I thought I was imagining things a while. It seemed every time the Dodgers made a media move or even enjoyed some legitimate success, the "STORY" would include references to THEIR domination of the Angels' in the local media consciousness. When the Angels triumphed, the story would be about the triumph alone. When the Dodgers made a big splash, part of the ink spilled was on how the Angels would hence suffer in their battle to be the dominant basbeall team in the Southern California market.
I tried to ignore this and wanted to believe that perhaps I was slightly paranoid and that the reality of the media in Southern California was a little more mature than fourteen-year olds hollering "MY TEAM'S ON TOP"...
Well, the latest news of Joe Torre signing with the Dodgers is major indeed (and by the way, congratulations to them all), but the local pundits insisting that the Angels are now forced to sign A-Rod to retain some credibility - this is simply out of line. The off-field "rivalry" between the Dodgers and Angels is little more as a media construct - something that Bill Plaschke gets to hand pick the standings for, someting that the L.A. Times gets to arbiter through its advertising sales.
Stick it, media pundits. The loyalty of most Southern California fans to the team of their choice has already been decided and the occasional headline here or there does not sway more than the most fair-weather superficial baseball aficionado.
It is an insult to BOTH teams that the L.A. Times would count fickleness as the primary attribute of Angels and Dodger fans. But if it gets Arte to but more advertising, you can bet that advertising salesmen like Bill Plaschke will follow their marching orders to bang the media-blitz gong.