Hey Rivera...Get Your own Damn Song

by user MetsJetsDevils

For a team constantly in their cross-town rivals' shadow, they sure have a funny way of trying to create their own identity. On Monday afternoon at Shea Stadium for Mets Opening Day, the Mets clung to a one run lead heading into the 9th against the Washington Nationals. The setting couldn't be more perfect for All-Star closer Billy Wagner, who was signed for $43 million dollars in the offseason. As the Nats got set for their last at-bats, Wagner jogged onto the field from the bullpen to make his Mets debut. What song was blaring through the Shea Stadium speakers? None other than the song he has been using for basically his entire career, Meticalla's "Enter Sandman". Yankee fans, whose baseball knowledge does not extend beyond Yankee Stadium and whichever small market pitcher Steinbrenner is going to overspend for this year (Irabu, Weaver, Vazquez, Pavano) thought Mariano Rivera invented the song because he has been coming out of the pen close games while this song played for almost ten years now. Yankee fans were unaware that both Wagner and Rob Nen have been using the song as long, if not longer. While most New Yorkers hear this song and immediately think of Rivera blowing a world series lead and crucial playoff games against the hated Red Sox, outside of egocentric Yankee fans, most other baseball fans, including fans in Houston, Philadelphia and San Fransisco, think of someone other than NY's overhyped, formerly dominant closer.

Do Wanger and Nen have "Enter Sandman" trademarked? Of course not because you can't trademark a song. That's what copyright is for. Now Metalicca as well as some sound engineers somewhere likely do have a copyright interest, but that is a different story for one of Aaron's other web projects. What matters here is that its a free country and there are no MLB rules that specify what songs you can play in your stadium. However, Mariono Rivera and whatever Yankees offical that allowed this should be blasted for allowing Rivera to steal the song that two other closers are famous, outside of Yankee Stadium of course, for using. There are millions of other songs out there that Rivera could use -- Perhaps the Simpsons spoof "Flaming Mo's" would be appropriate. In the end though, you have to forgive Yankee fans for their "Sandman" ignorance. That song is all they have left to remember what was once a good team, but now is a fading memory. I guess if you wanna be a winner, you should imitate winners as much as you can. But no matter how much Rivera imitates Wagner and Nen, the Yankees, and Rivera, will never be winners again in his career.

Date
Tue 04/04/06, 9:08 am EST