Moral Victory

One of the more tiresome arguments we often hear trotted out by Yankee partisans whenever they face the Red Sox is that the rivalry is one-sided; to Yankee fans, the Sox are just another foe to roll over, and the only wins that matter are championships.
The reaction of many Yankee fans to the team’s World Series defeat this year gives the lie to this; as the New York Daily News reports, many Yankee fans are looking back at the defeat of the BoSox in the ALCS as a moral victory:
Like many of the five dozen or so fans who gathered outside Yankee Stadium to give thanks and perhaps snag an autograph from a favorite player, Boaz found a silver lining in the season – at least they beat Boston.
“They could never have lived that one down,” said Boaz, an unemployed market researcher from the Bronx.
“To knock our archenemies out of the World Series and keep the curse alive meant more to me than beating the Marlins,” crowed Tony Apuzzi, 37, a New Rochelle schoolteacher.
And, of course, some Yankee fans reacted with a tried and true strategy:
The crowd was at one point taunted by a small group of neighborhood kids who had discovered a novel way of dealing with defeat – switching sides. They proved their newfound allegiance by chanting “Let’s Go Marlins” at the Yankee fans.
“The Yankees, man, forget them,” said a disgusted Ricky Nigagliono, 13. “How can they let another team win on their home field?”
“The Marlins, they’re nice,” said Roger Reyes, 12. “The Yankees, they got old people, that’s why they’re wiped out.”
Ouch.