The reverent bias towards the NY Yankees has become automatic and fairly universal. The announcers on ESPN and especially Fox still consider them the Goliath of baseball.
This little rant began during the weekend’s Red Sox-Yankee games, in which every presentation, every reference on Fox and ESPN placed the Yankees ahead of the Red Sox, from Box Scores to announcements. I’m not being paranoid here. During and after tonight’s game came news of the upcoming Yankee-Tigers coverage.
Alphabetically, Boston and Detroit come before New York; and Red Sox and Tigers come before Yankees. What other criteria should be used for such listings? The Yankees have never been the top dog in the 21st century, while the Red Sox have been to the mountain twice, almost three times. To emphasize this paradigm shift, the Red Sox just swept the former Highlanders. Consider too that the Red Sox are the older team, played the first World Series, and play in the oldest stadium.
I am not denying that the Yankees, in the past, have had great success and should do so again. I am simply stating that their past glory does not make them first among equals. Steinbrenner is not the Pope of baseball, and NYC is not its’ Vatican, especially since the historic Cathedral is being destroyed by NYC itself.
I even heard one announcer this weekend call the New Yankee Stadium “the best know sports arena in the world.” Really? Wasn’t that the Historic Yankee Stadium, the House that Babe Built, which the Yankees are tearing down? The New stadium, fancy or not, is just one of 30 MLB ballparks, with absolutely no history, and lots of problems. Such awe and reverence for this half empty monument is inappropriate.
In summary, it is time for the media, old and new, to recognize and accept the new world order in which the Yankees are just another good team and, even if they win it all again this year, in terms of dominance are no different from the Marlins, Rays, Red Sox and others who have managed to win it all this century. Alphabetical listings would be more fair and accurate.