I don’t know if anyone else noticed this,but when the Yankees had their late September MELTDOWN all the area media wrote them off.Yankee fans were very hard to find.
All thru the ALDS when they were clawing and scratching to stay alive with Oakland the Yankee fans were extremely quiet.
Now that the Subway series is gearing up all the Yankee fans piped right in.The media jumped back on the bandwagon,Calling the Yankmes the “favorites”.Is this a case of fair weather fans,everybody jumping on “past winners” bandwagon or Media hype?
Well, Rich, I’m guessing you know by now that the media is usually full of crap anyway, and will only ride the hot story of the day. You could make this argument about any team that was up and down this year. Who talked about the White Sox in April? Then they’re the WS favorites all year. What happened to Cleveland? Come September, they’re “dangerous” again. Same for the Braves, A’s, Mariners, and Mets. How about all the Buccaneers hype at the start of football season? I don’t hear anything out of Tampa Bay lately. Sure, the Yankees were dogged by the media in September. I find it awfully funny that right after they swept the Red Sox in Fenway to push their lead to 9 games, almost sealing the division, they almost lost interest and started sliding. But they were there in the end, weren’t they. And here they are back in the Series.
I don’t know what Yankee fans you talked to, but there have been several threads on this board, starting with World Series predictions back in August.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=35713
Seems to me there were plenty of people, including myself, who picked the Yankees to be in the Series, just as there were people who picked their own teams. I know I mentioned that the Yankees weren’t looking that great, but does that imply that I have been quiet about it?
I personally feel that it’s a pretty evenly matched series, and I wouldn’t call the Yankees the favorites. Everything I’ve heard leans more towards the Mets winning, but what do I know? I’m only getting this from ESPN, FOX, CNN, and print media. My guess is that the games may be decided by mistakes in the field. As far as loyalty goes, I don’t know any Yankee fans who are “fair weather fans”. I guess that’s what 3 championships in 4 years will do to you. I’ll cheer my team even if they lose, because I’ve been fortunate enough to witness some great baseball for the last 5 years. I certainly can’t expect them to win every year.
However, even if they do, I doubt they’ll get the credit they deserve. You may think there is a media-hyped Yankee bandwagon, but it’s no worse than what we heard about the 49ers, the Bulls, or any other team that wins. But there are still plenty in the media who don’t hype them. Ever listen to Joe Morgan? He still thinks his 75/76 Reds team is better than this Yankee team.
Outside of their fans, most people despise the Yankees. That’s fine, it’s what being an opposing fan is all about. But just think about it - exactly why do people dislike the Yankees? Are they a bunch of brawlers, like, I don’t know, the 1986 Mets team? Are the players a bunch of bickering scumbags, like the A’s teams of the early 70’s, or yes, the Yankees of 77/78? No, it seems most people dislike this Yankee team out of jealousy. But at least some of those admit that these Yankees are a good bunch of guys. Hey, I’d probably hate 'em too if I were a fan of any other team, so I guess I can understand your point of view.
So what’s next, their big payroll? 
I DO NOT jump on bandwagons, thank you very much.
The teams I follow, I always follow.
And while my head might tell me we don’t have a chance in a game, series or year, when the first pitch is thrown, the ball is kicked off, or the players jump at the tip, I am all about my team winning…
Yer pal,
Satan
*TIME ELAPSED SINCE I QUIT SMOKING:
Six months, one week, four days, 3 hours, 17 minutes and 27 seconds.
7765 cigarettes not smoked, saving $970.68.
Extra time with Drain Bead: 3 weeks, 5 days, 23 hours, 5 minutes.
I slept with a REPUBLICAN moderator!*
Shaddup. I’m still rooting for my team: The Oakland A’s.
Go A’s. Woo hoo!! Woo. hoo. hoo hooooo…
Go away.
[sniff]
I shall be rooting for the Mets! I have always lived in NL towns. The only AL team I could root for in the series would be the Angels.
Yeah, like that’ll ever happen.
Satan, Dire Wolf? Are you sure you’re Yankee fans? You sound so reasonable and balanced.
Just kidding, although I’ve known more than a few Yankee fans to blurt out “The Mets suck” whenever they find out I favor them. Even when the Mets win or have a better record than the Yankees. Go figure.
I agree with you, Satan, that being a fan is being loyal through the really rotten years, even when your team doesn’t have a snowball’s chance, as well as when you can celebrate their victories.
Dire Wolf, to answer your (probably) rhetorical question about why people despise the Yankees, I would refer to the quote from someone I can’t recall right now: “Rooting for the Yankees is like rooting for U.S. Steel.” There’s something about such dominance that is off-putting. I usually have a tendency to favor the underdog, which I think is a fairly common trait, and let’s face it, the Yankees have rarely been in the underdog position.
As for despising them, I don’t. I have a healthy respect for them, and think pitching and defensive errors will determine this series. I admit I was impressed during the 98 season, and came to enjoy seeing them win on such a consistent basis. I realized I was witnessing sports history, and for that I appreciate the Yankees. They are something else.
That being said, Mets in 6.
Look at attendance numbers. When they win, they draw. When they don’t they don’t. Most loyal fans are probably the Cubs fans, who always go to Wrigley, even when the Cubs suck, which was, pretty much, the 20th century…