Why I Like Sports - Rivalries

On the heels of last night’s fantastic game between the Patriots and the Jets and the equally entertaining hockey game between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens, today seems like a good time to take a look at rivalries in sports and how it impacts the game.

The best thing about a rivalry is the passion that it brings out of people. When your team is hosting its rival, the air just feels different before a game. The atmosphere in the building before the game is that much more amped up. You feel as if you are living and dying with every shot, hit, point or out. Bragging rights are at stake for the winner and the loser is left feeling as if they got kicked in the groin. There is nothing worse than losing to your rival. I sat in my basement in 2003 after Aaron F’n Boone hit a knuckleball into the Bronx night shocked and on the verge of tears. It wasn’t just that the Sox had come so close and yet were still so far away. It was seeing Marian Rivera bawling like a baby on the mound and Derek Jeter jumping up and down that made it all the much worse. I can honestly say that if it was Vlad Guerrero and the Los Angeles Anaheim Orange County Angels of California doing the celebrating I wouldn’t have hurt as much.

At the same time, a win over your hated rival is sweeter than a normal victory. I was excited on Wednesday when the Bruins beat Chicago. It was a nice win and two points are two points no matter who you beat. But, watching the Black and Gold destroy Les Habitants on Boston ice last night was much more rewarding. The B’s had lost 12 games in a row to the Canadiens. The Blue Blanc et Rouge had knocked out the Bruins in seven games in the first round of the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs. Don’t get me started on the 2002 and 2004 playoff losses. So to watch my all-time favorite sports team come out and out-everything their rival and put and end to the misery was better than just about anything. The icing on the cake was Milan Lucic’s manhandling of Mike Komisarek in the third period. The emotion the young power forward in training showed on his way to the sin bin after a well-earned five minute fighting major is contagious. If you don’t think the team and the city will feed off that, then you don’t know your hockey or hockey fans.

Anyways, last night’s games got me thinking about my five favorite rivalries in sports. This is just one man’s list. I would be interested to see what other people think.

Boston Bruins/Montreal Canadiens, NHL – Like I said, this is my list. I am a hockey guy so this is number one. The fans hate each other. Ever since the Montreal fans booed the Star Spangled Banner before a playoff game in 2004, it has been amped to another level. Throw in the “Too Many Men on the Ice Game” in 1979 as well as Montreal’s 22 Stanley Cups and you have a ready-made rivalry. One of my favorite sports memories is when the Bruins beat Montreal, four games to one in the Adams Division final in 1988 to exorcise the demons.

Red Sox/Yankees, MLB – This one has been overcommercialized in the last five years, but it still packs a punch – sometimes literally. The number of brawls between these teams is incredible for baseball. From Varitek/A-Rod to Bill Lee and Lou Pinella in the seventies, these teams actually don’t like each other, nevermind the “Yankees Suck” and the now defunct “1918” chants. It would be nice to see then Bombers become relevant again and make this a rivalry once more.

Army/Navy, NCAA – I am not going to limit this one to just football, even though it is the one everyone knows. Anytime these two schools face-off, it is about much more than a game.This isn’t a rivalry based on hatred like a lot of sports rivalries, but it is just as intense. Watching the Cadets and Midshipmen march into the stadium, hearing the national anthem and watching two teams of actual soliders – sorry Kellen Winslow – battle is something I never miss. I am actually very upset that I have a chance to go this year and will miss it because I am in Las Vegas.

Phillies/Mets, MLB – I am new to this one, but man is it intense. I went to a Phillies/Mets game at Citizens Bank Park this year and actually was more fearful for my safety than I was at Yankees Stadium wearing a Nomar jersey. Philadelphia fans are some of the most insane people I know, and I mean that in a good way for the most part. And boy do they hate the Mets. Throw in two consecutive late-season collapses by the Mets that helped propel the Phills to two division titles and the 2008 World Series championship and you have a great rivalry. I can’t wait to see what it will be like the first time the Amazins come to the Bank in ’09. It’s a shame they won’t be there when the Phillies receive their rings in April.

Boston University/Boston College, NCAA Hockey – This isn’t a very sexy rivalry, but to any kid who grew up in Boston playing hockey, the Beanpot, Hockey East and the battle of Commonwealth Avenue between these two schools is as good as college hockey gets. I had season tickets to BU and those teams were my heroes. I hated BC – which is ironic since I went to B.C. High. Nevertheless, going to BU-BC games, especially at Walter Brown Arena at BU or at the Beanpot were events. From the BU students chanting “Beanpot U.” in regards to their run of titles at Boston’s annual battle of its four college teams to B.C.’s kids coming back with “Sucks to B.U.” the passion was undeniable. The number of future NHL players who played in those games is long – including Chris Drury, Joe Mullen, Bill Guerin, Mike Grier, Mike Eruzione, Jim Craig, and many others. I got to see them before they were stars and when they absolutely wanted to destroy the team across the rink from them.

Bonus picks – Michigan/Ohio State, Jack Nicklaus/Arnold Palmer, Hulk Hogan/Iron Sheik, Amherst/Williams, Georgetown/Syracuse, Texas/Oklahoma, Detroit Red Wings/Colorado Avalanche, USA/Russia.

Why I Don't Like Sports....Rainouts

Didn't think I would have to write a "Why I Don't Like Sports" blog so quickly, but after getting home from Game Five of the World Series without an actual winner, I figured it is worth it. Listen, I completely understand that it was pouring rain and that the game needed to be called. I am not upset with that. Just saying it sucked. The crowd was ready to celebrate and Mother Nature did not cooperate. Now the city has to wait one more day. Extremely tough call for Major League Baseball by the way. The weather is Philly is going to be terrible on Tuesday so we are looking at Wednesday maybe. Horrible timing on the rain here. Is it delaying the inevitable? It says here yes. I think if the Phills come out on Tuesday with a few runs and get to the bullpen, the series is over. Anyways, I am still pumped to see the end of Game Five, be it Tuesday or Wednesday.

Why I Like Sports ... Tailgating

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the Eagles-Falcons game in Philly. The day was a perfect convergence of everything I like about tailgating. First, there was a little panic to start the day as my friend who brought the keg to the parking lot arrived to find out that the tap was broken. Unfortunately, my buddies around where I live were either still asleep at 9:45 a.m. or didn’t have a tap of their own that I could borrow, so things weren’t off to a great start. I had faith in my friend that he had reserves. And if that didn’t work, my roommate had two bottles of champagne and some O.J. for mimosas that I could steal.

When we arrived at the Linc, sure enough there were three cases of Lion’s Head in the truck to hold us over until the tap arrived. I know three cases as an appetizer sounds like a lot, but you have to understand my friends. First, one of the guys is a legit 6-10 and can more than handle his beer. Also, we had about 10 or so people coming by at different points throughout the day. And finally, the tailgate started at 9:30 a.m. and was going straight through the Phillies game that night. We were going to need that keg sooner or later.

Anyways, here are my top five favorite reasons why I like tailgating…

1 .Drinking in the morning. There isn’t much better in the world than cracking a beer before noon. My dad, brother, uncle and I go to NASCAR races from time to time, and the best part of the day, for me at least, is the three or so hours before the race that we have beers in the parking lot while watching the other fans with their flags and shirts and sometimes mullets. Whether it’s a football game, baseball game or car race, the event is just better if you are five or six or 13 bud lights deep before it starts. On a day like yesterday, where it was 65 degrees out and sunny, an ice cold beer tastes all that much better.

2. Greasy Food. Yesterday was a great combination of food. Since we started so early, breakfast was first on the agenda. We cooked up some bacon and a vat of eggs on the grill to start things off. Thrown in a little cheese and some hamburger buns, and bammo! you got a delicious bacon, egg and cheese to commence the feast. Other favorite foods at the tailgates my family throws are pulled pork and quite possibly the greatest combination of food stuffs I have ever seen – the Cheddarwurst. Whoever came up with the idea to stuff cheese inside a hot dog deserves a statue. Seriously, they kick ass. Ever since my dad introduced them to me, it is all I can do to not eat them every day. Then again, if I did that, I would look like John Kruk and no one wants that.

3. Games. These can range from drinking games to games of skill or somewhere in between. My favorite is cornhole. That is what we were playing yesterday. I was pretty horrible, but my teammate kicked ass for her first time playing. Ironically, I think she got better the more mimosas she drank. Other possible activities include washers and some new game where people throw golf balls on strings at some sort of contraption. I have no clue what it is called, but plenty of people were doing that yesterday. If games of skill aren’t your cup of tea, there are also drinking games that people enjoy. The number one is beirut or beer pong. Everyone loves beer pong. Yesterday, there were ping pong balls all over the place. Then there is flip cup. This is a game I am actually good at so I enjoy playing it. I would choose it over beer pong any time. Outside is tough though when you factor in the wind. If there was ever a game that should be played in a dome, it is flip cup.

4. People Watching. This may have been the best part of the Jimmy Buffet concert I went to this summer. The absolute mass of humanity that filled the parking lots around Citizen’s Bank Ballpark was something I had never seen before, and I have been to some pretty intense crowds at Notre Dame Stadium, Daytona International Raceway and other places. But the 60,000+ people who were there that day were having the time of their lives. Everyone was decked out in tropical clothing, wearing bathing suits, drinking Coronas and dancing along to whatever was on the iPod. The people in the space next to us filled the bed of their truck up with water, turning it into a makeshift pool for the afternoon. It was ridiculous. I loved every minute of it. NASCAR races are also great people watching. Watching people who have set up their RV for a week of hard living is always a good time. I am not making any judgments, but there are always some interesting fashion and style statements being made at those races. I have had my moments of glory too, so I am not complaining. I usually feature some stupid facial hair when I hit up the races, and my brother usually has the grosses goatee you have ever seen so we definitely fit in with the crowd. It’s just fun to watch 100,000 people get wasted and wear silly clothing. Doesn’t matter what game it is, as long as those two things are happening.

5. Post Game Debauchery. My final favorite thing about tailgating is the fact that you can do it after the game as well. In fact, sometimes you need to do it since there is so much traffic leaving the arena/stadium/track/whatever. Of course, there probably isn’t a need for your 18th beer or fifth hamburger of the day, but you have an hour or two to kill so what the heck, right? This is especially fun if your team wins. The crowd is happy and celebrating, high fives are being thrown around like dollars by Pacman Jones. On the flip side, there is nothing worse than a forced postgame tailgate when your team loses. Six years ago, my college buddies and I went to Notre Dame to see the Irish play BC. The game was great, BC upset then-No. 2 Notre Dame and I was happy because I got to cross off Notre Dame Stadium from my list of places to watch a game. The only problem was the whole student body fell into a depression since their national title hopes went down the drain. So there we were, four Georgetown students in South Bend looking to have some fun and get after it a little. The only problem was that no students wanted to party. The older fans, though, still had to wait out the traffic so they all stood around, helpless and lost. It was sad. But they had no choice. It was either that or sit in traffic for at least two hours. Anyways, the point is that postgame debauchery is better when your team wins. That was yesterday after the Eagles game. People were loving life, the Birds had just won a game they probably shouldn’t have and the Phillies were a few hours away from playing an important Game Four in the World Series. There was no reason why these fans shouldn’t have been as happy as they were. I was just glad to be a little part in Philly’s day of glory.

And I have my chance for another awesome tailgate today as I head over to Citizens Bank Park for Game Five of the World Series. This city is ready to explode and there is a good chance I may explode with it. I am not going to write much about the game since I don’t want to jinx it, but let’s just say I am pumped to be there tonight to hopefully watch history and I am very excited for my new friends from Philadelphia that have been waiting for a title for most of, if not all, of their lives. I have been lucky the past seven years and I am happy for these faithful and diehard fans that may have the chance to celebrate tonight or in the next few days.


Wish me luck and safety.

Why I Like Sports ... Introductions

Welcome to my blog, "Why I Like Sports" where each post will will focus on something in the sports world that I really like. I know the title is pretty obvious, but hopefully there will be plenty going on the sports world that gets my attention and is interesting to me. Everyone knows about the big events - the Super Bowl, the Olympics, etc., but there is so much inside those events that is worthy of our attention. I will try and focus on those things here.

Tonight, the title of the blog is "Introductions". There is kind of a double meaning to this as I plan to introduce myself and talk about one of my favorite aspects of the World Series, and playoff baseball in general, the pregame introductions.

I grew up in Boston, went to college in Washington, D.C. at Georgetown and currently live in Philadelphia. I am a die-hard Boston Bruins, Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots and Georgetown Hoyas fan. I can't really say I am a Celtics fan, but I enjoyed their title run. Truth is, I was never good at hoops so I had no interest in the team growing up.

That being said, let's move on to the meat of the article. The pregame introductions in Major League Baseball's playoffs. Unlike the regular season where the starting lineups are read while various players are stretching or running or playing catch, before the opening game in each park (games 1 and 3), the entire team takes to its respective baseline to be intorduced to the fans.

For some, this is as much recognition as they will receive all year. For instance, where else does the assistant trainer or the clubhouse attendant have the chance to stand in front of 40,000 or so people and wave? I was at the Red Sox-Angels game 3 in Boston a few weeks ago, and completely forgot that they were going to introduce both teams. So as I heard the PA announcer welcome the entire Anglels contingent to the third baseline, I got goosebumps. I was actually going to see live my favorite part of the All-Star game as well as the commencement of any playoff series. The way I see it is this. If there are pregame intros of the players, it is a big game.

So I stood and watched as the Angels were intoduced one-by-one and then the starting lineup. Then it was time for the Olde Town Team. Every single member of the Red Sox' playoff party took the field. From Daisuke's translator to Gil Velazquez, the utility callup from Pawtucket in the last week of the season. They all got to tip their cap and hear some clapping from the crowd. Some received more cheers than others. Jon Lester heard a roar of approval while David Ross, the third catcher, had more of a "Who is this guy? Eh, he's a Red Sox player so we love him." reaction.

When they started introducing the starters for the Sox, the cheers were some of the loudest I had heard at Fenway. Dustin Pedroia heard 39,000+ chant "M-V-P". Then it was "Pa-pi" and "Youuuuuuk". Even Jason Varitek, the struggling catcher was sernaded with a standing ovation.

Speaking of Varitek, do you think the home catcher and pitcher are upset that they don't get to run out of the dugout and tip their cap? They are always in the bullpen warming up. I understand they have a set routine, but they have to feel left out, right?

The pregame intros have produced to of my favorite moments at Fenway Park. One was when Byung-Hyun Kim flipped off the Fenway Faithful after blowing a few games on the road in the playoffs. Needless to say, that did not endear him to the crowd and he never saw the light of day the rest of the playoffs.

The second was much more light-hearted and caused me to gain even more respect for one of the best pitchers this game has ever seen. It was Opening Day 2005 (I know that isn't the playoffs, but Opening Day counts). The Sox were playing the Yankees, whom they defeated in the ALCS in the memorable comeback in '04 and had opened the season with in NYC. Mariano Rivera had been lit up recently by the Sox. First by Bill Mueller in the regular season game where 'tek and A'Rod fought. Then in the ALCS and even in the opening series of '05. So when it came time to introduce Rivera, the Fenway crowd cheered as loud as they could ever possibly consider doing for a Yankee. Rivera, always a class act, doffed his hat and saluted the crowd, a smile never leaving his face. Whereas some players would have ignored it and had no reaction , Rivera saw the humor and even respect in the salute and ate it up. I know a lot of Red Sox fans who have an affinity for Rivera because of that gesture.

My final thought, one that came to me on my walk home from work tonight, is what if we made a change to how the pregame intros are done? Right now, just the managers shake hands when they meet at home plate. What if we made the starters shake hands with the other team when they were introduced? There is precedent for this. In collegiate wrestling, both teams line up opposite each other. When the respective weights are announced, both wrestlers go to the center of the mat and shake hands. Nothing flashy, but its respectful.

How fun would it have been to watch Mike Piazza and Roger Clemens shake hands during the Subway Series? Or this season, in the ALCS if Coco Crisp and "Big Game(really?)" James Shields had to bump fists after throwing them at each other in the regular season? I am in favor of anything that adds drama to games. I think that certainly will.

So here's to tomorrow night's game one with the Rays and Phillies. I hope Brett Myers writes a message to his mom on his batting glove or the Rays fans figure out which Phillie they will pick on all series and rain boos down on him. Let the fun begin.