Boston and New York have been arch-rivals for as long as sports fans can remember, and nowhere is this contention better epitomized than in the century-old struggle between the Yankees and the Red Sox.
Ever since the Red Sox traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1918, Boston has been ensnared in a World Championship drought that is characterized succinctly as "The Curse of the Bambino."
This year, the teams are meeting in the playoffs for the first time since 1999 in a seven-game series that will determine who will represent the American League in the World Series against either the Chicago Cubs or the Florida Marlins. Last night, as the two clubs played the first game of the series, the animosity between Yankee and Red Sox fans was palpable on a campus where both groups are represented in great numbers.
In the hours before the first pitch was thrown at 8 p.m., it was clear that there was a Yankees-Red Sox game about to be played. The dining halls at the Hop and Food Court were prematurely overflowing with students, eager to get eating out of the way. Over an hour before game time, the faithful were already staking out prime viewing locations at Collis and counting down the minutes until the first pitch.
The fans at Collis were split decisively between the two big screens on either side of the lounge, with the Yankees contingent on one side and the Red Sox supporters on the other. On every play, one side would cheer wildly while the other side endured a still silence.
Wilson Li '05, who hails from New York, was eager to offer his predictions on the series: "Yankee pitching is much better, and their hitting is just as good," he said. "The Sox got lucky in Game 5 [of their preceding series] against the Athletics."
Ben Hunt '04, a self-described diehard Yankee fan from Ohio, agreed. "The Yankees are clutch. Boston just doesn't know how to win close games."
Shamir Kapadia '07, a Yankee fan from Connecticut, braved the jeers to watch the game on the Red Sox side of Collis.
When one Boston fan mentioned the improvement of this year's Red Sox team, Kapadia replied, "Yeah, the Red Sox are better. They may actually win two games this time."
Kapadia, however, was swiftly shouted down by Red Sox fans like Jeff Camhi '07, surprisingly a New York native.
"The Red Sox have destiny on their side," Camhi said. "After this year, there will be no more curse."
Other Red Sox fans such as Laura Sides '07 placed their faith in divine will.
"The baseball gods want a Cubs-Red Sox World Series," Sides said. "Besides, you can't like the Yankees. They're simply an unlikable team."
No matter which team emerges victorious, the series between the Yankees and the Red Sox promises to be a roller-coaster ride for both the teams and their fans.