Newz Forum: BASEBALL: Immersed in the Curse

I'm not superstitious, but I believe in a curse that plagues the Boston Red Sox. A territory haunted by a history that refuses to stop repeating itself, Red Sox Nation has struggled for nearly a century to rid itself of the Curse of the Bambino to no avail. This well-documented legend is typically explained through a series of tragedies inflicted upon the Red Sox by their supposed rival, the New York Yankees.

But before we move on, let's be clear about one thing: a rivalry is defined in terms of "equality of desired qualities," and there's hardly a semblance of equality in the Red Sox/Yankees feud. Sadly, the alleged Boston/New York "rivalry" exists only in the minds of Bostonians. Red Sox fans hate the Yankees, but pity most aptly distinguishes the New York sentiment towards the Red Sox. The Bomber backers know that such a state of competition will evolve only when - or if - the Red Sox beat the Yankees in the playoffs.

Was Saddam's Iraq our country's rival? Absolutely not. Much like its Superpower counterpart, the Yankees dominate with a greatness founded upon superior artillery and a confidence bordering on arrogance. Jealousy, blind hatred and a history of folly, on the other hand, infect the psyche of the defeated. Likewise, mutual contempt, not competition, characterizes the Boston/New York conflict that is much less a rivalry than an overblown tiff.

Now that we're clear that Red Sox/Yankees conflict isn't even a rivalry, let's see if we can crack the foundation of this alleged Curse. Only then will we understand the true impetus behind baseball's most storied discord.

How can I believe in a curse without being superstitious? The answer is painfully obvious and contingent upon a state of mind that, in essence, has nothing to do with the Curse of the Bambino. Forget about Ruth. Forget about Bucky Dent. Forget about Aaron Boone. Forget about the distortion and contortion of numbers, dates and coincidences that supposedly support the existence of the Curse as we know it.

The real curse of the Red Sox is the pessimism of the Red Sox fans. A function of neither mystery nor mystique, this curse is as alive and as tangible as ever, an ever widening wound that has grown saltier than the Boston Harbor itself. It's not of the past but of the present. It stirs violently in the tortured soul of the card-carrying members of Red Sox Nation. It preys upon Bostonians' boundless negativity, an affliction deeply rooted in anger and envy, and its gluttony knows no bounds. And it's not just in some of them - it's in all of them.

The consequences of these sins have been deadly for the Red Sox. Vexed by the hex of their fans, the players feel it: the impending doom, the inevitable end to every season that Red Sox Nation has come to expect if not sadistically embrace. They are choking on the very bone their fans pick with the Yankees.

Red Sox fans, reconsider your position. Lose the "Yankees suck" chant. Nothing about winning 26 World Championships sucks. What sucks is your mindless pessimism. After all, neither the baseball gods nor the ghosts of playoffs past decide the fate of your team.

Just as negativity is your legacy, it's also your curse. More importantly though, it's your choice. You can reverse it, or forever be immersed in it. Which is worse? Choose wisely.

and yet, New Englander swill refuse to listen, and will never really fully appreciate what's happening in the NFl until it is too late...

Agreed - what's going on with the Pats is almost beyond words, yet the Seattle game is the last thing on New Englanders' minds.

I live in the Great city of new york, and to say that we dont really hate boston red sox's fans is a understatment i was in class last year, and a kid wore a red sox's hate and my teacher little ripped apart the red sox's for the whole playoffs to this kid. It was the funniest thing alive. There are red sox fans that live in the city but there arnt dominate, you see them but when its playoff time you see less of them and more of yankees hats going around.

The city is in great pride of Yankees, its the one sport here in the city that every person will get into, whether you like sports or not, even my borther who hates sports will come over and watch teh yankees game, there is just soming about the yankees and the city that brings poeple together. Can the red sox's fans say the same thing?

They can sit there and say teh yankees suck tonight when the red sox's and yankees play, but the bottom line is that the yankees are up 2 games to 0 and are playing great baseball, if the games goes into the 9th inning with teh yankees up, Rivera is going to shut down the sox's there is nothing else to it. The yankees are dominate and teh sox's arnt.

This is a rivarly no doubt about it, every game is close and this game is the world series of baseball, even if you arnt a fan of the red sox's or the yankees, you will catch yourself in the heat of this series, just because there is so much drama and history of everything. Its teh evil emprie taking on the rebels! Even in the off-season these two teams fight for the free agents, 1 for explain is A-Rod. Its a rivarly that is going to exist for many years to come, and if the sox's so happen to beat the yankees in one of these post-season battles, the rivarly will have a new flame to it, but this year is not the Sox's year.