The ‘86 Mets: Cocaine, On and Off-field Brawls, and a Murder Outside Shea Stadium

The World Series-winning 1986 New York Mets were, in a word: assholes. But their fans loved them anyway. The Mets were brash, scandalous, addicted, violent, and when you got right down to it, a perfect reflection of their hometown of Queens, New York, and the perfect opposite of Manhattan and the hated New York Yankees who played there. The ‘86 Mets made headlines with their drug use, their on and off-field brawls, their nights in jail, their destruction, and, of course, their domination of the National League. They also made Mets fans and Queens residents focus on something other than the true crime case in the papers that summer, a case that threatened to sink Queens’ reputation with a scandal involving corruption and the mysterious death of a beloved Queens politician outside Shea Stadium.
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This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including suicide. If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
New York is certainly a great sports city, but what is the greatest sports city? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod.
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