Word: Nemesis

WORD: Nemesis . I’m no William Safire, but I am today wondering when the word nemesis started appearing in every single sporting article, as in “Minnesota defeated its nemesis, the New York Yankees yesterday, 3-1.” And also, when did the New York Times become so removed from New York that it decides to describe the New York Yankees as another team’s nemesis (a term that can mean “unbeatable rival”, but seems to me to have a negative connotation). The term is the name of the Greek goddess of retributive justice and vengeance, according to my Dictionary. An American journalist during the cold war wouldn’t write of the Soviet Union negotiating with its nemesis, the United States. The usage makes the home town team seem like the bad guys. Of course, I know that the New York Yankees are the bad guys, but I wouldn’t expect the Times to be so enlightened.