You just don’t know how painful last night was for me.  You can’t imagine.  I was in a crowded, standing-room-only bar in Union Square, surrounded by screaming, cheering people in white with navy blue pinstripes, watching the Yankees go to town on the Phillies.  While I can certainly appreciate athleticism at it’s finest, I will never, New Yorker though I may be, ever cheer for the Bronx Bombers.  I’d sooner sit through a Dawson’s Creek marathon.

Sick of having my arse grabbed by Yankee fans as I attempted to squeeze my way through the crowds, I began the long trek home from Union Square to the Upper West Side (Midtown West/Hell’s Kitchen…We’re still not 100% sure) around 10:30.  You should have seen the looks I received and the harsh words I heard from those around me, admonishing me for leaving before the final inning of the match.  ‘You live in New York and you’re not going to be out when the Yankees win the World Series?  People will be dancing in the street!’

Well kids, they weren’t dancing any style I wanted to see, and all the merry-making and frivolity of drunken celebrations on a Wednesday night (for which, in any other case, I would have been totally down) were completely wasted on the Manhattanite Red Sox fan.  Again I say, I will not cheer for the Yankees.  I will not betray one of the most sacred bonds that holds the Shireman family together, our Fenway pride.  I won’t apologize, I won’t back down. 

I will, however, give credit where credit is due.  Bravo to the Yankees for a well-played nine innings, particularly Hideki Matsui for his phenomenal performance.  Matsui had four RBI’s in two innings and stood on base, cool as you please, as if to say, ‘Of course I just did that.  Why are you surprised?’  The guy’s a rock star. 

As for the 5 Borough celebration, this is one ballroom diva who won’t be performing a jive to commemorate the event.