New York Mets owner Steve Cohen explained that a fan ejected from Citi Field for displaying a "Fire Stearns" sign was removed due to disruptive behavior rather than the message itself. Cohen stated that while fans are permitted to express their opinions, their actions should not detract from the experience of others at the ballpark.
"People want to express themselves, I don’t have a problem with that. In fact, I support that," Cohen said in an interview on The Post's "The Show" Podcast. "When they get to the point where there are people around them complaining that they are ruining their day at the ballpark. Well, you have a right to express yourself, but not to the point where you’re ruining other people’s experiences."
Cohen, who was not present during the incident, was informed by ballpark staff that the fan allegedly ignored requests to be more respectful. "Supposedly, the person was belligerent," Cohen said. "They were told to just be a little bit more respectful. Clearly, according to my people – I wasn’t there, I don’t know what fully happened, I am only responding to what I was told – he wasn’t."
He dismissed the notion that the team's policies under his leadership are not fan-friendly, calling such claims "nonsense." Cohen reiterated that fans are free to express themselves, including chanting players' names or making critical remarks about team personnel.
"You want to chant ‘Pete Alonso,’ chant anything you want," Cohen stated. "If you get to the point where you won’t sit down and you’re ruining the experience of people behind you, that’s unacceptable."
The Mets currently hold a 36-50 record and are in last place in the NL East. The team recently fired manager Carlos Mendoza and is expected to be a seller at the upcoming July trade deadline.