After a week in which Alex Rodriguez has been all over the front pages of the New York dailies for all the wrong reasons (really, what does he see in Madonna?), the back pages this morning are awash with news of a near brawl between legendary slugger Keith Hernandez and Mets shortstop Jose Reyes.
Yes, it’s never a dull moment in Gotham City! Especially when you have the New York Post (edited by Aussie Col Allan) around to dredge up the innuendo and turn it into fact. Well, in the eyes of the public anyway.
Away from all the dramas, it’s been a tough year for New York baseball fans.
The Mets have been roundly criticized for failing to live up to expectations, which lead to the clandestine and even more widely condemned firing of manager Willie Randolph a few weeks back.
Meanwhile, the Yankees got ripped apart 7-0 by the Red Sox last night, with new manager Joe Girardi, closing the “clubhouse doors for 31 minutes, three times the allotted period for cooling off.” Despite this, “the steam seemed to still be rising from his crew cut as he marched to the interview room.” Ouch!
Everywhere you drink in New York, giant television screens dominate the decor, showing ball game after ball game. There’s a palpable aura around the history and traditions associated with the local teams. And the fans demand results, especially when you look at the size of the bankrolls involved (the Mets’ roster is the most expensive in the league)
Both sides are moving to new venues, the Mets to a $632-million stadium and the Yankees to a $1.3-billion stadium, and there’s already been word of upcoming auctions to sell off seats, signage and other paraphernalia from the current stadiums.
I think there will be a further sweep of the brooms through the clubhouses before the season’s end.
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July 5th 2008 @ 4:53am
Johnnie Bodden said | July 5th 2008 @ 4:53am | Report comment
Boring. American sports are so boring that I fell asleep reading your boring article and just woke up again.
Ooh the red sox got beaten by the whitesox or something how exciting.
And i can promise you that not everywhere you drink in new york is dominated by large screens showing sports. New York has an amazing bar culture that is well separated from drunken morons in their $10 Rodriguez shirts.
July 5th 2008 @ 8:04am
Stoffy_18 said | July 5th 2008 @ 8:04am | Report comment
Good point Zolton,
Johnnie i wouldn’t say American sports are boring. Patriots v Giants Superbowl XLII, hardly boring, 2008 NBA finals Celtics vs Lakers, great entertainment. I won’t go any further but I’m sure you’ve got the drift of things.
Although the American-Australia sporting felationship is fringe, the excitment factor in the US is certainly evident.
July 5th 2008 @ 9:05am
matta said | July 5th 2008 @ 9:05am | Report comment
Johnnie let it go.. .
Plenty of people in NZ would say the same thing about Rugby “boring, we are more than a moronic Rugby mad country” and yeah, they are right. But no one can doubt Baseball is a huge part of American culture just like Rugby is to the Kiwis – esp in NYC, Boston, Chicago and many more.
I was like you until I went to a game of Baseball, sat with some locals and asked questions about the game. Now I love it! not enough to go out of my way to watch a game on ESPN but if its on while I am home I watch…unless Rugby is on….
I challege anyone to go to a Yankies game, see the passion and the pride, hang out with some locals and not enjoy themself! If you dont get it after that then you really are a bitter stick in the mud.