I'm sorry, what? The Marlins like playing in front of no one?

Let me lead off with a quote from the Miami Herald:

Yes, it is a bummer for this pennant contender that folks aren't in the stands. But it also is a blessing the few sets of eyes on them are either looking through a rosy prism or not really paying attention.
That is an advantage only the Marlins enjoy.

This seems so absolutely foreign to me, I don't even know where I'd begin to break this down. Not every Mets game is a sellout, but it's pretty close. Tickets for the good seats are tough to get, and if you do land them, they'll cost you.

The Marlins...are a completely different story. When the Mets head down to south Florida to play the Fish, the stands are vacant. "Let's go Mets!" chants are easily heard chorusing from the fans. There may even be more Mets fans than there are Marlins fans.

And they like it like that?

MH:

The Marlins are living in that sweet spot of success, that fertile place where expectations remain low and the scrutiny is still bearable. The Mets and Phillies long ago vacated that friendly place, so we freely discuss the Mets' awful clubhouse chemistry and gauge the love-hate relationship between the Phillies and their fans -- the ones who booed Mike Schmidt.
The Marlins?
They skip happily along their improbable path to improbable contention with no pressure, no second-guessing and, seemingly, no worries.

Well, I don't think you can call the clubhouse chemistry "awful." Especially if you're reporting from Florida. Sure, there are probably cliques and discrepancies, but everyone has that, whether it's publicized (in the New York media) or mentioned (in the Florida media).

I get it. The Marlins don't play under the microscope of a city. If they lose, they lose and no one seems to care. If they win, they win and still, no one seems to care.

To me, that stinks. I'm glad I root for a team that plays in New York. Maybe the media is too quick to tear some people down, but you have to take things you read with a grain of salt and make your own impressions. I couldn't fathom enjoying a team whose fan base won't even make the trek out to the stadium to support them.

I have just one thing to say, Let's go Mets!