Let me be clear; I don’t really care that Matt Harvey opted not to talk to the media regardless of the hissy fit by the Mets beat writers and columnists this morning. Harvey – or any other ball player for that matter – is under no obligation to meet with media after the game or after an exceptional or dreadful performance.
What these media neophytes are quick to forget is that they are there as a matter of privilege and not by some constitutional decree. They are guests in the team’s clubhouse and can speak to whomever is willing to give them some time. That’s how it works. That’s how it’s always been.
With that said, would it have been in Matt Harvey’s best interest to give these ravenous reporters their pound of flesh last night? I’m not sure it would have changed the narrative that the Mets beat has been vociferously communicating over the past four weeks. You know it, they know it, and more importantly – Matt Harvey knows it.
Sure, by not speaking to the entitled likes of Mike Puma or Andy Martino, it allows them to get on their soapboxes and pompously cry fowl. Here is how Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record painted it:
“There are precious few rules that a ballplayer needs to follow in these parts: play hard, stay out of jail, respect the game. You’re allowed to lose and even more generously, you’re allowed to stink. But when you do, you better not hide. Stand up, face the cameras – face the public – and own it.”
Here’s the problem with that; those are mostly the New York sports media’s perception of the rules. His definition of Harvey “owning” his performance is all wrong and solely intended to feed his narrative while riling up the masses. That Harvey refused to speak to the media last night, does not mean he doesn’t take responsibility for his performance – as much as the media would like you to think that. Every player in that clubhouse owns their performance, including Matt Harvey.
After two months of watching the media mock his demeanor, twist his words, and even poke fun at what was a serious medical condition, I don’t blame Harvey one bit for acting as he did. In fact, I applaud him. What was the one new revelation that would have emerged from a locker-side chat with these reporters and their Xeroxed questions?
“Hey Matt, what about that pitch to Daniel Murphy?” “Hey Matt, what’s going through your mind right now?” “Hey Matt, you think the Mets will demote you to the minors?”
Here are his responses: “It was a changeup that caught too much of the plate.” “I don’t know what else to say other than I’m feeling frustrated.” “That’s a decision that Terry and Sandy will have to make, not me.”
Wow, how enlightening. You see, this isn’t really about Matt Harvey – it’s about a butt-hurt media who saw blood in the water and wanted to exploit it by virtue of their inflammatory words, rhetoric, and headlines. That’s how i see it.
