October 25, 2007

Rudy Giuliani, Red Sox Fan: "I will be rooting for the Red Sox because I am an American League fan," former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani told a group of local reporters in New Hampshire Tuesday. "In this case, you won the division and we lost." On the other side, the Democratic frontrunner so famously switched teams that it was mocked in a book, I've Always Been a Yankees Fan: Hillary Clinton in Her Own Words.

posted by rcade to baseball at 02:27 PM - 49 comments

From where I sit, Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton are equal doses of ick.

posted by rocketman at 02:58 PM on October 25, 2007

That's funny because it looks the same from over here too.

posted by diastematic at 03:10 PM on October 25, 2007

I was just thinking about funny it would be if any politician actually believed that somebody might vote for them just because the politician shared the same favorite sports team with them. I figured that would be pretty ick. Hey! Look! Two identical icks at the same time!

posted by Joey Michaels at 03:22 PM on October 25, 2007

I tried without success to find information on the sports allegiances of the other candidates.

posted by rcade at 03:28 PM on October 25, 2007

Obama is a proud Southsider and thus, a proud White Sox fan.

posted by NoMich at 03:32 PM on October 25, 2007

John Kerry is a big fan of the Manny Ortiz.

posted by justgary at 03:46 PM on October 25, 2007

Give them a break. They are politicians, what do you expect? Besides, being an American League fan does not equate to being a Red Sox fan from where I stand. I am an American League fan because I live in a city that has an American League team. When my team does not make the playoffs, I first root for the winner of the division, then the winner of the ALCS.

posted by Cave_Man at 04:08 PM on October 25, 2007

Hillary is originally from North Cicago, so she should be a Cubs fan. I wonder if anybody really cares about the Rockies.

posted by SFValley_Dude at 04:35 PM on October 25, 2007

Rudy *should* care about the Rockies, since the odds of Massachusetts going Republican are about as good as the odds of JD Drew hitting a grand slam in an ALCS playoff game - which is to say not impossible, but it would shock everyone. Colorado, on the other hand, is more frequently republican. It would be a better strategic move for him to claim false allegiance to the Rockies. Of course, maybe he is thinking this will somehow appeal to New Hampshire voters with that primary coming up?

posted by Joey Michaels at 04:47 PM on October 25, 2007

According to the news today. If John Gotti had his way, this all would be moot point.

posted by brickman at 04:53 PM on October 25, 2007

Y'know the Clinton book has got to be gospel if it's being marketed along side Ann Coulter's book "Godless..." Ann always gives a, shall we say, fair and balanced look at all sides of a story. Anybody else ever take a shine to a bit of a team's parpernalia that wasn't their favorite? Just sayin'.

posted by tahoemoj at 06:06 PM on October 25, 2007

Of course, maybe he is thinking this will somehow appeal to New Hampshire voters with that primary coming up? After the endless months of watching and listening to all of the politicians pandering to what they think is their voter base, this NH voter hasn't a clue of whom he will vote for. For now, I'll just cheer on the BoSox, and hope that someone with real talent and integrity decides to run.

posted by Howard_T at 06:31 PM on October 25, 2007

I will make a declaration: I will never vote for Hillary or Giuliani! They never rooted for my Rockies!

posted by SFValley_Dude at 06:47 PM on October 25, 2007

Anybody else ever take a shine to a bit of a team's parpernalia that wasn't their favorite? Sure, I'm a Toronto based sports fan for the most part, but lots of other teams have great uniforms. In baseball, St. Louis used to have a jersey with a black bat for the birds to perch on. The Yankees uni is classic, and the Tigers English D is great. In hockey, I'm a Leaf fan, but I think Chicago has the best colours on their uniform. I loved the old Minnesota North Stars uniforms for some reason, I can't explain it. In CFL football, there was an Argonaut helmet a number of years ago, with a football with sails on it, with oars coming out the side of the ball that was awesome. In the NFL, I always have liked the Seahawks colours.

posted by tommybiden at 06:53 PM on October 25, 2007

I love the Toronto Blue Jays logo - both classic and modern. I also love the classic Twins logo. And when I was six? I couldn't get enough of the Dolphins. This, though, is not the same as choosing to cheer for any of those teams to curry political favor...

posted by Joey Michaels at 07:00 PM on October 25, 2007

Would love a Cleveland Browns jersey. And there are a bunch of EPL teams I don't like whose jerseys I do like. There used to be more baseball teams, but the mid 90s started a trend in awfulness that we haven't recovered from (witness the Rockies vests). Agree with Tommy on the Blackhawks red jersey (even as they push around the Bruins-- that Toews kid can apparently play).

posted by yerfatma at 07:22 PM on October 25, 2007

Personally, I don't get the concept of automatically rooting for another team in your division once they've gotten further than yours in the playoffs. In some cases, I would actively root against such teams just because there's some sort of rivalry (acknowledged by the other team or not). So, in baseball, as a Padre fan, I could never root for the Dodgers or Diamondbacks. The Giants would be iffy, but right now I'm totally pulling for the Rox. That has more to do with the way they finished out the season and their Cinderella status though. The feeling goes for other sports as well--I went to Virginia, but could never root for Va Tech, UNC or Duke, even though my school would actually benefit from their success in bowl games or the NCAA tournament. And I don't think I could ever root for an AFC West team other than the Chargers, although I'll generally root for the AFC team in the Super Bowl.

posted by LionIndex at 07:27 PM on October 25, 2007

Don't forget that President George used to own a professional baseball team. What other politician can say that?

posted by JohnEBGood at 07:29 PM on October 25, 2007

Once my team was eliminated from contention (around mid August) I started rooting for half priced pitchers. And for the start of the NFL.

posted by THX-1138 at 07:41 PM on October 25, 2007

I started rooting for half priced pitchers. A. That is my team. B. If you like half-priced pitchers, you'll love the Pittsburgh Pirates.

posted by yerfatma at 08:03 PM on October 25, 2007

I hate the Red Wings and Canadiens, but those are great sweaters.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:35 PM on October 25, 2007

If you like sweaters you'd love my Aunt Brigid... (...try the veal, etc, etc...)

posted by bobfoot at 09:17 PM on October 25, 2007

Don't forget that President George used to own a professional baseball team. What other politician can say that? Abraham Lincoln, for starters. His team, the Springfield Splitter Nine, won three consecutive Mississippi River Area Rail Splitters League Championships. In fact, he was the last of the true owner/manager/player/mascot/beer vendors to play baseball. Alas, the league folded due to financial reasons due to the Eleventynundred Years' War. It was then when a drunk, penniless, drifting Lincoln was wooed into politics by a handsome fellow named "Mary" Todd. It's a fact!

posted by NoMich at 09:41 PM on October 25, 2007

I collect hockey sweaters but still have not been able to break down and buy a Devils jersey. My favorite is my away (now it would be home colours) Joe Sakic Nordiques jersey. One thing that really pisses me off is tyhe Yankees jerseys that have the names printed on the back. I am not talking about the cheesey t-shirts that you see, but authentic looking stiched unis that have the names sewn on the back. Also (and sure BoSox fans know what I am talking about) the pink/green/yellow/fuschia/puce/etc. caps that are oh so popular. These kids nowadays need have their caps match their tennis shoes I guess.

posted by HATER 187 at 10:20 PM on October 25, 2007

Abraham Lincoln, for starters. His team, the Springfield Splitter Nine, won three consecutive Mississippi River Area Rail Splitters League Championships. In fact, he was the last of the true owner/manager/player/mascot/beer vendors to play baseball. Alas, the league folded due to financial reasons due to the Eleventynundred Years' War. It was then when a drunk, penniless, drifting Lincoln was wooed into politics by a handsome fellow named "Mary" Todd. It's a fact! I heard he liked guys on TV once. No idea if it was joke or not.

posted by SFValley_Dude at 11:12 PM on October 25, 2007

I like guys on TV. Matlock, MacGyver, the list is almost endless.

posted by yerfatma at 06:29 AM on October 26, 2007

All this talk about accessories. I'd like to see a politician actually stand up in a: Kansas City Royals Jersey, a Pittsburgh Pirates Jersey, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Texas Rangers, etc etc. and actually proclaim that they are a fan. And Yerfatma, my Royals got you beat on half priced pitching.

posted by Tinman at 07:31 AM on October 26, 2007

I'm thinking that congress ought to pass an amendment to the constitution that requires all politicians to declare publicly what team they will be rooting for prior to the start of the season or they can't make any public statements about the sport. If they make a public statement about a sport they have not declared an allegiance in then they should immediately be impeached and removed from office. They should also dedicate 1 of the debates to sports. At least then we would have some useful information on who to vote for in upcoming elections.

posted by Familyman at 07:52 AM on October 26, 2007

Familyman, I'll agree to that, but I think that we the people should get to vote on the debate questions. Hell, restrict it to SpoFites. I'm sure we could come up with some good stuff. My vote: "Will you please tell the American people what you really think about the designated hitter rule?"

posted by lil_brown_bat at 09:00 AM on October 26, 2007

"Will there be a place for Scott Boras in your administration?"

posted by The_Black_Hand at 09:02 AM on October 26, 2007

What's the difference? He's still a Yankee fan. Just not as passionate as the rest of us. he wasn't born a hater, so he CAN root for the BoSux, i mean BoSox, in the WS. Who gives a crap anyways?

posted by Jzsteinm at 09:05 AM on October 26, 2007

BoSux? Oh, I get it, you took the word 'Sox' and made it into the word 'Sux.' Damn, that's creative! I don't think I've ever seen that done before! You should be in advertising, or something! Who gives a crap anyways? All the people who posted above you, apparently. And here's a nice find from Jzsteinm's profile page: p.s.- mr. crash davis- you have officially pissed me off! Oooh, you done pissed him off, crash! Officially, no less! Meetcha at the 7-11 after school!

posted by The_Black_Hand at 09:37 AM on October 26, 2007

Mrs. Clinton, what is your opinion on the Cover 2 and do you believe that is superior or inferior to 3-4 and why?

posted by apoch at 09:45 AM on October 26, 2007

My question for the debate: "Sir/Madam, when did you stop corking your bat?"

posted by NoMich at 10:01 AM on October 26, 2007

And Yerfatma, my Royals got you beat on half priced pitching. I watched just about every Royals game this season, and I must say that the Royals pitching was vastly improved. If they can keep their young talent, they should be fun to watch in the near future.

posted by hawkguy at 10:32 AM on October 26, 2007

I watched just about every Royals game this season. Did the batteries die in your remote or what?

posted by tommybiden at 11:02 AM on October 26, 2007

The point is that Rudy appeared to be a straight shooter who actually was less political than most of the other candidates. With this latest line about the Red Sox, we can't be so sure about that. And besides, what REAL Yankees fan would EVER root for the Red Sox??? I'm not a Yanks fan, but as a Rangers fan, I would NEVER EVER root for the Islanders. As a BC fan, I'd NEVER EVER root for BU, Notre Dame, or UCONN. Etc. etc. etc. You don't root for your hated rivals. Seems like Rudy, in an attempt to get elected, is losing what was going to make him electable in the first place!

posted by BCHockey at 11:08 AM on October 26, 2007

Did the batteries die in your remote or what? What can I say? I was a fan in the eighties, and I'm still a fan now. I find it more interesting that Tony Pena couldn't manage the Royals well enough to fight their way out of a wet paper bag and now he's in the front of the line to lead the Yankees. I mean, he's a nice guy and all, but seriously. It's the Yankees!

posted by hawkguy at 11:17 AM on October 26, 2007

The point is that Rudy appeared to be a straight shooter who actually was less political than most of the other candidates. With this latest line about the Red Sox, we can't be so sure about that. I am thoroughly confused by this. You were buying the act up until he talked sports?

posted by yerfatma at 12:01 PM on October 26, 2007

have not been able to break down and buy a Devils jersey If they keep giving away talent like Paris eating a popsicle every year, I might have a jersey or two for sale in the very forseeable future. Oh god, please don't make me be a Sharks fan...

posted by tahoemoj at 12:04 PM on October 26, 2007

I am thoroughly confused by this. You were buying the act up until he talked sports? Well. He did save New York from a terrorist attack. Or no, wait...

posted by lil_brown_bat at 01:07 PM on October 26, 2007

Matlock rules. Atalanta Braves-TBs culture. My dad loves the Braves. H always wishes it was 95. Rudy G picked the right team, although I honestly do not believe the Red Sox will pick up more than one game in Denver, and Game 3 is NOT that one game for sure, with Fogg on the hill. The only thing I wonder is who will pitch game 6, and should Sox lose, is beckett starting Game 7? Or will they just keep him for game 6, assuming they pick one up in Denver? It is really interesting, a fine World Series, unlike all of them after 2003. However, the Yanks got lucky then. 2002 was the last competitive World Series, although this one could get pretty lopsided should it not return to Boston. Then agagin, let the best man win!

posted by SFValley_Dude at 02:02 PM on October 26, 2007

The idea of getting the candidates to debate on sports is genius.

posted by rcade at 02:34 PM on October 26, 2007

As of right now it doesn't look like the series will last longer than five games at the longest.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 02:37 PM on October 26, 2007

I wouldn't count my Red Sox wins until they've been brutally torn from the bodies of my opponents. But maybe I grew up hard. Lord knows I am right now.

posted by yerfatma at 03:50 PM on October 26, 2007

I am thoroughly confused by this. You were buying the act up until he talked sports? Well, it was the first thing he said that wasn't "September eleventh", "terrorist", "terror", "nine eleven" or "terrorism".

posted by grum@work at 10:37 PM on October 26, 2007

Rockies fan here. It doesn't look good for us, but I take hope from how the Sox managed to blow it in '86 and the Braves in '96 (though that nearly killed me as the Braves were my favorite team back then). Back on topic, IMO this perfectly summarizes the Giuliani campaign.

posted by drumdance at 05:36 PM on October 27, 2007

It doesn't look good for us, but I take hope from how the Sox managed to blow it in '86 The Red Sox could sweep, win in 7, or blow it and I'm pretty sure it would have nothing to do with a series played over 20 years ago.

posted by justgary at 06:04 PM on October 27, 2007

Rockies fan here. It doesn't look good for us, but I take hope from how the Sox managed to blow it in '86 Yeah, 'cause all those guys still play for the Sox.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 07:56 AM on October 29, 2007

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