Congratulations to the 2009 American League champions. They invested well and they followed through. They made the Twins and Angels look like the Nationals and Mets. They earned what they've achieved to date.

That said, both World Series teams, particularly their fan bases, are loathsome, and I'd like to see both of them lose.

Of course I want the Yankees to lose more. Of course, of course, of course. If you went to Villanova or live in South Jersey, I understand if you feel differently. If you've had ultra-unpleasant experiences in the city of Philadelphia and all you want is for those people who inflicted them on you to feel disappointment, that's absolutely valid.

I have to confess I was surprised by the level of vehemence toward the Phillies vis-à-vis choosing sides in the comments accompanying Jason's call to arms. I was present for 2007 and 2008. I hated the Phillies a whole lot for taking what the Mets let them have. I wasn't crazy about them in 2009 either, but they won the National League pennant without our being much involved on their march. They're an abstraction in my Met life at this point.

The Yankees are omnipresent. Their fans are omnipresent. I'm a New Yorker and a Mets fan. That doesn't jibe with a desire to see the Yankees succeed. Not one I could possibly conjure anyway.

It wouldn't matter who they were playing: the '09 Phillies, the '99 Braves, a hypothetical grouping of '85 Cardinals and '69 Cubs...I hate the Yankees. I hate the Phillies, just not nearly as much and for not nearly as long. Someday the Phillies will suck again and we won't care about them any more than we care on a given day about any particular National League opponent. The Yankees will still be the Yankees.

Eternal beats transitory most every time.

Either way, the Mets lost 92 games. It's not our battle — just our headache for the next four to seven games and during whichever parade whose brass bands we're unfortunate enough to overhear.