Following yesterday’s pseudo bombshell that former Mets LF Cliff Floyd thought manager Willie Randolph and bench coach Jerry Manuel to be “confused” during the fateful bottom half of the 9th inning of NLCS Game 7, the New York Daily News’ Adam Rubin has Cliff’s ex-mates circling the wagons.

“That’s his viewpoint on what he thought he knew. If I give it validity, then that means he knew what he was talking about,” Randolph said. “You guys are getting bored talking about the Yankees, I guess, so you start a little stuff on this side. That’s all this is. I understand what this is. I’ve been around the block. I know how it works here. I have no control over what Cliff Floyd said. Why should I respond over something he said to a writer?

“There’s no way he could know what I said to any of my coaches. He wasn’t sitting on my shoulder, right next to me, when we were talking about it. I knew what I wanted to do. I made the decision. I said to you guys what I did over and over and over, on radio and TV. I’ve been very cooperative on this.”

David Wright, a close friend of Floyd’s, shrugged off the popular outfielder’s latest remarks. Floyd’s other notable exclamations have included calling Port St. Lucie “that hole,” saying “there’s no light at the end of the tunnel,” and pronouncing himself near retirement at a trade deadline because of physical ailments, which wiped out any interest from other teams.

“I’ve got to go read it, then I’m going to bury him,” Wright said with a laugh yesterday afternoon. ” … I have to have my weekly chat with him anyway.”

Manuel called the whole thing “a cloud with no rain” – meaning a nonstory.

Given that Phillies starter Brett Myers has already demonstrated he’s not well versed in respecting the human rights of others (ie. when did he stop beating his wife?), is it any surprise he’d suggest that Citizens Bank Ballpark actually ban Mets fans from the premises?