Two varied viewpoints and my take on both

This morning, I awoke to a ton of posts and articles in my Google Reader. After sorting through it all I found these two article, which pretty much take the extreme opposite ends of the spectrum viewpoints:

I can't believe that I'm actually going to be the voice of reason here
vs.
The time is upon us - Willie's gotta go.

The first one, from The Coop over at My Summer Family, argues that yesterday was one game, that it happens all the time, to every team.

From The Coop:

I know yesterday was horrible. A catastrophe. And the night before was a tad less worse -because though the Mets actually won, it was a game they should have easily won but did not. But think about the ekers they've won this year. They all seem like - well, at least they won. The rest of the team just looked asleep at the wheel.
---
My point being - look, as Mets fans, we are restless. The sky is falling. And I acknowledge they have not been better than a .500 team since last June, I do say this.

Maybe .500 is all they need to be a good team in the East.

Brooklyn Met Fan takes a completely different side to this, arguing that he's seen enough of Willie Randolph and it's time the Mets take action and fire him.

From BMF:

For they record, this is not a knee-jerk reaction to Wednesday’s 13-1 debacle at the hands of the vaunted Bucs. I said the Mets should ax Willie after the collapse but when Omar and the Wilpons saw fit to bring him back I tried to support my team and rally behind him. But I just can’t watch these crappy Mets under perform any longer.

All the Willie apologists can keep telling themselves, “still it’s early” and “there’s plenty of baseball left”, but guess what folks– it’s not THAT early anymore.

Frankly, I agree with both of them.

Every team gets spanked at least once a season. Heck, we even lost to the Bucs in '06, almost to the same tune. I remember. I was there. It's something that happens every year to every team, and some teams more than others. The Pirates have a few good, hot hitters right now and Oliver Perez really needs to get hypnotized or something so he can focus more.

Remember that guy Brian Bannister, well he had a bad start too last night. Bannister, pitching for Kansas City (a bad team) only lasted three innings against Texas (also a bad team), allowing seven earned runs on seven hits and two walks. See, we're not alone.

On the other hand, I'm starting to get extremely fed up with Mr. Willie Randolph. I never liked his managing style, but I was willing to grant him a reprieve because my opinion really does not matter. I prefer a manager like Jim Leyland, who isn't afraid to get in the players face after a lazy or sloppy loss.

Randolph treats his players with kid gloves, as if he thinks when he yells at them, they'll cower is fear and become mired in a deep slump or preform poorly. He needs to start a bonfire under some of this team because they just don't look ready to play.

Yeah, the team is over .500, but they've been beating up on bad teams like the Nationals, and before yesterday, the Pirates. Something needs to happen, and something needs to happen quick.