7 train riders take their own shots at Rocker, his 'publicity stunt'
NEW YORK (The 7 Train) -- Took a ride on John Rocker's idea of hell the other day and discovered that it wasn't such a bad experience after all.
Especially if you are lucky enough to get on a car with the air conditioner working.
Imagine that, Rocker's view of something being about as close to the truth as his pitches have been strikes lately.
Rocker would find this out for himself if he really had the guts to ride the 7 to the ballpark when the Braves make their first visit of the season to Shea Stadium Thursday night.
For those of you living in a cave, here was Rocker's infamous take of life on the train he has never actually been on.
"Imagine having to take the [Number] 7 train to the ballpark," Rocker told Sports Illustrated last December in the article that made him an instant national villain, "looking like you're [riding through] Beirut next to some kid with purple hair next to some queer with AIDS right next to some dude who just got out of jail for the fourth time right next to some 20-year-old mom with four kids. It's depressing."
SportsLine.com's humble 7 train correspondent searched long and hard for people who fit those descriptions. Not exactly sure how to spot "a queer with AIDS" or "the dude who just got out of jail for the fourth time" since people who fit such descriptions probably wouldn't wear a sign on his or her head.
But I definitely had no luck in the purple hair department. Couldn't find a 20-year-old mom toting four kids either. Despite my fruitless search for the type of people who supposedly make Rocker's skin crawl, I can't say riding the 7 was depressing.
Actually, it was a cultural experience. They don't call this train the "International Express" for nothing. It is a moving melting pot that starts in Flushing and ends in Manhattan.
There seemed to be a different race or nationality sitting in every seat. Conversations were going on in several languages, English least among them.
And you wonder why the Braves' open-minded lefty couldn't sit back and enjoy a ride like this.
Some of you might have been silly enough to take Rocker at his word last week when he promised to take the 7 to the ballpark this weekend. But hardened 7 passengers predicted it would never happen.
"He made this a publicity stunt so he wouldn't have to do it," said Tandy Weems, a 40-year-old black woman who is a veteran of the 7. "Because now (Mayor Rudolph) Giuliani can just say we aren't going to spend the money to protect you. That'll be his excuse for not coming. Then he can say, 'Oh, my manager and my family told me not to do this.' That's his excuse. When somebody really wants to do something, they do it. They don't talk about it, they don't ask about it, they just do it."
But this is Rocker. He always speaks before he thinks.
"If he thinks he's all that and a bag of chips, tell him to get his ass on the train without any protection just like I did," Weems said.
And what would have happened if such a spontaneous scenario had unfolded?
"They would beat his ass," laughed Weems.
It's enough to make you wonder what it will be like at Shea on Thursday night when upwards of 50,000 crazed Mets fans will have their first crack at baseball's Mouth of the South since his sociology thesis in SI.
Remember, Rocker didn't know his words would result in a temporary suspension from baseball, not to mention the permanent alienation of his teammates.
In his warped mind, he thought he was just getting in a few more digs at his tormenters from New York.
So the mayor can brag about all the security he will employ. But there is no guarantee that something ugly won't happen.
"He's daring people to react," Weems said. "Wait 'til he steps on that mound. With New Yorkers, you never know really know how they are going to react.
"I saw one article that called him the person you love to hate. Well, this is 2000 ... you have to be very careful about making people love to hate you. There's some people who will hate you the wrong way."
And many others who won't do much but laugh at Rocker's ignorance.
"It would be very funny if the New York Mets or the Yankees bought out his contract and he had to live here," said Dean Shaw, a 42-year-old Jewish man from Flushing. "That would be great if he had to deal with us every day. It would wake him up."
Rocker's rant got a rise out of just about everyone who rides the 7.
"I don't follow sports, I don't even know what his position is on his team, but I don't agree with anything he said," said a Lebanese man who wished not to be identified. "This is the 7 Train, if you don't like it, don't come here and ride it. I've been riding this train for the last 11 years. It is the best train. We don't have the problems they have in Manhattan. I don't give a (expletive) about him. That's how much he knows. He's just not that educated. He's not socially adapted."
"I don't like him," said Peter Demopolis, a Greek man. "He's stupid. For 30 years, I've taken this train morning and night.
"I don't know what he was saying."
Neither does anyone else.
If Rocker could just sneak on to the 7, maybe he could explain it.
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