Sal Licata may as well be the Hamburglar with the way he’s stealing credit from Grimace.
Licata, WFAN’s hot-take extraordinaire, spent the last two days discrediting the purple face — or, as Licata called it, the “fat, purple ass” — of the Mets’ now-seven-game winning streak.
The Mets are undefeated since Grimace, pals with iconic legends such as Mayor McCheese and Officer Big Mac, threw out the first pitch before a win over the Marlins on June 12.
“I understand nobody really thinks Grimace is responsible for this but what you don’t understand is that everybody that references Grimace, it’s making a mockery for the Mets,” Licata said Tuesday before the Mets rallied for a 7-6 road win over the Rangers. “The Mets earned the credit here, not because of some goofball mascot Grimace. His fat, purple ass. I’m so tired of Grimace.”
It may be that one day the world will forever remember Grimace’s role in the rise of the 2024 Mets, alongside fellow legends associated with the color purple.
There’s, of course, Prince and the iconic “Purple Rain” song and album.
Thanos, the legendary purple-shaded Marvel villain who required the Avengers assembling to be defeated in “Avengers: Endgame.” (No spoiler alert required here, it’s been out for five years, people.)
The Purple People Eaters, the iconic Vikings defensive line in the 1960s and 1970s that terrorized opposing quarterbacks.
And here comes Grimace, the happy, yet rather quiet fan of chicken nuggets and Happy Meals, to save the once-stumbling Mets season.
Ever since he graced Citi Field with his first pitch, the Mets can’t lose. They are juggernauts, winning seven straight games and looking like the team to beat in baseball.
Everyone has seemingly embraced Grimace, the lovable purple loaf, with even McDonald’s leaning into Grimace’s heroics on their X account.
But yet, there’s one man who does not believe in Grimace. One man who apparently is auditioning for the role of “The Grinch” six months in advance.
Licata, when he’s not worshipping Steve Cohen, takes no joy in Grimace. Perhaps he had a poor experience with a Happy Meal when he was a child.
No matter the reason, he spent Monday and Tuesday besmirching poor Grimace, whose only role in life is to bring smiles to his millions and millions of fans.
Licata called the Grimace praise Monday “such minor-league stuff.”
“The Mets finally are playing well, they go on a winning streak,” Licata said Monday, with the streak at five. “And yet you’ve got some knuckleheads on social media and elsewhere giving of all people credit for this run: Grimace. That fat McDonald’s mascot. That’s who’s going to get — Oh, the Grimace Mets. I even saw (Ed Arzooman) tweet about this. ‘Oh, the Grimace Mets.’ It’s not just him, everybody’s doing this thing. ‘Oh, the Mets are 5-0 since Grimace threw out the first pitch.
“That’s really what we’re talking about? The Mets are actually playing well, they’ve won five in a row and it’s because Grimace threw out the first pitch?”
And then Tuesday, he doubled down on the hate on Ronald McDonald’s bestie.
“Do you realize after yesterday’s little rant, that I’ve been getting texts and tweets non stop from friends being like, ‘Oh, of course you hate Grimace.’ I’m like, ‘It’s stupid, come on, dude.’ Yeah, the Mets should build a statue of Grimace,” Licata said.
“I’m getting texts last night, I’m fighting with my friends like, ‘What’s the big deal? Lighten up.’ I don’t want to lighten up. It’s not about Grimace. Give the Mets some damn credit for once. Every time they do something good, it’s somebody else. It’s the Rally Pimp, it’s Grimace. Those are the two biggest stars of the. Forget Lindor or Nimmo or Alonso, it’s the Rally Pimp and Grimace.
“Those are the only two guys that get credit for this 2024 season.”
Perhaps McDonald’s could send Licata some fries or even some Grimace merchandise in hopes of making him see the purple-shaded light.
The hating is even more baffling considering how humble Grimace is about the situation, even tweeting Tuesday: “the grimacee effectt im flattereddd.”
It’s Grimace time, whether Licata likes it or not.
