Expectations And When They Are Initially Exceeded

For the first two months of the season the Mets played better than anybody thought they would. Even the most die-hard fans could not have been prepared to see them eight games over .500 so soon. Those same die-hard fans were lucky enough to see the Mets climb eight games over .500 and win more games than even the optimists predicted.

It is always fun to watch your team exceed expectations. But exceeding expectations brings higher expectations and then disappointment when the team does not live up to those new expectations. That is what I see happening with the Mets and ther fans this week. The Mets won one game in the week after they threw a no-hitter and won a series against the defending champions. If the Mets had been playing the way they were supposed to be playing they would have struggled to score runs against the Cardinals and this weekend's failures also would not have felt nearly as bad.

But the Mets have competed so far this season so now they were supposed to win this weekend.

It is impossible to juggle expectations and emotions when a team plays so far past their perceived ability. It makes weeks like this past one more frustrating than ever. We all want the Mets to win yet we also have to remember this team is still young and they are going to go through growing pains.

The new expectations for this group shouldn't be through the roof. They should not all of a sudden be playoff-bound because of a fast start. While the play does warrant higher expectations the Mets are not World Series contenders in year one of success. However, they are not going to fall back into the dumps after one bad week. Weeks like this happen to keep the team and the fans grounded. Even the best teams struggle.

I don't even know where I'm going with this anymore because there are so many ways I can go. This post is scattered because collecting my thoughts right now is impossible.

I think the best thing for all of us would be to take a deep breath and clear our heads. The Mets are playing far better than we thought they would after Spring Training. Remember that and enjoy what has happened so far.

Let's Go Mets!