Yankee Fans

So I'm about to make some very large and sweeping generalizations, and I am very well aware that this does not apply to all Yankee fans, as I certainly have some very good friends that are Yankee fans, but alas I will proceed at my own risk.

So I come from a big baseball family. For any who attended either my or my sister's wedding can attest, from the "Chrovian sister toasts," there's a very deep rooted history of baseball in our family. We'd always go to opening day, plus many a visit to the ballpark during the season. Unfortunately for us, with the exception of the 1984 season, we only had the Tigers to root for. Bummer. So as I got older, I watched fewer games on tv because I think (unless it's October) that it's nearly as dull as watching golf, or watching grass grow, but I still love going to the park.

Anywho, back to the Yankee fans. So yesterday afternoon I headed to the gym. I am very very selective about my workout equipment (like most things in my life), and there is only one brand of a certain piece of workout equipment that I'll use. So I hopped on it and started my workout. I noticed two things as I began sweating to the oldies:
(1) my iPod had the last sliver of battery showing, kind of mocking me as I started the workout. This is serious bad news in the workout world as it means I would be forced to watch some nameless, faceless awful daytime show they have on the tvs which were directly in front of me
(2) two of the tvs in my direct line of sight were showing the same channel

So I was very careful about choosing my fast forwards, as I believe this quickens the drainage of the battery (I don't know if it's true, but the backlight comes on for a brief moment - I know I can change that setting, but once you've realized you're on low battery I try to not make any sudden moves around the pod). I still got the battery of death symbol about half way through the workout.

Right about the time when the battery of death popped up, I saw a guy making hand gestures in front of the tv and the channels started flipping on the tv in front of me. So, he's changing the channel. Fine, I realize that two of the tvs are showing the same thing, but this was the one RIGHT in front of me. No polite "do you mind if I change this" or "are you watching this" which is pretty standard protocol. Especially if it's right in front of someone.

So, as you may have guessed, he wanted the Yankee game on. Not only did I now have no dreamy workout soundtrack of my choosing blaring in my ears keeping those legs pumping, but I had to watch baseball. And not just baseball, Yankee baseball. Yankee baseball is what is wrong with this country, it's like silver platter baseball. Like the 20-somethings who feel like they deserve everything and really already have a whole heck of a lot, or really, everyone who is given everything on a nice silver platter. Not that I've really had to claw my way up, but at least I never felt like I expected everything, and I'd have to say I've put in my fair share of blood, sweat, and tears. Any questions on that can be referred back to my sister and brother-in-law whom I lived with last fall (for one recent example).

Anyways, Yankees, right. It's the team that's always good, so even if you're a fair weather fan, there's always something to cheer for. I would describe myself as a fair weather fan for many sports, but I think those seasons of poor performance give you a chance to rebuild your love for the team when they come back strong and you love them even more when they're good again. It's way better than buying your way to the top. So I strongly dislike the Yankees and I strongly dislike Yankee fans. I won't say hate, that's a strong word.

I especially dislike Yankee fans who change the television station at the gym (without asking) while I am forced to watch it. I also dislike the Yankee fan who changes the channel at the gym and then WALKS AWAY. I even more dislike the Yankee fan who then comes back to check the score 20 minutes later and cheers audibly and claps at and INSTANT REPLY FROM ANOTHER GAME. I also dislike the Yankee fan who gets his weights, brings them back and stands in front of the tv (and me) lifting the weights AND who bends over in his white shorts while I'm trying to work out. Speaking of white shorts, I dislike the Yankee fan who wears white shorts, black tank tops, white wrist (sweat) bands, black gloves and a white bandana with black accents. Who matches their outfits for the gym?

I think I'm going to cheer for the Mets. Unless the Tiger's get good again, of course. My sister always told me that I liked to cheer for whomever was going to win. She was right, for the most part, but I'm not sure I'll ever cheer for the Yankees.

By the way, I don't really hate all Yankee fans, I don't even think I can generalize this experience to one other Yankee fan, but it sure was funny. I don't even hate the Yankees, I don't even think about them enough to hate them (or strongly dislike them).