Generally, the Yankees have ruled NYC sports since the mid-1990s, when Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera led the team to four world championships. The Mets were snake-bitten, and the Giants/Jets - (except for two Super Bowl miracles) - long ago became embarrassments. The Knicks, Nets, Rangers, Islanders, Devils - you just had to walk away.
How could New York sports be so sad, so underwhelming? There was something in the water, or maybe the culture or - most likely - the poor-mouthing, billionaire nepo babies who owned NY's professional teams.
So, here we are...
For six years, every day, we've counted back pages, seeking to gauge the zeitgeist of Gotham by one obvious indicator: the wild burst of free publicity found in tabloid back pages.
For six years, the Yankees always prevailed.
Clearly, they represented the pride of NYC. They were the New York fucking Yankees, the team of Ruth, Gehrig, Joltin' Joe, the Mick, Yogi, Reggie, et al. They stood for money, for political power, for status quo, for America, and for 27 world championships - more than twice that of their nearest competitor, the St. Louis Cardinals, (with 11.) They were the Bombers, the apex predator of Gotham, and when it came to tabloid back pages, they always led. Of course, they did!
Until now.
With one week left, they appear to be going down.
Barring a massive trade or free agent signing - (and, to be honest, either could happen) - the Yankees will be dethroned for the first time. The Knicks hold a 3.5 cover lead.
The reason is simple. The Yankees have no bluster. When owner Hal Steinbrenner speaks, he whines about paying the bills. Several teams - most notably, the Mets - spend far more on payroll, and you never see the owners carping. They see big payrolls as the price of winning. Hal seems tired of running the Yankees, and the people of New York City can sense it.
Well, maybe he'll surprise us. I'm the kid who, finding shit under the Christmas tree, runs to the back yard, shouting, "There must be a pony!" More likely, though, something incredibly sad has just happened.
The Yankees are losing New York City.
If they do, they might not get it back in our lifetimes.
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