“SO U PUT UP THE STUPID @#$%& MAGIC NUMBER AGEIN AND WHAT HAPPENS METS BLOW 2 @#$%& GAMES ONE IN THE 8TH NOW IN THE 9TH THE FANS VOTED NOT TO DO IT AND U JUST DON’T GIVE A FLYING @#$%& YOUR A COMPLETE @#$%& I HOPE THEY DON’T MAKE THE @#$%& PLAYOFFS SO U CAN LIVE WITH IT FOREVER YOUR NO BETTER THEN BARTMAN U CAN TAKE YOUR @#$%& WEBSITE AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR @#$%&.”

I know, and you thought I was a bad speller.

Anyway, I do not believe in jinxes. I do, however, believe in hard work and getting things done during the day, which has been nearly impossible when having to field e-mails like the above over and over and over again.

So, while I realize that the majority of this site’s readers wanted the Magic Number to be posted, my inbox needs break.

I hope you understand.

Initially, I worried that you guys might be jinxing the team, since the majority said to ‘Post It,’ but that is decision that the majority of you made – and now we must live with it, like it or not.

Personally, if it had been solely up to me, I probably would have waited until the final week of the season to ‘Post It,’ but you voted, the people spoke, and who am I to stand in the way of what the majority of this site’s readers wanted.

That said, I was sent over 300 e-mails this weekend calling me a jerk, an idiot and a jinx, among other things.  I even received a letter to my home, which is rather sad, not to mention scary.

In reality, the fight in this site’s comments section should be between me and fate, it should be between the 56 percent who wanted the Magic Number posted, and the 44 percent who did not.

By the way, while we’re on the subject of jinxes, lots and lots of websites, including Yahoo!, have been posting every team’s Magic Number since early last week.  Are they jinxes, too?  If so, how many jinxes can you have?  I wonder at what point do they start cancelling each other out?

Also, are they ‘homers,’ trying to rally support for the Mets, as I have also been accused of?  These other outlets are listing Magic Numbers for every team in first place – so, are they jinxing those teams, too?  If so, how would any team ever win a division?  At that point, wouldn’t they all be jinxed, meaning no team could ever win?

The thing is, you shouldn’t worry.  You are not a jinx.  If the Mets do not make the playoffs, it will not be because most of you wanted the Magic Number to be posted.  Trust me, it will be because the team’s bullpen didn’t do its job, or because the bats went cold, or because the Phillies just played better baseball.  It will not be your fault, just because the majority of you asked me to post the Magic Number. 

Instead, it will be the team’s fault, because there is no such thing as a jinx – at least I hope there isn’t.

So, let’s give this another try, shall we…

Look to your left.

Then, after the Phillies won the division instead of the Mets, I was sent e-mail and after e-mail accusing me of being a jinx.

This year, I figure it makes more sense to open it up to the site’s overall readership, putting all of us on the hook, not just me.

The Mets are three games up on the Phillies, with 18 games left, making their Magic Number 16.