One reason why Keith is not with SNY doing the pre/post game show. ] So far, SNY's on-site show a hit October 17, 2006 The Mets' victory Sunday ensured that the playoff circus will be back in town tomorrow, and that its most unusual sideshow will return to Gate A outside Shea Stadium. Clearly, SNY's pre- and postgame shows have gotten an energy jolt from Gary Cohen and Ron Darling sitting among the people, and it has drawn enthusiastic, fairly well-behaved crowds. Before Friday's game, fans mounted a disparaging chant aimed at Albert Pujols but mostly cheered for Darling and Cohen, each of whom turned to acknowledge them. "I didn't realize Mets fans had so much fun before and after games," Darling said yesterday. (By the way, Cohen's magical effect on the Mets continues. After their six-run sixth Sunday, they have outscored opponents 16-2 in the playoffs in the one inning in which he calls radio play-by-play.) Naturally, it helped that the Mets won their first three home games and that by the time they lost Friday, it was midnight and few fans stuck around. What happens if they suffer a tough loss in Game 6 or 7? Will it turn ugly? Do Darling and Cohen fear for their safety? "Everyone has been so positive, so no, we're not worried at all," said Darling, who is about 10 feet from fans, far closer than, for example, Fox's NFL pregame cast. "The security has been fantastic." Let's hope so. These on-site shows, popularized by ESPN's "College GameDay," are a mixed blessing. They create interesting pictures, but often at the cost of off-color signs or gestures from fans under the influence. They also distract from announcers' words and make those words difficult to hear. Darling said the technical part has worked nicely but added that he and Cohen have their volume dials turned up "as high as we can go" to hear one another. "Gary and I are getting deaf as we go," he said. "The trick is to concentrate on what he and I are saying. They're very loud behind you; if you don't concentrate on each other, you can get overcome." Overall, SNY has done a thorough job covering its anchor team. Two negatives: Tim Teufel's not-ready-for-playoff-time studio debut and Keith Hernandez's absence. Hernandez is not working the postseason in part because he must spend six months in Florida for tax reasons; he has appeared via satellite only once, during an NLCS preview show last Tuesday. "It's weird in the sense that I wish he were here," Darling said. "He's such a natural presence and fans are clamoring for him ... I do miss him."