I think there's something more going on than baseball. It's not a lie when people say there is a tangible insecurity in the Hub when it comes to New York. People I know from Boston are quick to shout the praises of their city and to rag on NYC whenever possible. Who knows where this really comes from; my guess is that Boston serves as a center of gravity for five states, whereas New York is a center of gravity for the entire Western world. Maybe it's even colonialism--Boston and Philly both used to be much more important, and both cities now have chips on their collective shoulders.

At any rate, my point is that the Yankees Red Sox rivalry is a convenient microcosm of the relationship between the two cities. The Red Sox used to be better, but once Ruth headed to the Bronx, the Yanks dwarfed the rest of the teams in the league. And as industry shifted from manufacturing to service/information, New York became an alpha city.

The interesting thing is that for basketball, it's the exact opposite. The Celtics are the most storied franchise in the sport, while the Knicks are the red-headed stepchildren, an old and tradition-laden team who hasn't won in ages--sound familiar?

Granted, baseball is more popular than basketball in general, but I wouldn't be surprised if much of the fervor Boston has for the Red Sox stems from regionalism.

As anecdotal evidence, I present my friend from Boston who is a diehard Red Sox fan. He loves the Sox and he supposedly loves baseball, but as soon as the Sox get eliminated he stops watching. To me, this seems like he's more affected by the team than the game.

(Geez.. now what should I ask for?)

I'll cross my fingers that the ushers are not rabid tonight.

Just passing that along. Watch your ass, man.