THE INSIDE STORY Weighing In on the Age-Old Debate

Author: David Lindholm

This weekend, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees will meet up for the first time this season, continuing one of the greatest and most heated rivalries in all of professional sports. The series will be closely watched by plenty of people across the Middlebury campus; people who have very strong views on which team they'll root for and why.

Phil Yauch, Assistant Treasurer & Comptroller: I've been a Yankee fan all my life. The Yankees are as strong if not stronger this year than they have been in the past few years. I don't see any problems.

Bill Mandigo, Women's Ice Hockey Coach: All I care about is the Red Sox. Whether or not they've got enough talent to beat the Yankees this year remains to be seen. If you're from New England and you're not a Red Sox fan, you'd better check your pulse.

Ron Liebowitz, Acting President: As a Dodgers fan, I don't root for the Yankee or the Red Sox, but between those two I am always 100 percent behind the Yankees. I was never a New York fan, but I'm always behind the Yankees in this rivalry.

Karl Lindholm, Dean of Advising: Why am I a Red Sox fan? It's in the water. I grew up in Maine. But I hate the whiney, crybaby Red Sox fans. If the team is good, that's good enough.

Dave Coratti '04: I'm a die-hard Yankees fan; I have been since the Don Mattingly era. Even if the Sox win this weekend, after that it's all downhill for them, just like last year. You never really have to hate the Red Sox; they're really nothing to worry about.

Nate Anderson '04 (Coratti's roommate): I'm a huge Red Sox fan; I hate the Yankees. It's so easy to be a Yankees fan, because they win all the time. Yankee fans have no baseball knowledge. I mean, they booed Giambi just because he started the season off badly! That shows how classless they truly are.

Dave LaRose, Mail Center Supervisor: As a devoted Yankee fan, if they don't win it I'm jumping on the Red Sox bandwagon. I mean, enough is enough! I just can't be that negative toward the Sox anymore. I've had my glory.

Brian Hamm '02, shortstop on the baseball team: I grew up in the old-school Yankee playing days. Don Mattingly, Yankee pinstripes, the façade in Yankee stadium; that's what it's all about. And Jeter-Soriano is the only double-play combination in the world better than Hamm-Kim.

Gil Kim '05, second baseman: Oh, Red Sox. Nomah!!!

Russ Reilly, Director of Athletics: Absolutely no doubt in anybody's mind that the Red Sox will win the pennant this year. They will beat the Yankees 4-1 in the playoff series and go on to win the World Series.

Bobby Ritter, Head Football Coach: I grew up with the '67 Sox. I'm a die-hard Red Sox fan, and hate the Yankees unequivocally; and I'm teaching my kids that mantra.

Ashley Elpern '02, Editor-in-Chief of The Middlebury Campus: Red Sox fans are bitter because their team sucks.

Ann Hanson, Dean of Student Affairs: Red Sox all the way! I know where the hidden strength is.

Tim Spears, Associate Provost: I don't care whether the Yankees or the Red Sox win, I'm just interested in what's happening at Jacobs Field. The Indians are the dark horse. I get tired of the long East Coast whine from the Red Sox fans and equally long celebrations from the Yankee fans.

Rudi Haerle, Professor Emeritus of Sociology: The Red Sox and the Yankees? I could care less! The Sox last won in 1918 but the Cubs last won in 1908, so I don't cry for the Red Sox. The Red Sox actually beat the Cubs in 1918! I get tired of hearing the Red Sox people moan and groan about not having a World Series winner in so long. It's been longer for me!

Liam Quinn '05, outfielder: Even as a true Yankees fan, I don't hate the Red Sox, I just hate the Red Sox fans who are bitter at the world because their team can't win a World Series.

Kit Wilson, Professor of Humanities: As a boy, growing up in the '50s, I rooted for both the Cubs and the White Sox in Chicago. I hated the Yankees. They never lost. I root for the Red Sox whenever they play the Yankees. I root for any team (and that includes a wide range of stomach viruses) that can prevent the Yankees from winning the pennant. Go Red Sox! Go Cubs! This could be the year, but I'll be betting on the Yankees.

David Lindholm, Sports Editor: Chances are this won't be the year for the Red Sox. But I'll enjoy the season no matter what (such are the masochistic tendencies of true Sox fans). But odds be damned, I think this is the year.

Agree with any of these ideas? Are you a rational, intelligent person? Or are you a Yankees fan? E-mail thoughts, questions, insults, column ideas or anything else to David Lindholm at dlindhol@middlebury.edu or call at 443-4332.