The Battle For New York

I'm not bitter. I just want to start by saying that. Truly I'm not, and this does not come from a place of hatred or animosity. I'm a Yankees fan. Die-hard. I suffered through the eighties with them, and I reaped the fortunes at the end of the following decade with pride. And I have never harbored feelings of ill will towards the Mets. To be honest, I didn't even know people still watched the National League (small joke). But I have to go on record here, this is ludicrous.

3 games into a 162 game season, and Mets fans and New York papers are already blowing this seasons standings up like we were mere weeks away from the playoffs. Give me a break. So the Yankees lost their first 3 games. Big deal. They'll be fine. In fact, hopefully these three losses teach them to never get too comfortable. I bet that once they do start winning, they don't stop, because they won't want to go through this ridiculous ridicule again.

Granted, It'd be nice if they were winning and I'm not happy about 3 losses in a row to start the season, but I'm certainly not up in arms like some people. And it's all because of the media, with headlines like "Mets: 3, Yankees: 0." As if they're even comparable. What the headlines should read is "Redsox: 0-3, Yankees 0-3." Because that's the race true Yankees fans care about in the East. At the end of the season it will come down to those two teams, and I don't think that by that time the Rays will even be nipping at either teams heels as they have so many years past. If anyone really thinks that the Orioles, Rays, and Blue Jays will finish atop the division, they've smoked themselves stupid.

You know who else has been puffing the magic dragon? Any Mets fans who are actually excited. The Mets have done this before, and in fact are all too famous for starting strong, and crumbling after All-Star break. Anyone who thinks that by winning the first 3 games, the Mets are suddenly relevant, should be checked by a medical professional. This 3 games win streak could possibly be the longest they have of the year. And again I don't say this out of hatred, but when Mets fans come jeer me with comments like, "My how the tables have turned," and "It's the year of the Met, baby," I can't help but rebut them with some truth. To quote Game of Thrones, "3 victories does not make you a conquerer." It certainly is better than 3 losses, but its ineffectual at this point. Keep it in perspective people!

So New Yorkers of all team colors, I encourage you to tailgate, trash talk, "wile out", and get passionate about America's greatest pastime. But somewhere in the back of your minds just remember, it's a long season filled with ups and downs. Do you really want to get caught with your foot in your mouth because you went and tried to predict the outcome of the entire season in the first week?