Controversy has enveloped the New York City mayoral race, but this might be the most scandalous story to come out yet: Democratic frontrunner Bill de Blasio is a fan of the Boston Red Sox.
With just 20 days until the primary, clearly this could be damaging to his campaign. Born in Manhattan, de Blasio was raised in Cambridge, Mass. and says he fell for the Sox at the age of six. Not only does he cheer for the Red Sox to this day, but sources told the New York Times that de Blasio has privately called the Yankees "overrated."
This is serious. If you don't think so, why don't you ask this Yankees fan:
Kerry Cheeseboro, a manager at Dorrian’s Red Hand, a Yankees-leaning bar on the Upper East Side, said it would be difficult for many fans to come to terms with Mr. de Blasio’s feelings.
"There’s no good outcome for him," Mr. Cheeseboro said. "It’s going to perturb a lot of people and raise questions about whether he is true to the city."
Mr. Cheeseboro may have a point. Would a Cardinals fan ever be elected mayor of Chicago? Would a Giants fan have a chance in Los Angeles? Mets fans have a hard enough time getting elected in New York. How's a Red Sox fan supposed to make it?
In a bit of damage control, de Blasio says he'd be "very happy to celebrate any New York sports team," and at the very least, he's being open about this affair (you know, unlike some other candidates in the race). He wouldn't even be the first mayor of New York to have ties to Massachusetts — as the Times notes, current mayor Michael Bloomberg was raised in Medford, Mass. Even if this news turns some voters off, it appears de Blasio can count on the support of an organization of Sox fans who live in New York.
In the end, though, Democrats in New York will have to decide which is the bigger offense — sexting or rooting for the Red Sox. The primary is September 10. The Red Sox and Yankees square off just a few days later in a series starting September 13.
