It’s an unwritten rule in professional sports that teams and players should never antagonize their fan base.
That obviously isn’t to say fans are allowed to say and do whatever they want from their seats and get away with it. Throwing objects at players, for example, is an act worthy of criminal punishment, but booing players during an extended run of poor performance is almost a national pastime.
Speaking of which, the New York Mets found themselves in the crosshairs of fans and the media after it was revealed their latest team celebration, a thumbs down gesture, was actually a message intended for fans saying they don’t appreciate being booed.
How egregious of a look was this for the Mets, specifically Javier Baez and Francisco Lindor, two of their biggest stars? Well, let’s just say it prompted a response from Colts owner Jim Irsay, who took the players to task on Twitter.
And to the 10 year-old boy or girl wearing your jersey? https://t.co/l38nwqBdlg
— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) August 30, 2021
Colts owner Jim Irsay roasted the Mets on Twitter after their gesture toward fans.
Irsay from the top rope!
Would Baez like to have these comments back? We hope so. He actually started off on the right foot, saying that booing accomplishes nothing in terms of helping players perform better and that athletes “aren’t robots.”
However, Baez should’ve turned his microphone off right there, because he made enemies with a lot of people — including the Colts warmhearted owner — by going back at fans for being displeased the Mets lost 11 games in the NL East standings in a 21-day span between the end of July and deep into August.
Credit to Irsay for making his voice heard on a talking point that has taken the sports world by storm over the last 48 hours. Based on his comments, the Colts have a zero-tolerance policy, albeit an unwritten one, for instilling celebrations that provoke and alienate fans.
It’s impossible to think of another prospective free agent making a bigger public relations mistake then Javier Baez did today. Burned one bridge, and likely severely damaged his chances w other teams. Francisco Lindor needs to prepare an explanation for his participation, too.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) August 30, 2021
The message is pretty simple. Fans pay a lot of money to attend games and watch their favorite teams compete. While we personally don’t endorse the idea of booing, athletes have to understand that it’s part of their profession.
There’s nothing wrong with using the jeers as motivation, but to turn around and throw it back in fans’ faces, especially when you’ve collapsed beyond belief during the most important part of the schedule is arrogant and petulant.
It’d be a different story if Baez and Lindor were setting the world on fire with their play on the diamond. However, both players are performing significantly below their star potential in Queens.
We can’t believe we even had to address this. The good news? Colts fans can rest comfortably knowing Irsay will make heads roll if any of his players pull this sort of act on the gridiron. At least one owner has his organization in order.
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