Schwartz: Mets, Islanders Have Turned NYC Orange And Blue
By Peter Schwartz
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When my wife, Sheryl, was pregnant with our first child, we had a decision to make. It had nothing to do with the name, boy or girl, because that was the easy part. There was no disagreement over other things like what kind of stroller do we get, religious ceremony plans or anything like that.
The biggest question, posed by my wife, was, what do we do about our sports rooting interests?
That was going to be a little tricky. We're both Jets fans, so that part was easy. But she's a Rangers and Mets fan and I'm Islanders and Yankees, so we had to figure something out. I suggested that we compromise, and she agreed. But how would we split up the other sports?
Sheryl gave me the first "draft pick" and, to me, it was a no-brainer.
The way I saw it, I never really developed a dislike for the Mets. I mean, what did they ever do to me? The Yankees smoked them in the 2000 World Series, so I never really had any reason to hate them. But when it comes to hockey, I would have sooner stuck two needles in my eye than see my child put on a Rangers jersey, so it didn't take me long to make the pick.
"With the first overall pick in the 2005 Schwartz baby sports team draft, I select the New York Islanders," I announced.
The other thing that I thought about was that our children would be color-coordinated with orange and blue. So Bradley, born December 2, 2005, and Jared, born on June 2, 2010, would come into the world as Islanders and Mets fans.
The initial reaction from family and friends was, "Wow, those kids are screwed!"
Well, I don't know if anyone is saying that anymore since the Mets went to the World Series last year and the Islanders are turning back the clocks with some playoff magic. When it comes to the latter two sports, there's no question that the New York area sports scene is now painted orange and blue.
As painful as it is to admit, the Yankees are no longer the top attraction in town and the fun times in Flushing, along with the empty seats in the Bronx, are proof of it. From a simple entertainment standpoint, the Mets are a hit on Broadway and the Yankees are like an awful movie that goes straight to DVD.
The Mets' run to the World Series has them atop the New York baseball world, and that's not changing anytime soon. They have young, dominant starting pitching and a lineup featuring a mix of youth, experience and power. They have won nine of their last 10 games, and after a slow start, they find themselves just a game and a half back of the first-place Nationals.
Coming off of a berth in the American League wild-card game last season, the Yankees are falling apart at the seams. After getting swept over the weekend in Boston, the Bombers find themselves 8-15 and in the AL East basement as they open up a series in Baltimore Tuesday night. They've scored just 81 runs this season, tied with the Royals for the third fewest in the major leagues. Also, the bullpen, thought to be the strength of the team, has not been very good.
On the ice, the Rangers dominated the area landscape in recent years with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014 and a berth in the Eastern Conference finals last season. They were dispatched by the Penguins in the first round of the playoffs, and it looks like their roster will experience an offseason shakeup. Meanwhile, the Devils have failed to make the playoffs in each of the last four seasons and will have the 11th pick in this year's draft.
So that leaves us with the Islanders, who currently find themselves battling the Lightning in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Since winning four straight Stanley Cup titles from 1980-83, the Islanders franchise has not had a whole lot of success. Aside from the Easter Epic win over the Capitals in 1987 and the 1993 postseason run, the last time they won a playoff series prior to this year, there hasn't been much to brag about.
In fact, the last year or so has been a spectrum of emotions for Islanders fans. The team moved to Brooklyn after 43 years at Nassau Coliseum, but they are relevant again and there's new ownership coming in over the summer. Regardless of how far they go this year, the future looks pretty bright.
But when it comes to the present, the Mets and Islanders currently "own" the area. Yankees, Rangers and Devils fans might not like reading that, but for the moment it's true. There's plenty of reason for fans to show off their orange and blue these days. The Mets are defending National League champs, and the Islanders are making noise in the playoffs.
You know how things have changed?
I was in a store with my boys a few days ago. I was wearing an Islanders cap, and they were wearing Mets sweatshirts. Some guy in the store looked at us and said, "Jeez, Islanders and Mets fans, huh? All you Islanders fans are coming out of the woodwork."
I replied that Islanders fans -- and now that I think of it, Mets fans, too -- haven't gone anywhere. They were all just waiting for something to cheer about.
"Yeah, OK," replied the miserable Yankees and Rangers fan.
New York is orange and blue, including the Knicks, who sent Bradley a baby outfit when he was born. Oh yeah, I almost forgot about the Knicks! Well, two out of three good teams in orange and blue ain't bad.
Follow Pete on Twitter at @pschwartzcbsfan
