Certainly it's a taboo phrase, and a bit rash to claim that 5 years of various types of misfortune would be enough to deem the Mets cursed. On the other hand, it would seem like most teams even in their worst stretches don't deal with the extent of bad luck that the Mets have. If the Mets were hypothetically cursed, what do you think would be to blame? Is it from when the Mets let Mike Piazza leave before the end of his career, forsaking loyalty? Is it because of Madoff? What explanations can you come up with?