As a fan of the Yankees you learn to get used to a few things. For example you find that you constantly have to defend your fandom (I don’t think that’s a word, but fanaticism didn’t seem appropriate) because apparently it’s impossible to actually be a fan of a winning team, naturally you’re fair-weather, bandwagon hopping fan. I always find this annoying because I sort of take it as someone insulting my integrity. Only a douche bag starts routing for a team once they win a championship, trust me I know, I live in Maryland (incidentally big game this weekend huh, also there was an alarming number of red B’s popping up after 2004, but whatever). I also have to hear a lot about the ownership being evil, buying championships, and ruining it for small market teams, etc., etc. All this is just stupid, I could argue for days on that subject, and I doubt I would change anyone’s mind, so I won’t bother.
The thing that always bothered me the most though is when people route against them. I never understood the pleasure people got out of seeing a team lose in the playoffs when the team they route for didn’t even sniff the post season. Like that team’s season just became more successful because the Yankees only made it to the ALCS instead of winning the World Series. Guess what, it didn’t, and I still got to see 10 extra games of my favorite team, during the most exciting time of the year, while your favorite team was doing the same thing you were, watching at home.
I didn’t understand that sentiment at all until Saturday. The Redskins were 5-11, a total embarrassment, but it’s hard to express what a joy it was watching Tony Romo, the Cowboys savior, botch the snap of a chip shot field goal that would have advanced them to the next round of the playoffs. Thank you Tony, you made the Redskins debacle that much more tolerable for the next 9 months. That is until they begin their next campaign to cause me to have stroke and/or go bald prematurely.
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11 comments:
There are just some teams you love to hate. The Cowboys being one of them for the majority of the population. Hell, I dont even watch football for the most part, but I'm still happy when the Cowboys or the Steelers lose (yeah, i'm that badass).
I think the Yankees are the same way for some people. Everyone needs a villian
I'm glad you got a little of that feeling.
There are some of us who root against the Yankees because Yankee fans, moreso than the fans of anyother sports organization, are convinced of some manifest destiny associated with their team. Like God reached down from the heavens, an proclaimed that the Yankees would be the greatest sports franchise ever.
And so when you annoying, overbearing, egotistical jerks get your comeuppance, it's fantastic for the rest of us. When you have to face the hard realization that maybe, just maybe, the boys in pinstripes haven't been divinely chosen as a group of holy warriors. And that god, in fact, doesn't care whether the Yankees win or lose, well, that's always a fun day.
I'll admit that the Cowboys franchise puts out the same BS. I never got the whole America's Team thing. I don't want them to be everyone's team. I want the success to be segregated from the majority of the football watching population that didn't root for them when they were 1-15 in 1988.
I was thinking as I read the first couple of paragraphs that I agreed until I watched that Dallas-Seattle game. I hurt my throat from yelling at the t.v. As for the previous comment from Matthew, I think it's pretty clear that the New York Yankees are The Greatest Franchise in the history of professional sports, whether annointed by a higher being or not. Labeling Yankees fans as a whole is just plain ignorance, and it's obvious you like a shitty team, and you think you're somehow better than Yankees fans because you like a shitty team. You are somehow a better fan than me because your team isn't as good. It's like Eric said, we didn't pick the Yankees because they're the best; that's merely a coincidence.
It's okay to hate the Yankees because you like Boston or Baltimore, or just because they've been better than anyone else for 90 years, but don't throw names at Yankee fans.
Whoa, somebody's touchy today. I love it. Is it the six whole years without a championship that's got you down?
Matt, as a Sox fan I hear ya on the generalization of Yanks fans, but if you listen to some Skins fans (especially radio callers) a lot of them say very similar things about Cowboy fans. Not saying they are right, just saying.
You're right. I can't generalize all Yankee fans. There's more than one kind of Yankee fan. There's two.
There are the self-righteous die hards who are convinced of the Yankees' divine superiority. In retrospect, this is probably just an extension of the New Yorker attitude that they're superior to the rest of us. It probably nothing specific about the Yankees.
And there are the pink/powder-blue hat wearing 32-year-old women who know Derek Jeter and nothing else about the Yankees. I forgot to mention that I hate them too.
If you grew up in or around New York, you are more than welcome to be a Yankees fan. However, if you choose to root for them because they win a lot of championships, then to me that is being a fair weather fan.
Hopefully, you are not a Notre Dame fan ... unless of course you, or family or friends went there.
JW - I guess
Matthew - The thing is I think you're describing New Yorkers, not necessarily Yankees fans, you'd fine those same traits in a Mets fan, or someone from New York who hates baseball
David - Way to get fired up
Matthew again - Red Sox fans are self righteous, Yankees fans are arrogant
Los - I am certainly not a Notre Dame fan
Ahhh, I'm glad to have progressed from self-loathing to self-righteous. Although, I must say that other Sox fans can piss me off. I don't understand how you can boo Millar or Foulke the year after they win you your first world series in 86 years. (Remember when I wanted to punch that guy outside of McFaddens?) Or boo Alex Gonzalez for not getting a hit when he is making Web Gems on a nightly basis. That kind of idiot behavior from people that supposedly love that team fires me up.
Just so we're clear, I think Damon deserved his reception.
One time Alex Gonzalez almost hit me with a bat on a third strike swing, even if I did get hit, I don't think I'd boo him, but I'd definately fight people for that bat.
eric thinks fed ex field is better than m&t bank stadium. enough said.
Is "route for" some sort of play on words? if so, I dont get it. Guess I cant join the DCC with humiliating moments like that happening. Thanks Tony. I really dont have anything to say about Yankees fans except that I will never be one. Oh and I wanted to be a part of a heated blogument
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