WEEP FOR THE SWEEP
Regardless of where your loyalties lie, Red Sox v. Dodgers is a World Series showdown of epic proportions. We’re talking about two of America’s most historic, beloved, and storied franchises competing for the bragging rights to call themselves world champs. Where do things stand? Boston leads 2-0. But whether you’re a Boston fan, a Dodgers fan, or just a fan of the game (whose team obviously didn’t make the cut), nobody wants a sweep. We weep for the (potential) sweep.
We love a good rivalry. And yes, if you stack ‘em up, Red Sox vs. Dodgers doesn’t exactly break top 5, but there’s something there. The ‘Beat L.A.’ chant is back. Legend tells us the ‘Beat L.A.’ chant was, in fact, started in Boston by Celtics fans. It was May 1982, game 7, Celtics vs. 76ers — the winner of which would go on to play the Lakers in the NBA Finals. As the story goes, a Celtics fan, Joel Semuels, seeing that his team would lose began chanting ‘Beat L.A.’ His friends then chimed in and before long, the entire arena was bumping. Semuels was of the mindset: if his team couldn’t beat the Lakers, hopefully the 76ers would. Spoiler: they didn’t, but the chant stuck. Fast-forward to today, the ‘Beat L.A.’ chant transcends basketball and is used nationwide by adoring fans of many franchises hoping to best any of L.A.’s formidable teams. Game 2, Boston fans revved up the chant when Puig singled in a run and landed on first. Puig answered back, mimicking a basketball shot on base…and of course, Boston dealt the superior blow by chalking up another W. But we love a little trash talk, which, again, is why don’t want a sweep! I think we can all agree that trash talk loses a bit of its luster when you’re ‘kicking ‘em while they’re down,’ so to speak.
Going by the record, and most people do, The Red Sox are the superior team. 108 W, 54 L compared to that of the Dodgers, 92 W, 71 L. And now that we’re heading into game three, things are shaping up, well, rather predictably. That said, a series feels a lot more like a series with a healthy dose of anxiety and ‘what if?’ Granted, we’ve been on our toes more than a few times during the games, but when all is said and done, Boston, leads 2-0. You might be thinking, “well, what about the Red Sox sweep in 2004? That was exciting!” To that, we say, it was different. A lot different. Let’s not forget how the Red Sox got into the series when coming back from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Yankees, arguably the biggest rival in the MLB. Rivalry compounded with a comeback is nothing short of beautiful. And when they ended up sweeping the Cardinals, they were breaking the legendary ‘Curse of the Bambino.’ Who couldn’t get behind that? 2004 sweep versus a potential 2018 sweep is apples and oranges.
Tonight’s the night. What will we see? Will the Dodgers come back, or will Boston make it 3?
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