Thus goes the great line from the cult classic (does it qualify as a cult classic?) Highlander. The same motif applies for this World Series. So what’s the deal with these deluded Angels fans saying that their side is a “team of destiny”. Huh? Everyone knows that the YANKEES are the team of destiny. There can’t be TWO teams of destiny. There can be only one! Not two or three or seven, but one. Was Neo in the Matrix, “the two?” No, he was “the one”. How does “the anointed two” sound? Not so good, huh? The anointed one, however, now that has a ring to it. Destiny doesn’t work in twos, folks. How did these poor, benighted Angels fans get this insane idea into their heads? Aside: it is requiring every ounce of self control to prevent myself from launching into a ubernerdy ramble about how the Yankees represent Russell Nash (the Highlander) and who the Kurgan is and… must stop.
To their fans, both the Angels and the Yankees have the whiff of predestination about them. In my mind, I can only think, “how can they lose?” when I think about all the great moments this season has provided and how everything has seemed to magically come into place. When I look objectively at the Angels, however, I can see how they (those poor deluded souls) could feel like THEY are the team of destiny, not the Yankees, at all. Let’s see who has more destiny on their side (that lady sure is fickle):
Yankees
A-Rod: In order to have a sense of destiny, you need to overcome some sort of adversity, emerging stronger and more focused. Nowhere is this more evident for the Bombers than in A-Rod. Steroids, coming clean, getting injured, coming back, overcoming his choking in the playoffs, overcoming his issues with teammates and becoming part of a close-knit team, overcoming divorce and now he’s with a movie star girlfriend. It’s all very Hollywood. Lots of other individual diversity exists, with Posada, Matsui, and Pettitte all coming back from injuries and Jeter, Swisher, and Cano all having comeback years.
Drama: The Yanks are the kings of the walk-off this year, with one victory topping the next for dramatic effect.
Feel Good Stories: It’s hard not to root for guys like Jeter and Rivera. The A-Rod angle is certainly dramatic and it’s always nice to see a guy overcoming his problems, but on the other hand, some of his issues have been self-propagating.
Symmetry: In their championship slump era, the Yanks seem to be owned every year by the selfsame Angels. It would certainly be poetic to go through them in order to reclaim their rightful crown. Even more elegant would be beating their old Manager (Torre) and nemesis (Manny) in the World Series.
Angels
Adversity: Much of this has to do with overcoming the tragic death of their teammate, Nick Adenhart on April 9th of this year. The team has really banded together and it would be a fitting tribute for them to win it all in his honor. They have also had to fight through countless injuries to both their pitching staff and position players, yet have scarcely missed a beat.
Drama: How about beating the dreaded Red Sox’ closer in the 9th inning to advance? This was especially dramatic, being that the Sox’ had owned the Angels in the playoffs every year up until 2009. There’s also a sense of drama when you have injuries and guys step up, as they’ve had all year. Finally, what could be more dramatic than that Adenhart billboard at the end of game 3?
Feel Good Stories: See Nick Adenhart – nuff said. Angels have the edge, here.
Symmetry: The Angels had to beat the dreaded Red Sox who have dominated them in recent years. They are going against Mark Teixeira, who spurned them for the Yankees. They could be going against their cross-town rivals in the World Series, creating an all-LA finale.
What do you guys think? Which is the real team of destiny? There can be only one!!!
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3 Responses to There Can Be Only One!!
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TIQ IQ
I’m really hoping that FOX doesn’t play up the Adenhart death and I say that in a way that hopefully doesn’t offend anyone. I just know that FOX will be inclined to discuss it, which is fine, but I don’t think it’s appropriate (video montages, etc.).
“I don’t think it’s appropriate to discuss it throughout the entire series” is what I meant to say there.
I’m going to go ahead and offend every Angel fan who reads it but who cares about Nick Adenhart? He died and that really sucks for him and his family but come on, tons of people die daily and in more violent ways than he did! Hell we still have people dying over seas in a “war” we supposedly won a long time ago. Why is it important enough for him to get his own picture on the wall and for his jersey to be shown all the time and for the story to come up day after day, and is he there here questions, WHO CARES? If they wanted to talk about it once or twice and then leave it alone until the world series if the Angels make it and mention it once more that’s cool but at this point the media is just milking a dead man for media ratings and using him to fill dead air time and it just doesn’t need to be done.