The national sportswriters are fetishizing for a Subway Series again

[bluestateguy]

Here they go again. The New York, D.C., Boston and Bristol, CT (ESPN) based national sportswriters are all achatter about a Subway Series between the Mets and the Yankees. The Mets and the Yankees. The Yankees and the Mets. How much more of that crap are all of the rest of us going to have to put up with for the next month and a half? This is common and it makes me mad as a sports fan. The sportswriters have an East Coast bias. If these snotnose sportswriters had their druthers they'd spend all day lecturing us about the Yankees, the Mets, the Red Sox, the Orioles and the Braves. The national writers have not given the Detroit Tigers the credit they deserve, nor have they done more than quietly acknowledge my team, the Oakland Athletics (who are quietly kicking ass right now).

[_testify_]

1. Maybe if the other cities fielded better teams?

I won't speak for the AL, but the Mets are the best team in the NL. I don't give a shit if the rest of the country is bored with it - Mets fans have put up with horrible seasons except for a few briefs periods in each decade.

And fuck the Tigers. They were 40 games over .500 and now there's a real chance they could miss the playoffs.

[ScreamingMeemie]

29. There is no chance they will miss the playoffs.

Teams lose games. I think it's a case of people wanting them to lose. Did you see them come back against the Yankees last night? Good God, and I'm not even a baseball fan. Best bullpen in the major leagues.

Best record in the game with a month to go.

[_testify_]

37. Bzzzt.

Mets are tied with Detroit for best record, with the Mets technically ahead because they've lost one less game.

The Mets and Twins have better bullpen ERAs than the Tigers.

Just sayin' :)

[ScreamingMeemie]

38. Best bullpen, best record.

And I'm not even a fan...I give them credit for that.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. When the A's get past the first round of the playoffs, call me.

Oh yeah, and spend some friggin money on your team. Oakland's not THAT small of a market at all.

Meanwhile, we are about to get non-stop USC football coverage, but I bet that's east-coast bias at work too. :eyes:

[bluestateguy]

3. Oh I see, you win one World Series in 86 years and now you can trash talk

Do you need me to remind you how many time the Red Sox laid an egg in the playoffs?

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

8. When Billy Beane stops whining about money,

I'll stop talking trash. Oakland's in the same size media market as Boston. (http://www.proadvance.com/topmediamarkets.html) That tells me either Oakland doesn't support its baseball team or your ownership is that cheap. Either way, there's no reason you should be tossing away stars like you do.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

4. Whatever. You have to listen to it because NYC is the best fucking city

in the world.

[progmom]

6. agreed

Though I would sooooooooooo love to see the Tigers make it to the World Series this year.

*edited because it looked like i was growling at you :rofl:

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

11. Oh no! Progmom's growling at me!

AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

:rofl:

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

27. If your definition of "best city" = "hellhole", I'd agree.

:D

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

28. A hellhole is Philly or Camdem.

NYC rocks.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

36. Camden doesn't even reach hellhole status.

I'd rather shack up with Osama in a cave in Pakistan than live in Camden. Probably be safer there too.

NYC still sucks, but I can see how it looks good next to Camden and Philly.

[bluestateguy]

34. And that's pretty much the attitude of people who live in NYC

nt

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

41. And with good reason.

However, I live in Jersey.

[LSdemocrat]

50. That's the funniest joke I've read today

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

51. Pfft...

and what would you suggest?

[LSdemocrat]

53. Just because a city has taller buildings, more stuff, and more money. . .

does not make it the best in the world.

I've been to NYC multiple times, and if I didn't have relatives in the area 1-2 visits would have been enough. I just didn't find anything remotely appealing about NYC as compared to other big cities I've spent time in such as London, Paris, and Chicago.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

54. I've been around Europe too and while they're prettier and such...

I still love the atmosphere and personality of NYC. I am from the area though, so I come naturally jaded. In terms of pretty cities, Florence is my favorite and for my favorite European city overall, it's Dublin...but NYC still wins out overall.

[LSdemocrat]

55. I suppose I don't see the charm of NYC

To me it's just as crowded and claustrophobic as the big European cities, but without the aesthetic beauty or historic appeal.
If you like NYC the best that's great, but that doesn't make NYC objectively better than any other place. People like different things.

The other thing that sours me on NYC is the whole NYC attitude. Some people from NYC (I'm not talking about you, just other people I've encountered) act like because they've "made it" in NYC makes them better than other people. I don't encounter that attitude from people from other cities.
NYC's image also isn't helped by the national media thinking that just because something is happening in NYC, that the rest of the country needs to hear about it.

[JVS]

57. is not

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

59. Dude, don't you like Pittsburgh?

'nuff said.

[JVS]

60. Pittsburgh kicks ass! The town where the mullets never died!

[StrongBad]

5. There has always been an East-Coast bias in baseball

I've lived on the East Coast all my life and just moved out west. I just began to notice that it seems that all the writers/commentators/etc. live in a Northeast Bubble.

Don't know if you've seen Ken Burns' baseball documentary, but it suffers from the same focus.

I guess there is a logical reason for this, the heart and soul of baseball coming from that region.

P.S.

Go Mets!

[Sanity Claws]

80. East coast is more into baseball than west coast

In the east, we have people who have been fans of the same team for generations.
Baseball didn't even come to the west coast until 1958 or 1959.
I've lived on both coasts and people are more into baseball on the east coast than west. No doubt about it.

[Shakespeare]

81. I've lived on both coasts, too, and I disagree. n/t

[Initech]

7. New York had a subway series six years ago. It's California's turn.

That's right, I want a freeway series. Screw what the sports writers think. Here's what I want to happen:

Angels over Oakland in the West

Dodgers over Padres in the West

ALCS:

Angels eliminate Yankees

Detroit eliminates Minnesota

ALDS:

Angels eliminate Detroit

NLCS:

Dodgers eliminate Cardinals

Mets eliminate Reds

NLDS:

Dodgers eliminate Mets

Yeah, it's very unlikely to happen but it could... :popcorn:

[Shakespeare]

10. Angels over Oakland in the west?

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Initech]

14. Like I said, it's a loooooooooong shot...

[_testify_]

13. That's pretty funny.

The Dodgers will be lucky to win the division, which is their only hope for making the post-season. In any case, you can pencil the Mets in the WS now and save yourself some trouble. And if the Angels meet us there, what cute video clip of animal will you rally behind this year?

[Initech]

15. Ooh, a rally monkey joke! That was so 2002!

:sarcasm:

[_testify_]

17. Don't blame me, Blame the East Coast-biased media.

That's all they told us about your team.

[Initech]

18. Feh, I hate ESPN. I cant watch Sportscenter for more than 5 minutes

without wanting to do this to my TV set - :argh: .

I mean come on, the football season hasnt started yet and I'm already sick of hearing the biased sports media's 24/7 coverage of Terrell Owens. It's the sports equivalent of the Jon Benet Ramsey thing. :puke:

[_testify_]

20. Well it looks like we agree on something.

I can't for the life of me understand why anyone thought TO would be different this year.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

22. ...

:spray:

[Oeditpus Rex]

35. Uh...

They're in first place right now by three games. How does that translate into "lucky to win the division"? :shrug:

[_testify_]

39. Because the Padres are a better team.

I think the Pads will win the division, and the wildcard will come from the Central.

[Oeditpus Rex]

40. Oh

[NNadir]

19. The last time we had a California series, there was a huge earthquake

that did lots of damage in the Bay Area.

California cannot be trusted with World Series.

By the way, it doesn't matter who the Mets face, the Mets are going to win.

Personally I'm hoping for a Mets vs whatever AL Central team prevails. I'm pulling for the Tigers, but I'm a Mets fan.

[Shakespeare]

21. eh, I think an I-5 series would be pretty safe....

A's v. Dodgers; stretch all that tension out along the San Andreas. No problem!

But I'll take As v. Mets, too.

[bluestateguy]

26. No. Let's not have an A's Dodgers series again

I couldn't handle them losing to LA again. I was 12 in the 1988 Series and the whole week was heartbreaking. When Gibson hit that ball out, I went outside into my backyeard and cried. Then a few weeks later Dukakis got trounced by Bush Sr.

[Shakespeare]

30. Baseball is not for the weak of heart, Bluestateguy

Besides, they wouldn't lose to the Dodgers. :*

[Oeditpus Rex]

33. I sat on my bed and cried

But for a different reason.

Greatest baseball moment of my life. :patriot:

[Initech]

23. 2002? Giants - Angels? There was no earthquake then...

"By the way, it doesn't matter who the Mets face, the Mets are going to win."

Yeah, you're probably right.

[NNadir]

25. Whoops. I forgot that series.

With all those teams, SF, Oakland, San Diego, the Angeles and the Dodgers, an all California series is more likely than any other in state series.

[JVS]

61. You have subways?

[Blue_Tires]

9. not that it matters to me either way, but

for starters, the yanks won't even MAKE it to the series (yeah, i said it:hide: )

and i understand where you're coming from on the coast biases, but to include the O's is a bit of a stretch

[reyd reid reed]

12. Nah...

I think they'd start slobbering over the idea of a freeway series, too. Or an el series (yeah, like THAT'S ever gonna happen). Or a rodeo series.

It's just that this is the most likely scenario.

This year, anyway.

[Rabrrrrrr]

16. Perhaps if other cities had teams that made it into the World Series,

they be talked about more.

It only makes sense that the teams that seem consistently to make it to the World Series are the ones that get talked about more.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

52. There you go with that damn logic again...

:eyes:

[Radical Activist]

24. This happens in political media too.

Its one of the reasons for all the positive media coverage of Hillary. She's popular among the DC/NYC crowd so they think she's just as popular everywhere else and it translates into media-anointed front-runner status. Actually, it happens in all media. Why do I have to hear about a NYC transit authority strike on my national news? I don't give a shit and my local strike wasn't covered outside my region.

I want to see a Route 66 White Sox-Cardinals World Series.

[ScreamingMeemie]

31. A sportswriter here in Detroit wrote a wonderful editorial about that

last week. That it appears as if MLB is trying to force it upon us.

[_testify_]

32. How does that work, for argument's sake?

How can MLB 'force' a playoff scenario?

[ncrainbowgrrl]

42. Oh gosh- if this happens again- I don't know what will break loose at home

Me: Yanks fan (Donny baseball era- can't stand the elaborate payroll of the current era- buying a team is not fun to watch) But, when it comes down to it, I'm still a yankees fan at heart.

my partner: RABID METS FAN

the last subway series happened while we were still in a Long distance relationship. When the yanks won a game, I knew better than to give him a call... otherwise, i'd hear "your (explative deleted) team won that by buying talent. it doesn't count."

But with us in the same 1 br apartment? Oh... please... don't let it happen!

[_testify_]

43. It's okay. I promise the Mets will make it quick and painless.

[ncrainbowgrrl]

45. You know what- I'd almost be happy if that happened.

get it over nice and quick.
also, it would put him in a good mood for a long time (an added perk!)

[NNadir]

47. Don't worry. The Mets will probably play someone else in the series.

There are three teams in the AL Central alone that will probably be able to defeat the Yankees in the playoffs.

I wouldn't want to be Alex Rodriguez if he goes 1 for 22 in the AL series and makes 5 errors, though. I'd feel about as sorry as one could feel for someone with a 252 million dollar contract.

[ComerPerro]

44. If you are outside of NY and aren't the Braves, your team

will never get the credit it deserves.

[ncrainbowgrrl]

46. I'll agree with that- except maybe the Red Sox as an exception?

But that's b/c of the yankee/ sox rivalry, so i guess it comes back to nyc-centric reporting anyway.

[Ekirh]

64. Heck I'm a Braves fan

And I honestly think we get credit we don't deserve . ..

but I still love my Braves. . . those fucking playoff choke artist bastards (Well . . not this year. . . . . but I still love me some JOnes and Smoltzies. . Damn it Andruw.. I'm going to call him Smolztie for now on).

[yellowcanine]

48. Lighten up. It will be decided on the field. Doesn't matter what anyone

writes or fantasizes about. If it is Mets/Yankees, so be it. If it is Oakland/LA (NL), so be it. Guess what, the sportswriters in the big markets write about the teams in the big markets. Live with it.

[NNadir]

49. You mean it just can't be declared?

Actually having to go through a five game series can change a lot.

The Mets are probably the best team in baseball, but they could lose three games in a row. It has happened, even this year.

[CatholicEdHead]

56. I can't wait for a Twins-Mets World Series

:D

[Zomby Woof]

58. I didn't know a subway linked L.A. and Detroit

:-)

[NNadir]

62. I hate to tell you, but no such Subway exists.

If there are two cities that are antithetical to subways, they would have to be Detroit and LA.

My guess is that there is a subway linking Flushing, Queens and Detroit though, at least if there is to be a subway series.

I shouldn't be too cocky. The 1973 Mets beat the Cincinatti Reds in the playoffs, even though the Reds had Bench, Rose, Morgan, and all of those guys.

A five game series can make losers into winners.

Then there's the matter of the 1988 playoffs between the Mets and the Dodgers. Of course one of our players at the time, Darryl Strawberry, was having a little mutual love fest with the Dodgers. The love affair was intense as I heard it, but the marriage didn't last.

[Shakespeare]

66. Ahem.

http://www.mta.net/images/rail_map.pdf

Yes, really. ;-)

[NNadir]

67. No I mean a real subway.

;)

Even if you have a subway, it may not make for a series.

[Shakespeare]

71. Hey, I'm an A's fan.

But I live in LA, and think our subway doesn't get the respect it should (and I say this as a seasoned subway rider from DC, NYC and SF). LA's subway's not bad....not bad at all.

But I'd still love to see the Athletics representing the American League this year....

[NNadir]

72. Whoops. I confused you with Zombie.

Mass transit is good, though. It may prove to be an excellent way to travel between both parks in the World Series.

Personally, I wouldn't mind facing the A's in the series in a '73 redux. I hope the Yankees lose in the first round 3-0. I can't stand them.

Yankee fans in New York are already talking about how they'll sign Jose Reyes when Jeter retires. They're that bald about it.

[Zomby Woof]

73. We have common ground

We despise the Yankees. :toast:

[NNadir]

76. I grew up hating the Yankees, because my father was a Dodgers fan.

A Brooklyn Dodgers fan. One way to get my father to curse was to mention Walter O'Malley.

By the way, did you know that the original name of the Brooklyn Dodgers was the Brooklyn "Trolley" Dodgers?

[Zomby Woof]

77. Yes I do

And for awhile in the late 19th century they went by the name "Superbas".

[NNadir]

78. That's better than the "Superbras."

Nobody wants a baseball team named for underwear.

[Zomby Woof]

79. That's what the White Sox are for

[NNadir]

82. The White Sox are looking more like a threat.

With the Mets around though, the chance for an underwear series is still pretty slim.

[Shakespeare]

74. If it comes down to the A'a and Yankees for the AL title....

...I wouldn't mind that at all. We've pretty much owned them this season.

[NNadir]

75. Good. Crush 'em.

[yellowcanine]

83. The season records usually mean little in October. And no one really

wants the Yankees in October with Torre managing. More times than not he finds a way to win.

[Zomby Woof]

84. Not in this millennium

[yellowcanine]

87. Well. Won WS in 2000, AL Pennant 2001, 2003. That is this Millennium.

When did the A's last win an AL Pennant? 1990? I rest my case.

[Zomby Woof]

88. 2000 is the last millennium

2001 was the beginning of the new century/millennium, despite the hype that marketed it otherwise.

The Yankees will choke regardless. No AL pennant this year!

[yellowcanine]

89. Whatever. A's last won pennant in 1990, right? Go ahead,

bet against the Yankees then if you are so sure they will choke. It's your money.

[Zomby Woof]

91. I am not an A's fan

I don't follow teams based on how many pennants they have won. That is a very fair-weather approach - not my thing.

I bet against the A's in the 1990 Series and won lots of money. They were heavily favored too. I wouldn't bet a cent on the Yankees this year. They just don't have what it takes to go all the way. They are being crushed by the weight of Pay-rod's ego.

[Shakespeare]

90. 1990 means nothing. 2000 means nothing.

This season is the only thing that counts, and we had the best record in all of MLB for August. Unless things change drastically over the next month--and that's always a possibility, but I don't see any reason to think that'll happen--then we're goin'.

[yellowcanine]

92. Recent post season experience means nothing? Ok. Easy to say.

Fact is, the manager is much more important in post season play than during the season, so I would not bet against Joe Torre. But you do what you like.

[Shakespeare]

93. Heh. See you in the playoffs, then.

We're awfully close to having a lock on the AL West, so we can find out during the AL pennant series who's got the better team this year.

But, ya know, fact is, we've owned the Yankees this year; not sure what you think Torre can do during playoffs that's so dramatically different from the way he managed during regular season matchups against the A's, but I guess we'll find out.

[Shakespeare]

63. Think I-5 series, ZombyDude.

My A's are tearing it up right now. :woohoo:

[Zomby Woof]

68. I'm so disillusioned!

That you don't love the Dodgers. :cry:

;-)

[Shakespeare]

69. heeeeeeehee....

I can't help it. The A's are the most irresistable bunch of personalities--none of them overpaid or pampered, most of them goofy and completely in love with the game. I. Love. The A's.

(she says as she sits here in her Nick Swisher A's jersey)

Oh, and our new owner ROCKS.

[maveric]

65. I'm looking forward to a Padres-Red Sox series.

Granted both teams suck right now but they are both in line to either win the wild card or their divisions.
Fuck the Yanks, Mets, Tigers, Dodgers..... How about two shitty teams playing an action-packed, memorable Worls Series?

BTW I'm from Boston but live in San Diego.

[NNadir]

70. Hopefully some of your *other* dreams will come true.

[GOPisEvil]

85. Last time we had an all New York series, the TV ratings stunk.

:shrug:

[bertha katzenengel]

86. Shut the eff up, Sportswriters. The AL team in the WS is going to be

THE TIGERS. :eyes:

Oh -- but, Go A's! I like them almost as much as the Halos, even though we're rivals. O8) And the Halos are trailing awfully badly . . .