The international beef between Los Angeles and Toronto is not quite over yet but the City of Angels has already notched another victory. The LA Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 to claim back-to-back World Series titles.
The exciting series went to seven games after thrilling close calls and the second-longest postseason contest in history—game 3’s six hour and 39 minute, 18-inning matchup—may have just cemented the Dodgers’ legacy as one of the best teams in MLB history. Spearheaded by the historic play of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts, the Dodgers proved that no one in the league is quite like them.
Pop culture fans and sports brands were all about playing up the feud between LA and Toronto ignited by the rap beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake last year. Despite Drake having a professional relationship with Nike, the iconic brand used Kendrick’s “squabble up” in a 30-second video dedicated to the Dodgers’ return to the top of the league. The Los Angeles native’s “Not Like Us” rang out in the stadium after last year’s victory, and the team made sure to send a message after this year’s win: “They Still Not Like Us.” Heard.
Drake’s allegiance to his hometown of Toronto may have made him be a bit overzealous after the Blue Jays came back from their Game 3 loss to take two games in a row. The “Family Matters” rapper trolled Ohtani–who bypassed signing with the Toronto-based team in favor of the Dodgers—with a post on Instagram following Game 5.
Though the Blue Jays held their own, taking another major L at the hands of Los Angeles had to hurt “the boy.”
Drake is also known to be an avid sports bettor, regularly putting down big numbers on the results of major games, and though he didn’t make his wagers known for the World Series, Toronto sports fans have started referring to him as a curse on their teams. Following his $1 million parlay on the Toronto Maple Leafs during the NHL playoffs, where they ultimately lost in Game 7, the rapper has become somewhat of an antihero for his hometown teams, Sports Illustrated reports.
Though he did little more than show up to the games and root for them on his socials, some fans still felt that his presence was a bad omen. And after such a close series, maybe they’re on to something.
Nonetheless, the good folks of Los Angeles have bragging rights, once again, and will surely take to the streets to celebrate during the parade on Monday, Nov. 3. The Dodgers announced that they will also hold a special fan event inside of the stadium at the same time. Though the city has been the target of many ICE raids, it seems that they’re prepared to celebrate their team regardless. And we’re sure there will be plenty of Kendrick in rotation for the momentous occasion. Congratulations to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
