But to those who do understand, no explanation is required. It's a way of life. Yankee-haters, geographically centered around New York City and the greater Boston area, yet also spanning the country, are easily identified come October. Following Yankee postseason victories, they can be seen shaking their heads in disgust and muttering their favorite expletives to describe the Yanks. After a Yankee defeat, these same characters light up like a Christmas tree. They loft viscous barbs at any and all Yankee fans present and relish the thought that, for 24 short hours (until the next game, of course), the Yankees are not as mighty as some would have you think.
But now we live in a world that is increasingly divided into pre-Sept. 11 and post-Sept. 11. The terrorist attacks have made Americans analyze both their world views and their self-images. War, politics, economics and human rights head the list of crucial issues being evaluated and re-evaluated by politicians and professors alike. But somewhere near the bottom of that list we find sports. Often ignored by those who have better things to think about, the issues facing sports are debated on the back pages and in bars across the country. As the Yankees positioned themselves in late September for another postseason run-a run that would take them to the last date on the MLB calendar-sports fans found themselves facing one question that would not go away: Will you root for the Yankees?
For me, the issue hinges on the legitimacy of Yankee-hating. If the pastime is indeed simple jealousy, as many would have you think; if it is truly a conglomeration of Mets and Red Sox fans crying in their respective beers, bitter over postseason success that has too often eluded their own teams, then we must cast aside our hatred. We would owe it to ourselves to put aside our petty differences to support the team. It would be a showing of national togetherness.
But for me, to support the Yankees would be only that: a show. My reasoned dislike for the Yankees has gone nowhere since Sept. 11. It was real before and remains forceful today. Yankee-hating is more than a reactive philosophy. It is an almost academic undertaking with basic, unquestionable tenets. To suspend it for one October-its shining moment-would be to cast doubt on its very legitimacy.
In times of crisis, people often turn to symbols for reassurance. It is no surprise that Francis Scott Key wrote not about troops, but rather about a flag that "was still there." Many argue that in America post-Sept. 11, the Yankees are a symbol of New York and their triumph would symbolize that of their crushed city. For me, the parallels between New York City and the New York Yankees are uncomfortable, at best.
The City, as I have always called my home, currently faces peril unprecedented in the United States. A victim of attack, New York must overcome the loss of life to battle devastating psychological and economic effects. New York faces its darkest hour, but victory over terrorism would bring the city its finest moment.
The Yankees, on the other hand, are enjoying perhaps the greatest prosperity of an already storied history. Winners of four of the previous five World Series, including the last three, they do not strike me as a needy bunch. They do not face tremendous adversity at present, nor should they in the near future. And while New Yorkers and Americans experience a vulnerability rivaled perhaps by that of the Cold War, the Yankees air of self-entitlement is rivaled only by that of their fans. Forgive me for being cynical, but I don't see the connection.
Many argue that a victory for New York would be a tremendous boost to the city. Tourists would feel more comfortable visiting the scene of the greatest disaster in U.S. history if they saw 55,000 rabid fans in the Bronx without fear. Maybe the Yankees winning the World Series would have had a positive impact on the tourist industry, but it's an effect that I'm sure Rudy Guiliani could achieve with another of his recently ubiquitous "I Love New York" commercials.
They also argue that a Yankee victory would provide a much needed morale boost. Sure, Yankee fans would be happy. And I know some Mets fans would be happy, too. But sports are still simply entertainment, and entertainment won't help bring back those who fell that tragic day. If the Yankees can save the victims, then God bless them. But tragically, they can't. And it hurts to know that no one can do anything to help them.
In the bottom of the ninth inning on Sunday night, victory seemed certain for Yankee fans. Yet somehow they had forgotten that, in New York these days, there is only one certainty. And that is that New York-The City-will vanquish its foes, overcome its attackers and ultimately "win." New York City and the New York Yankees are two entirely different entities. Let us not confuse them.