By Stephanie Calvano
Play ball!! I’ve waited through a very long, cold winter to hear those words. And now it’s here, it’s here … it’s finally here! It’s baseball season! Although the 2011 baseball season is still in its infancy, in New York, it’s never too soon to talk about the postseason. In a recent New York City Marist Poll, we asked Yankees and Mets fans who they would root for in the most unfortunate World Series matchups. Mets fans were asked who they would root for if the Yankees were playing the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. 61% of New York City Mets fans said they would keep it in the New York family and cheer on the Yankees, and 34% would support the Phillies. I wonder if this was actually the case in 2009?!? When asked who they would root for if the Mets were playing the Boston Red Sox in the World Series, Yankees fans were a little kinder to their cross-town rivals. 83% of New York City Yankees fans said they would be in the Mets corner, while 14% said they would rally behind the BoSox.
Stephanie Calvano
As a Yankees fan, the thought of this hypothetical matchup put my stomach in knots and left me wondering what I would do if this horror actually came to pass. After much thought and rationalization, I still can’t definitely say what I would do. Initially, I thought I would support the Mets over the Red Sox. If my New York team didn’t make it to the World Series, why not root for another New York team? But, upon further reflection I started digging a little deeper. In order for the Red Sox to advance to the postseason and ultimately the World Series, they would have had to have a better season than the Yankees. So, if the Sox won the World Series, at least I would know that my Bombers were beaten by the best. It falls under the same logic that had me rooting for the Packers in the Super Bowl. They beat the Giants and it made me feel better about Big Blue’s demise to know it was the Super Bowl Champs that put the brakes on their postseason chances. This kind of thinking also made me a fan of the Duke women’s basketball team after they eliminated the Marist Red Foxes from the 2011 NCAA tournament in a close contest.
So, what’s my conclusion? The answer is “I don’t know.” All I can hope for is that it’s a decision I never have to make. And, if that World Series matchup does ever happen, check back with me … I might be rooting for the New York Red Sox or the Boston Mets!
Until then … happy baseball season!