We’ll likely never know the truth of whether or not a raccoon (or rat!) was making a disturbance during the New York Mets game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. Even still, the Mets are fully embracing the meme with a new scoreboard quiz asking fans to identify rats and raccoons based on specific facts.
In case you missed it, on Friday night Mets infielders Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil were involved in some sort of disturbance in the New York tunnel. Though there was no video of the actual incident, it was big enough to draw the cameras towards that area after Mets players were seen running in that direction.
After the game, people were not convinced with Lindor’s explanation that it was in fact, either a rat or raccoon (or possum) that drew the pair’s attention and not an altercation of some kind. And yet, Lindor and McNeil stuck to their stories and thus, a meme has been born.
The Mets are leaning into this one. There is a new scoreboard quiz game called "Rat or Raccoon?"
A Citi Field host is asking fans fun facts about rats and raccoons. There are dancing rats and raccoons that appear when they get the questions right.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) May 8, 2021
There is, of course, video to go along with the Mets new in-game scoreboard shenanigans.
"Rat or Raccoon?" is my new favorite scoreboard game. @CitiField @MikeJanela #LGM #LFGM #Mets pic.twitter.com/7ogpII7C1r
— Matthew Searle (@searlebaseball) May 8, 2021
The Mets had a rat or raccoon game posted on the jumbotron here at Citi Field. pic.twitter.com/7FKtWG27C3
— Mark (@TooGooden17) May 8, 2021
You know what, I’m here for this type of fan engagement. Whether or not Lindor and McNeil were telling the truth, whatever the debacle ended up being was clearly not that serious.
Good on the Mets for capitalizing on the big story of the day in such a funny and clever way!
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