When to Boo and When Not to Boo...That Is The Question

Today as I watched the Mets game I was struck by two things.  One was how bad and painfully slow Oliver Perez was pitching but the second was the hostility of the fans towards Perez.  Listen, I know that he has not been great and that Omar gave him a pretty big contract, but he gave him that contract instead of giving it to Derek Lowe who, this year has an ERA of 6.16 compared to Perez's 4.05.  Now I understand that Perez has been bad, especially today but BOOING DOES NOT HELP ANYONE, especially someone with such a fragile personality as Perez has.  There are times to boo... here are some of them.

1.  Any opposing team, anything that a fan can do do get into the other teams head, short of violence is totally acceptable.

2.  Any player who leaves your team on bad circumstances and returns on a different team, if he's not on you team anymore you have no further use for him, feel free to boo.

3.  If any player does not hustle, when Reyes did not run out two ground balls on a road trip 3 years ago I booed him into next week upon his return to Shea.

4. If any player is on steroids, feel free to boo him he's a cheater and deserves to be booed.

5. If any player has ever associated with, spoken to in a pleasant way, or even smile d at Roger Clemens.  No explanation necessary.

Here are times when it is not acceptable to boo.

1. If a player is playing poorly for your team, it doesn't help.

2. If a player leaves your team on good circumstances and comes back on another team. 

*** Exception: If the player returns on a rival it is OK to boo (Brett Favre)

3. If a player who was formally great and or has a memorable moment for your franchise but later on turns out not to be good.  For example, Mike Piazza when he was terrible at the end of his tenure with the Mets there was a smattering of boos which was far from necessary.  Also Oliver Perez pitched a gem in game 7 of the 2006 NLCS a season in which he was not expected to do anything for them but turned out to pitch the biggest game of the year.  I know the Mets lost that game(I was there) but it was anything but his fault it was Aaron Heillman's, thats why I boo Heillman whenever he shows his face in Flushing Meadows.