From: Timothy Leahy [TLEAHY@nyc.rr.com]
To: webmaster@blohards.com
Sent: Fri 10/22/2004 6:02 PM
Subject: The day pigs flew

The morning after game 7, I sent this out to all my fellow Sox friends and the Yankee haters who have tormented RSN over the years. I felt I should share it with the Blohards.

Today is one of the greatest and most satisfying days I have experienced in recent memory. Come to think of it, despite having gotten far too little sleep recently, this has been one of the best weeks I have had, with each successive day topping the previous. The pinnacle was early today, Thursday, just after midnight.

What I witnessed I could not fathom. I am not sure that I can even now, despite 10 hours of digestion. Living in New York City, there cannot be a more uncomfortable place to be a Red Sox fan. There has always been a palpable level of arrogance toward those of Red Sox Nation in Gotham, and deservedly so I suppose. Having been in Washington D.C. last evening for work, I returned to New York this morning. I very much looked forward to witnessing how this city and its people, who so closely identify themselves with Yankees' success, would act. The atmosphere is subdued. The silence is eerie. The hubris is gone. At least in Boston, people would talk and console one another upon Red Sox failure. These people just remain silent amidst their shame and disbelief. Upon entering my office building, I heard one young woman ask another in a rather hushed tone "Are you a Yankees fan?" - As if this is all of the sudden shameful. Have some spine people!!

Clearly there is an entire population of people who do not know how to react this morning, for this is something so new and terrible; it can only be described as grief. The only consolation a Yankees fan can be offered is that Red Sox fans are much happier than the Yankees fans are dejected.

FACT: This is the greatest choke in the history of sport. To lose a 7 game series having been up 3 to 0 is rare, as it had only been done by some NHL teams in years 1492 and 1620, or something like that. However, having the last two games playing at your mythical fortress, rolling out a lineup that costs somewhere near the GDP of Cuba, and losing to your nemesis is unheard of. It is unprecedented.

The Yankees and their fans tried their best, in part by cheating and chanting. For the cheating, they relied on A-Fraud and his karate chop. As a free agent signing, it looks like he has far more shades of Giambi than Schilling. I think back to the fight between him and Varitek in Boston, when Varitek supposedly instigated the fight by saying to A-Fraud "we don't throw at .260 hitters." Man, I am happy the Red Sox kept Manny Ramirez instead of A-Fraud. As for chanting, Yankee fans are some of the best in all of sports, taunting Pedro for all he was worth. But something happened last night, the taunts proved futile as all of the sudden he threw mango fueled fireballs.

Yankees fans will undoubtedly point to a lopsided championship count of 26-0, and state that this only happened once. Well, that once is now. And, I am sure that for Yankees fans the 2000 World Series win still tastes so sweet this morning. I even had one Yankee fan this morning tell me about how the Yankees will revenge this next year. Next year? How about playing for a world series next week!?!?!

Those that I have no pity for today are the ultimate Yankee bandwagon jumpers. You know who they are. They move to New York from elsewhere, and adopt the Yankees as their favorite team, wrapping themselves in the expectation of success. The joy I receive from their suffering is the simple fact that many of them only enjoyed the tail-end of Yankee success, holding on to the belief that they are still dominant. That's too bad.

Finally, from the mouths of babes always emanates the truth. And, this could not be more so today. My three year old nephew Ryan recently said, "The Yankees go poopie in their pants." Gosh, he's a smart kid. Good genes. And yes Ryan, they sure did, in front of the entire Red Sox Nation.