What Mets fans had feared became official last night as the Yankees inked a deal with WFAN to have their games broadcast on "New York's number 1" in 2014 and beyond. The Yankees who were already under contract with CBS Radio, having had their games on WCBS 880 AM for a number of years are moving on up the to top sports talk station in the region.
The Mets meanwhile don't have a station home anymore. Rumors have swirled that either 710 WOR or 98.7 ESPN NY could end up picking up the Mets from the basement, but nothing has yet to be confirmed on that route.
ESPN NY already broadcasts NY Jets, NY Knicks and sometimes, NY Rangers games during the year. How the Mets fit into that plan, AND ESPN keeps it's daily talk shows going at the same time would be very interesting. Especially with the Mets season starting in the heat of playoff basketball and hockey, and ends with the kick-off of Jets football.
In short I would not be against seeing the Mets move over to WOR. Why not? WOR television used to be the home of Mets baseball during the clubs hay day in the 1980s.
Still, there will be something very strange about listening to the Yankees on FAN, and the Mets elsewhere, because FAN had been the flagship station of Mets baseball since 1987, the birth year of WFAN.
The Mets and WFAN were a marriage made in Heaven, (unless your Mike Francesa of course), because each night that Mets baseball ended you got to hear from the biggest Mets fan in Steve Somers, breaking down the night's performance.
This will feel alien at first, but like everything else in life, we will adjust. It wasn't that long ago the Yankees used to have their television rights with WPIX channel 11, before they left for a local TV deal with WNYW, MSG and eventually the YES Network, while the Mets went over to channel 11. Nobody complained then after a while, either.
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