WFAN host Sal Licata says he's not a clown while wearing a clown costume. Photo credit: WFAN
MLBRadioBy Sam Neumann on

Sal Licata only owned himself in an attempt to claim victory over the Atlanta Braves and their fans.

In not trying to sound like every other self-deprecating New York Mets fan licking their wounds after losing two straight to the Braves, we won’t solely blame Licata for this weekend’s happenings. But this is a coincidence that can’t be ignored. Somehow, some way, the WFAN host has found a way for lightning to strike twice, once again prematurely declaring the race for a postseason spot over in favor of the Mets.

This isn’t the first time Licata has prematurely counted his chickens. In May 2022, he confidently predicted the Mets would win the NL East, only to see his team collapse dramatically in September. The Braves used his comments as fuel, and their fans relished in the Mets’ downfall, mercilessly mocking Licata and Co. for months to come.

Licata had previously dismissed any blame for the Mets’ 2022 collapse, incredulously questioning a caller’s sanity when suggested otherwise. His defiance has only continued as he doubled down on his claim of innocence. So, with that in mind, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he’d once again place himself in the line of fire.

Perhaps, after enduring relentless taunts from Braves fans, Licata was eager to rewrite the narrative.

Licata was so desperate to change the script that he declared the NL Wild Card race over after the Mets led the Braves 8-2 in the fourth inning of Friday night’s win over the Braves. The Mets would go on to overtake Atlanta for the No. 1 Wild Card spot, eking out an 8-4 win.

But it wasn’t without its pitfalls.

Shortly after Licata tweeted, he heard from the Mets faithful. And he heard from them again after Kodai Senga, who waited almost four months to make his season debut, collapsed on the mound in the sixth inning. Senga was cruising, only allowing two runs across 5 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts.

But then, he fell to the ground in a heap. And just like that, his season came to a crashing close. The Mets announced Saturday that Senga would miss the rest of the regular season with a high-grade calf strain.

Sure, the Mets were riding high after winning five straight, so certainly nothing could stop them. Not even Licata. Right?

Well…

Of course, we have to take into account that Licata was merely trolling and not serious about the NL Wild Card race being over. His intent was merely to taunt Braves fans with a premature victory lap. And his history as a frequent target of their ridicule likely fueled him to do so.

However, even if said claim was meant in jest, it ultimately amplified the sting of the Mets’ subsequent misfortunes, including the loss of Senga and 21 consecutive innings without scoring a run. So, not only did he face renewed mockery from Atlanta and its fans, but he also incurred the wrath of Mets fans when Senga’s injury abruptly halted the team’s momentum.

And sure, blaming someone for a tweet seems strange, but you don’t know how superstitious Mets fans are. This is the same fanbase that has ridden the coattails of Grimace’s first pitch (yes, the same Grimace that Licata called a “Fat, purple a** and accused him of stealing the team’s spotlight) and José Iglesias’s hit song “OMG” to one of the more unlikely turnarounds in the sport’s history.

So it stands to reason that in need of someone to blame, the onus would be on Licata.

The Mets proceeded to be shut out by the Braves until Pete Alonso launched a 2-run home run in the ninth inning of Sunday’s 9-2 loss. They were outscored by Atlanta 13-2 in the next two games and 14-2 since Licata pressed send on his tweet. In the two losses, New York went a combined 1-14 with runners in scoring position. After taking the wild card crown from Atlanta on Friday, the Mets’s stay atop lasted less than 24 hours. They entered Monday tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the third wild card spot and 1.5 games back of Atlanta.

The team hasn’t performed well since Senga went down, but that didn’t stop fans from pointing their fingers solely toward Licata.

That’s just a sprinkling of what his mentions looked like over the weekend. As we said above, Mets fans are a passionate bunch. At the same time, we don’t condone some of what’s being said to the WFAN radio host. But with how 2022 transpired, it’s understandable how Licata ultimately drew the ire of a fanbase with one troll tweet.

On the other hand, Licata’s tweet was like Christmas in July for Braves fans.

So, did Licata single-handedly cause the Mets’ woes? Probably not. But in the roller coaster world of New York sports fandom, sometimes a bad tweet is all it takes to become a lightning rod for a team’s struggles. Mets fans, ever the passionate bunch, will surely hope Licata learns to control his premature celebrations.

But judging by his past behavior, that lesson might have to be learned the hard way – again.

[Sal Licata]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.

View all posts by Sam Neumann