pooping on your own team, temporarily

it's august 21st. jorge posada has been shut down, joba chamberlain isn't looking too hot, and sidney ponson and carl pavano might make up 2/5ths of your rotation.

yes, you are a yankees fan.

but today, as the bronx bombers spiral slowly towards .500, don't you think it might be time for a change? isn't it time you stopped wasting your time on rooting for the yankees - and started focusing all your energy on rooting against the red sox?

i know, i know - you already root against the red sox with every bone in your body. but there's another way to go over the top. it's time to root for the tampa bay rays.

we all do it to a certain extent. lakers fans root for the kings when they're playing 1st-place phoenix. red wings faithful root for the blackhawks when they're up against nashville. you don't like either team - but you certainly hate one team more.

now, the yankees are certainly a team that you can never count out of the race. but a 10-game lead in mid-august doesn't look too promising. hell, even the tigers are "just" 11.5 games out.

so is there any shame in rooting for the rays? we're talking about a team that set a club record by winning 71 games this season. yankees fans shouldn't hate the rays as much as pity them. and since the chance of seeing pinstripes in the postseason is severely declining, why not cheer on the team that is making the red sox look silly - not to mention the only team that seems to be able to beat the we-almost-always-sweep-the-yankees-now angels?

i dropped my inter-divisional hatred to root for the rockies last season. it's time yankees fans woke up and smelled the tropicana, too.