On February 3rd, 2008, the New York Giants hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy after beating the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. In 2009, the Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. There's something both of these championships have in common. The tri-state area has a crosstown rivalry when it comes to baseball and football. These fans generally don't root for each other unless the circumstances are extreme. Circumstances were rather extreme in both of these cases.

The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies are one of the biggest rivalries in Major League Baseball. The fans hate each other and the teams mock each other. It was no surprise that when the Yankees clinched a spot in the '09 World Series against Philadelphia, Mets fans hopped on board the Yankees bandwagon (which is manufactured by Rolls-Royce by the way).

The New York Jets have had mixed success against the New England Patriots in recent years. There is always name calling and smack talk the week leading up to a game between these two teams. If you ask any Jets fan how they feel about Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, I promise you will hear a lot of expletives in the response. When the Giants faced off against the undefeated Patriots a few years ago, once again, it was common to see Jets fans rooting for the Jets' big blue roommates.

Let's talk hypothetically for a second. It's next Sunday, January 22nd, about 11:30pm. The Giants have beaten the San Francisco 49ers to advance to the Super Bowl. The Baltimore Ravens do the unthinkable and beat the Patriots to represent the AFC in the Big Game.

Jets fans, who do you root for? Do you pull for the Giants because the idea of bringing this area a championship appeals to you? Or, do you root for the opposition because the mere thought of rooting for a team who you smack talk with friends every day disgusts you? I'm curious, because I know that if I was in that position, I'd immediately pull for my home team. I was born in New York and raised in New Jersey and seeing a championship be brought home makes me happy no matter who wins it. Obviously, I'd want the team that I root for on a yearly basis to bring home the gold, but that can't always be the case.

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