Yankees Stankee.

Everyone that knows me knows how much the NY Yankees get under my skin. They seem to do this to lots of people, not just me (especially Red Sox fans). But for me it is not the players, it's their fans. And it's not their fans in NYC or surrounding metro area. It's the Yankee fans in the rest of the country that bug the shit out of me. My thoughts are that most Yankees' fans have never even lived in NYC... I am sure a large percentage of Yankees fans have never even been to NYC. It's just a bunch of people rooting for a winning team - one that can spend any amount of money to win. One of my new neighbors is just this... a "die-hard" Yankees fan that has never lived in NYC, nor has any connection to the surrounding metro area.

Now I will be the first to admit that I was once a Yankees fan. For two whole seasons while living in NYC I cheered on the Yankees, and then the next year after moving to Portland where there is not MLB team. My boss in NYC was (and still is) a huge Yankees fan. A season ticket holder. And when working for him you are a Yankees fan, or not a fan of baseball. Really. The first day of work I walked in with an Baltimore Orioles hat and was promptly given $20 to go out and purchase a new hat... a Yankees hat. But I was living in NYC. I was going to games. I was reading about them in the daily paper.

When I moved from NYC I stayed a fan for a year or so until I realized that being a Yankees fan outside of NYC is the worst. I didn't want to be one of those losers yelling "26 Rings!" I find more enjoyment by cheering for the home team... and the underdog. In Portland there is only AAA ball. The Portland Beavers. The home of Big League Chew. So along with my Beaver' hat I wore my San Francisco Giants jersey (home for me) and my Detroit Tigers jersey (the team my dad grew up with). I grew up with the Oakland A's as well.

So when moving to Chicago it was all about cheering for the home team, and LP and decided to be Sox fans just because it seemed like everyone is a Cubs fan, plus we had such a better experience at the couple of Sox games we attended. And then as our first full season as White Sox fans they won the World Series. Wow!



So there are all of these people who are Yankees fans that only cheers for the Yankees because the team seem to always win. Those people are missing out so much on the baseball experience. They are missing out on baseball in their cities. Baseball is not about winning. It's about watching the game. Hanging out with your friends and/or spouse. It's part of enjoying life. It's a good thing. Even as Sox fan, I am glad when people in Chicago cheer for the Sox or the Cubs. Support your city. If you want to be a Yankees fan that bad, or a Red Sox fan... why don't you move there. Go live in NYC or Boston. Be apart of what you so desperately want to be a part of.