Quote of the Day

"Maybe it's a craving or a habit. You have drug addicts, you have smokers, and then you have Metallica fans."- Killam All (MetClub/PPM member)

24

Who watched it last night? Constant twists in this show. Do you think Jack actually gave the tape to Henderson, or is the recorder empty? Is Agent Pierce dead? Looks like Logan has his wife whacked next week. And what happens to Heller?

Six more hours of this season, I'm going to have a stroke.

File This Under "ONLY IN NEW YORK" or "ENTER CHAOS"

Baseball season is underway, which means the Mets-Yankees rivalry is getting into gear.

I know what you're thinking, it isn't even a week into the season and there is already controversy between the cross-town rivals? Yep, thank the NYC press for that! This time the beef involves a song. Yeah you read it right. The press has the teams, the closing pitchers in particular, all hyped up about....*drumroll Lars*....Metallica's hit song, Enter Sandman.

Mike & the Mad Dog, two sports radio talk show hosts who love to run off at the mouth without having all the info, are responsible for the "Sandman Controversy." Yankee closer Mariano Rivera uses "Enter Sandman" when he comes in from the bullpen. Across the river, the Mets new closer, Billy Wagner, uses that very song for his intro on the mound. Since Rivera has been a Yankee for about 10 years now, and Wagner is a newcomer with the Mets, the radio duo have declared the Mets' Wagner, a copycat.

According to Mike & the Mad Dog and Yankee fans everywhere, since Wagner just arrived in NY, he should surrender the song to Rivera, and pick a new one for himself. Wagner, however, has used the song since 1996, before Rivera started using it. This was enough to set off a debate (I kid you not) among superstitious fans and players over who "owns" the song and whose pitcher has the right to use it.

The verdict came in, thanks to Metallica management:

New York Daily News -
http://www.nydailynews.com
Song belongs to Met-tallica
BY ADAM RUBINDAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Wednesday, April 5th, 2006

Not only should the Mets play "Enter Sandman" when closer Billy Wagner takes the mound at Shea, the manager of Metallica says they should turn up the volume.

"Frankly, they could have played it louder as far as I'm concerned," said Peter Mensch, the band's manager and a Mets season-ticket holder. "My comment is: Go Billy."

A day after Wagner closed the Mets' 3-2 Opening Day victory with Mensch in attendance, sports-talk radio erupted, with Yankee fans railing at Wagner's entry music - the same song used by Mariano Rivera in the Bronx.

For the record, Wagner used the song first, even if it's synonymous in baseball circles with Rivera's entrance.

While with Houston during Wagner's rookie season in 1996, teammate Jeff Bagwell disliked the lefty's entry music, George Strait's "They Call Me the Fireman," and persuaded Wagner to switch.

Rivera didn't begin using the song for another three years. Yankee Stadium personnel had been so struck by the crowd reaction in San Diego the previous season when Trevor Hoffman entered games to AC/DC's "Hell's Bells" that they sought to find an anthem for Rivera. Scoreboard operator Mike Luzzi brought in a bunch of CDs and the Yankees tested different tunes, including Guns N' Roses' "Paradise City." They settled on "Enter Sandman," which drew the best crowd response. Rivera didn't even know anything about the band.

"I met (Metallica's) James (Hetfield) last year, but I don't listen to that kind of music," Rivera said. "Everyone just identifies me with the song. I listen to Christian music."

The album containing "Enter Sandman" - known as "Metallica" or the "Black Album" - has sold 14.6 million copies in the U.S. alone and 20 million worldwide since its release in August of 1991. "Enter Sandman" was the first of seven Grammy winners by the band Wagner loves

I know Mariano's got it. Lord forbid, the Earth should crumble if two people have it," Wagner said after his first Mets save.

Rivera said he has no problem sharing. "If the guy feels comfortable using the song, then let him be. I know Billy. He's a great guy. He has all my respect....To all the people that are fighting over this, I appreciate the loyalty."

As for Mensch, he even tried to help recruit Wagner. After learning Wagner was a Metallica fan this winter, he told Mets officials to relay to the free-agent closer that Wagner could be on stage during a concert if that would entice him to relocate to Flushing.

"I haven't quite told Metallica," Mensch said with a laugh. "He can sing backup vocals."

Literally, I called up people I knew at Shea Stadium. That morning, when he was coming to New York, before he signed, we called up and said, 'Tell Billy Wagner, if it means anything, that the manager of Metallica is a season-ticket holder and will put him on stage the next time he's in New York. Or we will reroute the tour.'"

The Mets have long-standing ties with Metallica. Mensch recalled sending Sid Fernandez a set of band T-shirts in 1987 after learning the portly pitcher liked Anthrax.

"XXL," Mensch said.

The two struck up a relationship and Fernandez joined clubhouse attendant Vinny Greco at a Metallica concert at Nassau Coliseum. The duo hung out with the band backstage.

Not that Mensch hates the Yankees. He's tight with Randy Johnson, another Metallica fan.

"I have no beef with Mariano using it," Mensch said. "As long as he's saving games for Randy Johnson that's fine."

Now that we (well Peter Mensh) settled that, can baseball fans get back to talking about....*gasp*....baseball? Time will tell.

Only in New York. Only in New York.