by Kieran Carobine

Created on: May 21, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Before I begin to elaborate whether the Yankee faithful is stronger than the Red Sox Nation I feel a strong desire to say I am neither a fan of the Yankees or the Red Sox. I am a Philly boy for every sport. I have long endured heartbreak and despair. Seasons end with words of encouragement like well just wait for spring training" or "let's see who we get in the draft." Year after year waiting, wishing and flat out wanting a championship to no avail.

Ok enough of that. Well, first of all, I have never heard of Yankee fans being called Yankee Nation. Maybe I have my head stuck too far up the National League's high ERA and low batting average butt; who knows. The Red Sox Nation groupies are some of the most faithful fans in the sporting world. Aside from the Green Bay Packers, can you tell me a longer list for season tickets? The Yankees are winners. There is no argument about that. Year after year they are playing in, and more times than not, deep into October. They have talent. But where does that talent come from? Aside from Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano most of their players do not come from their farm leagues, but rather they are paid for. Now, obviously this has been working but it's not the answer. Yankee fans go into the off-season expecting big money players to be brought, or bought, in. The Red Sox are building players in the minors or trading for young guys with bright futures. It allows fans to get to know these guys. It allows them to feel connected and to see them rise up through the ranks. The fans almost feel like they made it too.
Again not the point.
Red Sox fans paint their faces, wear their favorite player's jersey and paint their living room walls red and blue. But so do Yankee fans. Except they use blue and white. There are married couples where the husband is a Sox fan and the wife cheers for the Bombers and they don't speak on game days. These teams have incredibly passionate fans. So passionate that just the other day an older woman who happened to be a Yankees fan allegedly ran over and through two Red Sox fans. Now she is being charged with second degree murder and aggravated driving while intoxicating.
Is this more passionate than the Bronx construction worker, and Red Sox fan, who was on the crew helping to build the new Yankee Stadium and put a David Ortiz jersey in the cement foundation? Maybe it is, I don't know. I do know the first is a lot more extreme.
All of these fans are very passionate. I feel Red Sox nation, backed against the wall, is going to come out on top. They have prospects in their farm systems who they know where they went to college. They know the names of their high school sweethearts and that they lettered in basketball as well as baseball. The Yankee faithful know how much money they spent getting a player who just had a break out year and now will get a superstar paycheck for a more than likely mediocre season.

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