watching games the Mets don't play

when I was a girl, I didn't understand why my dad watched games on nights when the Mets weren't playing. if it wasn't about our team, why did he care? now, I understand-- watching baseball is fun, and is a particular kind of fun when the outcome doesn't really matter for your team (like Cubs v. White Sox, for instance) and another kind of fun when it's sort of good for my team either way (Braves v. Phillies). it's also a little bit about addiction; nearly a third of the way through the season, a game at some point during the day becomes the expected routine, a routine that you want to engage in, that feels good and seems to have no health-related drawbacks. it's a desire that can be fed by watching games the Mets don't play in, though it's never quite as satisfying a meal as when it's the Mets that are playing.