Yankees fans have powerful receipts after Mets lose NL East to Braves

Once upon a time, back in August, the New York Yankees were on the verge of freefall, their once-robust division lead becoming more tenuous by the day. The New York Mets? Their lead had shrunk, too, but despite years of training in the collapse department, their suddenly-cocksure fans insisted that such gagging could never happen to them.

The Wilpon Mets? Of course. The Steve Cohen Mets? No way, no how. Collapses depend entirely on the wealthy billionaire in the owner’s box, everyone knows that.

Plus, the 2022 Mets’ September schedule was far too light for the team to ever lose hold of what was rightfully theirs. Forget the surging Atlanta Braves. The three-game series between the two at the beginning of October would be a nice preview of postseason atmospheres, but it wouldn’t matter much after the Mets disposed of the Cubs, Marlins and Nationals during a September stretch run schedule seemingly constructed to minimize the possibility of failure.

Well … would you look at that?

Who knows what happens from here? The Yankees have a long layoff ahead of them, and Aaron Judge Watch has brought them plenty of unwanted scorn. The Mets still have Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt — none of whom were good enough in Atlanta, by the way.

But on the morning of Oct. 3, the Yankees were all clinched and the Mets had frittered their advantage away entirely, fumbling an historic bag whether you’d like to label it a “choke” or inertia. Those who wanted to be petty didn’t have to look very far for some mid-August boasting for the ages.

Mets fans need to look in mirror after taunting Yankees fans over ‘collapse’

The Yankees’ postseason fate isn’t settled. The Mets’ isn’t, either. The Yankees could struggle after their Bye Week. The Mets could surge despite an unfavorable bracket.

However, what’s done is done. The Mets will not be wearing their leaked NL East champions shirts, despite a two-game lead entering a three-game set in Atlanta with Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt lined up. The Yankees? They took care of the East last week.

Facts are facts. The Mets were the ones who needed to worry, despite their fans using deflection after midsummer deflection in an attempt to ignore their backyard fire.

10.5-game lead gone. That’s a reason to “worry about the division,” probably.

What else, what else … what unnecessary mud did Mets fans find themselves stepping in this summer, which Yankee fans can now turn around and slide down their pants like a Bud Heavy down Nestor Cortes’ trousers …

Oh, right! That whole Subway Series debacle! When the Yankees ran with Jordan Montgomery and Domingo Germán at Citi Field and neglected to line up their pitching specifically to take down the Mets, WFAN host Keith McPherson claimed the Yanks didn’t care enough about that two-game set to change everything. And they didn’t! That started a flame war that nobody enjoyed.

Smash cut to the end of August — you know, after Barstool’s KFC claimed the Mets didn’t need to worry about the division — and the Yankees swept a two-gamer from their Flushing neighbors.

Based on 2021 Mets logic … wasn’t that the series that “ended” their NL East dreams?

Just presenting tweets as evidence. Not taking ownership of the tweets. Just leaving them here. SNY’s Sal Licata went after Keith pretty hard for that mid-August take. SNY’s Sal Licata also said the NL East was “OVER” on May 31, as well as a few days ago. Advantage, Keith.

Meanwhile, Mets fans have apparently pivoted to being concerned over the ownership of Edwin Diaz’s entrance music.

Yes, that is certainly the most important thing that happened this weekend. Congratulations on defending Diaz’s song from invaders. This is the victory everyone will remember.

The Mets can change everything if their stars show up in the postseason. They can redefine “choke” as many times as they’d like. They can petition Webster’s Dictionary for an asterisk that states, “Doesn’t Count as Choke if Braves Involved.”

For now, though, Yankees fans have plenty of receipts and bookmarks to unfurl. And it’s National Unfurling Day.

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