The month of changes
Well, here we are, barreling toward the end of August. This month, to me, anyway, represents the downhill portion of the year's roller coaster - it ticks ever so slowly upward during the winter and spring, and then reaches the top of the ramp in the early summer; we then rocket downhill through late summer and fall, get to the bottom of the hill at year's end, and start all over again.
When I was a kid, August would mark the end of a glorious carefree summer, and the back-to-school sales would be in full swing. My brother and I would stock up on supplies and clothes (thanks, Mom and Dad!), and once Jerry Lewis finished singing 'You'll Never Walk Alone' to conclude his annual MDA Labor Day telethon, it would be one final night before the first day of school. When in college at SUNY Oswego, I'd have to head up in late August for that first week of school, followed by Labor Day weekend, where we could all catch our breath and then really dive into the semester. I think, for at least the first year there, I tuned in to the MDA Telethon, because it was a reminder of home.
Having lived in upstate New York for the past 23 years, it's the New York State Fair that now signals the end of summer for me. Do I go to the State Fair? Well, Allie and I used to go at least once a year, but of late we've developed severe cases of 'been there, done that' - going through crowded buildings, walking across the fairgrounds under a scorching sun, looking at the same exhibits year after year, and so on. We will definitely go if there is ever a concert we want to see (Chris and I talked about our favorite Fair concerts on our latest podcast) but so far, no dice.
August also marks a significant shift in the sports calendar. Major League Baseball and the WNBA have had a good run of several weeks all to themselves, but they're now getting some serious company. The NFL's preseason games have just wrapped up and the regular season starts next week; NHL training campus are a couple weeks or so away, and by the time preseason hockey begins, MLB playoff races will be going down to the wire, and the NBA will begin ramping up. And before you know it, we'll be counting down the days until spring training, and the cycle begins again.
A change for the worse
Much to my chagrin, the Syracuse Mets have recently announced that they will be changing the name of the team following the 2026 season, which will be the 150th season of minor league baseball in Syracuse. It is unlikely that they will revert back to the Chiefs, which had been their name for decades before changing to the Mets in 2019, and probably won't be the Salt Potatoes either. Hey, if you have any ideas for a name, you can submit it within the linked article!
For me - and yes, I'm incredibly biased - the Mets is a great name, and I love the sharp and simple 'S' logo on the authentic caps, the 'SYRACUSE' lettering across the front in the old-time font that the parent club wore on their road jerseys. (The script version is also really cool.) If there is any consolation, the team will keep the orange and blue as the primary colors.
I can't say I'm surprised by the name change, after the announcement in the offseason that the team, along with the Brooklyn Cyclones, was sold by Mets ownership to Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH). At the start of the 2024 season, DBH purchased the Binghamton affiliate as well, so DBH now owns three of the four Mets affiliates. At this point, DBH owns 45 minor league teams, which is more than one third of the entire minor league system.
My cynical belief is that changing the name will allow Syracuse to more easily change affiliations with major league clubs, and the acquisition of the team by DBH doesn’t seem to make that possibility any less likely. It was the Mets' purchase of the Syracuse team from local ownership in 2018 that paved the way for a triple-A team in upstate New York, after their AAA affiliation pinballed around from Norfolk to New Orleans to Buffalo to Las Vegas over the span of 12 seasons. Here's hoping Syracuse - no matter what the team’s name is - stays a Mets affiliate for decades to come.