The New York Mets' early-season collapse has become a national talking point after a running joke emerged blaming Mayor Zohran Mamdani for the team's 11-game losing streak. The narrative began when Mamdani hugged the mascots Mr and Mrs Met at Citi Field on April 9, an interaction now jokingly referred to as a 'curse'.
Fox News host Sean Hannity amplified the theory on his show, saying the Mets had lost 11 straight games 'right after the Mayor met and hugged the team mascot'. The New York Post ran a front page with the headline 'Curse of the Mambino', a play on the famous 'Curse of the Bambino' that haunted the Boston Red Sox for 86 years.
Before Mamdani's visit, the Mets started the season 7-4, showing promise despite injuries to key players like Juan Soto. Since then, they have lost 11 consecutive games, their worst streak since 2004, and have been swept by the Athletics, Dodgers and Cubs. The collapse is particularly frustrating given the team's estimated total spending of roughly $507 million.
Mets fan Nelson Berrios, who voted for Mamdani, told the New York Post that the mayor brought 'bad juju'. Social media users joked that Mamdani was 'squeezing the mojo' out of the Mets, echoing his support for higher taxes on the wealthy. However, some dismissed the curse, with one X user noting, 'I mean, it's the Mets. I don't think hugging Mamdani really mattered.'
Mamdani addressed the 'curse' on Tuesday while announcing a new early childhood education initiative, saying he was 'taking it all in stride' and would accept being called 'Mayor Mambino for the day'. He added, 'There's a lot of baseball left to be played, and I am still keeping the faith.'
