If there's one thing I don't understand about certain fan behavior, it's the turning on one's own team to spit your frustrations at them in gross, entitled fashion. If there's one thing I don't understand about Yankees fans, it's when they do this themselves.
Check it: There is no excuse for someone of a certain age who claims to be a lifelong Yankees fan to get all huffy and pouty the second the team starts doing poorly. Hast thou not seen a good chunk of those 27 championships (and should therefore not be so downright bitter when the team hits the skids)? Hast thou not lived through enough playoff-making seasons that thou dost not remember other slumps that worked themselves out just fine? Because when I see comments like this, I almost wonder if it's teenage kids doing the complaining - ones who have the luxury of not being alive during the "bad times" and therefore don't know any better (or know any worse in this case). A grown-ass adult who should have gained some perspective by now, though? I. Don't. Get. It. Oh wait, maybe I do. Maybe it's a bandwagoner who pretends to have remembered the bad times, but was really rooting for the Mets back then. Or someone who is just so blinded by the need to win that it's become like The One Ring to them. Anything less than first place with a month to play is worthy of a temper tantrum, and MUST be taken out on social media.
Of course, complaints can and should be made when warranted and frustration in one's favorite team is absolutely valid. When phrased in the right way, it can convey a realistic point of view. Pollyanna-ing can be dangerous in and of itself - if you set yourself up for miracles all the time, you may not be able to pinpoint the things that ARE actually wrong. But I'm not talking about reasonable-argument-making fans who are like, "Why would you send the runner there when you know the pitcher has a good pickoff move?" No, in this case, it's the comments that are like "bunch of spoiled rich whiny babies" (Irony Alert: They're referring to the team... not to themselves or the other "fans" making these comments) that are so completely off-putting, and I have to question why one would even watch a sport if this is the place they go when things get "bad."
If you've read this blog in its entire 11-year run, you know how long I've been rooting for this team. Essentially since I was a zygote. Probably before that. I've seen a lot of s*** go down in my years of growing up with these guys. Right now, they look anemic as all get-out at the plate. The pitching is tepid at best. I don't, however, see any need to question or challenge the integrity or desire of any player on this team. I don't see or hear of any of them loafing or blowing things off and pretending that everything is A-OK. You know, we've rarely seen an entirely healthy team take the field this season, and the five-man rotation/bullpen has pretty much performed above expectations till now. They've stayed afloat way longer than they probably should have, given that Pineda never really got a chance before he got shut down, Andy's been down since June, our epic rock of a closer tore his ACL, Nova's been MIA these last two crucial weeks with injury, A-Rod was out for a good chunk, Teixeira is now out, Cano and Granderson are playing hurt. Having all that talent ailing around the same time isn't going to do wonders for any team.
That's not to say they won't get their asses in gear and fix this. Get Thumper back. See if Andy can slip right back in there and do his thing. Get A-Rod and Granderson hot. Keep Jeter from pressing and go back to his insanely good year. Let Swisher go back to being a A guy in the lineup, not THE guy. I mean, I don't have a crystal ball or anything, but I do think it's counterintuitive to just freak the hell out over something you have no control over and may actually end up turning out okay. Hell, it could even get worse, and then what? You have a full-on meltdown if they don't make the playoffs? You swear off the team because, ohmygod, for only the second time in 17 years they don't make it to October? THE HORRORS.
But this IS to say that this doesn't seem like 25 surly egomaniacs merely coming onto the field to collect a paycheck and who take delight in pissing the fans off by losing. Mel Hall they ain't.
And I'm guessing if you had to look up who that is, you probably wouldn't even understand this argument anyway.
