The Yankees have always been a team that many have loved to hate. Myself included. I have never been a fan of the Red Sox, but you better believe that I jumped on their band wagon during the 2004 ALCS just to enjoy the Yankee's embarrassing loss even more. I loved to see the Yankees lose because they were the best team with the highest payroll and the best overall players. And I, among the fans of every other team, hated them for it.
Did and still do the Yankees deserve all this hostility? Not really. Every fan wishes their team was the best and had big name super stars. The Yankees just happened to have one of if not the best owner in the game. George Steinbrenner passed away this morning suffering from a massive heart attack. This is the man who was solely responsible for the Yankees success and high spending. However this isn't the man that should be hated, I think those who do hate him are only envious of him.
George Steinbrenner did exactly what I would do if I had more money then I could throw away. Buy your favorite sports team and make them the best at any cost. And can any of us blame him? It wasn't against the rules, there is no salary cap in baseball so why not. We hated the Yankees because they were good and their owner made them that way. We were envious of their success and owner who was a fan that wanted to win just like us. I'm sure that Pirates fans (if any still exist) would have traded Kevin McClatchy or Robert Nutting in a heartbeat for George Steinbrenner to take control of their team.
So here is to the man, and his team, that we all envied and hated because of it. If only we had all learned to appreciate the man while he was still alive.
R.I.P. George Steinbrenner 1930-2010
I am just discovering this whole blog thing of yours. pretty cool. Rush Limbaugh jokingly called Steinbrenner a "cracker" in response to the recent Black Panther Party hate speech videos. and you know where i stand on the Yankees>Red Rox issue.
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