From the Desk Of Bart Plank ...
...A Yankees Fan
Tonight is what sports is all about. This is about the culmination of the greatest rivalry in sports. While some want-to-be-clever sportswriters have pointed out that this is not a rivalry because the Yankees always win and the Red Sox always lose, they are wrong. To be literal, the American Heritage Dictionary defines a "rival" as the
following:
Clearly, this ALCS and the long history between these two teams meets this defintion of a rival perfectly.
Going away from the dictionary, rivalries stem from a history of tough competition between two entities. In the last two years, the Yanks and Sox have played 51 times and the Sox have won 26, the Yankees 25. There have been multiple bench clearing brawls (including a stomped on groundskeeper), insulting quotes, and, most importantly, countless heroic efforts by players on both sides. This is what a rivalry is all about and rivalries are the greatest thing in sports because they perfectly embody what competition is all about.
As we all stress over each pitch and every swing tonight, don't forget that the rivalry is what sports is all about. While the spirit of this rivalry will be sure to last for our lifetimes, it can not possibly live up to what it has been last year and this year. Enjoy what we are going to see tonight because we have been spoiled this year and last by such epic competition between our teams.
Around midnight tonight, one team will move on to the World Series, having vanquished their arch-enemy into an offseason of despair. If it is the Yankees who win, they will seek to regain the greatness of the O'Neill/Tino/Brosius era teams and continue to build on their great legacy of success. If it is the Sox, they will continue on their quest to exorcise the curse of the Babe and banish the "1918" chant. Either way, the Wrold Series will be nowhere near as much fun as this ALCS has been.
I can't wish good luck to the Nation, but I do hope that the best team wins tonight. If that's not my team, I take solace in the fact that I don't have to listen to that f@cking moron, Tim McCarver, for another second. I will also enjoy getting some sleep and returning back to my usual moderate level of work productivity!
=====
Bart Plank
Tonight is what sports is all about. This is about the culmination of the greatest rivalry in sports. While some want-to-be-clever sportswriters have pointed out that this is not a rivalry because the Yankees always win and the Red Sox always lose, they are wrong. To be literal, the American Heritage Dictionary defines a "rival" as the
following:
"One who attempts to equal or surpass another, or who pursues the same object as another; a competitor."
Clearly, this ALCS and the long history between these two teams meets this defintion of a rival perfectly.
Going away from the dictionary, rivalries stem from a history of tough competition between two entities. In the last two years, the Yanks and Sox have played 51 times and the Sox have won 26, the Yankees 25. There have been multiple bench clearing brawls (including a stomped on groundskeeper), insulting quotes, and, most importantly, countless heroic efforts by players on both sides. This is what a rivalry is all about and rivalries are the greatest thing in sports because they perfectly embody what competition is all about.
As we all stress over each pitch and every swing tonight, don't forget that the rivalry is what sports is all about. While the spirit of this rivalry will be sure to last for our lifetimes, it can not possibly live up to what it has been last year and this year. Enjoy what we are going to see tonight because we have been spoiled this year and last by such epic competition between our teams.
Around midnight tonight, one team will move on to the World Series, having vanquished their arch-enemy into an offseason of despair. If it is the Yankees who win, they will seek to regain the greatness of the O'Neill/Tino/Brosius era teams and continue to build on their great legacy of success. If it is the Sox, they will continue on their quest to exorcise the curse of the Babe and banish the "1918" chant. Either way, the Wrold Series will be nowhere near as much fun as this ALCS has been.
I can't wish good luck to the Nation, but I do hope that the best team wins tonight. If that's not my team, I take solace in the fact that I don't have to listen to that f@cking moron, Tim McCarver, for another second. I will also enjoy getting some sleep and returning back to my usual moderate level of work productivity!
=====
Bart Plank
posted by THE BOSTON BLOGGER at 1:47 PM
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