The Steve Cohen era was supposed to feel different the moment it began, and for the New York Mets, it absolutely did. Bigger spending. Bigger headlines. Bigger expectations baked in from day one. Hope stopped being a long-term concept and became an annual demand. Seasons were no longer about patience or progress, but about results showing up quickly enough to justify the excitement that came with the purchase.
Five full seasons later, the novelty has worn off, and the calendar offers perspective. Ownership tenures eventually stop being about what could happen and start being about what already has.