Baseball Thinking

Thursday, August 25, 2005

Yankee's Suck? I don't think so.


Today the executive branch of the Boston Red Sox announced that any t-shirts that deliver a little schadenfreude at the cost of the New York Yankees will not be tolerated. Yes, I read Dictionary.com today and found that to be a really cool word. What this means is that any shirt with the New York team name and/or team member, followed by the words suck, swallow, etc, will not be tolerated. Any fan attempting to enter Fenway Park with a shirt of this type will be asked to remove it and turn it inside out. I would love to be an attendant at the gate and spring this news to Jennifer Garner! Hubba hubba hubba!! While walking outside today I witnessed a couple rather large flies hovering over some dog poop. Having the attention span equal to my daughter's while she's on the computer, my mind strayed and focused in on this everyday happening of nature. One would guess that after thousands of years some teenage fly in his late teens, on his way to an Ivory league school, would rebel and say “Dude, this is so wrong!” That being said, how many times have you been to Fenway and heard the crowds chant “Yankees suck”, among other truculent verbiage? When the Sox visit the house that Ruth built, it is not uncommon to hear similar chants, including the very popular 1918. Dude, that is so wrong! I have witnessed vendors hawking their 5 dollar shirts (and not the good quality Champion shirts, but the type that rips after the first wash!) before and after Sox/Yankee games. And we have all seen the vendors selling Yankee Suck shirts after the Bronx Bombers beat us! If they suck and beat us, then how bad were the Red Sox? The Sox don’t suck. The Yankee’s don’t suck. Both teams have performed very well over the past ten years, haven’t they? Hmmmmm….
That being said, this announcement should be met with a positive response. The Sox brass are being very proactive with their initiative to create a more family oriented experience at Fenway Park. Fans will still shout epitaphs at various Yankee players from now until eternity. I embrace the idea that young children, perhaps attending their very first MLB game, will no longer have to read the various slurs on t-shirts. I encourage every fan to think twice before purchasing or wearing one of these shirts. I wish that the boss of the Yankees, George Steinbrenner, would release a similar press release discouraging fans from wearing similar shirts at Yankee Stadium. I’d love to know how you feel about this. Do you feel this violates our freedom of speech? Do you disagree with the announcement? Are you a vendor who will be making a couple grand less per game? Please click the comment button below and let me know.
Today in baseball history: 1984 "They shouldn't try to compare Dwight to Sandy Koufax or Nolan Ryan or anyone else because there is no comparison. They should be comparing the others to Dwight." Davey Johnson, as Met manager – and this was before crack was invented! 1922 In spite of a fourth inning lead of 25-6, the Cubs need to hold on to defeat Philadelphia 26-23 as the Phillies leave the bases loaded in the ninth. The total amount of runs, 49, is the major league mark for most tallies scored in one game. 1956 Prior to the Old Timer's Game at Yankee Stadium, shortstop Phil Rizzuto is asked to consult with general manager George Weiss and manager Casey Stengel concerning a player move necessitated by reacquiring Enos Slaughter from the A's. After making several suggestions about who should be cut from the squad, the veteran infielder is told by Weiss he is the player about to be let go. 1967 Twins' Dean Chance throws his second no-hitter of the month defeating the Indians 2-1. On August 5th he threw five perfect innings in an abbreviated game against the Red Sox. 1985 Met phenom Dwight Gooden becomes the youngest (20 years, 9 months. & 9 days) pitcher to win 20 games in a season. Bob Feller was a month older when he accomplished the feat in 1939.(An arrest warrant has been issued for Dwight after he fled police while allegedly drunk.
Go Sox! (Photo courtesy Yankee Hater (go figure), stats courtesy National Pastime)

1 Comments:

Blogger Tommy Dee said...

Originally posted by Lizzie Mac: having recently made the pilgrimage to washington dc with my three children i find myself obligated to remind the writer of the first amendment. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." Although i personally find the Yankees Suck t-shirts offensive and would prefer to not expose my children to that type of language, I do believe that everyone has a right to say or wear what they choose. On a t-shirt, at a public school, or protesting in front of Bush's texas dude ranch.

9:06 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home