Matt Harvey Is NOT the Story

[Edgy MD]

The 2014 accounts and travails of Matt Harvey being the most publicized Met outside of the sports pages, while not actively being a Met.

Like today, when Matt created a dustup tweeting a photo of him flipping the bird on Twitter, and deleted his Twitter account shortly after, and Generation Tweet (and barely legit sports sites like SBNation and bleacherreport) just can't shut up about it.

Maybe his goal in life is to drive Jay Horwitz over the edge.

[fimg=500]http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4340595/Harvey_middle_finger_medium.png[/fimg]

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think I found a clue! Now, what would Blue want to do with a hospital gown? I'd better get my handy dandy notebook�

[Ceetar]

I'm not sure why SBNation is 'barely legit'

There is no story. Mets fans (really, fans in general, and people) are bad nasty people online and say mean things and overreact.

[Edgy MD]

Ceetar wrote: I'm not sure why SBNation is 'barely legit'.

Because wildcat journalism sources have diminishing fact-finding capacity and accountability.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: Ceetar wrote: I'm not sure why SBNation is 'barely legit'. Because wildcat journalism sources have diminishing fact-finding capacity and accountability.

For that matter, bleacher report comprises a lot of different people too.

Silly to paint broad strokes. I'm not sure what your sentence full of buzzwords even means. Amazin' Avenue is one of the better places to get Mets news/talk/analysis that's out there.

[Edgy MD]

How dis-spiriting to enter into this conversation at 4:44

Ceetar wrote: For that matter, bleacher report comprises a lot of different people too.

I spoke about the standards of the source. Not the people.

Ceetar wrote: Silly to paint broad strokes.

I mentioned two specific sources. That isn't broad.

Ceetar wrote: I'm not sure what your sentence full of buzzwords even means.

I wrote pretty plainly. Which words (not buzzwords, but real words with actual concrete meanings) would you like me to elaborate on?

Ceetar wrote: Amazin' Avenue is one of the better places to get Mets news/talk/analysis that's out there.

Again, I spoke about the standards of the these sources, not about any and all who use them as a platform. I have no doubt they have many good people doing their best trying to provide interesting and unique content, and not a few succeeding (OE: if not necessarily getting paid for further enriching Ted Turner).

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Foolish of the Mets to pick a fight with such an arrogant dumb employee.

[Ceetar]

your "two specific sources" encompass hundreds if not thousands of writers and dozens of sites.

Their standards seem to be higher than say the New York Post or the Bergen Record from where I sit.


wildcat journalism sources have diminishing fact-finding capacity and accountability.

I don't know what wildcat journalism is and I have no idea what you mean by diminishing fact-finding capacity.

accountability? why? Because they can't be fired? Well, maybe not in the traditional sense, but a lot of those sites on SB Nation have a bunch of writers and those writers can absolutely be 'let go' if they're not up to snuff. And it's all a subsidiary of Vox Media.

Whatever "Can't shut up about it" means, these people aren't the ones going up to Matt Harvey and asking him the specifics of a photo his mom took of him recovering from surgery.

[Edgy MD]

Ceetar wrote: your "two specific sources" encompass hundreds if not thousands of writers and dozens of sites.

How many times do we need to return to discussing the fallacy of the part and the whole?

Ceetar wrote: Their standards seem to be higher than say the New York Post or the Bergen Record from where I sit.

That's just fine.

Ceetar wrote: wildcat journalism sources have diminishing fact-finding capacity and accountability. I don't know what wildcat journalism is and I have no idea what you mean by diminishing fact-finding capacity.

A wildcat enterprise is generally one lacking in authority or regulation of its industry's generally established standards.

I have difficulty believing you have no idea what a diminishing fact-finding capacity might mean. But I mean that to suggest that, not having many reporters with credentials and budgets and time to devote professionally to pursuing their stories, they don't really report, but re-report the findings of more established journals. (Or each other.)

Ceetar wrote: accountability? why? Because they can't be fired? Well, maybe not in the traditional sense, but a lot of those sites on SB Nation have a bunch of writers and those writers can absolutely be 'let go' if they're not up to snuff. And it's all a subsidiary of Vox Media.

Because the operators demonstrably don't really care about maintaining journalistic standards. That doesn't mean that some writers haven't absolutely hit homeruns.

Ceetar wrote: Whatever "Can't shut up about it" means, these people aren't the ones going up to Matt Harvey and asking him the specifics of a photo his mom took of him recovering from surgery.

It means there are a lot of redundant stories to sort through, each amounting to little more than the previous one.

I'm sorry if my opinion hit personally in some way. I just meant to suggest that there was a proliferation of journalism platforms to sort through (and yes, with diminishing returns) that respond to this sort of thing and disproportionately blow it up while offering little new, helpful, or meaningful. There are.

For the record, I've enjoyed a lot of work published at SBNation, and even a little from Gawker sources.

[ashie62]

Why does Harvey have to flip the bird when he knows he is being photographed? I'm not sure if he is a jackass or an attention whore... or both...

[dgwphotography]

I'm just tired of his act.

He had a great half-season, and baseball history is littered with hundreds of players who can claim the same. Until he can show that he can sustain that greatness over an extended period of time, he should just STFU and show a little more humility and class.

[metirish]

Agree with both posts above me.....he's a dick but he's our dick doesn't even cut it anymore .....won't see Parnell doing that carryon abroad in Duffy's Bar ....

[Guest d'Kong76]

Twitter is an evil drug for those in the limelight, sort of
in the limelight, those in good limelight that don't want to
be in bad limelight ... he needs to learn.

At least he didn't caption it, "guess where this just was!"

[seawolf17]

I've said it a million times -- I don't know why anyone wants to play in this city. Our fans are bunch of assholes.

[metirish]

seawolf17 wrote: I've said it a million times -- I don't know why anyone wants to play in this city. Our fans are bunch of assholes.

I think Matt just wants to be seen in the City ......there was though a whole lot of faux outrage on Twitter.....which is what that place does best I think.

[Edgy MD]

I couldn't click on too much or I would have died, so I don't know how much outrage, faux or otherwise there is. I'll take your word for it.

Whatever your reaction to the photo, would it somehow be applauded if he played for San Diego or Texas? Is this really that much a reflection on New Yorkers? Are the outraged all alleged Mets fans?

[Guest d'Kong76]

seawolf17 wrote: I've said it a million times -- I don't know why anyone wants to play in this city. Our fans are bunch of assholes.

Mets' fans and Yankees' fans or just in general?
It's a changed world, one has to be responsible for what gets
posted on the internet. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Matt
idolizes Jeter so much? That's why Jeets makes everyone turn off
their phone/device when at his place. Follow suit, big guy.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Edgy MD wrote: I couldn't click on too much or I would have died, so I don't know how much outrage, faux or otherwise there is. I'll take your word for it. Whatever your reaction to the photo, would it somehow be applauded if he played for San Diego or Texas? Is this really that much a reflection on New Yorkers? Are the outraged all alleged Mets fans?

The reaction among most fans seems to be that this lame joke by Harvey isn't illustrative of idiocy but "personality." They are also convinced that having been asked to take it down is proof that he'll sign with the Yankees (who really indulge this stuff).

I'm not sure whom Seawolf is referring to by the "assholes" remark. My read is a strong majority are very indulgent of his dumb-jockiness.

It's an issue of course because a) the Mets were dumb enough to ask him to take it down; he did so only with a lame take-my-ball-and-go-home act and then an arrogant sorry-not-sorry explanation. It was a dumb fight to pick.

[metsmarathon]

he's a dumb kid who posted a dumb photo. if he'd tweeted "6 months since TJS. Fuck You, surgery!" would anybody even bat an eye or clutch their pearls?

all the time, in interviews, and on the field, and in public, athletes utter obscenities. are they all classless attention whores?

its nonsense. stupid fucking nonsense. not the picture - the offense-taking. its all stupid nonsense.

yeah, i get it - he's a public representative of his employer. what-fucking-ever. he's still not the official voice of the mets. (and if he was, he might do a better job than jay horowitz.)

he's a dude with a twitter account who uttered a visual obscenity. move along. what it directed at anybody? was it meant to detract from anybody or degrade anybody? did it represent deviant or dangerous or destructive or illegal behaviour? no, of course not. it's a big fat pile of nothing.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

it's a big fat pile of nothing.

Agreed. So why react by nuking your entire account and defiantly saying there was nothing to apologize for. As far as we know nobody asked him to apologize. He's a drama queen with no concept of knowing how to act appropriately.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I probably wouldn't have even know about this except
for this thread until maybe a day or two from now.

He should sell the picture for an album cover.

[seawolf17]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: it's a big fat pile of nothing. Agreed. So why react by nuking your entire account and defiantly saying there was nothing to apologize for. As far as we know nobody asked him to apologize. He's a drama queen with no concept of knowing how to act appropriately.

He's a fucking 25-year-old kid who we've spent the last four years fellating as the future of the franchise. Now, because he does one douchey thing, he's a drama queen and we overcriticize this whole thing. Fuckin' hell.

metsmarathon wrote: he's a dumb kid who posted a dumb photo. if he'd tweeted "6 months since TJS. Fuck You, surgery!" would anybody even bat an eye or clutch their pearls? all the time, in interviews, and on the field, and in public, athletes utter obscenities. are they all classless attention whores? its nonsense. stupid fucking nonsense. not the picture - the offense-taking. its all stupid nonsense. yeah, i get it - he's a public representative of his employer. what-fucking-ever. he's still not the official voice of the mets. (and if he was, he might do a better job than jay horowitz.) he's a dude with a twitter account who uttered a visual obscenity. move along. what it directed at anybody? was it meant to detract from anybody or degrade anybody? did it represent deviant or dangerous or destructive or illegal behaviour? no, of course not. it's a big fat pile of nothing.

This. Everyone leave him the fuck alone, let him recover, and fucking applaud and yell your fucking faces off when we see him on Opening Day 2015.

Frig.

[metsmarathon]

he's fed up with the needless and pointless criticism. i see it as a "more trouble than its worth, fuck this shit" reaction/overreaction.

if he's fed up with twitter, and "done" with it, why not delete it?

[metirish]

I don't disagree with that Wolf, Matt should likely heed that advice too though....

[Guest themetfairy]

metsmarathon wrote: he's a dumb kid who posted a dumb photo. if he'd tweeted "6 months since TJS. Fuck You, surgery!" would anybody even bat an eye or clutch their pearls? all the time, in interviews, and on the field, and in public, athletes utter obscenities. are they all classless attention whores? its nonsense. stupid fucking nonsense. not the picture - the offense-taking. its all stupid nonsense. yeah, i get it - he's a public representative of his employer. what-fucking-ever. he's still not the official voice of the mets. (and if he was, he might do a better job than jay horowitz.) he's a dude with a twitter account who uttered a visual obscenity. move along. what it directed at anybody? was it meant to detract from anybody or degrade anybody? did it represent deviant or dangerous or destructive or illegal behaviour? no, of course not. it's a big fat pile of nothing.

This.

Well stated mm.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Oh please, guys ... the guy has been a media and attention
whore since he had some success.

This is different, and not.

[Edgy MD]

Speaking for myself, I haven't fellated anybody.

Why? What are they saying?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

metsmarathon wrote: he's fed up with the needless and pointless criticism. i see it as a "more trouble than its worth, fuck this shit" reaction/overreaction. if he's fed up with twitter, and "done" with it, why not delete it?

As far as I can tell the only people criticizing the act are those who (rightly) pointed out it was vain and dumb, but you guys can't be confusing me for someone who's offended by simulated salty language. That's not it at all.

Maybe I missed the part where the outraged citizenry bullied Matt Harvey into deleting his account.

[Edgy MD]

Hard to believe most PR guys wouldn't ask you to take that photo down. Right or wrong, clearly, responding by shutting down his shop was about playing the part of a victim.

Guess he's just never not competing. Even if it's a battle of PR pride with an old man.

[metirish]

Odds that he is back on Twitter by the weekend?