This umpire isn’t the hero we need; he’s the one we deserve.
Mets umpire stops mid-game to smell barbecue wrapper
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
It’s been impossible to find video of this moment, so we’re taking @MetsKevin11’s word for it on this one. It sure does look like the umpire is sniffing a wrapper. But from where?
Thanks to a little investigation, we’re reasonably certain this is a wrapper for Blue Smoke, a barbecue restaurant inside Citi Field.
I support Mets umpire in his sniff desires. There are a lot of reasons this behavior is acceptable.
- Postgame meal reconnaissance: By multitasking, he’s picking a place to eat.
- It’s barbecue: The smell lingers and is delicious long after the food is gone.
- Maybe he’s a super-sniffer and can work out all the sauce ingredients.
In the interest of fairness, here’s a reason why it’s unacceptable:
- It’s some stranger’s gross, thrown-away food wrapper and you don’t know if they keep their hands clean or have some weird butt problem.
To be honest, I’d probably sniff it too.
