Red sox fans hate the Yankees. This unalienable truth is as woven into the fabric of Bostonian culture as Dunkin Donuts and the Big Dig. I am a Red Sox fan. As a child I can remember my father telling me tales of how the Yankees would beat up on old ladies, and would steal from the poor to finance their next free agent purchase.
We all have different reasons, but the universal constant among Bostonians is that when you're not cheering for the Red Sox to win, you're just looking for the Yankees to lose. In the case of four out of the five last World Series, Bo-Sox fans have converted into Braves, Padres, and Mets fans without hesitation.
However, this year stands out among the rest. For the first time in the history of baseball, New York has the moral high ground. The attacks of Sept. 11 have been considered by many an attack on the fortitude of the human spirit of New Yorkers. Most citizens of the US have turned to the Yankees to deliver a moral message to the terrorists of the world.
The idea is that the team symbolizes perseverance and victory that cannot be compromised by the madness of those who wish to strike at the core of this country's ideals. Now an internal conflict has arisen in the Red Sox fan. Should we believe that the symbol of American freedom be connected with a World Series championship taken by the New York Yankees?
Before the beginning of Game Three of the World Series, President George W. Bush stood at the top of the pitchers mound of Yankee Stadium, and looked around him at stands that were packed with 57,000 proud Americans. Above the stadium flew an American flag that was torn and dirty.
It was a flag found in the rubble of the World Trade Center, and it was hoisted as a reminder of the victims of the attacks. This is the symbol of our national spirit: the president of the nation standing in the middle of a stadium in plain view of thousands of people to ceremonially commence a game of the championship series of our national pastime.
The recent message to the American people has been to continue living our lives. We've been told that this is how we defy terrorism. For a Bostonian to cheer for the Yankees would not only be wrong, but in a sense it would be refusing to continue with our lives. In a sentimental way there isn't one person in this country who wouldn't see a Yankees victory, in the name of the victims of the World Trade Center attacks, to be good for the moral of the city.
In fact, if New York does win the World Series, I can see myself applauding for a recently devastated city in celebration. I just simply believe that in order for all of us to do our part we must stay our course. So to the Red Sox fans out there with this dilemma in mind, don't change who you are. That's not what this country needs. Go Arizona!
Ricardo Martinez is a senior majoring in mechanical engineering.
