Elimination Day has become so commercialized. I hope it never fully reaches the stage where it’s only about the sales and the long weekend (when it falls on a Monday night/Tuesday morning). Kids need to learn the true meaning of Elimination Day, why it needs to be held as sacred, why it brought such joy to our ancestors, why it brings us such joy still.
True, it may never have the same meaning as the first Elimination Day in the earliest part of the 21st century when it was established as an autumnal festival of schadenfreude and relief, but to think of life without Elimination Day…perish the thought.
So before putting up all your Elimination Day decorations and getting all dressed up for the big Elimination Day Parade, take a moment and remember how much better our world is because we have Elimination Day on the calendar every single year. As regular an occurrence as it has become, we must never take it for granted.
And don’t forget to scooch over for the symbolic Making Of Room For Our Neighbors. It’s a highly significant ritual, our way of annually clearing space on our couch and in front of our TV for those who have been freshly eliminated, our chance to say, “hey, we may have gotten here before you, but you’re here with us now…let us watch the rest of the postseason together…’cause you’re not gonna see it any better than we will from here on out.”
“Any more better”? Do we have the more better blues?
Fixed. Tough to type in the middle of a raucous celebration.
I observe Elimination Day for two days out of respect for my father. Sadly, when he was younger he didn't get to experience it as often as I do, and my sons do. As a result, whenever the Yankees were eliminated, it resulted in two days of rejoicing. For us, the elimination of the Yankees from the post-season is more commonplace so observance of this hallowed day is now only one day. I am Conservative/Orthodox in my observance so I will be celebrating for two days.
For the briefest of moments I almost felt a little guilty reveling in the misfortune of others. Then I thought about all their imbecile fans. The jagoffs who wear their vertical swastika garb into Shea and make spectacles of themselves rooting for the opponent. The older kids who told my then-6-year-old daughter “the mets suck” on the playground one day while I was standing there (so maybe it was juvenile of me to reply “So does your mom”). The jackals who vandalized every car with a Met sticker in the Modell's parking lot (my wife was there) back in 2000. I could go on forever, but the point is, I get great joy from seeing these loudmouth, know-nothing tools sad. I bought an Indians hat like 15 years ago because I love the politically incorrectness of their logo. I'll enjoy wearing it all winter.
There was something different about the fans at Shea this year, just as there was something different about the lack of effort put out by our own players, that put a little damper on this year's Elimination Day celebration.
The pleasure of this day is seeing windbags like Mike Franscesa deflated and brought into the shop for an overhaul.
Yeah, I listened to those geniuses Franscesa and Russo yesterday, and according to them, Eric Wedge was throwing in the towel by starting Byrd. HA!
Strict fundamentalists observed Phillies Elimination Day as well.
I know what you mean, Joe, but Elimination Day transcends what the Mets do. It was sweet when we were moving on in the playoffs without them, it was sweet when we had finished with 95 losses and it was sweet regardless of how we finished. Put another way, the way we finished would have gotten a lot worse without Elimination Day.
7 more games COMBINED…
Sometimes life sweetens up for you.
Paul Byrd…Kaz Matsui…BRILLIANT deployment of ex-Mets.
HI Greg,
All I need is something to egg me on, which I'm sure will come this afternoon on Kay's program or during the week by Boss George. It's already getting to Mike Francesca after Chris Russo mentioned John Sterling making something about the bugs. Francesca called that nonsence. That certainly roused my spirits!
Mad Dawg also referred today as being Elimination Day. Mutual interests sure do make for strange bedfellows..
This is also the same Francesa who hoped for the Indians for 3 weeks, so they wouldn't have to face the big bad (and currently couch-occupying) Angels. Granted, he wasn't alone, so I just want to wish Congrats to all Yankee fans for getting the matchup they wanted.
Speaking of fun stats, since October 16, 2004, the Mets have won more postseason games and postseason series than the Other Team.
The Tribe has eliminated the Yankees two of the three times they've been called on to do so. Perhaps they should be as feared as Angels.
Francesa also called the Rockies and Diamondbacks “soft,” and picked the Phillies and Cubs. The man knows his…what does he know again? It's not baseball.
Especially those of us who live in the No Man's Land of Central NJ. The place is full of Phillies phans, so PED was especially sweet this year.
It's a bit like that with Tim McCarver. If he says something (especially if it's a prediction), just believe the opposite and you're somewhere in the vicinity of truth and right.
Go to Mets.com, for instance, and watch the highlight of David Wright's May 19th homer against Mike Myers in the Subway Series at Shea. “Good time to come inside.”
That symbolic 'making room' didn't happen last year, and I'd put my money on it not happening again next year. I suspect next year this holiday (much like Daylight savings time has been pushed back) will be moved up. It'll be closer to the summer so the days are longer and the younger fans can stay up later to fully appreciate it.
Favorite Halloween costumes for Yankee fans? Angels, Tigers and Indians! Oh My!
I will celebrate this day with a fine meal and several alcoholic drinks!!
Congratulations all around! Couldn't happen to a nicer owner! Or to the finest most knowledgeable fans this side of the Mississippi!!
YES Network post game coverage is the Channel 11 Yule Log of Elimination Day.
Elimination Day – has a resonance similar to Evacuation Day