Vested Interest in the World Series
With the New York Yankees on the verge of either their 27th World Series Championship or their second huge collapse in the past five years (still to be determined), Red Sox Nation seems to have quite a vested interest in the outcome of this World Series between the Yanks and the Philadelphia Phillies.
Just recently, Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe recently wrote an article that was all but Sox Nation nay-say and supported the Yankees throughout the World Series and even stated the words “I am rooting for the Yankees. Under the circumstances, you should, too.” That second sentence I even believe to have been reworded around 200 of his 500+ comments were received but I digress.
Mazz explained at length in his article (and at serious length on his radio show on 98.5 The Sports Hub) that the reasoning behind his support is that the Yankees being successful should be the necessary key to waking the bear that is the Red Sox and their/our fan base to do what needs to be done to get back to the world’s greatest stage.
No matter the event, I don’t root for the Yankees, and neither should you.
Obviously the “I support two teams, the Red Sox and any team that beats the Yankees” is my #1 reason for why Red Sox fans have a vested interest in this World Series.
Reason #2 is the obvious. Had this post come out last week as the World Series was getting started, the whole thing would have been speculation. Pure “meh” mentality. But now that games have been played, the match ups have been made, the truth is here. And that truth comes in the form of one Pedro Martinez, the Game 6 starter tonight against Andy Pettite. Pedro is possibly one of the few Boston athletes that will forever be cheered for by Red Sox fans. His incredible efforts here in Boston coupled with the fact that he and NY don’t get along and he is 99% guaranteed to be seen in pinstripes ever in his career make him the perfect guy to support, especially as he gets older. Pedro had a lot of supportive things to say about Boston and the Sox fans yesterday in his WS press conference. Probably the best statement was “On Red Sox fans: ‘I know they don’t like the Yankees to win, not even in Nintendo games.’” Classic Pedro.
Another reason Bostonians have an interest in this series is that it is happening between the OTHER two cities that make up the North Eastern Big 3. Philly, NYC, and Boston each have rich history built into them and don’t think that there is no underlying thought process to that. Right now, as fans are screaming about hot dogs on the corner being better than Geno’s Cheesesteaks, Sox fans are stuck watching the Series from their couches and local bars drinking up some Shipyard Pumpkinhead brew and cooking up some chowdah. It’s the Declaration of Independence vs. the original US capitol while the Tea Party watches from afar. It’s the Liberty Bell vs. the Statue of Liberty while the Plymouth (Plimoth) Rock looks on. Franklin vs. Rockerfeller while Samuel Adams eyes the prize.
I know, I am starting to sound like those commercials for each individual city that they have on t.v. now, with the guy that says (in an amazing accent) “There’s just so much history heah!”
Another reason the Sox and fans have interest in this series is the possibility of seeing some of these players get looked at in the offseason. As much as 4SB is a leader in the charge to RE-SIGN JAYBAY, the Sox may not make that move and the Yankees have a guy by the name of Damon who already beat Sox fans’ hearts once and may get the chance to do it again. But praise be to Teddy Ballgame, would I rather we far overpaid for Bay or Matt Holliday before entertaining a second coming of Damon. The Phillies have a couple of pitchers that may be of interest as well. Cliff Lee has to face a club option for the next year which I would say is basically guaranteed but you really never know in professional sports. Brett Myers will also be a free agent in this off season. Ok, I never said there were good options to watch, just options.
I refuse to revert to the whole “rooting for the Yanks” thing in the least. I’ve never done it and I won’t start now. I fully put my hope and support behind this Phillies club through these (hopefully) last 2 games of the MLB season and they will need it with both games being played out in the Bronx. We cannot stand for allowing the Yankees to knock out two teams playing their seasons in memory of fallen teamates/announcers in a row! That’s bullying and I won’t stand to watch it, especially if it ends up with the pinstripes dancing on their own home field in front of all of their fans with the stadium that they made the state and city of NY invest billions of dollars in while they spent a record amount of money in the off season during a recession.
I’m done.
But I don’t root for the Yankees, and neither should you.
3 Responses to “Vested Interest in the World Series”
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I’m sorry, man. You make some good points. But I need to stop you when you say “We cannot stand for allowing the Yankees to knock out two teams playing their seasons in memory of fallen teamates/announcers in a row! That’s bullying and I won’t stand to watch it…” That is despicable that you say that. The Yankees lost Cory Lidle in the 2006 offseason, and no one blamed the Indians for bullying, and rightfully so. The angels wouldn’t want to beat the Yanks if they just let them win. What you just said is unbelievably terrible propoganda, and I suggest you remove that from your post. I hope you do so, and apologize as well, because I am sure you realize that that is wrong. If you want to be taken seriously in writing about your team, you cannot say something like this. I am a die hard Red Sox fan, but what you said is simply not true.
-Joey
I just need to say that Geno’s American cheesteak….. like heaven on a bun.
This makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. It’s an opinion, it’s not propaganda and it’s not despicable. This is not a major newspaper it’s a blog about the Red Sox, relax.