The Mets Meltdown Caught On Video Makes Me Miss Chase and the Old Days

By: Vince Scian & Aidan Powers

If you remember, Chase Utley slid a bitttt hard into second base during the 2015 MLB Playoffs, breaking the leg of Mets second baseman Reuben Tejada. Some say it was dirty. Others say it was a good, hard slide of a gritty player (this is the correct take). Either way, the Mets were less than thrilled. The following Hard Knocks style video is the aftermath of the slide. You’ve probably seen it on Twitter already, but it may never get old:

Even though this game took place some two years ago, the audio was recently discovered and it is gold. My main takeaway from the video, aside from the Mets blatantly going after Utley, is the crew chief telling Terry Collins, “now we’re in the Jackpot”. I have no idea what this means but it somehow added intrigue to an already insane video. Is it a term umpires use? Is it a term older people use and I’m too young to catch the slang? I don’t know, but I love it.

You’re naïve if you think Noah Syndergaard “accidentally” misses behind the back of a player that used to play for his team’s enemy AND broke his teammates leg the year before. He obviously didn’t mean to break his leg, he was just playing heads up baseball and breaking up a double play. But, this may go down as the most classic example of Chase finding a way to get under opponents’ skin.

 

You gotta love it.

 

This video is going viral as the Mets are slowly imploding after a scary hot start (now 9.5 games out of first and 6 behind the Phils). Chase being the reason this video exists is just icing on the cake for all of us in Philly.

 

What a win for Phillies’ fans too. I had no idea that our team was so hated by the Yankees cousins because my whole life I’ve been too concerned hating real teams and threats to our contention like the Brewers, Cardinals, and Yankees. This video made me think, “oh wow, I totally forgot there was a season where the Mets didn’t totally blow it,” before they eventually blew it.  Never have I once given a fuck about the Mets and I feel like other fans probably think the same way. Remember this stupid sign from a few years ago and how dumb it was then? It’s even funnier and more dumb now:

 

 

This feels like some high school drama where the bully doesn’t even remember the nerd’s name in two years. Bad example for 2018 but it’s a total power move when it comes to sports.

 

Really what this video does it make me as a Phillies fan quite nostaligic. This video coupled with the documentary about the 2008 team that is about to debut on NBC Sports Philadelphia really has me missing the old days, the World Series champion days. As much as I try to get into today’s roster, which has some promising names, I just can’t latch on. Yeah, it was funny seeing Odubel yesterday trying to keep his helmet on when he ran but I just don’t have the same connection. The core of that championship team with guys like Chase, Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, and Ryan Howard had such a unqiue personality to couple with their winning ways. Citizens Bank Park used to be an electric factory when those guys were in town. Even though Chase was in Dodger blue in this video, it took me back to that.

Even so, next time we all get upset that Luis Garcia or Hector Neris or some shitty offense blew a game, let’s all just reflect on the fact that the Mets hate us and it will never ever matter because who cares about the Mets 🙂

By Vince Scian | June 13, 2018