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Thursday, July 24, 2008

Boston Globe: Cullen: Enough already

Now, sit back, and think long and hard for a moment. Have you ever said “Yankees suck”? Think of the people you have seen or heard saying this over the years. My experience has been that most people who shout “Yankees suck” are either drunk, obnoxious, or stupid and very often a combination of all three. They are an embarrassment to the rest of us, and their chant makes us look like a bunch of local yokels.

I know this will fall on deaf ears, and “Yankees suck” will be sung lustily all weekend in the bleachers and grandstand, then on Brookline Avenue as guys who have already had too much to drink mosey down to Kenmore Square, looking for more booze or a fight.

But if in this day and age you continue to yell “Yankees suck,” it says a lot more about you than the team you think you’re insulting.

Thanks to the last of the great Gregblosserorian chanters...Art Martone.

Repoz Posted: July 24, 2008 at 09:24 AM | 36 comment(s)
Related News: General, Boston, NY Yankees

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1. Cris E Posted: July 24, 2008 at 09:34 AM (#2871051)

Cullen Sucks! Cullen Sucks!

2. Moscow Hiding In The Shadows Posted: July 24, 2008 at 09:53 AM (#2871071)

It wasn't always this way.

3. Hubie Brooks Posted: July 24, 2008 at 10:05 AM (#2871084)

Yankees stink?

4. Baseballing powerhouse Crispix Attacks Posted: July 24, 2008 at 10:13 AM (#2871091)

All right-thinking people have long since replaced "Yankees suck" with the more subtle and erudite "Yuck the Fankees".

5. Shooty: Now rated AAA by Moody's and S&P! Posted: July 24, 2008 at 10:17 AM (#2871094)

All right-thinking people have long since replaced "Yankees suck" with the more subtle and erudite "Yuck the Fankees".

This is all I want. When the Yankees hit the road, I want to hear 40,000 people breaking into a giant chorus of Lucky Star by Madonna. We need to be more creative in our mass heckling. C'mon people!

6. Harold Reynolds: An Erotic Life (AG#1F) Posted: July 24, 2008 at 10:32 AM (#2871113)

I prefer heckling Conan O'Brien-style.

"Hurl your apple, hurler!"

"Why don't you dig a trench so that the apple might be as low as you wish it to be!"

7. The Marksist Posted: July 24, 2008 at 11:07 AM (#2871149)

As an action item, could everyone reach out to their colleagues and try to build some stakeholder support for this project?

8. aleskel Posted: July 24, 2008 at 11:12 AM (#2871160)

I prefer heckling Conan O'Brien-style.

ah, it is most cooling on my moustache!

9. too fat and ugly to play third Posted: July 24, 2008 at 11:24 AM (#2871170)

I prefer not to shout, but I agree with the shouters.

That's what I chant.

10. Larry Mahnken Posted: July 24, 2008 at 11:34 AM (#2871179)

I don't generally hate the Red Sox players (I like Ortiz and I get a kick out of Manny), its some of their fans that bother me.

11. NJ in DC loathes his classmates and the law Posted: July 24, 2008 at 11:39 AM (#2871191)

I don't generally hate the Red Sox players (I like Ortiz and I get a kick out of Manny), its some of their fans that bother me.

Don't like Papelbon and Youkilis, but that's about it.

12. Smiling Joe Hesketh Posted: July 24, 2008 at 11:52 AM (#2871204)

It's probably worth mentioning that Cullen is not a sports columnist. His stuff usually appears in the City section.

13. Random Transaction Generator Posted: July 24, 2008 at 12:04 PM (#2871225)

I don't like Yankees or Red Sox (as teams/organizations), but I do like Youkilis and Pedroia (helping my Scoresheet team), and ARod (pure talent, plus a backlash for the unnecessary hate for him from almost everyone else I knew because of his contract(s)). I've also flip-flopped between liking/disliking Derek Jeter a bunch of times.

Oh, and there is only love for Rivera and Wakefield (two of my favourite pitchers).

14. salajander Posted: July 24, 2008 at 12:12 PM (#2871241)

Any of the "<team> suck!" chants are stupid. Especially those talking about successful teams - "Yankees suck!"? No, not really. They're doing pretty well. "Nationals suck!"? Ok, maybe, but it's still a stupid chant.

15. Toolsy McClutch Posted: July 24, 2008 at 01:07 PM (#2871340)

I think I dislike the "Sox fans" more than the "Yankee fans" right now, probably because they're winning. Though I'd be happier if the Yankees missed the playoffs this year.

I do have a good man-love for Jetes though. I know he's over-rated and all that jazz, but he's still a cool character and comes up big pretty often.

16. RMc is the President of the United States Posted: July 24, 2008 at 02:24 PM (#2871552)

While attending a college football bowl game last year, I shouted out the following words: "Hey, Mr. Referee! That last call of yours may not have been entirely accurate!"

My brother was shocked. "My God! What horrible dark place did that come from? You're out of control!"

17. Mister High Standards Posted: July 24, 2008 at 02:43 PM (#2871604)

Someone should ask Mr. Cullen to attend a Yankee game. Boston Sucks chants are about as prelevant as Yankee sucks chants. Maybe not as prevelant, but pretty damn close.

The night the NYG won the big game, there were Brady Sucks, Boston Sucks chants than I have ever heard at a boston event bar the first SB Parade in 01.

18. Baseballing powerhouse Crispix Attacks Posted: July 24, 2008 at 02:47 PM (#2871607)

Yeah, but that was after the New York team had just beaten a Boston team featuring Brady, so it was accurate and appropriate for that particular occasion. The Boston tradition has been to chant "Yankees Suck" at, say, a Patriots-Bengals game. Though the prevalence of that has been exaggerated.

19. Cowboy Popup Posted: July 24, 2008 at 02:53 PM (#2871612)

Boston Sucks chants are about as prelevant as Yankee sucks chants.

There are Red Sox suck chants too. They're all lame, but it's pretty clear that a bunch of schmucks heard "Yankees suck" and felt they needed a response, which is a bit lamer IMO.

20. JPWF13 Posted: July 24, 2008 at 02:53 PM (#2871613)

he Boston tradition has been to chant "Yankees Suck" at, say, a Patriots-Bengals game. Though I think the prevalence of that has been exaggerated.

the last time I went to Yankee Stadium the crowd was chanting Boston Sucks, as they left the game (against the Twins...)

Years ago I was at a Knick game and near the end a Potvin Sucks, Potvin Beats his Wife chant started at one end... (A NY Ranger fan chant dated back to the 1970s when Islander Defensemen Denis Potvin broke Ulf Nilsson's collarbone...) I had a feeling that most of the chanters had no idea why they were chanting that...

21. Shooty: Now rated AAA by Moody's and S&P! Posted: July 24, 2008 at 03:03 PM (#2871622)

the last time I went to Yankee Stadium the crowd was chanting Boston Sucks, as they left the game (against the Twins...)

I went to a Reds-Yankees game recently and saw groups of frat-looking guys sporting Red Sox gear.

22. Baseballing powerhouse Crispix Attacks Posted: July 24, 2008 at 03:05 PM (#2871624)

Was it at Yankee Stadium? I could see those guys making a big trip into the Bronx, being shocked that the tickets were so cheap, and then sitting down and gradually realizing that there's a baseball team called the "Reds" that is different from the "Red Sox".

23. JPWF13 Posted: July 24, 2008 at 03:13 PM (#2871639)

and gradually realizing that there's a baseball team called the "Reds" that is different from the "Red Sox".

That would work if the 75 World series had never happened- most of the Sox fans I know can recite every detail of every game 7 loss the Sox have ever suffered in the post season....

but then again the "Red Sox Nation" bandwagon followers probably can't.

24. Shooty: Now rated AAA by Moody's and S&P! Posted: July 24, 2008 at 03:16 PM (#2871645)

Was it at Yankee Stadium?

Yep.

25. jwb Posted: July 24, 2008 at 04:11 PM (#2871719)

the last time I went to Yankee Stadium the crowd was chanting Boston Sucks, as they left the game (against the Twins...)

And the last time I went to Fenway the crowd was chanting Yankees Suck as we were standing in line outside the T station (after losing to the A's).

26. Biff, Red Sox Jinx Posted: July 24, 2008 at 04:14 PM (#2871721)

Yankees suck.

27. Elevate Phil Coorey Later Posted: July 24, 2008 at 05:21 PM (#2871796)

My cousin was at the A's game on the weekend. He's amazed at the hate New Yorkers have for Boston. He loved it and thought it put Australian rivalries to shame however.

"Hey, Mr. Referee! That last call of yours may not have been entirely accurate!"

I'm using that!

28. Fat Al Posted: July 24, 2008 at 05:31 PM (#2871808)

This is all I want. When the Yankees hit the road, I want to hear 40,000 people breaking into a giant chorus of Lucky Star by Madonna. We need to be more creative in our mass heckling. C'mon people!

I've already tried using "Get into the groove, Alex!!!" at Yankees games. It gets no traction but I crack myself up.

29. The Politics of Torre: How the HOF Really Works Posted: July 24, 2008 at 06:06 PM (#2871824)

The best heckling at a Red Sox Yankees game may've been the "Ro-ger" chants that Clemens received in the 1999 ALCS.

30. Srul Itza Posted: July 24, 2008 at 06:20 PM (#2871832)

The Boston tradition has been to chant "Yankees Suck" at, say, a Patriots-Bengals game.

You act like this is unusual. I was at MSG in the 80's, and the fans were chanting "Beat your wife, Potvin, beat your wife" [clap][clap].

It wasn't just that the Islanders were not playing the Rangers that night, that made it stand out.

It was the fact that it was a Knicks game.

31. SoSHially Unacceptable Posted: July 24, 2008 at 06:33 PM (#2871840)

There are Red Sox suck chants too. They're all lame, but it's pretty clear that a bunch of schmucks heard "Yankees suck" and felt they needed a response, which is a bit lamer IMO.

There was plenty of Yankees Suck and Boston Sucks back in the late 1970s. I couldn't tell you which group of fans started it and which followed. I can say neither the leader nor the follower demonstrated much on the creativity front.

I would be surprised if it was widespread before that period, since that was about the time "sucks" started to shake off its overwhelmingly vulgar roots.

32. Rafael Bellylard (p8p) Posted: July 24, 2008 at 06:38 PM (#2871842)

As a Red Sox fan, I can't think of any individual Yankees I really, truly dislike. Jeter annoys me, but that's more of a reflection on listening to Joe Buck fellate him on every broadcast he does. Steinbrenner used to annoy me with his pronouncements, but those days seem to be past (although his successor seems to be keeping with the family tradition). The "Count the Rings" crowd are enough to keep my Yankee-hatred alive.

Youkilis annoys me more than any specific Yankee. Anybody who constantly has the red-ass is annoying. When the Teixeira-for-Youkilis trade rumors were happening, well, I'd have made that deal in about 14 seconds just to get rid of him. I don't mind Papelbon, and still get a kick out of Manny.

33. Scott Kazmir's breaking balls Posted: July 24, 2008 at 07:13 PM (#2871857)

After the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, I saw the following bumper sticker: "Yankees still suck".
Another read "I love NY too. It's the Yankees I hate."
I thought both were pretty funny and lacked any real venom. I don't have any real dislike for any particular Yankee player, past or present. The Corporate image they give off is a little unsettling, especially the sell-outs like Damon and Giambi getting hair cuts and shaves. Imagine Manny signing with the Yankees and cutting off the dreadlocks...I doubt it.

34. Joe Bivens, Ditch Digger Posted: July 24, 2008 at 07:22 PM (#2871859)

They started it. I was there, so I know.

35. Alan S Posted: July 24, 2008 at 07:23 PM (#2871861)

It's pretty much tradition for fans to chant "Yankees suck!" as they walk down the ramps to exit Shea after a Mets victory, regardless of what team they just beat. I don't participate in it, but it always makes me smile, and I'd be sad if it came to an end.

36. Esoteric roots for the two worst teams in baseball Posted: July 24, 2008 at 07:27 PM (#2871863)

I prefer heckling Conan O'Brien-style.

That is incredibly, incredibly funny. Thank you for the link.

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Thursday, July 24, 2008

Boston Globe: Cullen: Enough already

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