I admit this is the rant of a biased, bitter, cantankerous Mets fan. But Yankee fans, you still need to hear this:
There's nothing wrong with you rooting for your team and being happy when they win. But you don't deserve to be upset when they lose, nor particularly hungry for any more championships. Why? Because there's not a Yankee fan alive who isn't completely set already if the team fails to claim another World Series for the rest of his or her life. So I insist: cheer, be happy. If they win again, it's nice, like using a 20% off coupon at Bed Bath & Beyond; but certainly nothing to get worked up over. If they lose: shrug, mope for ten seconds, then try to decide which of your 5 (5!) World Series DVDs you're gonna pop in and go on living your lives.
My inspiration to write this little piece stems from a Twitter conversation I had just yesterday with a Yankee fan friend of mine. He tweeted that the Yankees topping the Orioles was a "fitting finish." My reply was that the underdog Orioles defeating the team that literally proclaims itself to be "top of the heap" after every home win would be fitting, not the team with the most titles advancing to the next round.
And this, by the way, is an ironclad point that speaks to our human evolution; what we define as just. An upstart team with a manager who was once fired by the Yankees knocking them out of the playoffs: that's a feel-good story! The perennial powerhouse defeating a team no one gave a chance to in April in the first round? Nobody wants to see THAT movie. If the Yankees beating the Orioles yesterday was "fitting," then so is a movie about the 2008 financial collapse where the banks are portrayed as the victimized protagonists. One team controls 25% of all the World Series Championships. Not exactly Occupy Wall Street numbers, but as close as you're getting in sports.
My friend then went on to argue that whenever the Yankees lose, Yankee fans have to deal with (whimper) every single other fan-base hating on them. So basically every year that ends without a title is a tragedy? Well boo-fucking-hoo! This is just the newest version of Yankee fan entitlement, which has run rampant the past few decades. You'll hear on New York sports radio or ESPN this notion that a championship is expected every year. I'm surprised this sentiment has never been called out for just how obnoxious it is. Championships are not to be expected, they are to be hoped for, dreamt of. Also, doesn't this perceived "us against the world"/victimized mentality of Yankee fans simply prove my point about the victory not being "fitting"? If no one but Yankee fans are rooting for that outcome, how could it possibly be good drama?
Some may say that I would act the exact same way if I were in their shoes, but I actually have proof that I wouldn't. Y'see, my favorite football team is the New York Giants, who've won 2 Super Bowls in the past 5 years. I am not exaggerating when I say I do not particularly care if they don't win another Super Bowl for the next 20 years. I've been alive for 4 and have adult memories of 2, so I'm good. This is because I hold my sports fandom to a very high standard, one that recognizes the value of a championship and is not driven by a greed to hoard them. Every professional sport is better off when a new team wins every year, and I'll believe that till I die.
All I ask of you Yankee fans (with absolutely ZERO expectation of follow-through) is this: OWN IT. Be happy your team wins, but concede that dramatically, it's a complete injustice. Appreciate Derek Jeter properly, knowing full well he'd be gone by now if your late owner didn't shell out significantly more than any sane person would be willing to pay for his skill-set. And most importantly, look back on your past championships fondly, not as merely as part of a manic collection that must build, build, build...
I wasn't lucky enough to have been an adult in the 1960s or 80s, when the Mets ruled New York (in attendance & cultural popularity). All I have is the hope that I live to see another fine era for the franchise. If I get to see the Mets even win a single championship, I know I'd recognize my good fortune enough to appreciate it graciously.
