I’m the biggest baseball fan in the world, so hear me out. The two most evil franchises in Major League Baseball are the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. I hate them equally. (The appropriate attitude to evil is hatred.) Thirty minutes from now, the Yankees and Red Sox begin a three-game series in Boston’s Fenway Park. The Eastern Division title is on the line. New York leads Boston by one game, so Boston has to win two of the three games to force a one-game playoff Monday. If Boston wins three games, it wins the division. If New York wins two or three games, it wins the division.
I’m rooting for New York. Follow my reasoning. First, I want to see the Boston fans suffer. If Boston wins, I won’t get to see this. If New York wins, I will. Second, there’s a chance that both teams from the Eastern Division will go to the playoffs: one as the division winner and one as the wild-card team. At this moment, Boston is tied with the Cleveland Indians for the wild-card lead. Since I would hate to see both New York and Boston in the playoffs (as in 2004), I want Cleveland to be the wild-card team. But it will be easier for Cleveland to beat Boston than it will be for Cleveland to beat New York. So New York’s beating Boston not only gives me the satisfaction of seeing Red Sox fans suffer on national television; it offers hope that the Red Sox will not make the playoffs. Enjoy the games. I know I will.