So the Red Sox got manhandled by the Yankees Thursday night – big whoop.

Boston may have lost that minor battle, but ultimately the city has won, and will continue to win, the greater war. When it really boils down to it, this rivalry isn’t about baseball but rather about pride. It’s about which city is the superior metropolis.

Forget about New York, we've got Boston

So without further adieu, I present to you a head-to-head match-up of Boston vs. New York:

History and Politics:

This category undoubtedly goes to Boston for one simple reason: without us there would be no United States of America. That means no baseball, no apple pie, and no New York for that matter. Hell, if it weren’t for Boston, we’d all still be British subjects paying too many taxes without due representation.

But Boston didn’t stand for that. When the Brits tried to exert more control over their American colonies in the early 1770s through greater taxation, it was the Bostonians who told them they could take their taxation and shove it up their knickerbockers.

The Beantown colonists started their uprising by throwing snowballs at British soldiers with loaded guns in March 1770, sparking the infamous Boston Massacre on State Street.

Three years later, they were dressed as Native Americans on British merchant ships as they dumped hundreds of pounds of tea in Boston Harbor to protest the newly instated Tea Act.

The train had left the station (or, given the time period, perhaps it would be more appropriate to suggest that the carriage had left the barn?). Bostonians had ignited the American Revolution and done the country yet another useful service: producing Paul Revere, without whom we would have never known that the British were coming.

So in short, you’re welcome for establishing this country, New York – you ungrateful schmucks.

Not to mention, Boston has produced some of the country’s finest politicians and leaders including John Adams, John Quincy Adams, JFK, and George H.W. Bush.

Nickname:

This is what New York is working with:

· The Big Apple (lame)

· The City That Never Sleeps (exaggerated)

· The Capital of the World (so cocky it’s unbelievable)

Boston, on the other hand, has been called “The Cradle of Modern America” (true), “The Hub” (a historical reference), and most notably “Beantown,” due in large part to the colonial obsession with Boston Baked Beans.

Advantage Boston.

Accent:

Both accents epitomize the characteristics of their respective cities. Both are also non-rhotic, meaning people drop the “r” sound at the end of a syllable or immediately before a consonant.

But Bostonians have a far more prominent dialect made famous by JFK, the Simpsons’ Mayor Quimby, and of course, Martin Scorsese’s “The Depahted”. They not only drop their r’s but also broaden their a’s.

So Bostonians don’t take baths, they take baaths. They don’t park their cars in Harvard Yard, they pahk their cahs in Hahvahd Yahd. Drunken Fenway fans didn’t root for Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, they rooted for Nomaaaah!

New Yorkers, in contrast, reverse their er and oy sounds, making for a truly terrible noise reminiscent of Archie Bunker or Vinnie Barbarino.

Simply put, if you were stuck on a bus for an extended period of time, whom would you rather be with?

The guys from Good Will Hunting?

Or her?

I thought so.

Music:

New York has plenty of songs written about it. I’m still sticking with “Dirty Water” and “Shipping Up to Boston.”

Sports:

Alas, we’ve arrived at the final and perhaps most epic of all the battles between these two powerhouse cities.

In typical arrogant New York fashion, New Yorkers are quick to point out the 28 combined World Series Championships won by the Mets and Yankees, the five Superbowls won between the Jets and Giants, the eight Stanley Cups between the Rangers and Islanders, and the two NBA Championships that belong to the Knicks.

I’ll concede that my dear city can’t compete with all those rings.

With the exception of the 17-time champion Celtics, Boston hasn’t racked up all too many championships in its long sports history. In fact, most of them have been recent acquisitions (Patriots in 2001, 2003, and 2004; Red Sox in 2004 and 2007; Celtics in 2008).

But I will tell you one thing, and I can say this with the utmost sincerity: Boston cares more.

We live and die with every pitch, every free throw, every extra point kick, and every faceoff. We see sports as a reflection of our city and, in turn, we expect only the best from our teams. It’s a unified effort in which we have one team for each respective sport – one choice, like it or not. Yes, for some time our teams were garbage. For years the Patriots couldn’t buy a Superbowl, and the formerly glorious Celtics forgot what it meant to win. And there’s the Red Sox, who every time came so utterly close to changing history, only to fall short in excruciating fashion.

But our teams persevered, our fans stayed true to their loyalty, and it’s for these reasons that winning these past few years has felt so good, so significant.

So New York can have all their World Series, their Superbowls, their NBA Championships, and Stanley Cups.

I’m fine being a Bostonian.

Former Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez has cut all ties to the Boston Red Sox and the New England area, except for one last piece of house keeping – his Boston penthouse condo.

Manny recently put his plus condominium on the market for $8.5 million this week.

Manny's Apartment

Michael Doherty of City Life Real Estate, the listing broker for the 37th-floor condominium at the Residences at the Ritz-Carlton, tells the Boston Herald it’s the “most magnificent apartment” in Boston.

In addition to panoramic views of the city, the 4,500-square-foot condo has four bedrooms, six bathrooms and three valet parking spaces.

Ramirez paid $5.8 million for the condo in 2001, and put it on the market for $6.9 million in 2005.

(Source of this story is from the Associated Press)

The Boston Celtics will put their 15 game win streak on the line tonight in Atlanta against the Hawks. The folks in Atlanta are obviously trying to play this game up to sell additional tickets. Have you seen how this game is positioned on the Atlanta Hawks web site? I mean, really, is the dramatic Braveheart-like music necessary in the video montage? The Hawks are pulling out all of the stops to try and jam the Philips Arena, including a half time performance by Ludacris (who is from Atlanta)! For those over 30 readers, this is Ludacris. It is too bad that this game isn’t sold out, because the Hawks are young, athletic, and play an exciting brand of basketball. Atlanta has proven over the years that it just isn’t a sports town with its terrible fan support for the local pro teams. This is just another example that this won’t be a rivalry until the Hawks fans get behind their team and show them the respect.

Meanwhile, back in title town, I think people are looking forward to this game as well. With that said, maybe for different reasons? Who remembers “Hot Hawks Girl” from last year’s playoffs? I think it’s fair to say that there will be some wandering eyeballs looking for her court side appearance once again tonight.

Ok, after that brief respite, we are back on track with some pre-game nuggets from our friends at STATs:

• Boston has won four games in a row against Atlanta, including a 103-102 victory in the first match-up between these clubs this season.
• The Hawks will be looking to extend their current win streak to four games in a row. Atlanta is 9-1 at home this season and has won seven in a row there.
• The Celtics have won 15 consecutive games and their 23-2 start this season matches the best 25-game start in NBA history.
• Rajon Rondo scored a career-high 25 points against the Jazz on Monday in his second 20-point performance of the season. Boston is 15-0 when Rondo scored in double figures this season.
• Joe Johnson has made the fourth-most three-pointers in the league this season (57). Johnson has scored over 20 points in each of his last two meetings with the Celtics and is averaging 17.4 points in 15 career games against them.
• Paul Pierce has scored at least 30 points in two of his last three meetings with Atlanta.

So enjoy “The Rivalry” tonight, but lets face it, the real rivalry is a match-up on Christmas Day against a team from L.A.

The new Red Sox uniforms are being called “retro roadies” by the folks over on Yawkey Way. Does that not sound like a fantastic cover band or what? Or perhaps a wedding band? Regardless, the uniforms are causing quite a stir among hardcore members of Red Sox Nation. Here are some of the early returns on the “retro roadies”:

• Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to have a heart attack.
• The uniforms look like they came out of school uniform catalog
• Extra Bases post on the new uniforms
• Tito and the gang give fashion show
• New Red Sox Logo to Feature More Hanging Sox; Old-School Blue-Grey Road Unis Too
• First Look At The New 2009 Red Sox Road Uniforms And Alternate Logo

So what is your take on the new uniforms? Vote on the poll below, leave a comment, or do both because it’s Friday and you are no doubt reading this entry to kill time before 5pm.

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