New Jersey: A World Series Battleground

Living in South Jersey, you definitely grow up with a chip on your shoulder. Those in North Jersey seem to think the more densely-populated and smog-infested part of the state is the 'real' New Jersey, and those in the southern part of the state are just country bumpkins shooting deer and bunnies in the Pine Barrens. I should know; I lived up there for more than a decade. But for the uninitiated, there are actually four different New Jerseys – North Jersey, South Jersey, Central Jersey and the Jersey Shore.

While North and South Jersey have uniquely different culture, different foods and yes, different accents, both Central Jersey and the Jersey Shore are a strange amalgam of North and South. Some in the region have migrated North and others have transplanted South. People in the middle of the state could be going out one day for a nice pastrami on rye or a spumoni and their neighbor could be looking for an Italian hoagie or a water ice (that's pronounced 'wudder' ice where I'm from). If South Jersey is decked out in red this week and North Jersey flaunting blue, satellite images of the middle of the state at the start of the World Series would be an interesting shade of purple.

New Jersey is an odd place to be, but even odder when you live in the middle. Nothing polarizes the state more than professional sports – good luck being a New York fan in South Jersey. We don't even like Devils fans and that team is actually from New Jersey. To the North, they are just as insular. My brother lives in Wyckoff and works in New York, but has steadfastly kept to his Philly-rooting roots. My 6- and 4-year-old nephews are Phillies fans. And Yankees fans. When pressed who he's rooting for in the World Series, the elder assured me he was rooting for the Phillies.

Then I got this e-mail, from my sister-in-law's New York-based family: "How about your own brother and oldest nephew Jack? We have converted him to a Yankee fan."

Take my brother. Leave the boy. For the love of God leave the boy.

There are few crossovers in the far North and deep South of Jersey – the closer you get to New York or Philly the more galvanized a fan base will be. But Central Jersey is really a New York-Philly battleground, and it centers around Trenton.

Yes, the state capital of New Jersey is also the epicenter of the New York-Philly feud. Some friends grew up Phillies fans. Others rooted for the Yankees (few for the Mets, let's be honest). I received e-mails from people who live near Trenton and have nuclear families in turmoil this week. Here's one of the better illustrations of that familial strife:

This is the story of my sister and brother in law, Jodi and Mike. Jodi comes from a family of diehard Phils fans. She and her father go to Fan Appreciation Day every year for maybe 20 years now, and Bob was actually at a World Series game in 1980. Mike is a stupid Yankee fan, although when I say stupid, I mean stupid-hardcore Yankee fan. He corrupted his son early enough that by 2, he could do the Derek Jeter chant... disturbingly well. Upon this year's LCS, jokes started flying in the family regarding the impending issue in the household, and Mike has been offered several places to sleep in the homes of fellow Philly-market Yankee fans.

Getting booted from his own house during the World Series. That'll learn ya to marry a fan from the other side, right? Although to be fair, the Yankees and Phillies haven't both been this good at the same time in about 60 years. So who knew it would come to this?

Maybe the Trenton Thunder did. Right in line with the always-fantastic Minor League Baseball promotions, the Thunder are looking to catch a little local attention from the border-warring baseball fans. The Class AA Yankees affiliate announced a "Choose your Champ" World Series Contest where they'll give an all-expense paid trip for two to either the Phillies or Yankees 2010 home opener. Transportation from the Thunder's home park, food, tickets and World Series merchandise will be included in the package. All you have to do is e-mail the Thunder with your winning team, number of games and the series MVP. In the likely chance that there are multiple winners, they'll draw one name out of a hat.

I just hope it's not a stinkin' Yankees hat.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.