City Haters

  Many of the big cities throughout the county have multiple teams in the same sport, with the exception of Boston. New York has 2 baseball teams, 2 football teams, 2 basketball teams and 2 hockey teams. Chicago has 2 baseball teams. Los Angeles has 2 baseball teams, 2 football teams and 2 basketball teams. What bothers me is that fans and players of one of those teams hate the other intercity team. My question is simple, why? Why do Met fans hate the Yankees? Why do Jets fans hate the Giants? Cubs fans the Chisox? This concept makes me so frustrated, lets dig deeper into the issue.

     Let’s start with New York baseball since, well, I live it daily. Last night I went to the Yankees-Mets game with my wife. My wife is a Mets fan and I am a Yankees. The lead kept changing and the Yankees eventually won the game. Every time one of our teams scored, we would rub it in each others face, which is normal. What I saw around me was just outstanding, Mets fans just hating on the Yankees. Personally, I know people who are Mets fans who hate the Yankees. Why? Not only are the Yankees and Mets in separate divisions, but they are in separate leagues!! The situation is not like Yankees-Dodgers or Yankees-Giants when they met in so many World Series from 1920-1958. The Mets and Yankees met in one World Series!

      Do Met fans hate the Yankees have owned the city for decades because of the winning? The Mets have had their moments for example the late 1960’s/early 70’s and Mid to late 1980’s. They had a change only  2 years ago when they went to the World Series. The Mets squandered their chances at the moment in time, but you should not be blaming the Yankees. The same thing can be said about the Jets and Giants.

    Even though the Jets won a Super Bowl before the Giants, the Giants have 4 Super Bowl victories since 1969 and had won championships before the Super Bowl. The Jets and Giants are in the same situation as Yankees and Mets, different division, different conference. Who cares what the other team does?!?! The Jets had their chance when Rex Ryan took over as coach. They went to back-to-back AFC Championships with Butt Fumble Sanchez but could not get over the hump. That was sandwiched by the Giants doing something the Jets can not do, beat the Patriots when its important(in this case the Super Bowl). Why should Jets fans be upset with Giants? Maybe they should have called Tom Coughlin about his game plan.

    Intercity rivalries are no doubt fun when the games come around, but aren’t they taken a little too far? I am a Yankees and Giants fan and if the Jets and Mets won their respective championships, I would be happy for them. The only time I would route against those teams is they were playing the teams that I favor. Shouldn’t fans, executives, and players of this teams actually worry about teams in their divisions, conferences and leagues? If the Jets were playing the Cowboys or Eagles in the Super Bowl, you bet I am routing for the Jets. By saying what I said, I do not mean that every single fan of these teams act the way I described. There are many fans who would route for the same town teams. All that is asked for is clarification, why do you hate those other teams so much you would favor a more heated rival when they play your intercity rivalry?