Random Thoughts: The Yankees and Red Sox Annoy Me :: NY Sports Day


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Random Thoughts: The Yankees and Red Sox Annoy Me
by: Leslie Monteiro | Staff Writers - NY Sports Day | Sunday, February 29 2004

There is always a rivalry between New York and Boston in terms of sports, accent, and clam chowder. The Knicks and the Celtics has had a rivalry going from the late 60s and 70s. The Rangers and the Bruins had a rivalry when both teams were part of the "Original Six." The Jets and Patriots has become a rivalry thanks to Bill Parcells bolting the Pats to the Jets in 1997 and Bill Belichick returning the favor to the Patriots by ditching the Jets in 2000. There is difference in terms of what accent sounds better between New Yorkers and Bostonians. Heck, there is a clam chowder rivalry between Manhattan and New England in terms of which one taste better. Of course, nothing is bigger than the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry. Yankees/Red Sox is not only the mother of all New York/Boston sports rivalry, but it’s the mother of all rivalries in sports according to the media and both Yankees and Red Sox fan bases. That rivalry also is very annoying to me and other sports fans outside of New York and Boston.

I really do not care for this baseball rivalry. I hate it. It is the most overrated rivalry in the history of sports. I understand there is a history between both teams going back to the Red Sox trading Babe Ruth to the Yankees which started that myth called "The Curse of the Bambino", but is it really a rivalry when the Yankees beat the Red Sox all the time especially in big games. Every year, Red Sox fans are optimistic about how it is their year to dethrone the Yankees, yet it’s the same old dance. How is that a rivalry and how is it entertaining when the Yankees always have the psychological edge over the Red Sox.

If the hype of the rivalry is not enough to annoy me, I do not care much about the way both teams do their business. Both teams have ridiculous money and resources to work with in baseball while the rest of teams in baseball don’t have that advantage. Both teams have set the bar for salaries causing other teams to overpay the players. They whine about how MLB is screwing them if they don’t get their way. I am tired of George Steinbrenner, Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino, and Red Sox owner John Henry acting like little children by taking shots at each other. I am tired of both Yankees and Red Sox players taking shots at each other in papers and on the field.

I also don’t care for Yankees fans and Red Sox fans. I am tired of both fan bases acting like it is a birthright to see their team win the championship. They should be thankful that their team will always contend for a championship every year. You can’t say that about other teams in baseball. As a Twins fan, my team will never contend for a championship because the owner of that team runs his team like a business and he does not want to lose money. It’s very likely the Twins will never win a World Series title let alone being in the World Series in my lifetime. Both fan bases should appreciate their teams contending every year. I am tired of Yankees fans whining if they don’t win a championship even though they have won a lot. Red Sox fans have suffered forever, but it is not the end of the world if their team does not win it all. I am also sick of them whining if their team falls short like last year.

If there is a God, I hope Anaheim, Oakland, Seattle, Toronto, or the winner of the AL Central goes to the World Series instead of New York or Boston. Better yet, I hope we don’t see a repeat of the ALCS between the Yankees and Red Sox. It would be funny to see both teams one up each other just to see both teams be denied at a chance to go to the World Series and win it all. It will also be good if both teams are not in the ALCS or in the World Series so that ESPN and the national media don’t have to ram Yankees and Red Sox in our throats.

Random Thoughts:

Mets management may be dumb, but I doubt they are dumb enough to trade Jose Reyes for Alfonso Soriano. Mets should not trade Jose Reyes for anyone. It’s time to start winning with homegrown players not mercenaries or teams from other players.

Would someone ask me what the hell Art Howe is thinking? Why did Howe start Tom Glavine on Opening Day? For one thing, he does not deserve at all to start after the year he had. Steve Trachsel or Al Leiter was more deserving for the year they had not to mention either of them gives the Mets a better chance to beat Atlanta on Opening Day. Second, Atlanta hammered Glavine all year. It was so bad that Art had to rig the rotation to prevent Glavine from losing to Atlanta again. I don’t get that move. I would think Howe would realize that which just shows he is just incompetent as a manager.

Joe Torre and George Steinbrenner are making nice now, but if the Yankees don’t start April well, we are not going to hear how everything is hunky-dory.

I don’t think it should be up to Joe Torre to decide if he wants to come back next year. It will be up to George. If the Yankees don’t win it all, Torre should be fired considering he has so much to work with this year.

Cubs fans can be very senile sometimes. What the hell is the point of burning that foul ball which was caught by that lost soul, Steve Bartman? How the hell will it end the curse?

I hear the Marlins are having trouble selling out their games. It’s so bad that they may not sell their home opener. I think it’s sad and disturbing. What do Marlins fans want? That team just won the World Series by beating the Yankees not to mention they retained their players. What can the Marlins do? I guess it’s not suprising. South Florida is a lousy sports town. It’s so lousy that the Dolphins and the Miami Hurricanes don’t sell out.

Is anyone tired of hearing where Kobe Bryant is going to play this year? I don’t want to hear guys from TNT and ESPN talking about where Kobe is playing every time I see a Lakers telecast. I doubt Kobe knows what is going to do so it’s pointless to talk about it.

I notice the refs wore their shirt backward so that they can write that ref’s number who got suspended by the league for making a bad call. I got news for those guys. They ought to worry about making right calls and stop being bigger than the game instead of supporting that ref who got suspended for making a bad call.

Lawerence Frank finally got his first loss to my Timberwolves this week. I think it was for the best that the Nets lost. I think the big test for Coach Frank starts tonight against the Lakers and this week in the West Coast trip. If Lawerence’s team can do well in the West Coast trip, I will be very impressed.

Dikembe Mutombo is whining about his playing time. Gee what a surprise. I think he has to take a hint from the coaches and retire. He is not what he used to be anymore. For one great game, he will have five bad games.

I think Isiah Thomas made a mistake trading Keith Van Horn for two underachieves in Tim Thomas and Nazr Mohammed. What has Thomas and Mohammed done in this league?

We will see how good Lenny Wilkens really is now that the Knicks are on a slump. I am not sure if playoffs are a guarantee for the Knickerbockers.

Just because Isiah acquired Stephon Marbury does not mean he is the Executive of the Year as Mike Greenberg of Mike and Mike in the Morning suggested.

Glen Sather did the right thing resigning as head coach. He had to with the team clearly quitting on him. He could have done the best thing ever for this franchise though. He should have resigned as GM too.

Bobby Francis got a raw deal as the Coyotes coach as the Coyotes fired him this week. This Coyotes team is poorly assembled. Wayne Gretzky and his buddy, Mike Barnett, who is the Coyotes GM, have no clue in running a hockey franchise. Too bad the wrong guy got fired. I just have to ask though. Are the Coyotes in Phoenix better off than when they were in Winnipeg? I don’t think so.

Blues also made a mistake in firing their head coach, Joel Quenneville. I think it’s a very risky to fire a coach with only few weeks left. I am not sure if the Blues will make the playoffs now that their coach got fired. Blues got too many me-first players.

Rangers fans can talk all they want about how they want Quenneville or Emil Francis’s son, Bobby to coach their team. First off, why would they want to work for Sather when they will be nothing more than a puppet? I expect Tom Renney to coach the Rangers next year.

Congrats to Pat Burns in coaching his 1,000th game Friday night against the Atlanta Thrashers. It’s a credit to the job he has done over the years as a head coach.

Major props to the Thrashers coach Bob Hartley for benching stud Ilya Kovalchuk Friday night against the Stanley Cup Champs. It sends a message that rules go out for everybody including stars players.

The Devils should not be trading future players for Zach Parise, Paul Martin, or David Hale for any one. It’s not worth it considering this team will be retooling in a couple of years.

I can understand the Broncos trading Clinton Portis since they always have running backs that can do well, but what has Champ Bailey done in the NFL that makes the Broncos love him.

I will go on a limb and say that there won’t be a NHL stoppage next season. There is too much to lose for both sides. If there is a lockout, you might as well close down the league for good.

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