Yankees Suck!

“Yankees Suck, Yankees Suck …”. You’ve heard the chant, you’ve seen the bumper stickers, you’ve seen the t-shirts. What’s the deal with this chant? Even here in Red Sox nation, “Yankees suck” is somewhat of a polarizing issue, with some believing that it’s a sign of solidarity among Sox fans everywhere, while others believe it’s an embarrassment because of what it says about the psychology of the people who endorse it.

But what does “Yankees suck” actually mean? Obviously, the Yankees don’t suck in the performance aspect of baseball. You can’t write a history of baseball without mentioning the accomplishments of this club. Even since the inception of the aforementioned chant, the Yankees have had team success, making the playoffs every year since 1995, and for the most part have conducted themselves in a highly professional manner. So, “Yankees suck” can’t refer to the performance of the team.

What else could it mean? Well, the verb “to suck” has several usages and meanings in colloquial language today. Sucking on a lollipop? That’s probably not what Red Sox fans are referring to either, but one could use the word to describe dismay with a situation such as “that sucks!” I think we’re getting closer to the true meaning now. A Sox fan during the ‘90s might have said something to the effect of “it sucks that the Yankees win all the time” or “it sucks that the Yankees can spend as much as they want to on salaries” or numerous other complaints about the arch enemy. After rattling a few of these complaints off, it’s easy to see how the rabid, irrational Sox fan foaming at the mouth with hatred for his team’s eternal rival descends into “you know what? The Yankees suck!”

So, “Yankees suck” is truly the complaint of a Red Sox fan against the unfairness of the baseball world based on his inferiority complex with the New York Yankees. Of course, this is true in a pre-2004 world only. Since 2004, “Yankees suck” has taken on a new meaning, but in it’s original usage, it was a sign of frustration with the ways of the baseball world. Some of it may even stem from a Boston inferiority complex with New York City. The baseball gods had not treated the Red Sox well for decades and fans took out their displeasure on their most hated and superior rival. “The Yankees win all of the time, we haven’t won a World Series since 1918, therefore the Yankees suck.”

Of course, many Red Sox fans don’t buy into the mantra of “Yankees suck”. For them, they are embarrassed by what “Yankees suck” says about the fan base rather than what it says about the Yankees. For those that like the chant, it seems as if the best thing they can say about the Red Sox is “Yankees suck”. It confirms their obsession with the opponent; an opponent that the fans hate so much because of its continued success which has left their team in a wake of failures. Imagine if American spectators at the Olympics or other international sporting events decided to forego “U-S-A, U-S-A” in favor of “Iran sucks, Iran sucks”. Don’t you think that would be embarrassing? What would that say about our pride for our country? Of course, those who believe in the mantra of “Yankees suck” might think it’s cool. Is the “Yankees suck” crowd too embarrassed to vocally cheer for their team rather than against its detested rival?

Since 2004, “Yankees suck” has taken on a new meaning or purpose because of Boston’s World Series victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. The inferiority complex of the fans has been smashed and now it’s time to stick it to Yankees fans just as they did with their famous chant of “19-18”. Red Sox fans realize that the shoe is on the other foot now and that Yankee fans are the ones questioning their team’s ability to beat Boston. “Yankees suck” is now a put down to New York fans; a reminder that their team is the one who hasn’t won a World Series in a few years.

Other thoughts

· Olympic speed skater Chad Hedrick said after his 10,000 meter race that he probably skated too many events in Torino and that’s why he didn’t have his legs for the 10,000 meters. Do you think he understands why Shani Davis didn’t want to skate in the Team Pursuit now?

· There must be a curse on athletes who star in television advertisements for products. How else to explain the fortunes of competitors like Bode Miller, Lindsey Jacobellis, and Lindsey Kildow? Andy Roddick’s Mojo campaign with American Express was a similar disaster.

· I read recently that Randy Johnson and Jorge Posada have pledged to work together this year. What a relief! These guys are teammates, right? The combination didn’t fare well last year and Johnson ended up pitching many of his games with John Flaherty behind the plate, but Flaherty’s gone now. Posada has his issues with calling pitches and his pride gets injured at times when he is shaken off, but he needs to get over that for the sake of the team. Johnson has to be on top form for this team to have a chance of winning the AL East this season.

· Irony: I recently started reading Buster Olney’s “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty”. Getting to this book was long overdue and I first opened it while waiting for a physical therapy appointment. The Foreword starts with a look at the 2003 World Series against the Marlins. When I was called for my appointment and began changing into my workout clothes, I looked in the mirror and noticed that I was wearing my Florida Marlins 2003 World Series Champions T-Shirt that I had received for Christmas that year.