The Unanimous Declaration of the Citizens of Mets Nation

When in the Course of Baseball events it becomes necessary for the Fans to dissolve the ownership bonds which have blighted our Team, and to assume among the powers of the Game, the Independent ownership of the Team by the Fans, to which the Laws of Baseball and God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of Fans requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that professional baseball teams are a Public Trust, not a “Family Heirloom,” that Fans are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of the World Series Crown. — That to secure these rights, Owners are granted the privilege of operating Teams, ultimately deriving their just powers from the consent of the Fans, — That whenever any Form of Ownership becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the Fans to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Ownership, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Happiness and Success. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Ownerships long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that Fans are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Ownership, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Fans of Mets Nation; and such is now the necessity that constrains them to alter their former Ownership. The history of the present Team Ownership is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny and Incompetence over the Team and the Fans.

To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

The Owners’ perpetual pecuniary problems stemming from past ponzi schemes, and their management of the Team as a Family bequeathment for bestowal upon their entitled and privileged progeny, constitute irreconcilable conflicts of interest with their civic and moral duty to manage the Team as a Public Trust.

The Owners’ avarice and biases have resulted in failing to retain their most talented and accomplished players, including, but not limited to, All Stars Daniel Murphy, Justin Turner, Michael Fulmer, and Jay Bruce, among others.

They have squandered limited funds by usurping management and signing numerous poor performers to lucrative contracts, which we Fans have suffered and sworn.

They have limited investments in quality players to penurious levels not commensurate with the stature, image and prestige of the Greatest City in the World, not to mention that of their local rivals.

Their player conditioning and rehabilitation programs that have produced results resembling the triage unit in MASH.

They usurp management and micromanage and mismanage key decisions and programs, ranging from releases of star players, signing of inept free agents, making poor draft picks, and providing ruinous player conditioning and rehab programs.

They erect grand edifices to celebrate players from other teams of past eras (and the Owner’s personal connections thereto), and ignore and berate current and recent day heroes.

We Fans must suffer the ridicule, sarcasm and haughty laughter, though not unjustified, at parties, bars, family gatherings, and talk radio, from fans of the hated local Team Who Shall Not Be Named.

We must silently endure the sights of our despised Rival’s fans boastfully displaying their ubiquitous NYY emblem of victory, while furtively hiding or discarding our own sad NYM emblem of annual defeat.

The Owners have indicated their intention to continue their current (mis)management approach and limit investments in the team, and not re-invest recent savings from release of successful, highly paid players.

They have stated their intent to continue these practices through future generations of the Family, to maintain their “Family Heirloom” at the expense of the Fans.  

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Wilpon brethren.  We have warned them repeatedly through our media allies, and talk radio, about our grievances, and we have reminded them of the circumstances of our plight.  We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, and pursue the ultimate victory in the World Series, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Adversaries in Conflict, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of Mets Nation, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of Mets Nation, solemnly publish and declare, That this united Mets Nation is, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent of the Owners, that we shall undertake to no longer attend any future Mets games at Citi Field, or encourage any friend or acquaintance to attend such events, nor purchase any attire or Mets memorabilia, nor provide funding for families or offspring to attend such events (collectively the “BOYCOTT”), until such time as certain conditions are met.  Absolved from all Allegiance to the Wilpons, and that all the connections between them and the Team, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as a Free and Independent Nation, we have full Power to pursue restructuring of ownership, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent Baseball Nations may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

In view of the foregoing, We, the Members of Mets Nation, hereby commit ourselves to maintain the BOYCOTT until the establishment of a Publicly Held, Non-Profit Corporation owned and managed by shareholders of Mets Nation.  We pledge to not waiver from our commitment to the BOYCOTT no matter the pressures, gimmicks, or temptations, whether wishful promises of phenoms that will rescue the team, risible suggestions of miraculous recoveries of former star players, signing of free agent saviors, or brief but infrequent win streaks. We believe, commit and covenant that Public Ownership is the best mechanism to assure that the goals and rights of the Fans to win the World Series are ultimately achieved, so help us God.

Attested,

Robert J. Foxen, Jr.

Robert J. Foxen, Sr. (In memorium)