New York has long been known as the sports mecca of the world, and major league baseball, of course, is the life blood that courses through it’s main arteries and veins. In the last 50+ years, the Mets and the Yankees have taken turns shining as the top team in the city that never sleeps. But when it comes to who the best fans are, the Mets fan base gets that distinction for their unwavering loyalty and their undying connection to their team’s rich history and lore. To that end, the first annual Queens Baseball Convention, held yesterday at McFadden’s at Citi Field, was a true testament to Mets fanhood and a wonderful compilation of all that binds the greatest fan base in the world. Mets fans don’t just embrace their team’s history, they immerse themselves in it.
The event, which was organized by Shannon Shark and Keith Blacknick from Mets Police and Darren Meenan from The 7 Line, was the perfect elixir on a cold Winter’s day and an offseason that kept us from Mets baseball for far too long.
The QBC was the perfect example of the undying spirit of Mets fans getting together to create their own fan fest even if the team itself decided to leave their own official version of it on the cutting room floor. That action didn’t sit well with the QBC’s founders and the three of them took matters into their own hands, creating a Mets Fan Fest that was far better than anyone could have imagined.
The 2014 QBC not only brought fans together for an Amazin’ day, but it was an opportunity to bring many of the brightest personalities in the Mets blogosphere all together in one venue to share their stories, field questions from the Mets’ masses, and help take what was a wonderful gala from great to memorable and phenomenal.
Of course, the most important element to any fan fest are you the fans, and Mets fans seeked out the QBC in droves, with long lines of passionate Met fans all waiting outdoors and braving the cold, just to get their chance to meet Mets greats like Ed Kranepool, Art Shamsky and Ron Darling. And while Mets personalities like them represented the apex for many, there was more to the 2014 QBC than meets the eye.
They had activities and events galore including a Q&A session with Brooklyn Cyclones GM Steve Cohen, a panel on the evolution of Mets uniforms throughout the years, Mets historians to jar our memories like Faith and Fear’s Greg Prince and ESPN New York’s Mark Simon, and even a dunk tank where MMO’s Ed Marcus served as the water-drenched, good-sport du jour.
If you were looking for a new Mets t-shirt, The 7 Line was there with all their great new designs, but on this particular day, their clothing line was overshadowed by their beautiful 7 Line Calendar girls who were also on hand and served at the hot dates to the best rendition of the Dating Game ever.
There was fun for all, both young and old, and McFadden’s sparkled in it’s blue and orange majesty, representing the true richness and diversity of the greatest fan base in the world. The success of the 2014 QBC can best be summed up by what most people were saying and thinking on their way out at the end of the evening, “I can’t wait to do this again next year.”
A great big MMO hat tip to all the fans, bloggers, players, executives and progenitors who who made the 2014 QBC a rousing and unforgettable success.
(Photo: Liam Le Guerre)
