It Could Always Be Worse

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.