I spent this afternoon at the Mets-Phillies tilt that opened Shea Stadium’s final season (FYI to any Phillies fans in the audience: just don’t), and the one thing I was looking forward to–aside from my thwarted hopes of a Metropolitans victory–was the eighth-inning spin of “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Last week, the Internet had decided that Rick Astley’s late-’80s hit was the choice for Shea’s eighth-inning singalong, after learning that the Mets had opened the choice for said song to an online poll, and apparently that movement had been successful: According to statistics flashed during the eighth inning and confirmed to me by an MLB operative, more than five million people wrote in Astley’s song as their singalong pick. Which would, in normal times, have made the song the winner. But the Mets, being as Internet-savvy as a Major League Baseball team could be these days, had a trick up their “Final Season At Shea”-patched sleeves!
See, the voting form that so many people wrote Astley’s song into only said that fans would “help choose” the eighth inning singalong. So in order to avoid being completely jobbed by a bunch of Internet jokers who will never give up their money to get tickets to the quite-lucrative final season at its home park that’s kind of a shithole*, the Mets decided that over the next week, the PA will blare the top six choices by fan vote, which include “Never Gonna Give You Up,” Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer,” Billy Joel’s “Movin’ Out,” a Bruce Springsteen song that isn’t “Born To Run” (seriously Mets, WTF?), and the ripped-off-from-the Red Sox “Sweet Caroline.” And whatever song gets the best “crowd reaction” will be the song that fans are subjected to every game, whether they like it or not.
It’s probably not surprising that the Mets chose this afternoon’s eighth inning to play “Never Gonna Give You Up,” what with it winning the vote and today being the first home game of 2008. And those of you who are actually cognizant of how much the Internet affects popular culture likely won’t be surprised that Astley’s song was met with a torrent of boos from the first note–shit, the Mets didn’t even get Mr. Met to dress up in a trenchcoat. OK, OK, the fans might have also been booing because the Phillies pretty much put the game away in the top of the eighth, thus making all the feel-good vibes that had been engendered by Carlos Delgado’s home run and Oliver Perez’s 100% W-worthy performance completely moot. But I also think that, given the choice, they’d just rather sing along to Bon Jovi or Billy Joel. I know my people, and maybe-ironic appreciation of late-’80s Stock Aitken Waterman stars just isn’t their cup of Dunkin’ Donuts hot chocolate.
So one last time, here’s the video:
Oh Mets. You don’t know what you’re missing.
* The ladies’ loo toilets near section 35 in the upper deck were flooding by the fourth inning. Just saying.
The NY Mets need to spend a little less time becoming internet savvy, it seems.
Scott Schoenweis=big Astley fan.
I wonder if Astley can hold right-handed hitters under .300…
I love how in the 80s it was cool for a pop star to dance like an 8th-grade boy.
Just don’t let Steve Phillips pick the song.
Fuck, I’m going to Shea on Sunday, and I was really hoping I’d get Astley.
Maybe the Blue Jays should capitalize on this, since David Eckstein and Astley are just as unlikely to have another big hit out of the lead-off spot (Billboard, and out of the infield, respectively).
@Lucas Jensen: It’s the MUSIC that’s inspiring.
@DK10 (my wife)– As you well know, it’s neither intriguing nor dangerous.
@Lucas — As a lifelong Mets fan, I can attest that there’s no lower limit for number of “suicide” mentions a singalong at Shea should have. It’s not an easy gig.
Now, whether we — or anyone — needs a singalong during a ballgame is a much better debate..
That operative wouldn’t happen to be a suave gentlemen whose namesake founded Rhode Island? Not that you don’t have lots of MLB operatives, but that’s probably the only one you and I both know.
Hey, Maura…have you heard the lyrics to Born To Run lately? It mentions suicide TWICE in the first verse.
I think Robert Wuhl (gulp) had an old comedy sketch about that song almost becoming the New Jersey state anthem.
“In the day we sweat it out in the streets of a runaway american dream
At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines
Sprung from cages out on highway 9,
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected and steppin’ out over the line
Baby this town rips the bones from your back
Its a death trap, its a suicide rap
We gotta get out while were young
`cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run”
Not exactly inspiring!
@Lucas Jensen: suicide squeeze?
Forget Rick Astley….I’m caught up on the fact that I’m married to an “MLB operative.” It sounds so dangerous and intriguing.
Aww, c’mon!
Everyone knows that Rick can’t roll on only three-days rest!
Also, Pedro.