FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Here's an article that was just posted on the Milwaukee paper's website:

 http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-spynotes075989621jan07,0,4507201.story?track=rss

If you don't feel like reading, I'll give you the condensed version right now; Yankees president Randy Levine referred to comments made by Brewers owner Mark Attanasio, in which he acknowledged that a salary cap might be needed in MLB, as "sour grapes."  Now, first off, in Mark's defense, if you actually read what Attanasio said, none of his comments had a whiny tone to them, whatsoever.  He was asked a question about the Yankees, and he responded.  He responded in a way every one outside of New York has been responding to the same question; does baseball need a salary cap?  He gave an honest answer...exactly how Levine feels this is simply "sour grapes," is completely beyond me.  But then again, I don't live in the la-la land that these people have their heads stuck in...which brings us to this;

I'll tell you where the "sour grapes" are coming from, Levine.  They are coming from the people in this country who have just had their job shipped over to China.  They are the people who are wondering whether or not they can provide shelter, clothing, food, and other necessities for their families. They are the people who can't even afford a bleacher seat at your sparkling new edifice of bloated power...the NEW Yankee Stadium.  It's easy to attack Attanasio.  He's rich.  But why don't you talk to the rest of us then?  The rest of us bottom feeders who are also calling out your team for one of the most disgusting, embarrassing acts of greed ever witnessed by this sport.  Why don't you talk to the tax payers of New York?  The people who just shoveled over hundreds of millions of dollars so you could build that fancy new ballpark of yours - and then watched as you slapped not just them, but every working class citizen of this country in the face, with an unparalleled orgy of free agent signings.  $500 million.  Didn't the government just spend that much, bailing out the auto industry?  Only this time, $500 million when to three people.  This, coming from the team that just asked the citizens of New York for how many hundreds of millions to help pay for their brand, spanking new ball park.  I have no idea how Yankees fans feel about all of this...and really, I could care less.  If you are completely unwilling to look at sports in the grand scheme of things, and realize how unimportant they really are (and how they are wholly unworth such a fortune), then that's your problem, not mine.  If you are completely unable to look at a team spend $500 million on a group of baseball players, and NOT be even the slightest bit embarassed, then I don't know what I could possibly say. 

Before this year, I was always one to acknowledge that big contracts have, unfortunately, become the nature of the beast in professional sports.  But then this happened...in a time when the country is in one of the worst recessions in American history.  The Yankees go out and spend this much money, and then have the gall, the AUDACITY, to even use the term "sour grapes?"  What kind of fantasy land in the clouds do these people live in?  Just a parting thought; those sour grape eating Brewers went to the playoffs in 2008.  Refresh my memory again; what did $200 million buy the Yankees last year?  Have fun, 2009 Yankees, playing under that $500 million microscope...