Mets Fans Express Disdain for Promo Guidelines
Admonish: (Verb) to caution, advise, or counsel against something
I tried my best. I can look back on that day and say I tried my best to warn everyone I could to get there early. Anyone I knew that was going to a game I let them know that in order to secure yourself a Noah Syndergaard Garden Gnome, you need to be in line when the gates open.
Some of you listened. Others, well, are reading this article now hoping for a second chance.
My family and I (four of us total), left our house at noon. We packed the car and departed four hours before the game’s scheduled start time. Upon our arrival at approximately 1:00 pm, to our dismay, this was the view we had when walking down the steps at the Mets-Willets Point subway stop.
Luckily, as a season ticket holder, I am allowed early access to the ballpark on weekend games. Season ticket holders with plans of 40 games and up can enter Citi Field at the Rotunda 30 minutes before other fans. A line formed towards the middle of the rotunda adjacent to the Shea Apple.
When the gates opened, exclusively for our line, a dash ensued reminiscent of a Black Friday scene. Anyone not in our line started migrating toward the front of our queue. In the chaos, my six year old son was knocked down quite hard. His hat fell off and he hit his head on the cement.
He is a tough kid. He has to be. Growing up with the Mets teams of 2010-2014 he has learned how to take a hit, both metaphorical and physical. He got up, dusted himself off and reapplied his teams lid that he wears daily with pride.
The most amazing part of this story, is that the large woman that knocked him down looked back, saw him tumble, but just kept charging towards the gate. No acknowledgement, no words exchanged, no assistance offered. My oldest son looks at me and simply says “That was not very nice.” Precisely.
After watching grown men scuffle with security guards and ticket agents coming on the scene to quell the brewing storm, my family and I made it in. Gnome’s in hand, we went out to Kiddie Field so my boys could run around before the lines got too intolerable. We ran into my ticket rep and friend that I have known for a decade.
To her credit as well as the Mets, she told me they were reviewing the entry procedures to make it more smooth for early access. I proposed signs and a roped area where tickets were checked upon entry or even a separate entrance. She assured me that all these things were already being reviewed.
While reviewing social media rants regarding the exhaustion of the Gnome supply, my wife and I had an idea.
We went back down to the Rotunda to witness the scene. It was not a great moment for humanity. A record regular season crowd would leave over 2/3 of the group Gnomeless and agitated. I explained the situation to my sons best I could as their combined age is ten, and instructed them to take one of our Gnomes and give it to any boy or girl that they want to make them feel happy.
After five minutes of deliberation that rivaled a grand jury, my boys picked a six year old who was crying in the rotunda. They walked up to the boy and his dad to explain that we had an extra. They handed it over and the boys face lit up like he just saw Santa Claus. The father was extremely thankful offering fifty dollars, shirts for the kids, beers for me. I just told him to pay it forward. The kids learned a valuable lesson about tithing and giving back and not letting the actions of others impact you or change your day.
I want to continue to give. So If you made it all they way to the bottom of this article you are now eligible for a free Gnome from ME. Here’s how to get it…
Step 1: Follow @Metsmerized on Twitter (you probably already do)
Step 2: Retweet this article
Step 3: Follow me @theteacherchris
I will pick a random winner the next time a Met hits a home run. As soon as the Met crosses the plate, check your DM’s. Because you could be the winner… Good Luck to you all!
