Campoli and many others associated with The JAM believe Sanchez's indiscretion too closely mirrors the most controversial and most famous incident in JAM history: Steve Testa's unexcused absence from The Notorious J.A.M. to get a haircut.
"When Steve Testa visited his Connecticut barber shop on June 20, 1998, his haircut entered the lore of sports, of the New York metropolitan area, and indeed, of modern society as a whole," Campoli said. "For Sanchez to use a haircut as a means to notoriety is deplorable, a sorry attempt to ride the coattails of The JAM's popularity."
In what was hailed at the time as "a hideous example of democracy gone awry," Testa's haircut was voted the top JAM moment of all time in a vote taken in the months before J2K. The JAM Committee announced Testa's victory, with 55 percent of the vote, on June 24, 2000.
Coincidentally, Sanchez's batting average was .055 and the Mets' team fielding percentage was .550 entering Tuesday night's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Testa, searching the southern United States for hair spray, was unavailable for comment.
This year's JAM will be played June 28 at Cook Field.
lordtwon@yahoo.com