When the worlds of sports collide, the fans are often not pleased. In what was perhaps meant to be a display of two athletes recognizing the toil it takes the other to rise to the very top, the move seems to have backfired for two sporting titans. Sporting colors in tribute is a practice followed by several players in baseball, but this one was different.

When the New York Mets took on the LA Angels at the Citi Field, a New York Mets star sported spikes on that were different from the team’s blue and orange. But when a change is made, it always finds a few detractors. And this tribute has not gone down well with either set of fans.

New York Mets Star Sports Colorway in Honor of Coco Gauff

The New York Mets are struggling in 2023 and their players’ antics aren’t making it any easier for them. Sporting a losing record for the 2023 season, the Mets’ pursuit for a postseason appears to be in shambles and their fanbase is fast asking questions of their players.

Switch-hitting shortstop Francisco Lindor appears to be the only bona fide star remaining on the Mets after trading away their 1-2 punch of Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer on the trade deadline and he’s not making it any easier for the fans. The star was spotted wearing  a set of spikes that sported a green and red trim.

This generated a lot of attention, even catching the eye of the tennis sensation Coco Gauff who took to Instagram to compliment the star’s choice.

Fans React to Francisco Lindor’s New Spikes

Lindor was reportedly sporting the spikes to support fellow New Balance sponsored athlete Coco Gauff, who begins her quest for her maiden Grand Slam at the US Open on Sunday seeded 6th in the event. The colorway was inspired by the tennis court, including both the brick red of the court and the bright green that has become synonymous with the tennis balls.

The star even posed with Shohei Ohtani for a picture with the cleats on with the picture making rounds on Instagram.

However, it appeared that the fans were not particularly happy about the choice of shoes. Said one fan on Instagram, “Man I love shoes but that’s mid.”

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Others, too, had similar reactions, with some choosing to go after New Balance itself. Wrote one fan, “But they are New Balance…”

Another wrote, “Ross cleats“.

However, Lindor’s switch also caused some fusion amongst fans on Twitter, with some raising questions about his time on the Mets.

Other fans were unhappy with the choice of star that New Balance had chosen to represent the 19-year-old’s signature shoe line.

While not the best reaction from the fans, it certainly is heartening to see the two athletes expressing gestures that show the other just how much they appreciate the toil it takes in sports. Even though the reaction may not be as expected from the outside world, the two have definitely created enough buzz to lend Gauff some support in her bid for the US open crown.

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