Yankees-Red Sox Country

Published September 24, 2007

By Cedric Mac Smith

Ah, fall in Burlington. How nice it is to watch the trees turn from green to bright yellows and crimsons while the brisk air settles in. It’s time for hot chocolate and s’mores by the fireplace while the pumpkins and apples get perfectly ripe. Perhaps your favorite seasonal drink at Starbucks is coming around. Another summer gone could only possibly mean one thing in this cul de sac of tranquility. It means October, and it means War.

Let’s get one thing straight about Burlington. There are no major sports teams anywhere near here. There might have been a few people upset when the Expos decided it was time to pack up and move south, but for the most part, it’s Catamount Country. As devoid of any true allegiance this area may seem, it is in fact a crucial and strategic battleground for pride and bragging rights for the rest of the school year. For one month, this is Yankees Red Sox Country, and it bringsout the worst in us. Let’s get another thing straight. New Englanders LOVE their Red Sox, and New Yorkers love their Yankees. More New Englanders tuned in to watch game 7 of the 2004 American League Pennant vs. the Yankees than watched the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Red Sox Nation has more pride than any other fan base, and they make up the majority of the student body. New Yorkers make up what seems to be the rest, despite the fact you could’ve sworn you met someone in your geography class from Minnesota. The last two weeks of September and the whole month of October is known as Crunch Time (thank you Nate) in Major League Baseball. It’s when the remaining contenders battle it out for the top spot in their respective divisions, and from there, a shot at the World Series. The Yankees-Red Sox Rivalry is fueled by many of these battles over the last century, and during my time at UVM, it’s been no different, especially on campus.

It’s not fun being a Yankees fan outside of New York City. For some reason, nobody else likes the fact that the Yankees win a lot. So what if they are the highest paid team? It?s not my fault the Yankees have an owner with a deep pocket. I only have to walk twenty feet out of my dorm with a Yankees hat on to get a look that screams ?dude, what the fuck?? Thanks, George Steinbrenner.

The only solace I get during times like these is when I see fellow Yankees fans amongst the masses. Just a glance from any of them means me Yankees fan, you Yankees fan.? It’s a feeling that maybe our hunter-gatherer tribal ancestors felt when members of the same tribe would run into each other. People who don’t know each other have something to relate to, which prevents any kind of hostility, the kind that would occur when confronted by a member of a rivaling tribe. At this point, the Yankees are only 1 ½ games behind the Red Sox after seesaw season, and it’s only going to get more tense as both teams are sure to make the playoffs. When October comes around, things are going to heat up around here despite the fact that you will have to run from the bathroom back to your room to avoid catching the Flu. In light of this magical time of year, I have compiled a list of taboo subjects you should avoid when you really need to bum that cig and the only person outside the library is someone wearing the hat of the team you loath.

1. Yankees fans: Don’t bring up Babe Ruth, Bucky Dent, Aaron Boone, and especially Johnny Damon.

2. Red Sox fans: Don’t bring up Pedro Martinez, Big Papi, and especially 2004.

3. To Yankees Fans: The past is the past, and it should not be brought up. Red Sox fans, the Yankees won 26 championships during a period when the Red Sox couldn’t win one. Yankees Fans, the Red Sox are the more recent of the two to win the World Series. You’re not allowed to chant “1918″ anymore. Sad, but get over it.

4. To Red Sox Fans: Stop with the “Evil Empire” bullshit. It really is a dumb metaphor.

5. To Yankees Fans: STOP BRINGING UP THE PAST.

6. To Both Parties: No premature gloating. Like Yogi always said, “It ain’t over ‘till it’s over.”

One last thing to get straight: even if neither win the World Series, both sides will know and acknowledge the fact that one team has done better than the other. There’s no room for compromise in Yankees-Red Sox Country.

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