The New York Times did a flyover article about Boston now that Boston is a sports powerhouse. Why they choose to recognize this fact now is beyond us, but the author reveals a change in New York's attitude toward Boston. Instead of a blazing contempt (displayed in the past by Radar and Gawker), the New York Times is feeling some ambivalence now that Boston is winning games left and right. Here's a paragraph:

All this winning raises the question: what has Boston lost? If not games — since Oct. 16, those three New England teams have won 87 percent of the time — then perhaps a certain identity the region must now reconsider. Wearing a Red Sox cap or a Patriots jersey no longer identifies citizens as connoisseurs of pain, lovable Charlie Browns to New York’s success-swiping Lucy. Boston’s little garage bands have made it big, and the victory parades are crowded with bandwagons.

Who are these "Connoisseurs of pain"? Whatever. Winning feels damn good. This Bostonist has seen very few people moping about losing, especially after going through last season with the Celtics.

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It's not that Boston is suddenly taking over New York's power and glory. That would be hard for any city to do. But the article shows that New York isn't quite sure how to look at the city of Boston anymore. Instead of the lovable underdogs with the inferiority complex, this new Boston has confidence and self-esteem. This new Boston doesn't seem to care what New York City thinks because it's winning. And that attitude is shorting New York City's circuits, at least a little.

The author goes on to suggest that Boston is losing a little magic now that it's no longer an underdog, but that comment seems like a not-so-subtle wish that the New York Giants would snap the Patriots' winning streak and get the immediate victory on Super Bowl Sunday. That's not very likely.