If you happen to root for the Mets and the Jets, this one is going to be a tough read.
The two New York teams, often known for their dysfunction and second-fiddle status, can now both say that they have had top coaches depart far earlier than anticipated. Everyone knows the story of Bill Belichick and the Jets, but on Thursday, the Mets said goodbye to their own head man.
The Mets officially parted ways with first-time manager Carlos Beltrán after just 76 days as the team’s skipper. Beltrán was involved in the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal while still a player in 2017; his name was mentioned in Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred’s report on Monday. As a result, the Mets and Beltrán split before the latter could even manage a game.
The sequence of events reeked of typical Mets incompetence — though the team was in a difficult position after the Astros and Red Sox, another team under investigation — sent their managers packing. Still, it’s not worse than what happened to the Jets in 2000 with Bill Belichick.
After Bill Parcells retired from coaching, the Jets and Belichick arranged for him to be the next head coach of the franchise. However, an issue with who was going to be the next owner after Leon Hess died didn’t sit well with Belichick. So, on the day Belichick was to be introduced as the head coach, he officially resigned after just one day on the job.
Beltrán managed as many games for the Mets as Belichick coached for the Jets. Beltrán, however, was on the job far longer, relatively speaking.
There’s a black cloud hovering over these two New York franchises. Even when neither team does anything wrong, they still find themselves in a predicament. Not to mention the amount of losing that has gone on between the two as well.
The Jets haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1968, while the Mets haven’t won a World Series since 1986.
For both of these franchises, things always manage to get worse just when their fans start to believe there are brighter days ahead. Think of the “Same Old Jets” mantra — but replace the “J” with an “M” for the baseball team in Queens.