It's a hysterical drama worthy of The Hills or Gossip Girl, except this time, straight men are the ones in a tizzy. After the Mets lost seven of their ten last games, fans began to wonder whether manager Willie Randolph's head was on the chopping block. After all, wasn't last year's late-season collapse bad enough? Did we really need a losing early season (despite a $140 million payroll) to tell us he wasn't working out? Well, Randolph took the public outcry to heart and told the Bergen Record that "it smells a little bit" racist. Uh-oh, racist? Randolph also criticized the team's coverage on their flagship station, SNY. So then the fans really thought he was going to get fired. And over the holiday weekend, the Mets brass called a press conference during which everyone, including the press, assumed it was the end. But it wasn't. He won a reprieve! He actually keeps his job! He is still the Mets' manager! The sports media could hardly believe it. "Willie's job was never in danger going into this meeting," explained general manager Omar Minaya. Phew. That's over. Except … wait. When asked whether this much-hyped press conference meant job security for the rest of the season for Randolph, the manager himself snapped. "No, they didn't say that," Randolph answered. Ugh. Stay tuned until the next episode of The Mounds, people. Who knows what Heidi Willie will do next.

Mets Owners Support Randolph After Meeting [SI]
Randolph Bares His Pain [Bergen Record]
Earlier: Omar Won't Fire Willie!