Are the Boston Red Sox particularly good this year? No.
Is it still fun to watch the New York Yankees collapse and their fans spiral? Always.
Here’s the thing: the Yankees got off to such a great start to the season that they seemed as inevitable as Thanos before – spoiler alert -the Avengers triumphed. As their team went 56-21 between Opening Day and the end of June, their fans relished the Red Sox struggling as much, if not more than they enjoyed their own team’s success.
But it goes to show that being cocky and counting your chickens before they hatch can come back to bite you. Since the beginning of July, the Yankees are 16-23, including 3-10 so far in August. So when Anthony Rizzo got hit by a pitch and the home-plate umpire ruled that he didn’t get out of the way, and therefore couldn’t take first base in Monday’s game, Sox fans reveled in their rivals’ frustration.
Disagreement after Rizzo gets plunked pic.twitter.com/hxg00m12Xb
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 16, 2022
Rizzo’s subsequent meltdown in the dugout went viral instantly.
This is rare out of Rizzo pic.twitter.com/EN9m33RimJ
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 16, 2022
Of course, Sox fans don’t really have a leg to stand on this year, but that doesn’t mean they can’t revel. Turnabout’s fair play.
The Yankees will almost certainly still make the playoffs. They’re slumping hard, but still 10+ games ahead of every other team in the division. The collapse would have to be otherworldly to take them out of the race altogether.
But in the meantime, it’s fun to watch a dumpster fire that isn’t your own.