Shea Stadium, a great place to watch a game...and planes take off
By the end of the week Shea Stadium will be gone.
Wrecking crews have been dismantling the former home of the New York Mets since October. Thanks to the team's second straight collapse, there were no playoff games to delay the deconstruction.
Most cities use implosions to bring down their retired stadia. However, since implosions are illegal within the boundaries of The City of New York, Shea has been taken apart piece by piece. This process has given fans a chance to watch a familiar place slowly disappear like the many summer days spent inside.
I'll miss Shea, despite its oddly-angled, undersized seats that at times were too far from the action. Other Mets fans definitely will. Oddly enough, pilots flying in and out of La Guardia Airport will too. Beyond that group of people, it's tough to imagine anyone else shedding a tear over the demise of this facility like Larry Jones, Jr.
It probably won't take long to adjust to the improved sight lines, unobstructed corridors and bathrooms that aren't ankle deep in mystery wetness at the new place next door.
Of course the new place already has its share of problems and it hasn't opened yet. Let's hope that's not an omen for the 2009 season.
