It was a stranger-hugger and a car-honker, those rare sports victories that can get entire bars of Yankees fans hugging and kissing people they had just met, while cars outside blared horns in celebration. The first time I saw such a scene was at Shea Stadium on October 25, 1986, right around the time the ball went through Bill Buckner's legs.

The Yankees never did come through in the final leg of the Tears Across America Tour but, as a friend reminded me, it's not often the Yanks could not win the World Series and still add a page to their lore. And that's what happened when Aaron Boone deposited Tim Wakefield's first offering in the left-field seats, introducing a new generation of Red Sox Nation to their life-long fate: pain.

Today's Sports Links:

• Bronx Banter — A regularly updated Yankees blog that doesn't ignore other baseball news, even it pertains to the crappy Mets.

• A New York State of Mind for the Jets — Business Week reports that Gang Green is set to announce a $1 billion Manhattan retractable-roof stadium that will begin hosting the team in 2009.

• Vitale's V-Lists: 2003-04 — In his 25th year of making my ears bleed, Dick Vitale shares his list for the year's Diaper Dandies, Rolls Roycers and other teams with retarded names.