How do New Yorkers decide which team to be a fan of....the Yankees or the Mets? Is which part of New York you live in a factor? Being in different leagues, I guess there's not much rivalry between the actual teams, yet how much rivalry is there between the fans?

Do families root for the same team? If not, is it awkward if your brother, sister or father is a Met's fan while you're a Yankee's fan? I imagine it must be strange watching games with some family or friends on the occasions when the Yankees play the Mets.

Does a Yankee fan root for the Mets and vice versa? What's the deal with all this?

It's a very good question Janice. I would probably need some flow charts and a supercomputer to get the definative answer, but I'll give it a try.

Geography has something to do with it. Since the Mets make thier home in Queens,that burough will always be loyal to the Mets. Same thing with the Bronx and the Yankees.

That being said, I think the Yankees fans dominate the rest of New York too.
Let's face it, the Yankees have racked up quite a few championships, particularly in the last decade, so their popularity has soared all over the place, not just in New York. Yankees games are a big ratings win for FOX, so they're going to broadcast thier games, bringing the Yanks more national coverage. The Mets have been struggling to get something going for many years now, so they're not going to get as much recognition.

Many people believe the New York papers greatly favor the Yanks over the Mets, and I happen to agree. Many a times a Yankee loss will make the coveted back cover of the Daily News and a Mets victory won't. But as I said, Yankee fans are in the majority here, so the papers will print what sells.

I think the whole "inter-league" play is responsible for feuling this big rivalry thing.
It used to be you could root for both teams, since they were in different leagues and never played each other unless they made it to the World Series.
Now, they play each other a lot during the year, and you have to choose sides.

My family leans toward the Yanks (my nephew is probably the most dedicated fan) but we've always watched both teams.
My friends and various bar associates are Yankee fans. I sometimes have to watch my back when I'm wearing my Brooklyn Cyclones hat. The Cyclones are a minor league Mets team. j/k.

It is also your parents.

I am a Mets fan. from parents who were Mets fans.

But I am wierd as I don't hate the Yankees. I root for them in the playoffs.

My fellow Mets fans hate them with a passion.

In Contrast I am a Jets fan that hates the Giants and a devils fan that hates the rangers so go figure.

I agree with everything TJL said. Coming up in NYC, I was & still am a die-hard Yankee fan, but some of my friends & family were Mets fans. However, since the Yanks & Mets didn't play each other much back then, we all rooted for both teams. I was up there for the subway series a few years back & it did get kind of ugly between the fans though. I still like the Mets & root for them whenever they're not playing the Yankees. I'm glad they're rebuilding the team & that they got Beltran playing for them. :cool:

I was born in Long Island City Queens and I've been going to like 7 games every year with my dad, so i've been a Mets fan.

TJL hit it on the head. Geography has alot to do with it. Usually residents of Queens will be Mets fans and residents of the Bronx will be Yankee fans. Although, I was born in Queens and ended up a Yankee fan.

Most fans are born into their allegiance to a certain team. My father and brother were Yankee fans growing up, so it trickled down to me. Alot of the newer fans are Yankee fans because

A.) The Yankees have been winning alot since the late 90's

B.) Derek Jeter

Thanks TJL and the rest for answering this. I've long been curious as to the innerworkings and dynamics of the Met and Yankee fans. I can't imagine another team in Boston but the Sox.

:)