After being reclusive for the last several years, partially due to jail time, Dwight Gooden has seemingly been everywhere in the last week or so. He has been at Citi Field on several occasions, made an appearance at Modell's, and has been very accessible to fans. See Graffitigate. After initially declining, he also attended the Shea Goodbye ceremony last year.

What's interesting to me is that someone who has had such drug and alcohol issues, and been charged for domestic abuse, is so loved by our fanbase. Even more so than many who have lived a straight-edge type of life. Here are a few reasons why.

The Josh Hamilton Effect

People love feel-good, comeback stories. Ask anyone who likes The Natural, and hates Million Dollar Baby. After heading into a post-career downward spiral, one of the "dead-end kids" has seemingly let the past go, and is trying to get his act together. Seeing him before Opening Day with Chris Carlin and Bobby O. was a positive sign for me that SNY and the Mets organization are welcoming him back, and his willingness to be in the public eye takes courage. Onward and upward. He forgave himself, now we have forgiven him. Even if he did throw a no-hitter for the Yankees.

Nostalgia

Doc reminds Mets fans of the 1986 team. The "Bad Boys" who won it all. The last Mets team to win it all, and it harkens back to better days where there were no concerns over "confidence" or "chemistry". When I was 9 years old, my first Mets shirt was a "Doctor KKKKKK" shirt, and I will always imagine him as he was - a freakishly good pitcher, who was the ace of the best Mets team I've ever seen. In our new stadium, that many think doesn't represent the "old" Mets, his face is a breath of fresh air. It also takes our minds off the current team's struggles, and reminds us why we became Mets fans in the first place.

We Want People to Succeed

It's human nature to root for people. That's one reason why there are so many sports fans - we want to see someone win. We internalize it, and feel like a part of  their success when they do. When Doc rose from the ashes like he seemingly has, it was natural for us to boost him up and welcome him back with open arms. Unless you have ego problems, and like to knock people down to feel better about yourself, you want to see Doc do well because it makes you feel better about humanity. Maybe that's a stretch but you catch my drift.