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Greenberg is Correct: Yankees Fans Are Embarrassing


By Mike Silva ~ November 1st, 2010. Filed under: Sabermetrics.

I find it astonishing that Yankees fans take exception to the comments by Chuck Greenberg regarding their behavior during the ALCS.

“I think our fans have been great,” Texas Rangers’ CEO Chuck Greenberg said on the “Ben and Skin Show” on 103.3 KESN. “I think particularly in Game 3 of the World Series they just blew away anything I’ve seen in any venue during the postseason. I thought Yankee fans, frankly, were awful. They were either violent or apathetic, neither of which is good. So I thought Yankee fans were by far the worst of any I’ve seen in the postseason. I thought they were an embarrassment.”

First, their apathy isn’t a new story. Kevin Kernan of the NY Post commented earlier in the postseason how every crowd this year has been better than the Yankee Stadium faithful. Perhaps the problem is ticket prices and too many celebrities hanging out to be seen, or business legends acting important on their blackberry.

Greenberg is also correct about the nasty disposition of certain individuals. First, they insulted he Rangers wives, including Kristen Lee, which may be a black mark in the Yanks attempt to recruit Cliff this offseason.

Next, check out this video courtesy of Bob’s Blitz. Rather than root for the home team it appears beer and alcohol led to some “reindeer games” in the bleachers.

Look, you can’t generalize about all Yankees fans. Many of that I deal with on in the blogosphere are great, whether it’s the guys from The Yankee U, Nomaas, or over at River Avenue Blues. I enjoyed doing postgame shows with Neil Keefe of WFAN as well. These are just a few. I can name so many more.

This behavior isn’t regulated to Yankee Stadium (see Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia), but I sense the winning has created a malaise over the fan base. The Stadium is almost a separation of two classes: The elite who are there to be seen, and the serfs who enjoy the booze more than balls and strikes. You almost feel the real fan is squeezed out more every year.

The other problem is the new generation. Yankees fans are spoiled, especially the kids who started watching them in the nineties. Can’t beat Texas? Just sign Cliff Lee. Brett Gardner not cutting it? Sign a supersized version in Carl Crawford. Nick Swisher can’t hit in the playoffs? Bring me Jayson Werth. Unfortunately this type of attitude is permeating more throughout the fan base. Isn’t this kid a perfect example of the modern Yankee fan?

Some will say this is jealousy and that couldn’t be further from the truth. They have every right to spend their money. The last fifteen years have created a brand that will stream endless revenue indefinitely. That power creates the reality that passion has turned into entitlement. Greenberg did nothing more than state the obvious. I think the fans in Texas have done a great job and deserve a winner for years to come. Hopefully Cliff Lee recognizes that and stays close to home.

It’s clear that the new Stadium will be an entirely different one than the place that no longer exists across the street. I feel for the old time fans because they just have to accept this isn’t your fathers Yankee fan. Even worse it might be too late to take your fan base back.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com
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14 Responses to Greenberg is Correct: Yankees Fans Are Embarrassing

  1. coney12
    November 1st, 2010 at 6:31 pm

    Mike,

    You can’t be serious. Every fan base has their group of idiots. I have been to several games at the new stadium and every crowd had their few idiots but for the most part it was fathers and sons. Maybe those folks get squeezed out for the playoff games but not during the regular season. My second point, Texas spent MLB’s money and the Yankees revenue sharing money to get Lee, Cantu, Guzman, Francoeur, and Molina over the summer- something I consider to be criminal.

  2. Stu B
    November 1st, 2010 at 8:56 pm

    @coney12: When the Yankees are accused of spending their money in an attempt to “buy championships,” a common response is that they’re playing by and within the rules/system. How can you characterize what the Rangers did this season any differently?

  3. Chris
    November 1st, 2010 at 9:26 pm

    What a silly piece. I’ve been a Yankee fan since 1958. Seen lots of different eras. Seen lots of writers trash the Yankee fans as well. The writers (and owners) come and go, but the fans stay for decades. Personally, I got my fingers crossed Lee doesn’t come. He’s pretty bush from my perspective. Doubt he’d make it in the Bronx.

  4. Russ
    November 1st, 2010 at 10:17 pm

    I hate the “Yankee fans are spoiled” BS. The Yankees won the Series when I was 6 (1978) and didn’t win again until ’96 when I was 24. As a huge, vocal Yankee fan, I ate so much shit as a child that you wouldn’t believe the abuse. So, I totally appreciate all the victories in the “Core 4 era”.

    I’m sure any 80′s child will tell the same story about how much this run has meant to us. We watched our team do stupid things and shoot themselves in the foot that you can’t help but embrace this group and have an emotional attachment to them. I for one, never take winning for granted and relish each and every title win. It’s been a hell of a fun run, and every bit of it is special, I can’t put into words what getting my own Yankee dynasty after reading about all the great ones of the past through out my childhood means to me, so the spoiled tag really burns in my craw.

  5. TT
    November 1st, 2010 at 10:19 pm

    So drawing 4+ mill a yr is apathetic now? So what’s that make Mets fans?

  6. coney12
    November 1st, 2010 at 10:57 pm

    @ Stu B: Because the difference is the Yankees spend their own money, not MLB’s money because they are in the red due to lapse in ownership and not another team’s money due to revenue sharing

  7. coney12
    November 1st, 2010 at 11:03 pm

    @ Stu B: And the argument that the Yankees buy their championships is usually made by pathetic amateur Red Sox fans who don’t actually follow the game but love typical Sox talking points like “buy their championships” when discussing the Yankees. The 2009 Yankees had Gardner, Melky, Pena, Posada, Jeter, Cano, Cervelli, Robertson, Wang, Rivera, Pettitte, Coke, Hughes, Chamberlain, and Aceves, all of whom were home grown. Hinske was acquired for a Yankees minor leaguer, Hairston for Chase Weems, Nady and Marte for Tabata and Karstens, Swisher for Betemit who was acquired for Proctor who was acquired for Bubba Crosby, A-Rod for Soriano, and Molina for Kennard. The only free agents were Damon, Matsui, Burnett, Sabathia, and Teixeira. So this argument that the Yankees “buy their championships” is a fallacy and a stupid one.

  8. Mike Silva
    November 1st, 2010 at 11:17 pm

    Coney

    I agree with you, but the Yankees did import Sabathia, Teixeira, and Burnett before the 2009 season. Without those 3 there is no title. Yes, the infusion of young talent played a key role in that, but money still is king with the Yankees. Most teams could only sign one, much less three, of those type of free agents in an offseason.

  9. spud
    November 1st, 2010 at 11:59 pm

    Wait, coney12 claims TX spent ‘revenue-sharing’ money on Cantu, Lee, Molina, et. al.? This is a perfect example of Yankee fans deluding themselves into thinking their economic behavior somehow equates to that of the rest of the league. Texas TRADED for all of those players. How is that ‘criminal’!? Criminal is signing Sabathia, Texiera and Burnett (HAHA on that one) in the same offseason. You’re all a bunch of self-deluded retards, motherfuckers. GOGIANTSHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

  10. Mister D
    November 2nd, 2010 at 12:53 am

    1. Attacking an entire fanbase with a broad brush is idiotic and immature, ESPECIALLY after you’ve beaten the team and, by all accounts, the organization responded gracefully when you did so.

    2. After the Rangers won, during the post game, those classy fans weren’t cheering on their own team. Nope. It was choruses of “Yankees Suck!” Way to be winners boys!

    Look Mikey, I agree that there are ALOT of Yankee fans with cranial hemorrhoids, but that’s an issue for US to deal with, not him.

    If this dink wanted to comment on the imbeciles who sat near Ms. Lee, I have no issue with that. But to attack fans as a whole, many of whom have been rooting FOR his accursed team since the end of the ALDS, was out of line.

  11. Matt
    November 2nd, 2010 at 6:37 am

    Don’t ever compare a Philadelphia Fan to a New York fan again scum bag. Yes we drink and get rowdy but never are we apathetic or abusive to opposing team players wives. Comparing us to NY fans is the biggest insult you could ever give us and god knows we haven’t gotten used to or been spoiled by winning. I hope the Yankees can’t land one decent free agent….

  12. DD
    November 2nd, 2010 at 9:05 am

    I normally really enjoy this site but this article is a complete joke. Go to any stadium at any sporting event and you can run into a few idiots. Really disappointed with your take on this.

  13. Stu B
    November 2nd, 2010 at 9:56 am

    @coney12: I wasn’t “accusing” the Yankees of anything. I was merely drawing a parallel between that accusation and the one you made about the Rangers. Both teams were working within the system and playing by the rules as they are in the collective bargaining agreement between the MLB owners and players. Case closed.

  14. spike
    November 5th, 2010 at 12:21 pm

    Look, you can’t generalize about all Yankees fans.

    But you seemed to have no problem doing this to Philadelphia fans a couple of columns back http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=30164 Key quote “the city of Philadelphia, win or lose, is a second rate sports town.” I am an Atlanta supporter, so I have no dog in this fight, but the cognitive dissonance is mind boggling.

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