Don't Do This To Me Again!

After last nights preseason masterpiece. Again, Pats fans are to wonder if Tom Brady is healthy. Albert Haynesworth decides late in the second half to take it to postseason level and take Brady down like a McRib at the drive-though at McDonald's. All of New England collectedly flashed back to the first drive of 2008-09 and headed for the hard stuff while gasping for air. Now it looked like he was alright on the bench. I would say, having had my collar bone broken, he didn't break anything, but that is one god damn important shoulder right there. The team took precaution in holding him out, but that was the biggest "OHH Shit!" moment. Of course it was the biggest since Tommy went down last year and we all know how painful that was after the Superbowl that never happened. So I'm on my knees begging you please don't be hurt Tommy, please don't be F'ing hurt.

Otherwise the night wasn't a total loss. Defense had some flashes of what it can be. The bright spot was the Sox taking a big game to stay up in the wild card. What a huge block by Tek to save the lead. Those god damn Yankees better cool the F off though. Although we all know who C.C. Sabathia turns into when the money's on the line...

This ain't your Daddy's Sox vs. Yanks

Anyone else out there a little less than pumped up for the Sox vs. Yanks in the Bronx final series?

I don't remember the last time this meant less. Maybe 2004 was the crowing moment to get over the Sox vs. Yanks rivalry. Maybe not. Maybe it is the incessant scheduling of 20 plus Sox Yankees series MLB has dumped on us in the past 4 years. Something just doesn't seem right. I think the last time I was fired up for Sox Yanks was in 2006 when my dad got tickets to the return of Johnny Damon to Fenway in pinstripes. You could feel the hatred in the park building prior to the first pitch. Outside the park before the game Sox fans were hounding anyone with a Yankees cap. My dad and I even got quoted in the Herald which ended up on the inside cover the next day. My dad said "Not since Benedict Arnold has there been such a traitor in New England!" I took it a step further and wished Damon would tear his ACL running down to first. To each his own.

Honestly though I think that is the last time I was genuinely fired up to beat the Yanks. Since then the Yankees have become and afterthought to the Sox season. I used to be they were the proverbial mountain each Sox team would try to conquer to get a glimpse of the playoffs. Maybe always being second fiddle was what fired up us Sox fans more. Maybe the Yanks just aren't that competitive since they built a team around aging sluggers and non-winning types like A-Rod. It rest a little more I say on their lack of quality starting pitching, but either way the rivalry is weak right now. It used to be you wanted to beat the Yankees more than you wanted to eat, sleep, or breath. A sweep was a jewel in the crown. Now you just kind of want to take 2 out of 3 and keep the AL Wild card lead over the Twinkies.

Whatever happened to Fisk vs. Munson and Mickey Rivers throwing cheap shots. Doesn't anyone remember the peak of hatred in the 2003 ALCS when Petey tossed Zimmer? Or Tek vs. Gay-Rod in 2004? Since Tek took out A-Rod and the miracle ALCS comeback there hasn't been that fire. The line in the sand was drawn that year and the Sox were not going to take shit from the Yankees anymore. Billy Miller's walk-off is probably one of my top-ten Sox moments. Maybe it is the curse of Big Papi or A-Rob, but it just doesn't feel the same. It shouldn't feel forced.

I miss those days...Who am I kidding I'll be watching just like every other year, but I'll miss the old time rivalry.