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When I told my friends and relatives that I would be attending Boston College this fall, they all gave me the same look. "Please tell me you don't plan on wearing your Yankees hat around Boston," they said, concerned for my health. I told them not to worry about me, assuring myself that I would find countless other Yankees fans on campus.
Upon arriving at BC, I received a bit of a rude awakening. The barrage of backward Red Sox hats, jerseys, and piercing red sweatshirts didn't surprise me one bit - but the lack of Yankee faithfuls around campus did. Either everyone around me was a Sox fan, or my fellow Yankee fans were too petrified to set foot outside their own residence halls with a Yankee hat on in enemy territory.
        I did not let this deter me, though. I continued to show my support, routinely wearing some form of Yankees clothing. I informed everyone I met that I was a Yankees fan with the casual confidence that all Yankees fans possess come October.
        As the playoffs arrived and the Yankees ultimately lost to a very good Cleveland team, I found myself suddenly forced to root for the Indians. Any team playing Boston in the playoffs has always temporarily become my second favorite team, and this year was no exception.
           With the Indians up in the ALCS 3-1 after blasting Tim Wakefield in Game 4, I was perfectly content. "OK," I thought, trying to justify another disappointing Yankees season. "At the very least the Sox aren't going to win another World Series."
         Boy, was I wrong. Little did I know, Boston's unstoppable ace Josh Beckett was to come in and throw eight innings of one-run ball, striking out 11. Fausto Carmona gave up seven earned runs in two innings in Game 6 and Dustin Pedroia had a clutch, five-RBI Game 7. Although the Rockies were a nice story, I, along with many others, didn't need to watch the World Series to know who would end up with the ring this year.
         Mortified, I listened all postseason long as Red Sox fans on my floor ran down the halls, yelling, screaming, and banging on the walls. Even as I cheered for the Yankees this postseason, I only had a few Yankees fans around me to scream with. Annoyed faces of Sox fans stared back at me, reminding me that I was in Boston.
2008 Woodie Awards
