Happy Friday, folks! Some of you more astute and fairly anal retentive readers of this here blog might have noticed The GBU's new addition - The Joan Whitney Payson Society banner. If not, scroll down, attttaaaa way, and you'll see the pretty little flaggie in Mets colors on the lower left side, underneath the counter where I find out how many of you foo.... I mean, loyal and lovely readers, actually visit The GBU!
Anyway, a word about The Joan Whitney Payson Society, or the Paysoners, as we like to call ourselves.
None other than The Coop (she of the Big Pussy Posse Weekly Updates), Metsgrrl, Zoe and Stefi had the bright idea (I think it was actually The Coop who started it all, but maybe I'm wrong, and if I am, I'm sure TC will correct me), anyway these lovely ladies had the bright idea of forming some sort of.... association, or society devoted to preserving the memory of one Joan Whitney Payson, the lady who fought to keep National League baseball in New York.
Mrs. Payson was a huge fan of sports, and was a minority shareholder in the New York Giants (remember them?) baseball team. A National League franchise, don't you know. She courageously voted against moving the team out to San Francisco, but alas, some of the other dumb shareholders (like a majority of them) approved the move.
So what'd this pioneer lady do? She sold her stock and began working to get a new National League team for New York City. And fellow geniuses (genii?), what team do you think that was? I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count -- that's right - THE NEW YORK METS! In 1961, she became the co-founder and majority owner of this beloved franchise, and she served as the team's president from 1968-1975.
From all accounts, she was an extremely active and involved owner and president, and was much admired by the team's personnel and players. And no offense meant, but it certainly wasn't for her lovely legs or figure.
She is a member of the Mets' Hall of Fame, posthumously inducted in 1981, and was the first woman to be a majority owner of a team, ANY TEAM, not just a baseball team, in a major North American sports league.
So little wonder why we ladies wish her memory to live on, huh?
So let's hear it for The Joan Whitney Paysoners!
And oh, LET'S GO METS!! Let's hope tonight's game doesn't suffer the rainout fate.....
