The greatest rivalry in sports is debated every year and in every sport, but what match-up could honestly beat the Yankees and Red Sox.

This winter after a horrid collapse by the Red Sox and another division title for the Yankees, the Red Sox decided to fire manager Terry Francona for ex-Mets manager Bobby Valentine. Valentine is a colorful character in the game, but his comments against the Yankees since being named the skipper have made me dislike the man.

First of all, Valentine thought it was a great idea to start his tenure in Boston by saying he hates the Yankees. Hate is a strong emotion, one in which Bobby knows because his Mets lost to the Yankees in the 2000 Fall Classic. Yet, he felt obligated to say he hates them in order to gain respect or trust. Now, Valentine has pushed his Yankee comments a lot further.

Recently, Valentine decided to take a stab at Yankee captain Derek Jeter, and third baseman Alex Rodriguez. It seemed to him that Jeter’s 2001 flip play against the Oakland A’s is recent news and needed to be discussed; 11 years later. The play in question was a flip Jeter made to home plate in the 2001 Division series against Oakland. The A’s had a 2 games to 0 lead, and the Yankees needed the win. As Oakland’s Terrance Long doubled down the right field line, Yankee right fielder Shane Spencer overthrew the cutoff man and it seemed the A’s Jeremy Giambi was going to score.

Seeing the play develop, Jeter ran to back up the throw over first and flipped to catcher Jorge Posada for the out. The Yankees went on to win that game 1-0 and won the series.

Valentine said that Jeter had no business being there, and that the Yankees said they practiced the play but it was just luck. In Valentine’s words, Jeter was just lucky to be in that spot and the Yankees wanted to make it seem better by telling people they practice the play. Little did Valentine know, but the Yankees do practice that play in spring training.

Then, with the recent retirement of long-time Red Sox catcher and captain Jason Varitek, Valentine decided to mention his fight with Alex Rodriguez. This happened in 2004 when Valentine was in Japan. After these barbs both Jeter and Alex decided to take the high road and refused to fight back. So I will speak for them.

Valentine is adding fuel to the fire that ignites every summer between the Yankees and the Red Sox. He was a former commentator on ESPN so all of this could be a media ploy to get more people to watch his games and to follow him on Twitter, FaceBook; etc.

I know he is trying to get in the good graces of Red Sox nation by blasting the Yankees, but not even Red Sox fans sound this ignorant when they talk. Valentine, here is an idea.

Win some games before you start talking.

Even Terry Francona did not talk smack and he won two championships. I know you think you can talk like you did with the Mets, but you never won anything in the states and will not if you keep opening that giant trap of yours. If you win you can talk all you want, but until then please do us all a favor and stifle it.

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