandwagon guy so when everyone was jumping off, I saw a space and decided to hop on. While everyone was upset about the Bernie Madoff scandal, I embraced it. I didn't want Miguel Cabrera, Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder etc. I wanted Ike Davis, Ruben Tejada, Daniel Murphy, Justin Turner.

 I knew my team sucked and I loved every second of it. Because I wanted to bleed orange and blue, not pinstripe green.

And then came Opening Day 2013. I saw the big picture. I made a bet with a friend, that not this year, not next year, but in 2015 the Mets would go further than the Yankees. Whoever advances further in the playoffs makes $100. So this year started and I saw what everyone saw. A great staff with one of the worst hitting and fielding teams of my lifetime.

I started blaming Terry Collins and Sandy Alderson for every little move they did or didn't make. I was an irrational idiot, and never so happy about it in my life. I was a true fan again!

And truth be told, the big payoff for me already happened. It wasn't when we won the division. It wasn't when we swept the Nationals in Washington.

This wasn't the payoff but it sure was fun.

It was a game we got killed in. You know the game. Wilmer Flores and Zack Wheeler were traded for Carlos Gomez. Flores cried.

Mets 4 Lyfe!

 Wheeler called Alderson and told him he didn't want to be traded. Two nights later, Flores hits the season changing game-winning home run vs. the Nationals, and caps it off tugging his shirt that says Mets.

Flores doesn't want to be a Yankee. Wheeler doesn't want to be a Yankee. David Wright bleeds orange and blue. Home grown player after home grown player litters this team. And almost to a man it seems they would all rather be here than 8 miles away in the Bronx.

I love this team. I love their passion. I love the way they play the game. I love that Eric Young is the first person off the bench whenever something good happens, even though I have more at bats than he does this season.

And most of all, I love that they turned me from the angry old man I was becoming about this sport, into that little kid who didn't need diapers anymore.

Save the diapers for the Dodgers. And bring some tissues. Because you'll need it.

Lets go Mets!!!