It's great that the Yankees have a humongous fan base that follows them to every ballpark in America. That I have no issue with, and I'm sure almost no one does. I'll admit it's a little discouraging to go see the hometown team play the Yanks, and be outnumbered by their fans, but that's life. What I do have a problem with is the behavior of Yankee fans in visitors ballparks. Even when your section isn't outnumbered, you always know where the Yankee fans are because they will actually turn around, face the crowd, and taunt you every time the Yankees score a run or get out of a jam. Is this really necessary? Why doesn't someone beat these people down? If I were at an Orioles game in Boston, or Tampa, or anywhere really, I'd sit there, watch the game and cheer. There is no way I'd EVER think of taunting the home crowd when I am a visitor, even if the O's are winning big (HA!). My assumption is that most of these people come from Jersey, which is the only logical explanation for such blatant douchebaggery. The only reason they are in your ballpark to begin with is because it's about 100 times cheaper than attending a game at Yankee Stadium, even after transportation costs.
I was at Opening Day this year, at Camden Yards, and there were FAR more O's fans than Yankees fans for the first time that I can remember. There was still a Yankee fan in my section who would turn around and bark at us every time CC struck someone out, or the Yanks made a nice play. BARKED AT US! What the hell is up with that? When asked if he was from Jersey, he responded "Hell yeah, RUFF!"
If any Yankees fans read this, I'm sorry if I may have offended you. I would advise you to sit down and shut up the next time you are at a game in another city. Cheering and being a fan is one thing, but being a taunting jerk-off is uncalled for, and just makes people hate your team even more.
In closing, I want to point out that there are many respectful Yankee fans out there who letting a few bad apples ruin the image of the most storied franchise in baseball.
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I'll bet it's really bad in Baltimore with the fans. In Cleveland it gets bad with the Yankees and the Red Sox.
ReplyDeleteCuriously, the Red Sox fans that I've encountered are 100 times worse. Here is my theory on that. Most of the Yankees fans are middle aged and have some sort of connection to NY, making them legitimate fans. If they are in Cleveland, they are usually past the age where they are annoying A-holes.
The Red Sox fans (I am convinced) are made up mostly of douchebag Cleveland 20 somethings that became huge Sox fans (right around 2004) because their favorite uncle lives in Providence or some such stupid shit. They exhibit all of the deplorable behaior that you have described. They usually are dragging along some tramp in a pink Ortiz jersey. Most could not find Boston on a map.
That's not to say I don't hate Yankees fans.
Red Sox fans are like that here too, but they are still under a "grace period" in my eyes, since they were soooo awful for soooo long. Maybe next year I'll begin the transference of hate from Yankees to Red Sox.
ReplyDeleteDo they bark at you in Cleveland too?
All I have o say is my former roommate, who knew nothing about the Yankees, was called y me Yankee Douche Fan. He would look to see if the Yanks won that night or day before and talk trash. But he never could say who they beat or their record. When I asked him if Lou Gherig would win out the second base job in Spring Training this year over Thurmon Munson he yelled, in a sports bar for everyone to hear, that Lou would be the greatest second baseman to ever play the game. Better than A. Rod. People who knew just laughed and rolled their eyes.
ReplyDeleteClassic.