Fandom is the smallest reason for the low Mets attendance numbers

The New York Mets or maybe the fans or maybe both have been roasted in the last few days for failing to pack Citi Field. Who really cares anyway other than non-fans looking for something to poke at? Baseball games are always more fun when you don’t have someone spilling funnel cake on your back anyway.

Attendance numbers in April in a cold weather city are meaningless. Mother Nature hasn’t been kind with all of the rain and rescheduled games. School is still in session. People have work. It’s just way too comfortable to sit at home and watch the game. Add in the pace of the game and how for many it takes longer to commute back and forth and we have a recipe for skipping an in-person attendance altogether.

Don’t worry. It doesn’t make you any less of a fan if you choose to stay home. You’re no less of a fan of your favorite scripted show because you failed to watch it live.

The culture around needing to attend MLB games in person has changed

Some Mets fans have certainly shifted away from attending games because of their lack of interest in the team. The “take” by those looking to smear the organization and their fans, smaller moves this offseason let to plenty of fans skipping out on season tickets entirely. Let’s not forget the price jump announced late last season. Anything and everything that can make attending a baseball game in person a hassle is happening.

Not to worry. The problem isn’t even a Mets issue. Half of the teams have averaged fewer than 30,000 per home game this year. We’re probably building ballparks too big to hold everyone.

It’s not a matter of disinterest in the Mets keeping the majority of fans away. Sure, the fair weathered may have decided to passively pay attention. And quite honestly, if your soul can’t take another year of losing, we can’t blame you.

Something about staying at home in your pajamas to do anything is pleasurable. While it puts us on a trajectory to end up like the humans in Wall-E, it’s where life is taking us.

Working from home has become the norm post-pandemic. Streaming movies is more mainstream than going to the theater. Having your favorite things delivered to your home has taken precedence over window shopping.

Our expectations for how many people attend baseball games needs to change. The really good teams who build up their rosters in the offseason will always draw well. Successful organizations who make a big push won’t fall into this trap quite as much as others. The Mets fall into a different category. They have the audience. Months of selling the fans that the coming year might not be so glamorous has left Citi Field seats empty. It’s practically what they asked for by being so transparent.

Find any team in the league and you can come up with an excuse or explanation as to why they draw well or not. Attendance numbers can be complicated and often have a lot to do with when you look at them. It’s April. It’s like criticizing a movie because the font of the opening credits is too small. If you want to hate on the Mets, find a real reason. Do it outside in the cold for three hours.

This article was originally published on risingapple.com as Fandom is the smallest reason for the low Mets attendance numbers.