Incarcerated true crime author Seth Ferranti knows Supreme, has met several of the Team and spoken to others who had intimate knowledge of the group’s organization, rise and inevitable fall.  In his latest book, Ferranti ventures deep into the elements that not only ushered in a new era of narcotics dealing, but the who and how of those involved before, during and after McGriff became king. “I feel I captured the era,” he explains. “The essence and the attitude of the team and what was going on back then and how they evolved and became legends in hip-hop.” Along with detailed profiles of Supreme Team characters, mentors and associates – readers will also learn much regarding the intermingling of hip-hop and kingpins; how street reality was woven into lyrical poetry and prose and how infamous characters like Supreme would later be subjects of such lyrics.

“The book was something I had planned a while back when I was on the compound at FCI Gilmer with Supreme before he was taken back on the murder inc case,” Ferranti recalls of his inspiration to begin this book in 2005. “I found the more research I did the more information and stories surrounding the team in their glory days came up. i had a treasure trove of information and photos. So I kept researching and collecting and filing away the information and then around 2008 I started to put the book together in earnest. I have known and been on the compound with several members of the team including supreme, tuck and bing and I have been in written and phone contact with so many more. these guys became my friends, so it was more than a book to me, it became a situation where I felt like I was the official historian of the team and like I had been nominated to protect their legacy in the annals of popular culture. Plus I wanted to put together i book that had all the diverse information that I had gathered into one volume, making my book the most concise and detailed tome of the Supreme Team, the crack era and the drug game ever.”

Not everyone was immediately pleased with the idea of the author’s all-encompassing project.  Ferranti was not met with warm regard from some Supreme Team members, so he had to reach to the top man. Prior to McGriff’s transfer to another prison, Seth Ferranti spent eighteen months at FCI Gilmer with the charismatic crime boss and they forged a friendship and trust. Once McGriff had been moved, Seth’s wife kept in contact with him, exchanging correspondence between the men. “He knew I wanted to do this book for awhile and he has always supported and helped me in my projects concerning the supreme team,” Ferranti says. “There were some problems with other members of the team regarding this book and the publication of  it. Some threats were made to me and my wife but Supreme gave us his support and blessing and deaded all of that by reaching out to dudes and letting them know that he supported me and what i as doing with the book. His exact thoughts on the book I don’t know, but he had someone he trusts very much review it before publication and they told him it was incredible and as authentic as it could be so he rode with that as he has rode with me and my previous endeavors and i welcome his support on this project.”

Gerald "Prince" Miller

Inside the pages of The Supreme Team are many moments of street thuggery and the brutality innate within drug trafficking.  Yet, there are many instances of the human aspect, the possible reasons for choosing a life of crime and of course – the only endings to such stories.  As Ferranti knows firsthand… the ‘life’ is not like in the movies and there are few happy endings.

“In this life there are really only two outcomes- death or jail,” he emphasizes, “because if you even consider snitching or being a turncoat an option than you shouldn’t be involved in the first place. At the age of 20 you never weigh the consequences of your actions, you just ride with it, basking in your own immortality. But the price guys in this type of life have to pay are real and in my books and in this story about the Supreme Team that is what I am trying to show. Yeah, these dudes are icons in the hip-hop world, the streets and in pop culture but i think most of them would give up that notoriety to live a normal life with their families and loved ones.”

So, are there lessons to be learned from a book such as The Supreme Team? Ferranti explains the eventual mindset, saying, “Anytime you end up doing years and decades in prison for crimes you committed while a teenager or young man you come to see that you could have done things a better way.I believe a lot of dudes have regrets.  You take a guy like Supreme with his intelligence and personality and diplomacy he could have succeeded at anything he wanted but now he is doing life in prison. So sure there are regrets a lot of these dudes did decades in prison and even more have life, and then the rest of them are dead, so there are regrets all around but that was the life they choose to lead. so whatever the consequences they have to pay the price.”

Seth Ferranti’s The Supreme Team: The Birth of Crack and Hip-Hop, Prince’s Reign of Terror and The Supreme/50 Cent Beef Exposed 

is available now at www.gorillaconvict.com and other booksellers.

Here are some photos taken at the Mob Candy Magazine photo shoot, featured on VH1′s Mob Wives, that were considered for cover shots, but were not used. What do you guys think of them? Compare them with the cover of the magazine that is shown on our site www.mafialife.com and let us know if you would have used a different one. Just leave your comments here, we will get them. Hope you enjoy these exclusives. (if you use them, please give www.mafialife.com the credit, and let people know they can buy the Karen issue there if they want.)

Daughter of ex-mobster, and star of the hit reality show ‘Mob Wives’ on VH1 Karen Gravano is on the latest copy of Mob Candy Magazine’s issue #7. MafiaLife Chris, from Mafialife.com caught up with her during the photo shoot to ask her some tough questions, and the VH1 crew was there filming. Episode 7 showed that shoot, and some of those hard questions we asked Karen. Check out the clip we put together of the interview, and see how she reacts.  The clip even made on VH1′s ‘Best Moments of Episode 7‘ section:

Religion and the Mafia have a long shared history. Mobsters follow rituals including the burning prayer cards of saints while promising: “As this card burns so will I if I betray secrets”. Members of the mafia are known to carry prayer cards in the belief they will offer divine protection from police or enemies.

There was a great scene at the end of Godfather I where the director cut back and forth between Michael Corleone standing up as Godfather for his sister’s child in Baptism in the sanctuary of a Catholic Church, while the soldiers in his Mafia family systematically and ruthlessly executed his father’s enemies. The scene was a kind of metaphor for the ambivalent relationship between Italians and their religion. Historically, Italians have always had a strong connection to Catholicism, after all, their CEO is headquartered in Rome. Even today, approximately 90% of the population of Italy identifies itself as Catholic, although of that number, only about 1/3 are actually practicing Catholics.

When I grew up, being Italian was synonymous with being Catholic. My parents were Catholic and sent me to Catholic grammar school. Every Sunday, rain or shine, I was at the 9:00 o’clock Mass with the rest of my class. At Corpus Christi, there were pews set aside for the school children, and you had better be in your appointed place or face an inquisition on Monday morning. I notice in many Catholic parishes today that kids are permitted to go to any weekend Mass and simply drop an attendance card in a box to prove they were there.

My church was pretty straight-laced, with a mixture of Italian and Polish families, and the Irish and German families. Going to Mass there was never boring. As families entered the church, the Italian ladies, already seated with their families, stared them down lest they take a pew closer to the altar. The few who dared may have heard the word “Putana” in a muttered stage whisper.

. 

-  THE VATICAN’S MURDEROUS MAFIA

(Bishop Paul Marcinkus)

One of the books which most influenced my investigation and thinking concerning the Vatican’s Mafia is that written by David Yallop, titled “In God’s Name;” wherein, in seven chapters and 328 pages, he narrates with documented facts the way in which the Pope Paul I was poisoned, after only ruling for 30 days, for wanting to reform the corruption of this Vatican Mafia; and for wanting to make disappear this group which surrounded him; which was being pursued by international justice and is connected to the Mafia, and have been found guilty already by International Tribunals; And is being pursued by Interpol.The whole book is a testimony to the existence of the Vatican’s Sacred Mafia, with the names of Cardinals, Archbishops, and Monseñors who participate in crimes and who are responsible for the collapse of the Vatican’s Banco Ambrosiano and its subsequent consequences. Read “Political Corruption, Scandal In Rome has buffeted the Church.

(Roberto Calvi)

-Vendetta

As for forgiveness, Italians may forgive, but they do not forget. In Italy, especially around Sicily where vengeance has been raised to an art form, there are at least 50,000 vendettas playing out on     any given day.

Vendetta in Italian refers to a feud between families or clans that arises out of a slaying and is perpetuated by retaliatory acts of revenge; a blood feud. What does this have to do with religion and church you may wonder. Well the old-time Italians were not beneath praying for misfortune to befall a rival. They rarely prayed for someone’s death, after all that would be un-Christian. Maybe just a case of excruciatingly painful boils, thank you Lord;).

I am an Italian-American and I accept that with all it entails. As a people we are complex and certainly not perfect, but looking back on my childhood, growing up in my Italian family, I really wouldn’t have it any other way.

~ Stephano Vincenzo

These days bullying is a serious epidemic. It has always existed in the world, but it appears that many are trying to raise alot more awareness in hopes to curb the future growth. Some quality training gyms these days put emphasis on anti-bullying techniques that range from fighting back, all the way to inner self esteem building. I was reading about one called Evolution Boxing. Evolution Boxing training gym has it’s head on teaching their students the true meaning of bullying, and how to curb it. Overall, we should all be teaching our kids about the meaning of bullying, and how to go through life without having to bully, as well as how to combat bullying.

That’s why Mafialife is taking a strong stance on the topic. We are launching our new ‘Mafialife Protection’ campaign, and it starts with one of the most common forms of bullying.  ‘The Gays’ have taken a beating throughout life, and it’s about time the mafia sticks up for them. The Gays were not welcome in the mafia for a very very long time. Until now.

That’s right folks, another mob wife on the cover of the magazine, and there’s a big punch to this one. Not too long after I spoke to Jenn Graziano about her sister doing the cover, The Mob Candy Magazine got a call from VH1. “We want to film you guys photo shooting a mob wife”.

Since we just got off the horn with Jenn about Renee, we assumed it was the shoot with Renee. When inquiring about details, they followed up… “NO, we want to film you shooting Karen Gravano for VH1′s Mob Wives”.

Of course we were excited to put Karen Gravano on the cover of our magazine. Her background left us with tons of questions, and fans were always sending in stuff  about her so called “rat dad”.  This was our chance to ask her the tough ones, and on TV too.  So, i pooled up all of the questions that nobody else would have the balls to ask Sammy The Bull’s daughter to her face, and did just that. I asked her them, while VH1 taped us.

Timed perfectly, with the release of her brand new book ‘Mob Daughter‘  (which my father in law said was great!), and the launch of our new facebook game MafiaLife, we also release her Mob Candy Magazine cover. Get yourself a copy now by going to the Mob Candy Website. And, see for yourself how she reacted to our tough questions. The photo spread also shows a side of Karen, that is not shown on the TV screen. Go grab your copy now.

What is a Mafia game?

A mafia game is any game about the criminal activities of The Mafia.

What is a Mafia Role Playing game?

A Mafia RPG is a game that puts the user in a ‘role’ of a mobster in the mafia. The user of a mafia rpg uses the game features to mimic the lives of a character in the mafia life.

What type of characters are in a Mafia game?

In most mafia games you will find hitmen, bodyguards, businessmen, and all varieties of specialties working their way up the crime family ranks. Characters can be low ranking soldiers, associates, or lieutenants. But, they can also be high ranking like capo, underboss, consigliere, or even the Don/boss/godfather.

What makes a Mafia game fun?

In most cases, the interactions with other users in a community settings can bring fun when your using the mafia game features.. Being able to work with other players to pull off heists, hijacks, crimes, and attacks can be very exciting. And working together to earn power, can be very addicting.

What age groups are most popular?

Although people of all ages play Mafia Games. It is most common in ages 19-29. There are many cases where 40-50 year old’s play them, and also many that are 16-19.

How do you win a Mafia game?

To win at some mafia games you need to be the leader of everyone playing within the games scoring system. The leaderboards will usually show who is winning.

What is MafiaLife?

MafiaLife is a brand new style of Mafia Role Playing Gaming. MafiaLife has more features to control your player actions, and more details to challenge your game experience than any mafia game in the industry. MafiaLife is the virtual online life in The Mafia. You build your mobster’s specialties, attributes, and levels up while trying to stay out of trouble, the hospital, and jail. You work and interact with other MafiaLife players to try and keep your crime family, your crew, and yourself on top of the leaderboard.

What makes MafiaLife different from other online mafia role playing games?

Unlike any MRPG’s MafiaLife takes the depth to a new level. The goal is not just to try and put the user in a role, but to also make that user ‘feel’ like he is a mobster. Playing MafiaLife can actually replace the desire for some mob enthusiasts to act like a criminal outside of the fantasy realm. Some MafiaLife players consider it a mafia game drug they are addicted to. In MafiaLife, unlike any others, the end user has any and all tools they need to live a virtual life in a mafia crime family. In MafiaLife there is a never ending challenge of building your character individually, building your crew cooperatively, and interact as a crime family to do unlimited crimes, and engage in player vs player attacks. No other game allows for 1 on 1, crew on crew, and family on family competitions. No other game caters to an elite everyday, and sometimes casual gamer. And, at the same time keeps them both addicted.

How did MafiaLife get started?

MafiaLife got started by a regular ‘dungeons and dragons’ fan.. In dungeons and dragons you would build a character and live an imaginary life within the world of the ‘dungeon master’. There was no ending to the game, just a build of your character til you died, or it would go on forever. As a fan of the digital computer age, and the mafia movies, it was time to create a digital role playing mafia world on the internet.

How much time will it take to play MafiaLife?

In MafiaLife, you can put whatever time you want to put in and still coexist with the other players competitively. Any time you put in can be used to build your mobster and/or work with your family to do crimes or pvp. 5 mins to accept jobs and grow levels, or 10 mins to earn mob cash and attack someone for your boss. Its up to you. You can always continue where you left off.

How difficult is it to win in MafiaLife?

Greatest part of MafiaLife is that winning is subject to the users individual goal for that moment. He may want to clip his opponent. He may want to help his family turf war by blowing up a few businesses. He can declare his 2 level movement on the leaderboard a win if he feels it. There are many ways to ‘win’ at MafiaLife, because its all in the users mind. But, there is never an ‘end’ to the gameplay of MafiaLife.

Great news! 10 years of hard work, advice from gamers and dedication to building a great game has come to fruition.  Mafialife is now a facebook game.  Those of you who have been with us over the years will love all our improvements and the new detail we’ve added to game play.  Those of you who are new will benefit from our years of experience and get to play a game that I believe will be the premier mafia game to play online.

Today we are announcing the official launch a few days ahead of schedule so, get a head start on the competition right now:

Join Your Crime Family on Mafialife for Facebook

Just click the link above and choose your crime family in the new MafiaLife game on Facebook.

The ranks in all family trees will be empty and available for you to earn.  That means that the first person in each family to reach level 5 will be the Don, let the race for the top begin.

Thanks for your dedication to the MafiaLife!

The truth is that while dancers elect the leotard over the athletic cup and resist the urge to tackle each other, the translucency of their beautiful stories are padded and empowered by the physical phenomenon that is their crisp, charged, elongated, and mind-boggling movement. The circus-like capability is not a trait many linebackers can boast about, but – and sex aside…well, sexism aside – if performing is characterized as doing something that other people cannot (and not many people can hit a grand slam, execute an alley-oop or hurl a Hail Mary pass for a touchdown), why can’t it work the other way around? Can sports be considered a performance art?

Supposedly, the debate crucially lies in the codependent relationship between the audience and the “performers”. A game can occur and be completed and notated in an empty stadium – a notion that has Jerry Jones diving for an oxygen tank – because any and all fan attendance should not vindicate the contest’s outcome…but doesn’t it have at least some say in the matter? Yes, the players are undividedly focused on the Xs and Os and the on-field action for the sake of achieving the W, but actors are allegedly “in the moment” as well, and yet they are commended (by the small circles of theatre lovers) for their contribution to a viewing public and their simultaneous need to feed off of their energy. Well, would there be a Discount Double Check or ridiculous school suspensions for children Tebowing in the hallways if games were played in a vacant Lambeau Field or Mile High Stadium? Would the New Orleans Saints make the playoffs if it weren’t for the crowded Superdome being the most feared venue in the NFL today?

Sports have been implemented into our culture solely for the valued entertainment of society, no matter how focused the cast of “The Real World: Cincinnati Bengals” is in their jobs (and after being indicted on drug trafficking charges, it’s now no wonder how Jerome Simpson got so high on that touchdown flip a month ago), and for momentum and support the fans are just as inherent to the performance of these athletes. As far as drama’s obligation to tell a story is concerned, whether it be the Brechtian styles of the WWE who are a skull of Yorick shy of a five-act Shakespearean tragedy, or the media’s incessant fabrication of a headline that coaches implore their players to ignore week to week, sports always have a story to tell. And I will choose the cross-town or sibling rivalry, the quarterback seeking revenge against his former team, or retiring hero’s last hurrah over “Brighton Beach Memoirs” or “Black Swan” almost any day (then again, have you SEEN “Black Swan” yet?!).

So what Super Bowl Hollywood trailers can we anticipate after today’s Conference Championship action? Cue curtain:

-New England Patriots vs. San Francisco 49ers
A Renaissance classic – offense versus defense. The offensive star-power of the Pats may garner box office supremacy and Oscar nominations, but it’s the defensive prowess of the Niners that usually wins Academy Awards. Our somewhere-deep-inside flawed protagonist is Tom Brady, who is constantly overcoming the adversity of his sixth-round status in quest of his record-tying fourth Super Bowl title. His impedance? The franchise that epitomizes his boyhood lusts, strengths and hardships, and the team that previously shut down fellow knight Drew Brees – and New England’s defense is worse than that of the Saints. The poltergeist of Joe Montana wreaks havoc upon Lucas Oil Stadium.

-Baltimore Ravens vs. New York Giants
Marty McFly: Wait a minute. Wait a minute, Doc…are you telling me that it’s 2012?
Dr. Emmett Brown: Precisely.
Marty McFly: Damnit! I’m late for the game!
We take you back to the early 2000s when ravens and giants roamed the harsh winters of unfulfilled expectations, and lone tumbleweeds will be sacked immediately. Joe Flacco may not be that much better than Trent Dilfer, but ELIte Manning has proven himself light-years ahead of the likes of Kerry Collins (and quite possibly older brother Peyton?). The era has done everything in its power to preserve the sanctity of defense, but is it enough to avoid repeating doomed history and low ratings? Will the Giants eat the Ravens, or will the Ravens peck out the eyes of the Giants, and will Cinderella make it to the ball in time?

-Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers
Sonny and Michael Corleone. Mufasa and Scar. John and Jim Harbaugh. Two head coaching brothers combating for eternal magnificence at the expense of the Harbaugh kingdom. John, the elder, has been at the cusp of excellence for several years courtesy of offensive inadequacy, but rookie and younger brother Jim is knocking at the door, and Alex Smith is a wrecking machine! The Ravens won the Battle of Thanksgiving, but who will win the war? Points and survivors will be scarce.

-New England Patriots vs. New York Giants
Marty McFly: Wait a minute. Wait a minute, Doc…are you telling me that it’s 2012?
Dr. Emmett Brown: We already did that, Future Boy!
Marty McFly: Oh yeah…
This is the hyped-up film the nation [and Mafia Hit Poll] is pining for – the awaited sequel of “Catch-42”! This time around, however, David Tyree is Beyond the Veil and the G-Men must trek to the Dagobah system alone. Rising bloggers fuse references of Harry Potter and Star Wars in the same sentence seamlessly, while Wonder Bread and Bill Belichick chase consolatory perfection as they attempt to upend Tom Coughlin and the dark horse underdog Giants that not only spurned the Pats’ undefeated campaign four years ago, but halted them once more earlier in the regular season. As if retribution and ultimate glory weren’t dire enough stakes, the tarnished bond of two roommates might be unfixable. Nonetheless, this is the midnight showing I will be camping out for.

Shifting gears, the death day of former coach and Penn State figurehead Joe Paterno due to lung cancer is genuinely a sorrowful one. Dismissing all of the drama surrounding his departure and how much blame he realistically deserves for his role in the Jerry Sandusky case, college football has lost one of the most successful and impactful leaders of its storied existence.

Between growing up in Brooklyn and growing up in theatre, it turns out that I’m better accustomed to a different definition of Queens. But while that particular type of “drag racing” assuredly transpires throughout all the outskirts of New York City, the other four boroughs appear to have more to hang their fish nets on when it comes to sports. Queens does host the U.S. Open Tennis Championships annually…and that’s pretty much it. There are no decent franchises to distract this district of the mafia from their household chores and grocery shopping and lynches and – wait a second…that’s right, there are Mets and Jets fans in Queens…except where are they…aw come on out of hiding, guys, it’s okay! They aren’t that…but next season they’ll…yeah no wonder you all are so violent.

Yes, utter the accusation of “failure” in the tri-state area, and patrons will pretend to not know what you’re talking about, until those four naïve letters struggle to be chanted from suppressed recollection as they echo in haunted psyches. Those who don’t off themselves or hop onto the Ellis Island Express ferry back to Europe will then argue over whether the M or J is worst. Pennsylvania will counter with the fact that the Eagles aren’t exactly perched on the Mount Rushmore of Sports either, but they’re disqualified for lack of rhyming. On the one hand, the Mets have replaced the Washington Nationals as the laughing stock of the NL East thanks to inexplicable management and personnel decisions entwined with incessant flirtation amongst regained expectations, only for them to drunkenly collapse in their own vomit at the pinnacle of sexual tension. On the other side of the water, recent spirits of the Jets have been stricken by the Tyrannous Rex Ryan and an unnecessary amount of attention for a team that sputters at the last minute and dies from exposure. Of course, this does not neglect the appropriate scapegoating of Schotty play-calling and even worse quarterback play from Mark Sanchoke – erm, Sanchez – that jetted the team from AFC #1-seed prospects (in my book, unfortunately) to 8-8 and out of contention for the postseason. In the heart of a culture that does not know how to shut the hell up, neither clubhouse has anything to boast about in their respective leagues and games.

So who is the worse fan to be in New York? Speculation would provide that the clear consensus is the putrid life of a Mets devotee, but is it truly that lopsided? The time has come to settle this self-imposed debate once and for all – in a decathlon of mediocrity, if you will – so let’s place your bets on the Jets or the Mets…and tell your pets! But seriously, man up.

1. Each team presents a distinct level of entertainment in the media to correspond with their average-at-best play on the field. First round draft picks ranging from “Broadway” Joe Namath to Keyshawn Johnson and most notably Sanchez, and from Bart Scott’s vocal outbursts reminiscent of his Head Coach to the eternal hilarity surrounding Plaxico Burress’ inability to handle a gun, the Jets have always possessed ridiculous personality. The Mets, meanwhile, are only ridiculous. Memories of Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel “enlightened” press conferences continue to boggle my mind, David Wright and Jose Reyes and don’t do enough to energize a crowd, and I don’t remember Darryl Strawberry’s jail time as something funny (besides his last name being Strawberry). Disadvantage: Mets.

2. Shea is now Citi Field and the Meadowlands are officially MetLife, but while the Mets were able to retain their Big Apple prop – and that really did matter, I assure you – the Jets still have not realized that THEY’RE IN JERSEY! At least the Nets have had enough machismo to deal with the Garden State Shame while in last place, and now they are wising up and presumably moving to Brooklyn. As long as the Jets neglect a state of awareness and pride in their home, they cannot be taken seriously. Disadvantage: Jets.

*By the way, Fuppi and I happened to be in attendance of that Christmas Eve Jets-Giants showdown last “year”, and while I respected the stadium’s lack of excessive amenities, it was surprising considering its look-at-me-look-at-me host. More shocking – and I understand the G-Men were technically the visiting squad – was how in a game with Cruz-controlled 99-yard highlights and a plethora of Sanchoke blunders, the crowd still coveted and grew excited from the dinky replays of insignificant first downs from the second quarter. My new beer-filled friend (sporting a Cruz jersey and icy blue skin) and I were honestly confused.

3. The Jets’ reluctance to rent their own bachelor pad is questionable, but at least they can split the stadium bills with the Giants. What that also does is muddle the assumption that the G-Men are the impounding older brothers – despite apparent superiority historically, the love is spread rather evenly between them and the Jets. The Mets are the cemented younger siblings trapped in the shadow of Pinstripes and may never compete with the Yankees for primacy or affection. Disadvantage: Mets.

4. Mr. Met is a massive baseball head frolicking around pleading to be kicked in the crotch. The Jets are surprisingly intelligent enough to not portray a queerly costumed mascot, but instead they flaunt arguably the greatest football fanatic ever in Fireman Ed. If you can recall that far back, his opening segment during Monday Night Football when they battled the Miami Dolphins was hands down the most exciting part of that contest. Disadvantage: Mets.

5. As I vaguely alluded earlier, the Jets are at least kind of winning in the context of impatience’s preference “lately” – namely postseason inclusion the previous two seasons – and the Mets are simply not. Disadvantage: Mets.

6. However, Mets fans have already engrained that knowledge of impending doom into their fans’ expectations for the sake of future mental health, whether they lose a hundred games or hover slightly over .500 by the All-Star break. They don’t flinch anymore. Contrarily, the Jets must endure the pressure of anticipated success thanks to their high-profile roster and louder mouths, and even in a division with the staple New England Patriots and “upstart” Buffalo Bills. Not going to cut it. Disadvantage: Jets.

7. The Jets were intended to run the table this year not only because they foolishly stated they would, but they are fresh off of back-to-back underdog AFC Championship runs…both resulting in losses. Nothing can be worse than that feeling, right? Um, try back-to-back September chokes in 2007 and 2008 during seasons when the Mets were situated for playoff glory. Red Sox and Cubs supporters sleep considerably easier…maybe not. Disadvantage: Mets.

8. At least the Mets, though, can evoke several more championship experiences. Falling in 1973 and the 2000 Subway Series, and reigning victoriously after 1969 and 1986, that’s still four World Series’ berths. The Jets hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in 1969 as well – the most renowned year in Queens and on the moon – but it’s the lone ring AND opportunity of their timeline. Disadvantage: Jets.

9. About SB III…a matchup they were not supposed to win in the most outlandish of possibilities, driven by Joe “Willie” Namath in a monumental upset over the Baltimore Colts. That’s the communal tagline of that Super Bowl. How is the 1986 World Series remembered? Bill Buckner’s bowlegged blunder and the Red Sox preserving their curse courtesy of one mere play…in Game 6. No one acknowledges the Mets winning that year – Boston lost it. How sad for the Mets. Disadvantage: Mets! Pay attention already.

10. The Metropolitan Opera is a respectable source of culture for tourists and amusement for classical music lovers – I had the pleasure of seeing “Le Barbier de Séville” there back in high school and thoroughly enjoyed it. There’s a lot more sardonic material to sift through in East Rutherford: Sharks’ rivals in “West Side Story”, Elton John’s Benny and the…Disadvantage: Jets.

So by a tally of 6-4, my sad Met-fan friends are indeed correct. It can also serve as the score of every Islander defeat these past couple of decades…this is why I don’t align myself with teams from New York. Oh please, God, save Queens.