Phil Mushnick

Phil Mushnick

Sports

Mets rob fans coming and going in the name of ‘convenience’

Dear New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman:

Given that you and your office have shown recent interest in ridding the inside-dealing and systemic price-gouging that regularly — and for years — have made the purchase of concert tickets a matter of fleecing the public, check this one out. It’s going on right now as, hopefully, you read this:

You’re likely familiar with the Mets’ majority ownership family that has twice found sensational investment opportunities with Ponzi operators, and has partnered with disreputable businesses and businessmen including Amway, hedge-funder and minority team owner Steve Cohen’s SAC (in a major matter, his company paid a $1.8 billion insider trading settlement) and the minor matter of minority team owner, flowers-by-phone magnate James McCann, whose company paid $325,000 to settle allegations of defrauding customers in a credit card scam.

The Wilpon Family is gifted, that way.

Anyway, the Mets, this past Monday through today, announced a come-on titled, “Mets Bring Back Popular ‘No Fees’ Promotion,” sub-headlined, “Club Picks Up Fees on all Tickets Purchased for Balance of the 2016 Regular Season.”

Thus, the Mets are either selling their tickets at a loss — fat chance — or they’re temporarily waiving their usual, highly dubious and seemingly out-of-thin-air tack-on charges, especially “convenience fees.” Why are there any added fees to begin with?

As written here, Monday, a family that recently bought six tickets to a Mets game — a gulping $130 each for half-decent seats — then had $102 in “convenience fees” added to the total. Thus, the Mets’ $810 take became $912.

Funny thing about such forced “convenience fees.” They’re ostensibly charged for fans’ convenience, although they’re never broadly explained, let alone detailed. After all, when did it become an inconvenience to sell us tickets?

Now, if the Mets temporarily have waived those convenience fees, they’re selling the tickets at someone’s inconvenience, right?

And if it’s somehow at fans’ inconvenience, I write on behalf of all of them in telling the Mets that fans gladly will suffer — for the rest of their sports consumer lives — such inconvenience.

Otherwise, those “convenience” charges are pure price-gouging. So from now on, just give fans the option: Would they like to pay convenience charges or prefer to be inconvenienced by no charges?

New York’s teams, Mr. Attorney General, now even charge “printing fees” — they tack on a few bucks to allow customers to print the tickets at home or in their office. It’s their ink, their paper, their time, the teams’ convenience — and customers are charged for it!

Why weren’t those who paid $22 to park at Citi Field before Monday’s Cardinals-Mets game was postponed — just as it was scheduled to start — issued a refund, a credit or, at least, a rain check?

What is a “facility fee?” Why, after buying a ticket to an event, does one have to pay again to enter the facility?

New York state Attorney General Eric SchneidermanGetty Images

It’s not as if MLB commissioner Rob Manfred gives a rat’s retina about any of this, or I wouldn’t be writing to you.

Why can’t a $75 ticket cost $75? Why does a $130 ticket cost an extra $17 per ticket? Exactly what is the “convenience?” Whose convenience? Why, and why so much? We’d love to know.

In the meantime, the Mets’ “popular” no-fees promotion seems as it smells: The Mets are proud to announce they temporarily are suspending their standard tickets rip-off.

Come on, Mr. Attorney General; help us out. Such squeezing has been going on for years and it’s worsening. So please look into it, and hard — at the Mets’ convenience, of course.

No matter the sport, leagues are all about the money

Keep following the money: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman this week declared his league sees no connection between former players suffering long-term concussion issues and those players having been repeatedly punched in the head during their careers.

That makes sense the way Rob Manfred and Roger Goodell declared that FanDuel and DraftKings — league- and teams-invested, young male-targeting gambling operations — are not gambling operations.

The Nationals at Mets game on Sunday, Sept. 4, has been switched from 1 p.m. to 8:10 p.m. on ESPN’s sold-by-MLB orders.

It’s still a Mets Sunday Family Game, thus the kids’ run-the-bases-with-Mr. Met come-on is still on for after the game. A free black coffee to the first 10 remaining kids under 10 years old.

Despite international calls for China to cease its across-the-board governmental denial of basic human rights — including the imprisonment and disappearance of pro-democracy activists — the NBA will continue to play games and sell league merchandise in China, too lucrative a market not to aggressively cultivate.

The 2016-17 season’s All-Star Game, yanked by the NBA from Charlotte, N.C., in response to the state’s alleged insensitivity to the bathroom rights of transgenders (aren’t there latched stalls in all public bathrooms?) is now up for grabs. How about Tiananmen Square?

As for North America, the NBA will now sell team-logo catheters at all league arenas and shopping sites.

Another lost tape for the Mike Francesa files

Joe GirardiShutterstock

On Monday, July 18, Mike Francesa declared the Yankees kaput. The Yankees then went 7-2 in their next nine games to get back in the race.

“Let’s Be Honest” is also now heard in an auto commercial with Joe Girardi. Francesa introduces Girardi as someone we know to be a wise manager and consumer — not that Francesa would avoid such a conflicted interest to pocket some quick, easy dough.

That brings to mind his screaming on-air lecture to Chris Carlin on practicing sound, basic journalism. Another lost tape.


The Game Has Changed, The Perfect Storm: At the urging of reader Joe Shepherd, we bring you last Friday’s Twins-Red Sox game, bottom of the eighth, two out, Boston up, 2-1, and catcher Sandy Leon at-bat.

Leon hit a fly to third. He presumed he was out, thus he didn’t run. Third baseman Miguel Sano tried to one-hand it, but dropped it.

On NESN’s Red Sox TV, former Red Sox infielder Jerry Remy scolded Sano for not making an easy catch easier by using two hands. Sidekick Dave O’Brien followed with a scolding of Leon being at first instead of second.

Major leaguers! And it happens every game!


Chris Sale speaks to the media Thursday after the White Sox’s 3-1 loss to the Cubs.AP

While so many fans and media quickly became excited about the availability of White Sox star pitcher Chris Sale, is there not even a question as to his mental health?

To that end, Channel 7 News sports anchor Laura Behnke on Sunday reported that Sale was suspended for destroying — vandalizing — the throwback uniforms his team was to wear that day, a story that caused her and Ch. 7’s news anchors extended laughter.

What was so funny? They didn’t tell us.