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CNN Live At Daybreak
Love-Hate Relationship with New York Yankees Hasn't Changed
Aired October 30, 2001 - 06:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Ground zero is one picture of New York City, a completely different picture tonight when the World Series Game three of the New York Yankees against the Arizona Diamondbacks return to Yankee Stadium.
September 11th may have changed some minds in New York City seeing the way the city rallied after the attack. Some people may have thought, well you know what, New York isn't such a bad place after all. But one thing hasn't changed and that is the love-hate relationship with the New York Yankees.
We have Tom Rinaldi of CNN "Sports Illustrated" with that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM RINALDI, CNN "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED": If the World Trade Center unimaginatively has turned from a nation symbol into its largest world memoir, then ground zero has also yielded a sudden common ground. For so many in the country and over the world, New York is now their city.
Rudolph Giuliani has been dubbed America's mayor. The city's finest and its bravest - its police and its firefighters are heroes (INAUDIBLE) and beyond geography. And so in a sentimental way the Yankees playing in an event called the World Series would likely be the world's team.
The team to carry them in the marginal, yet meaningful way sports can on a necessary path from tragedy into unity toward normalcy. The Yankees winning the series, what could be more normal? But there's a catch. The rest of us are entitled to our normal as well. Sorry, patriotism doesn't wear pinstripes.
Get back to life, admit the essential truth. Love the town, loathe that team. America does not have to like the Yankees. Yes the Yankees seem like the right team at the right time, wearing the hats of fallen heroes, using their stadium for a city memorial service, coming back against impossible odds in Oakland. But the Yankees are larger than this team.
These players are simply part of the institution, a conglomerate through history that inspired the famous adage, being a Yankee fan is like rooting for U.S. steel. Why is it hard for some of us to cheer them - because they've won so often; because their team is so high- priced; because their owner wears a dickey in July in the Bronx. No it's because they're the Yankees.
It's been said in reference to this team's run toward another title, you can't spell destiny without NY. After 26 titles, monotony (INAUDIBLE). We admire Derrick Peters (ph) shovel (ph) pass. We envied Mariona Reverez (ph) unworldly (INAUDIBLE). We appreciate Joe Torre's humble poise. But even the term of your biggest fan has to end sometime.
That's democracy and that's America. As for dynasties, leave them to soap operas and Chinese historians. In any sport, in any competition, losing is part of normalcy. It grants meaning to victory. Every other baseball team seems to get that. As this city's theme song echoes across the country, in Boston, in Chicago, even in Queens there is an unsung referring (ph) out there. We love New York. It's just the Yankees we don't have to love.
In New York I'm Tom Rinaldi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: We know how Tom Rinaldi feels about this. What about others in America?
Erik Brady, who is a "USA Today" sports writer, interviewed people around the country, and he's here to tell us what he found out.
Erik, good morning -- good to see you.
ERIK BRADY, "USA TODAY": Good morning.
KAGAN: Did you find a similar sentiment that we just heard from Tom Rinaldi, that people might be cheering for New York, but not necessarily for the New York Yankees outside the Big Apple, of course?
BRADY: Yes. Well, we did find that some of the people, who have long been Yankee haters were actually giving them a one-year pass and wanted to cheer for them just this one year only. Now, personally, I agree with Tom, and am an unreformed Yankee hater myself. But it was amazing the degree that we found people, who are normally Yankee haters, who aren't this year, and they missed out on a weekend of some pretty good Yankee hating this past weekend.
KAGAN: That they did. We're going to talk about the Series in just a moment, but I read your piece, and I liked the comment, I think, it was from the print shop owner, who said they're the New York Yankees, not the New York Fire Department.
BRADY: That's right. Exactly.
KAGAN: Even John McCain came out earlier this week, or maybe it was last week, and said, you know, it's not unpatriotic to root for the Arizona Diamondbacks. People kind of forget that, you know, folks in Arizona are Americans too.
BRADY: Well, absolutely. And if you're John McCain, it would be unpatriotic not to root for the team from your home state. KAGAN: Absolutely. Let's look at this Series. Diamondbacks came out incredibly strong. I don't think they had a lot of respect going into this Series. Up two games to none, following the incredible pitching of Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson. How do you think the Series looks now?
BRADY: Well, they certainly had respect for their two starting pitchers, who have both won games now. So it will be very interesting what happens next.
KAGAN: Tonight is Roger Clemens for the Yankees and Brian Anderson for the Diamondbacks.
BRADY: Exactly. And one of the reasons people hate the Yankees so much is that after the first game, you heard Yankee fans saying, well, now we know it won't be a sweep.
KAGAN: Right.
BRADY: Well, actually it still could be. They haven't considered it could go the other way.
KAGAN: Well, and as Mayor Giuliani -- that's true, that's true. I don't want to even think about that. But Mayor Giuliani pointing out 2-nothing -- oh, no, this is how the Yankees like to set it up, and he's pointing out the win of the Series over Oakland and earlier in a previous series against the Atlanta Braves. The Yankees have been down like this before, and they have shown they have the stuff of champions to overcome.
BRADY: Yes. And then those other two cases against Oakland and then against Atlanta in the Series some years ago, they were down 0 and 2 after losing two at home. And here they're coming back home down 0-2. So they certainly can get right back in it.
KAGAN: OK. So give me a prediction for the Series. How many games, and who pulls it out?
BRADY: Well, before it began, I said the Yankees and six, and it would be pretty hard to stick with that at this point.
KAGAN: OK. We'll let you revise.
BRADY: I'll say the Yankees in seven, but I'll be rooting for the Diamondbacks.
KAGAN: OK. I appreciate that. That's a former Arizonian, and I do appreciate that sentiment. And quickly, I would be remiss if I didn't mention what a huge sports night it is in New York City. On one hand, you have the World Series, then you also have the comeback of Michael Jordan and his Wizards coming into the Garden. You have one ticket, Erik, which event would you rather be at?
BRADY: Well, you know, I think I would go to the World Series, and fortunately, I do have some tickets to see Michael Jordan here in Washington this year. So that's an easy choice. LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
KAGAN: Yes, there you go. We're not proud -- very good. Erik Brady, "USA Today," thanks for stopping by -- appreciate it.
BRADY: Thanks so much.
KAGAN: Very good.
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