College is supposed to be about finding an identity. That’s what they tell you when you first walk in past the gates into a crowded dorm full of strangers. Personally, I was fortunate to come in with one. The identity of being a Mets fan is a badge of honor that I’ve worn ever since I was able to follow a baseball game. It’s one of the first things that people associate with me. But for the first time in my life, I had my identity challenged by people and by circumstances.
Between responsibilities to professors, friends, student media organizations, and more, it’s been tough to follow the team. The perpetual stress, sleep deprivation and two pretty serious illnesses have given this past academic year its twists and turns, but underneath it all, one thing has remained constant. I’m still a Mets fan to the core, and I cling to that identity with all the strength I’ve got.
Still, being a Mets fan in college isn’t easy. Between the sometimes overwhelming time demands of academics, extracurriculars, and a social life, I don’t have time to watch every game anymore. Responsibilities at the university TV station and both radio stations have taken precedent over meticulously following the Mets. With my time spread so thin, I’ve had to get creative to follow the team.
Much to the displeasure of anybody around me during game time, Adam Rubin’s live tweets created a soundtrack wherever I went. (I coordinated Twitter alerts so that each ping on my phone signified that something happened in the game.) Breaking the mold of the thrifty college student, I even splurged for an MLB TV subscription, so I could watch games while cutting together a TV news report or engineering a talk radio show.
My own best friends have also made being a Mets fan difficult. Coming from the Midwest, they could care less about the trials and tribulations of my favorite team. In addition to the constant razzing they throw my way, they set the climate for the floor lounge. Because of them, It’s deteriorated into a free for all, with sports fans hailing from all corners of the country fighting to watch their game. Currently, with playoff basketball and hockey in full swing, I’m rarely permitted to put on the Mets.
Despite its challenges, being a Mets fan in college has been rewarding on so many levels. The magical playoff run in 2015 connected me with seemingly all the Mets fans in my building. For each playoff game, 20 of us banded together to cheer on our favorite team. We all shared the highs together, from the blasts of Babe Murphy to sweeping the Cubs. And during the World Series, we consoled each other after Christian Colon’s fateful base hit that put the nail in the coffin on the Mets’ season.
I’ve met some great people over the course of this past year, but perhaps none more helpful than Syracuse Crunch hockey broadcaster Dan D’Uva. While working on a video project for a class about the Crunch, I noticed a poster advertising “Darryl Strawberry Night” in their arena. I immediately followed up with Dan, who is also an avid Mets fan, to see if it would be possible to set up an interview. It was a shot in the dark, but he didn’t hesitate to say yes, and I was rewarded with one of the coolest experiences of my life. I don’t often get starstruck, but as I sat rink-side interviewing Darryl Strawberry in person, I was in awe. Not only at the fact that I was casually talking to one of the greatest Mets in history, but at how the whole situation came to be. Needless to say, the interview would not have happened without the connection I made with the team’s broadcaster and public relations liaison.
As I sit here in my dorm, packing and recovering from illness and finals, I think back over everything that’s happened to me this year. College has provided me with a plethora of unforgettable experiences in just my first year. Following the Mets from Syracuse -even in a limited capacity- has kept me not only sane but happy. Watching them gives me a chance to temporarily escape my worries and focus on the sport I love.
I’ve been rewarded immensely for being a Mets fan, from gaining great friends to having unforgettable experiences. At the end of the day, I thank my lucky stars that I root for the Mets because that’s my identity, and no person or thing can take it from me. I look forward to another awesome summer contributing to MMO.
