>> << Yankees? Pshaw, they win too much. >> >> >> No we don't. No such thing! :) >> >> Tom Beck >> Yankees fan since 1959 > >Bob Z >Yankee fan since 1951. I remember directly Mickey's 1956 triple >crown.
*Rolls eyes* Yankee fans. *sigh* You know, I have a theory regarding teams like the Yankees, Cowboys, and Celtics, teams with (admittedly) traditions of excellence in their respective sports. For our non-American friends, these are sports teams that are adored by some, and equally reviled by others in our country. My theory is that people don't really hate those teams directly. That is, they don't hate the Yankees, et. al., because they're teams deserving of hatred in and of themselves. Those teams are hated because of their fans. It's the attitude of the fans of those teams that spur others to revel in their occasional failures. Example 1) When the Yankees win, Yankee fans call WFAN (a sports talk station in NYC) and say "Did you see how "WE" got those guys last night?" and "Boy, "WE" killed them." I have friends who love the Cowboys, and they do the same thing. Come again? Were *you* out there at third base next to Mr. Jeter? Umm, I'm thinking no. So "WE" didn't do a thing. Get over yourself. There's no "we" involved. You're a spectator, mmkay? Example 2) Many of these fans only like the team because it's popular, or is winning at the time. Fair or not, there's a perception that Cowboy/Yankee/Celtic fans are front-runners, people who feel some need to jump on the bandwagon of a winner or join in with an already popular team to feel good about themselves. Example 3) Their team's success gives the fans an air of arrogance. They call their football team "America's Team" as though the players are freshly-scrubbed choir boys and not guys who go to court in purple suits or say "Let me tell you who I am" when they get arrested. As though somehow, the team's success reflects well upon them. It's really quite funny. And of course, the little back and forth above is another fine example of these qualities. :-) So that's my theory. The next time someone says "I hate the Yankees/Cowboys/Celtics/Lakers/Bulls/Red Wings/fill in the blank here," ask him if he hates the team, or the team's fans. You might be surprised at the answer, if the he takes the time to think about it. _______________________________________________________ Send a cool gift with your E-Card http://www.bluemountain.com/giftcenter/
