Athletes and Their Celebrations

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Recently in New York, there has been a lot of talk about Jose Reyes and his hand gesture when he hit a three-run home run on Wednesday night against the Phillies. Feelings are mixed around New York. Why is Reyes under the microscope? What about Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera’s celebrations? I think they are all fine, and people overreact.

The key to playing any sport is playing with emotion. Jose Reyes pours his heart and soul on the field, and many people don’t like the fire he plays with. A perfect example of someone who people accept is Troy Percival of the Tampa Bay Rays. He acts like a nut on the mount sometimes, but yet, people are always saying that he plays with fire and passion. In my mind, there is no difference between that and what Reyes does. Both are ok.

Another thing people have to take into consideration is the intensity of the rivalry. The Phillies came back and gave the Mets a huge punch in the stomach with their come from behind victory on Tuesday, and Shane Victorino showboated even worse than Reyes did. There was a play in which he scored, and he stood on the plate, pounded his chest and pointed towards the Mets’ dugout. Why didn’t anyone make a big deal about that?

The bottom line is that people need to look at all of these players on an even field. Just because Jose Reyes is the most talented, that doesn’t make it justified to hold him to different standards than the rest of the league. He can sing, dance and jump if he wants to, because he is the engine that keeps the Mets running.

–MICHAEL GANCI