Billy: 1, Stupid Yankees Fans: 0

[Guest Rotblatt]

This is a fun article. Three cheers for Adam Rubin!

]Song belongs to Met-tallica Billy, not Mo, entered as the first 'Sandman' BY ADAM RUBIN DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER 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." With Sam Borden

[seawolf17]

Hey, Yankee fans: Suck it.

[metirish]

Yesterday when I got home I tuned into M&MD, they were still going on a bout this and how wrong it is that Wags uses that song, unfuckingreal they are....

[Elster88]

Logic doesn't apply to this debate. Yankee fans and M&MD want people to bow down to their wishes. It's not what Mariano wants, but what they want. At least M&MD admit as much.

Let's all stop talking about it!

[Guest old original jb]

The Yankees' closer gets his entry music through marketing research.
The Mets' closer gets his through a real interaction with a teammate.

While trivial, this is totally illustrative.

[Willets Point]

Can Metallica play a gig at Shea after a game? I'm not a Metallica fan but that would be pretty cool. Think of it: METallica!

[soupcan]

="Elster88"] Let's all stop talking about it!

Amen to that.

[Guest holychicken]

It's funny to talk about because it draws attention to how stupid and ridiculous M&MD are. This is always a good thing as maybe a few people who have been sucked in by their evil trickery will wake up and revolt.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I wonder how they'll (Mike and Chris) react to Adam Rubin's article today.

My guess: It doesn't matter if he had it first in Houston, Mariano had it first in New York, and that's what counts.

[Guest Edgy DC]

You forgot the "baybeeee."

[MFS62]

="Edgy DC"]You forgot the "baybeeee."

Waitaminnit!
Someone in New York uses that line?
That's Dick Vitale's trademark.
You just stirred up another controversy, Edgy.

AND
I predict that today Massive Mike will set an all-time sportstalk record for the most callers cut off in mid sentence. A bully like him hates to be shown up as being wrong and/or laughed at.

My guess is today's talk will be steered in the direction of the Masters.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

FWIW:

- Mike not in today, Chris going solo leads w/the Rangers-Flyer game

- This isn't just one of those stories that's fanned by talk radio, it's one that was created by talk radio, and this one duo in talk radio specifically. That it was the first issue they talked about following an opening day win virtually created the "controversy" from scratch. That a couple of the papers then picked up on it and ran back-page headlines about it is due to a Met off-day and a west coast NYY game.

- And for better or worse (while we're on the topic) WFAN announces that they'll start broadcasting on-line beginning a week from today.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Does that mean everything they broadcast, including the Mets games? (I doubt it; that would probably conflict with MLB rights.) That's the only WFAN content I'd even want to hear online.

I'm so off WFAN, and so much happier for it. I haven't heard Russo's or Francesa's voices in about eight months.

[MFS62]

Yancy, I think I heard that it will be everything except Mets games.


I wonder what kind agreement they had to work out with the YES network, which televises the M&MD show. This means that all those people outside of the WFAN and YES areas will now be able to listen to them. Why would anyone want to pollute the air in those parts of the country?

Somebody please call the EPA.

LAter

[Frayed Knot]

"Does that mean everything they broadcast, including the Mets games?"

Dunno

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

They might have a problem webcasting Imus as well, since he's syndicated to other markets.

[Guest Edgy DC]

]I'm so off WFAN, and so much happier for it. I haven't heard Russo's or Francesa's voices in about eight months.

My brutha.

[Guest silverdsl]

This may be one of the most ridiculous, overblown issues ever (or at least that I can think of at the moment). Billy Wagner enters games to "Enter Sandman?" So freakin' what? It's an awesome song and it's not like Metallica signed the rights over to Mariano. In fact Mariano was quoted in Newsday today as saying he doesn't care if Wagner uses it and that's probably because he didn't even pick the song himself. But considering how long Wagner has used the song himself it seems to me that in some places the song may be associated with him just as it much as it is with Mariano. Blasphemy to my fellow Yankee fans, I know.

[soupcan]

="Elster88"] Let's all stop talking about it!

[Theoldmole]

I believe that sports talk radio is the worst thing to happen to sports in our lifetimes.