Ben Moore
10/21/2002
When interviewed in Polk Place on Monday, the majority of 10 University
students showed their support for the San Francisco Giants in the 2002 World Series.
Students were asked, “Who do you think should win the World Series this year,
and why?” Many students did not know which teams were playing, but most students
who did know were able to make informed responses.
More than half of all students interviewed supported the Giants. Most cited Barry
Bonds’ late-career comeback as the reason for their support, saying that Bonds has been
long due for a World Series title to match his impressive career.
“I want the Giants to win because of Barry Bonds, because he’s old and still doing
what he’s doing,” said Michael Whitman, 19, a sophomore from Lumberton. “Nobody
expected him to make a comeback so late in his career.”
Alejandro Canup, a 19-year-old sophomore from Graham, agreed with Whitman.
He said, “I think San Francisco should win because Barry Bonds is the best hitter and he
deserves to win the World Series.”
Other students see Bonds’ returning success as apt vengeance for past criticism.
Scott Jones, a junior political science major from Granville, said he wanted the Giants to
win, “because people have been crapping on Barry Bonds for way too long.”
Others, like Matt Weiss, 18, a freshman from Charlotte, associate with the
hometown of the team more than the players. Weiss said, “I want the Giants to win
because I like San Francisco better than Anaheim.”
Some students, like sophomore environmental studies major Patty Perrino from
Winston-Salem, just associate with a team because of a loved one’s enthusiasm. Perrino
said, “(I like) San Francisco, because that’s who my ex-boyfriend is going for.”
Clint Neill, a sophomore communications studies major from Cherryville,
summarized most of the Angels’ supporters’ allegiance when he said, “I am rooting for
the Angels because they’re the underdogs.”
Most students who supported the Angels did so because they are the underdogs in
the series. Josh Bone, a junior psychology major from Dallas, N.C., said, “I think that the
Angels should win because they’re the underdog, and everyone counted them out in the
beginning.”
Omar Ayad, a sophomore psychology major from Raleigh, expanded on Bone’s
statement when he said, “I’m going for Anaheim, because they knocked out the (New
York) Yankees and that’s my favorite team.” Ayad believed that any team that was good
enough to beat the Yankees was a formidable foe for the Giants.
“The Angels, no contest. They've never won one. They deserve it more,” said
Rory Haggard, 18, a freshman from New Bern.
There were also students who expressed their indifference towards the World
Series and baseball in general. Jennifer Currin, a junior from Raleigh, said, “I really
don’t care, baseball is sort of passé to me. I’m much more of a soccer fan than a baseball
fan.”