White House Press Secretary Jay Carney extended his daily press briefing on Thursday to respond to reporters questioning his suspect support of the Boston Red Sox.
Carney, who sported a Red Sox baseball cap during the event, gave a historical explanation of his baseball preference: he was born in Washington, DC in 1965 but there was no hometown team. The closest team was the Baltimore Orioles, who "didn’t work" for him. He became a Red Sox fan after being "hooked by the pathos" of the team’s historic – and some would say pathetic – World Series collapse of 1986.
Carney did not elaborate on why the Orioles "didn’t work" for him as a youth. Supposedly, the Orioles – who during Carney’s formative years won three World Series (1966, 1970, 1983), and were led by Hall of Famers Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer, Luis Aparicio, Eddie Murray, and Cal Ripken Jr. – did not generate enough pathos to warrant his support.
When asked whether he preferred the Red Sox or his now-hometown team Washington Nationals, open Carney responded that he would "have to make that decision later" and referred reporters to his children for more information on the subject.
