By Rich Adragna
Hofstra professor Dana Brand held a reading of his book “Mets Fan” at Monroe Lecture Hall last Thursday to interested Mets fans and fans of the game of baseball. Professor Brand read essays that ranged from beloved third baseman and current SNY game analyst Keith Hernandez’s appearance on Seinfeld and the hatred for the New York Yankees and their fans, to going to a Mets game with his daughter and the Mets’ beloved mascot, Mr. Met. Despite the small number of people in attendance, which consisted of mainly Mets fans and some Yankees and Red Sox supporters, those people gave applauses to Brand at the end of each essay he read, indicating that the lecture was a success.
“The basis of this lecture was to show a dimension of what being a fan means to everyone,” said professor Brand. “Not only Mets fans, but fans of any team can relate to the experiences I share in this book.”
Those who were in attendance were given a treat as professor Brand injected his humor and wit into the essays he read aloud.
“The whole thing was awesome,” said John Terrana, a Hofstra student from Wantagh. “You really can’t be a Mets fan without having to laugh at yourself and everything else.”
Another reason why the Mets fans in attendance loved it a lot was because they could certainly identify with the stories he told.
“I liked it a lot and I thought he was funny,” said Geoffrey Sorenson, a senior from Huntington. “I could identify with those stories because we experienced both the highs and the lows. I absolutely appreciate his insight.”
Even the few Yankee fans who were on hand for the lecture came to enjoy it just as much as the Mets fans.
“I had professor Brand as a teacher in one of my classes and he is a great speaker,” said Yankee fan Jimmy Gilligan of East Brunswick, N.J. “I appreciate the game of baseball and I like to hear the insights of those who root for other teams. His insights were very enjoyable.”
With every applause after reading an essay and with every chuckle and sign of interest from the Mets fans in the audience, professor Brand succeeded. He shared his experiences to those people and they showed their gratitude because they knew they can relate to those experiences very well. Simply put, professor Brand delivered his lecture with gusto and left many people entertained, something that would rarely happen in other classes on campus.
Oh, and one more thing, when asked how he would feel if the Mets acquired superstar free-agent Alex Rodriguez, he adamantly responded, “I will not be happy!”