The Yankees have taken first place in the AL East. And nobody cares.

As everyone knows, the Miss America First-Runner-Up must serve as a year-long backup to the pageant's victor and - God forbid! - if something happens to the reigning champion of charm, the First-Runner-Up shall immediately assume the icon's backbreaking roster of duties, whatever that is. 

Today, the world champion 2026 Knicks own the heart and soul of New York City. 

Rightfully.

By a mile. 

In fact, sometime next week, they will transverse that mile, more or less, along the Canyon of Heroes, a stretch that hasn't been fully toasted since 2012, when the Giants, under Eli Manning, shocked not only the world, but Tom Brady. 

Frankly, the explosion in Knicks popularity is staggering. Who knew that Taylor Swift is a rabid fan, living and dying on each Knick free-throw! Travis Kelsey better watch out. If Jalen Brunson calls, the wedding could be off. The Knicks have overwhelmed the mysterious manhole sewer squads and could even replace Pizza Rat (in a good way) as Gotham's greatest icon of survival. This is their year, maybe their decade. Brunson is the new Jeter, the new Manning, the new Reggie - dare we say it - the new Mick. Every other NY team can only watch and see what mayhem looks like. 

It's a battle for First-Runner-Up.

Even if the Yankees win the '26 world series, they probably cannot chase down the Knicks in the race for tabloid back page supremacy, as shown the left. For posterity, here's how they ran it today.

Note: If the Mets could somehow catch fire and win it all, they could out-Cinderella the rest of the field and win a shitwad of back pages. But the Knicks will still be popular next fall, when their season begins. The Giants and Jets? They won't come close. And the rest of the field is desolate.  

Here are the unofficial 2026 midyear rankings for New York's Team, including their most recent world championship. 

1. Knicks (1973 - no, 2026!)
2. Yankees (2009)
3. Mets (1986)
4. Giants (2012)
6. Jets (1969)
6. Rangers (1994)
7. NJ Devils (2003)
8. Islanders (1983)
9. Nets (Never)
10. Liberty (2024.)

(Note: The WNBA's explosion in popularity came after 2024, when Caitlan Clark graduated from the NCAA. The 2024 Liberty didn't get the attention they deserved. They only won three tabloid back pages, all year.)

So, the Yankees are in first, Giancarlo is newly tweaked, the Martian has landed, and - who expected this - hardly anybody cares. How 'bout them Knicks!