Stop watching us

Sorry folks, you're dealing with me again. Mike's computer has succumbed to the "vx2 betterinternet" virus which allows him to go on AIM to wax philosophical about how much The Hardball Times sucks but not bother updating the site.

I think a little more explanation is in order for yesterday's post, in specific Dan Shaugnessy's latest steaming pile of puke that the Globe printed for some reason. Usually I ignore his stuff, much like I ignore Mike's nonsensical ravings about how much he hates Andruw Jones because he occasionally likes to go for the goodnight kiss on a first date. However, that article I mentioned touches a nerve for me lately.

The Sox/Yankees rivalry used to be just that. The Sox and Yankees. We hated the Yankees, and the Yankees bemusedly hated us mostly from reflex. If you walked up to, say, a Detroit fan and started talking about how the Yankees suck and Jeter swallows, you'd got a polite laugh before the fan went back to Comerica park and began sobbing hysterically when they read the program for that year.

Now, though. I know the 2003 ALCS was an exciting game, and it ushered a new era of Sox fans into the blindingly painful purgatory known as "Sox fanship", but ever since then EVERYONE likes the Sox/Yankees rivalry. Some people are even saying that baseball's "best hope" is the emotion and excitement the rivalry stirs up in baseball fans.

This bugs me. Kansas City fans shouldn't care about the Red Sox and the Yankees. But due to the fact that:

#1. The media covers even the smallest, most pointless news bits from 6 different angles and crams this "excitement" down the public's throat.

#2. The Sox and Yankees engaged in a baseball jihad war of sorts over the offseason, making the rivalry step even further to the forefront of the baseball landscape

#3. The "East Coast Bias" several people speak of obviously exists

KC fans are aboard the Rivalry Bandwagon in spades.

That's ridiculous. Other people should regard our little spat as pointless, one sided, and boring. I've been a Sox fan for awhile now and have accumulated a healthy despisal of the Yankees over a period of years, and random people who aren't even really fans of baseball talk about hating the Yankees "way more than you do, dude!!!!"

I don't want our dumb little contest to be viewed as something everyone can understand and enjoy, for one thing. But that's probably just jealousy talking. However, it IS dangerous for people to be relying on this rivlary to be the kick start baseball needs to get its fan base and popularity back in order. No one should try to understand what it's like to be a Sox fan.

Except for Cubs fans. Man, it must suck to be you guys.