Todd Ricketts Fueling A Cubs-Mets Fire? That's Cool
By Chris Emma--
(CBS) In case you missed it -- and you're not alone in this -- Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts playfully jabbed during the team's convention over the weekend and said Mets fans are "really, really obnoxious."
Now, on a scale from 1 to Donald Trump, this is about a 3, but New Yorkers sometimes take themselves a bit too seriously. My colleague Ernie Palladino in New York offered a "sincere apology" that was just so sweet and genuine, and the comment gained plenty of traction online.
This column isn't some cheesy rebuttal. I'm not going to waste time on sky-scraper measuring or comparing pizza. Heck, New York pizza is delicious, and debating their pizza against ours gets us nowhere.
New York's one of the greatest cities in the world, garbage on the streets aside. It's a beautiful, amazing modern marvel. It's not my place to start some petty argument about Chicago vs. New York. No, I'm here to express excitement about what could be to come.
There's no doubt that the Mets have something great going. Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard are outstanding flamethrowers who made the Cubs look lost for four games. David Wright's a terrific captain, Chicago's own Curtis Granderson is a a heck of a player and even better human and Michael Conforto should have a bright future in New York. Bring back Yoenis Cespedes and his 6.7 WAR last season and the Mets are poised to go deep into October once again. Or don't bring Cespedes back and just ride the pitching staff to title contention.
Just don't be mistaken: The Cubs are here to stay, too. Players Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Jason Heyward, Kyle Schwarber and more speak volumes to the bright baseball future in Chicago.
It seems as if the Cubs will be competing for the National League crown each season for years to come. The same could be said for the Mets, too. What if these two teams were to meet again in the NLCS? They could do it again this October.
Decades ago, before baseball modernized to three divisions, the Cubs and Mets were arch rivals. Many elder Cubs fans despise the Mets on a grander scale than they do the Cardinals or White Sox. The Miracle Mets of 1969 still haunt Chicagoans today.
The Cubs and Mets may have their decade-old rivalry ready to renew. While they only meet in two regular-season series per year, a postseason matchup between the two teams stands a strong possibility in the years to come -- perhaps again in 2016. It would all feel so natural, too -- a pair of great American cities and passionate fan bases battling for a championship.
Maybe the Cubs will get some more shots at the Mets' fire-balling starting rotation, and they can fare better with Daniel Murphy moving on to Washington. The Cubs are a better team now than 2015, and the Mets aren't going anywhere.
Ricketts was just having some fun at the Cubs Convention. It was an innocent and good-natured barb, so calm down, New Yorkers.
Perhaps it's just a note in the next chapter of a Cubs-Mets rivalry renewed.
Chris Emma covers the Chicago sports scene and more for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.
