The Yankees WIN!

    "Yankees win, the Yankees win!" John Stearlings voice boomed from my radio. "Yeah baby!" I screamed as I ran to the phone to call my father. As I went to pick up the phone, it rang. "Hahahahaha, 26 Championships. Mets who?" It was my friend John. He had also been glued to the last game of the infamous Subway Series. We screamed happily together. The Yankees had done it again. The fourth time in five years and the third year in a row. I hung up with John and made the call I had waited all season to make. I dialed my father's work number and waited impatiently. "Hi is Ronald there?" I asked the voice on the line. When my Dad picked up the phone, I asked in my happiest voice "So, how bout those Mets?" He immediately said that the Yankees won out of luck, and they bought their championship and all the other excuses Met fans tend to use. But I told him that the fact is that the Yankees have the championship rings and the parade and the Mets get to go clean their lockers in silence. Once again, Yankee fans got bragging rights. The Mets did good, but not good enough and hope to take it all this year.

    Considering the fact that fans of both teams are all over New York, the Subway Series caused quite a bit of animosity between fans. In school, on the train and even in some homes, there were constant debates between fans. My father is an avid met fan and always has something to say about the Yankees. My sister and I are both very opinionated Yankee fans so the debates in my house can get pretty loud. My mother says she likes them both, but when they play each other, she's the first one to put on her Yankee gear. We know where her allegiance lies. The Subway Series didn't just cause loud arguments and separations between friends; it also brought a lot of people together. On the train, you could see a fellow fan and ask "How 'bout them Yanks?" and almost always get a smile. It was like having a jersey of a team was like a symbol of friendship. Having the jersey of another team was a little different, but in debates, there were always fellow fans nearby to back you up.

    A good example of this was before the first game of the Subway Series when my sister and I went to get Chinese food. We walked in and there was a tall, husky man in a Met jersey and cap. We were both decked in full Yankee gear. We felt the need for a "friendly" debate. Apparently he had the same idea because he walked over to us. "So, you think the Yanks are going to take it this year?" he asked. "Of course." I replied. "The Yankees own October." This started a very colorful exchange of ideas that was loud, but all in good fun. He seemed very opinionated and into this discussion. That all changed when his girlfriend walked in. She was wearing a Bernie Williams jersey and a Yankee cap. "All right, some more Yankee fans!" she exclaimed as she high-fived us. We left with our food and smiles on our faces.

    That day only got better when the Yankees took the first game of the World Series. They also won the next game. Game three was claimed by the Meets and gave their fans new hope. They predicted a great comeback for the Mets. The Yankees had other plans. They took game three and four and Subway Series mania became Yankee mania. The next week was one of the greatest ever. I wore my O'Neill jersey proudly and enjoyed the silence if the Met fans. Monday was the Tickertape Parade.

    If you've never been to one, it's quite an experience. It's right through the middle of Manhattan. All the Yankees and their staff come down the"Canyon of Heroes" and the sky is filled with paper and streamers. It's dropped from windows and the top of buildings. There were the 7 and 4 train subway cars, and the Yankee/Met cow. Things you can only see in New York. When we left that street, we were trudging through several feet of tickertape and toilet paper. It really was an amazing sight.

    This year the Yankee Met rivalry is still going strong. Each team has high expectations and wants to do better than last year. The Yankees are looking for their 27th World Series Championship and the Mets are looking for their 3rd. I guess well just have to wait till October.

-Valerie Poggioli