RED SOX HONOR MO. FANS ARE MAD & I'M CONFUSED

I have watched the video time, and again. I have tried to make sense of the hullabaloo. Now, 2 days after the Boston Red Sox honor Mariano Rivera, some Yankees fans have expressed their anger towards the tribute. And I just don't get it.



I do not want to generalize, and say that all Yankees fans are upset. That is far from the truth. In fact, for the most part, fans feel the same way I do. I think it was an incredibly touching tribute to Mo. I have to tip my hat to the Red Sox organization for making that happen.

The problem seems to stem from the fact that the Red Sox included clips from the 2004 blown save. Some people feel that is a slap in the face to Mo. I get it. Why "honor" someone by showing what is considered the lowest point in their career? But this is really a case of selective memory. The very beginning of the ceremony, they said "He has been more than the greatest closer the game has ever seen. He has been a model of grace and class." And that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Look, the bottom line here is that the one clip of many was not the epicenter of the tribute. Nor should we make it about that. Why hasn't the signed #42 from the manual scoreboard been discussed? I mean, that to me is probably one of the best gifts he has received. Before I am a Yankees fan, I am a fan of baseball, and as such recognize Fenway Park as a baseball landmark. Mo, who also loves, and respects the sport must be thrilled to have something so meaningful to the sport, and to the Red Sox. That gift showed just how much the organization loves Mo, despite the rivalry.

I think if the tribute didn't have the Roast like feel to it, I may not have liked it as much. They showed a great deal of respect to Mo, and presented him as a worthy adversary. And isn't that what Mo really is to that organization? He isn't a friend, at least not on the field. The Yankees, and Red Sox have what is probably the greatest rivalry in all of professional sports. They recognized that, and despite it still honored him tremendously.

 
 
--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @e_morales1804



The Bleeding Yankee Blue store is opened! CLICK HERE TO START SHOPPING! Also, follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.