Step Right Up and **** the Mets!

June 2, 2017 7:44 AM

Chaos in Flushing as beloved mascot Mr. Met is caught on video giving a rude gesture to a fan. Later reports indicated that Mr. Met had been cursed at and had the morals of his relatives questioned immediately prior. However, a more urgent question has arisen in the wake of this incident: Does Mr. Met even have a middle finger?
posted by Copronymus (26 comments total)

"if you can't talk about it, point to it" - laurie anderson
posted by judson at 7:51 AM on June 2, 2017 [2 favorites]

This should be the cover of next year's team program, because it's the only thing anyone's going to remember about the 2017 Mets season.
posted by The Card Cheat at 7:51 AM on June 2, 2017 [13 favorites]

What in the hell kind of weak-ass New York City baseball team fires a mascot for giving the finger? A New York City team should be giving him a raise for giving the finger!
posted by holborne at 7:56 AM on June 2, 2017 [23 favorites]

*laughs*
*cheers*
*weeps*
posted by jonmc at 7:57 AM on June 2, 2017 [3 favorites]

Mr. Met is understandably sensitive about his mother, as she died in childbirth because of his enormous baseball head.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 7:57 AM on June 2, 2017 [22 favorites]

Also, Mr. Met appears to have a thumb and three fingers, so I vote YES on the middle finger or not issue.
posted by The Card Cheat at 7:59 AM on June 2, 2017 [2 favorites]

The Card Cheat - does that mean you are arguing a typical human does NOT have a middle finger (or two)?
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 8:01 AM on June 2, 2017 [2 favorites]

Poor Matt Harvey's having a really tough time adjusting to his new off-day responsibilities.

(FPP is missing the lolmets tag.)
posted by tonycpsu at 8:03 AM on June 2, 2017 [4 favorites]

Can we open this up to general NL East ribbing because: https://twitter.com/flybyknite/status/869773748412403716
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 8:05 AM on June 2, 2017 [4 favorites]

Dunno. Sure, Mr. Met shouldn't have flipped anybody off. But then the guy who posted this is obviously a snitch, and a snitch who was cool with getting somebody fired for flipping the bird, and screw that guy.
posted by Capt. Renault at 8:08 AM on June 2, 2017 [10 favorites]

I choose to believe they "fired" the person, at that they showed up for work again the next day.
posted by drezdn at 8:09 AM on June 2, 2017 [5 favorites]

As long as they don't remove the mask, who's to know for sure?
posted by asperity at 8:11 AM on June 2, 2017 [3 favorites]

Well, we have five fingers, one of which is a thumb which is also a finger...but if I were to lose my little finger in an accident I'd still be able to flip the bird, no?
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:16 AM on June 2, 2017 [2 favorites]

Well, we have five fingers, one of which is a thumb which is also a finger...but if I were to lose my little finger in an accident I'd still be able to flip the bird, no?

I knew a guy who'd lost his entire index finger in a fireworks accident. He still instinctively flipped people off with his middle finger, but it always looked like he was pointing at the ceiling.
posted by Copronymus at 8:22 AM on June 2, 2017

That's why costumed mascots should stick to a simple bras d'honneur. Gives you more plausible deniability after the fact.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:32 AM on June 2, 2017 [2 favorites]

Homer Simpson only has three fingers and a thumb but he can flip you off no problem.

I'm confused about this story; are we pretending Mets fans would be offended by a rude gesture?
posted by Nelson at 8:41 AM on June 2, 2017 [6 favorites]

Any enemy of Mr. Met is an enemy of mine. Also, come on, Mets, get your fuckin' act together. Stop worrying about your mascot and start winning.
posted by languagehat at 8:41 AM on June 2, 2017 [5 favorites]

There's three things I know about this:

1. If Mr. Met gives you the finger, you were the asshole.
2. If Mr. Met gives you the finger, you are exactly the kind of person who will tell this story ad nauseum for the rest of your life, and thus any apology should be directed towards your friends and family.
3. It is physically impossible for anyone at Citi Field to be offended by Mr. Met giving the finger.
posted by Navelgazer at 8:46 AM on June 2, 2017 [19 favorites]

Back in the 90s, I was at a Capital Steps show where they had a bit about New York trying to clean up its image. (I think this was around the time of Giuliani). It was things like receiving a thank you note with your first mugging, etc. The one part that I do remember is the very end, where the guy said "And the New York City bird will no longer be a hand signal!" Apparently someone missed that memo.

(I know that jokes about how rough and dangerous New York is fall flat these days, but you have to give Giuliani credit for being mayor at exactly the right time to give his racist policing policy an air of legitimacy.

All that said, one should be proud of being flipped of by Mr. Met. It's an honor not readily bestowed.
posted by Hactar at 8:52 AM on June 2, 2017 [2 favorites]

I know that jokes about how rough and dangerous New York is fall flat these days

Don't worry. Between 45 threatening to take away federal funding and Albany refusing to fund the MTA at any decent levels, we'll be back to the 70s shortly.
posted by holborne at 9:18 AM on June 2, 2017 [3 favorites]

...

THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS FINGERS.

For heaven's sake, he's from New York. There are several obscene gestures native to this area that he could have made which don't require fingers.
posted by zarq at 9:42 AM on June 2, 2017 [2 favorites]

Obiligatory 30 Rock clip.
posted by Ber at 10:06 AM on June 2, 2017 [3 favorites]

I liked Jason Gay's take: Don’t Apologize for Middle Finger, Mr. Met
posted by zachlipton at 11:51 AM on June 2, 2017 [1 favorite]

I think we should defer to Yo La Tengo for final judgement on the Mr. Met middle finger question.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 4:53 PM on June 2, 2017 [2 favorites]

Not as dirty as BJ Birdy.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:05 PM on June 2, 2017

Pro Sports Mascots, Ranked

Phanatic was robbed. Stupid big media pro-NY bias.
posted by tonycpsu at 5:26 PM on June 4, 2017 [1 favorite]