Thursday was supposed to be Mets Opening Day at Citi Field. It was postponed to Friday because of “rain”, but New York still made headlines. They announced a partnership with NewYork-Presbyterian, which includes an advertisement on the sleeves of player jerseys.
And, even better — it’s ready just in time for the Mets’ home opener! We knew this was a reality for both New York teams, but we didn’t really have a clue as to how close the Amazins were to getting a deal done. As it turns out, they were pretty close.
We got a first look at what the jersey patch ad will look like via the Mets’ official Twitter account on Thursday evening. And, I’m not gonna lie — this is an L:
We are excited to show off our Amazin' partnership with @nyphospital. pic.twitter.com/fnpAdSMwH5
— New York Mets (@Mets) April 6, 2023
Could this honestly look more out of place? I’m not sure. Between the colors and the sheer size, it looks pretty bad. The instant reactions on Twitter were also not favorable:
— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) April 6, 2023
— Justin Brannan (@JustinBrannan) April 6, 2023
That’s the worst patch you could have possibly come up with
— Inquirer Space-X Platinum Plus subscriber (@EarlTsb1) April 6, 2023
Get swept, cancel Opening Day when it’s 76 and sunny, and now reveal the worst designed ad patch known to man. Starting to feel Wilpon-esque around here!
— Kevin J. Ryan (@wheresKR) April 6, 2023
Like, phew — this is brutal. And these people aren’t wrong. The premise behind the other parts of the partnership is cool, but this just feels tacky. Let’s also acknowledge the irony of the Mets — who have historically had lots of injury issues — are literally now advertising for a hospital on their jerseys:
The Mets are being sponsored by a hospital. I am CACKLING. https://t.co/BzrQHZYJ8V
— Amy (@akfanch) April 6, 2023
So, yea — not really a fan. I’d rather not see ads on any MLB player jerseys, but they don’t all stick out like a sore thumb. The Motorola ads on Padres jerseys are also big, but at least it blends in a little bit, right?
In the grand scheme of things, I’m sure I’ll eventually just be able to ignore it since we live in a world where we’re bombarded by advertisements. But based on how much time likely went into the search for the right sponsor and the design of the patch itself, I’m surprised at just how awkward this looks.
However, Steve Cohen is coming to the rescue. Here’s what he said at Citi Field on Friday when discussing the patches:
Steve Cohen said there's already an agreement in place to alter the new uniform patch for New York Presbyterian.
"They're Phillie colors… it should be more Met appropriate," Cohen said.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) April 7, 2023
Thank goodness.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
