Dumb comments on SNY practically dare the Reds to catch the NY Mets

I get it. The past two seasons have felt like a departure from the "same old" Mets. It feels like they have taken their rightful place amongst the top of Major League Baseball. But I must remind everyone, and I'm not sure why I have to, given their current slide, they are still the New York Mets. They are still as susceptible to jinxes and bad luck as any franchise on planet Earth.

With the Cincinnati Reds on their tail in the wild card race, the last thing the Mets need is their own TV station giving the Reds bulletin board material on a platter. Unfortunately, thanks to Dan Graca of ESPN, they did just that.

I'm not sure what universe you live in that you are not threatened by Cincinnati right now, but it's certainly not this one. This is still the same franchise that traded Nolan Ryan before his prime, saw Luis Castillo hand the Yankees a Subway Series victory via a dropped pop-up, and once had its franchise player severely injured by a wild board on his ranch (no... really). And most importantly, it's the same franchise that famously completed back-to-back historic collapses in 2007 and 2008.

It appears that Dan Graca is hell bent on adding 2025 to that list.

This is no time for misplaced arrogance from Mets fans

If Graca is unconcerned about the Reds, then he is unconcerned about the Reds. He should, of course, be honest. But I know that Cincinnati likely read this headline and heard the sentiment loud and clear. It tells them that the media, specifically New York Media, still views the Mets as a tier above. Given the stark gap in payroll and talent, this is understandable to some degree. But the Mets aren't just any rich big-market team. They have spent the past 60-plus seasons defying logic and failing despite that inherent advantage. Poking the bear is not in this franchise's DNA.

As it stands, the Mets are one game up on the Reds. While they are playing well, Cincinnati is not exactly on a Milwaukee-esque tear at the moment. They are 10-8 in August, which is respectable but far from a terrifying pace. The Mets are 5-12 in August, and the odds would say (I know, the Mets seem to make a sport of defying these) that they have gotten past their coldest streak. Cincinnati, just like the Mets, also lost its starting catcher, Tyler Stephenson, for the duration of the season.

So it's not time to panic in Queens. But it's also not the time to place an active alarm clock next to a slumbering giant. The Reds aren't scalding hot right now, but a quote like this might just heat them up. While it may sound like a silly fear, athletes take the smallest slights to heart. Athletes pull motivation from anything they can. And comebacks and collapses alike are born of places you'd least expect (see the 1969 black cat at Shea Stadium – the one time lady lucked favored the Mets).

The Mets will wrap up their three-game series with Washington on Thursday, while the Reds continue their west coast road trip against the Diamondbacks in Arizona. The Mets hope to maintain or expand their lead. And they hope that no one on the Reds pays any attention to SNY. The good news for the Mets is that it's not like anyone involved with Cincinnati is known for historic comebacks, right? What's that? Their manager is Terry Francona? Ohhhh.... oh boy.