The videos are often shaky, and without warning the guttural and euphoric screams emanating from our smartphone speakers approach ear-splitting levels.
But for Mets fans, the shrieks and “Woo’s” are music to their ears. It’s like the snack you know you shouldn’t devour before bed, but you do anyway. You can’t go to sleep without it, because if you do, your Mets experience isn’t complete. They are the ballads of the Mets improbable season.
For fans of the Amazins’—a nickname that perfectly suits this enthusiastic bunch of ball players—these selfie-shot “recaps” from none other than Mets superfan Jim Breuer, a Long Island native, provide the perfect punctuation to emotional victories, and even heartbreaking defeats. And Breuer is more than happy to oblige, diligently posting them to Facebook each night.
Breuer began making the brief videos after he received some encouragement from his wife. Now, he tells the Press (more specifically, staffer Jaime Franchi, aka Breuer’s bestie), it’s his “passion, my joy, my hobby.”
“Met fans are filled with passion,” he told her via text (as aforementioned, besties #poww), “loyalty & hope. This journey was like watching your child grow up & exceed all your hopes and expectations. They could of gave up on so many occasions. But they stuck together! So fun to watch them grow! Let’s Go Mets!!”
Breuer’s initial video recaps, in which he stares intently at his phone’s front-facing camera and captures the jubilance of being a Mets fan in 2015, or provides a glimpse into their tortured souls, reached tens of thousands of viewers. As the pennant race reached a fevered pitch in late August and September, Breuer’s videos were receiving upwards of a million views.
His latest, uploaded Wednesday evening following their emotional National League pennant-clinching victory over the helpless Cubs, will most likely be his most viral. And it’s Breuer at his best.
Breuer is standing inside a friend’s kitchen. Bottles of beer are scattered on the table. A handful of people are standing, eager to celebrate. It’s been 15 long years since the Mets reached the World Series. Jeurys Familia puts the nail in the Cubs’ coffin with a called third strike. Forget about the celebration on the field, we’re more interested in Breuer.
Met fan recapNL CHAMPS!!!!
Posted by Jim Breuer on Wednesday, October 21, 2015
With goggles resting on his head in preparation for a champagne bath, he whips out a piece of paper—or as he puts it, “an MLB notice.”
“Let’s see what it says,” he teases.
“To the New York Mets…it says, you are off to the World Series to represent the National League!” Breuer belts as a friend showers him in bubbly.
He proceeds to share in the Mets glory, joyously swinging his fist toward the camera and letting out primal screams.
“Guess who I just found?” he says, walking near a dark space. “I just found Duda! He’s been hiding. Come on out, join the party!!” Of course, he was referring to first basemen Lucas Duda, who has had a dreadful postseason up until Wednesday. In the first inning, Duda rocked an offering into the stands for a three-run home run. He followed that up with a two-RBI double in the second.
Breuer is classy in victory, but he can’t help himself.
“By the way,” he tells us, “Chicago is the cleanest city in the world right now cause it just got swept!”
And then to no one in particular: “Congratulation kids—the Mets. Who would’ve thought!?? Who would’ve thought?!? Let’s go Mets’ baby.”
Breuer ends the video with a sinister laugh.
The videos have been shot from a living room, inside a vehicle, in his garage, hotel rooms, and in the stands at Citi Field.
His “WE BEAT LA!!!!” recap after the Mets won the division series garnered 1.7 million views. It’s a must-see, especially if you’re still a tad upset with reviled Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley.
Some videos are heartfelt, like the one he made back on June 28 for Long Island’s Steven Matz’s debut.
Other videos aren’t recaps at all.
On Sept. 5, Breuer posted “A message to Matt Harvey” in which he criticizes the Mets ace for letting his agent speak for him. “You’re a grown man,” he tells the Dark Knight.
Despite what happens the rest of the way, Breuer’s videos will forever be part of this Mets roller coaster season. It’s a sort-of digital yearbook that Mets fans could not do without.
With the Mets headed to the Fall Classic, there will be more memorable videos to come.
“All is great in my camp right now,” Breuer says.
Here are some of our favorite Breuer Mets Recaps:
Mets recap WE BEAT LA!!!!
Posted by Jim Breuer on Thursday, October 15, 2015
Mets fan recap is backAnd let's go MATZ!!!!!
Posted by Jim Breuer on Sunday, June 28, 2015
Mets sweep !!! BEWARE rated RMom drops the " F " bomb!
Posted by Jim Breuer on Wednesday, September 9, 2015
A met fan message for MATT HARVEY
Posted by Jim Breuer on Saturday, September 5, 2015