End of an era?

So tonight it begins anew. Another series in the oft times heated, sometimes un-believable, and always intense rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. In years past this rivalry has produced many memorable moments, from Bucky "bleeping" Dent to Aaron "bleeping" Boone to Pedro and Zimmer to "THE" Collapse (emphasis intended). Today is different though, the Red Sox are no longer the bastard step children of the American League East with an 86 year gap between titles. They are far from it, winning the World Series twice in 4 years. The Yankee dynasty that ruled the American League for much of the late 1990's and into the early millennium, seems to be falling into a perennial also ran status; having a huge payroll and immensely talented team that gets close, but fails to bring home the bacon. Is this the end of the storied and impassioned rivalry that is Yankees-Red Sox? Have we hit a code blue moment in the life of our treasured past time's greatest duel?

The two teams that spawned a "Red Sox Nation" and the "Evil Empire" (Steve Verges, "It's like Star Wars. The Yankees are like Imperial Stormtroopers, under the white armor they may be a bunch of great guys, but, once you put that armor on you are the evil enemy.") are closing in on what may be for a nation a rivalry of a bygone era. Sure in New York and Boston fans will still shout expletives at one another and carry on like always, but now that the Red Sox have tasted victory, does the rest of the country care?

I suppose we'll know the truth when we can get our hands on the TV rankings from ESPN and Fox's coverage of the weekend series. Perhaps that won't be a true indicator as it is still the opening weeks of a very long season and both teams are mired in the middle of the AL East right now and plagued with injuries. Numbers can always be used and twisted to prove whatever position the user is trying to make, so perhaps we should wait and see what the numbers are like across the scope of the season to be sure. Either way, my gut is telling me that even though there will always be Yankee haters, in a season of transition when the Yankees are in third place (although we're still only 10 games in) and breaking in a young and inexperienced pitching staff the rest of the country won't really care much about this series.

Sure the die hard Bean Town and Bronx Bomber fans may care, but even that may be a pushing it. In the ever bleak and doomsday world of the New York Yankees media followers and fans, the team is off to yet another slow start with bats not performing, players breaking down (Jeter/Posada) and our expectations of running the table dashed as quickly as a candle in a hurricane. Is pride still enough, are we as die hard as Michigan fans who say it's ok to go 1 and 10 as long as we beat Ohio State? Are we witnessing before our ESPN glued eyes the end of an era? Is the preeminent rivalry in all of sports over or is it just an early season malaise that will rise again after a late season defibrillator jolt?