Speaking of the economy failing and baseball – this maybe an opportunity. Perhaps the only way to bring baseball back as a competitive sport is for the Yankees to go bankrupt. It could happen given how leveraged they are and in need of a $256m tax break. Of course if this does happen I’ll probably end up living in a refidgerator box on the beach somewhere in Maui. It’d be worth it.

I think this should be recced a lot more!

Yeah, he said it before he went to work for the Bostons.

Not sure. Johnny “the Mouse” DeMarco, a member of the Licatese family that was part of the larger Scalish regimo. Not a guy you wannta cross back in the day.

+1 – agree wholeheartedly!

I think turning down the $$$ would make him more of Curt Flood Kryptonite, and I agree I would have rather that he just shut up and do the job they’re paying him boatloads of money to do.

He didn’t day anything that was untrue. Unfortunately, being in NY does give him a better chance at winning a championship than a lot of other places. It’s not because the Yankees are any better at identifying and developing talent, have players who want it more or work harder. It’s because they have the financial wherewithal to bury mistakes that would bury other teams.

That coupled with the arrogance that leave them and their fans with an air of entitlement when it comes to being in the postseason it what makes me despise the organization and its fans. If CC drinks that Kool Aid, he’ll be dead to me. I just haven’t seen it yet.

+1 – agree wholeheartedly again!

as part of a 3 game game sweep of the Yankees who, with all their payroll only managed to make the playoffs as the wildcard. Especially since that sets up taking Boston down in the ALCS

Yuengling is everywhere, Jay. I get it on tap in VA. Stoudt’s is better, anyway.

Believe it or not they were selling it, on tap, on Beale St. in Memphis last time I was there.

Atlanta. We just got it here, maybe two months ago.

When I saw it on the shelf my gut reaction was to buy it all and another refrigerator for the basement, but then the clerk told me that we’ll be able to have it all Regular-like.

As mentioned above – the best factory tour around.

Oh c’mon that third statement was absurd!

I know, just trying to stir up trouble.

took the words right out of my mouth.

Did get to see Absurdal’s first career double live in Cleveland at least.

Words certainly have meaning, but much of their meaning is derived from context. With regard to professional sports, I feel pretty comfortable ignoring everything an athlete says unless it amuses me (O, Manny…), relates to a technical matter, or is otherwise abnormal or noteworthy.

What CC said today is the rhetorical equivalent of signing the contract. It’s meaningless, except to denote that he is now a Yankee and should be rooted against accordingly.

This isn’t ’Nam, smokey…

I agree. I think he clearly stepped over the line with that comment.

I like to think I’d be more candid about things in the same situation, but cliche is kind of the norm when it comes to sports press conferences. It’s hard for me to really get on somebody’s case about it.

Not at all, but I think it’s odd to believe this is what he really thinks. He probably would prefer to make $300 million playing for the Oakland A’s and batting cleanup. Of course, he’s still a jackass.

You’re right, but this goes back to what I said about pressure being put on him to sign in New York. He’s a young man, a ball player. He’s not going to stand up in front of the cameras and extemporize. Very few people could. So he’s coached. If he felt strongly he could say, “Wait a minute. I want to say something else.” They might even let him do it.

He’s a jackass for signing with the Yankees. All this other stuff is window dressing. What you say about accountability is correct, but that’s not the way it works anymore.

Key West is a hellhole. (too dated?)

one of my favorite places, period. but it’s not perfect. it’s not worth what it costs, and things like times squared have become downright dreadful. the big problem with new york comes when it acts like the teams. when the people, usually from new jersey or something, blather on about how it’s the greatest thing. noted, but the attitude is reprehensible, like its teams. you can wipe paris and rome off the face of the earth, etc…? honestly, that’s the thing that keeps new york from being the greatest, the douchebag attitude.

I don’t hate New York City, for the record. I don’t even think it’s a hellhole.

Agreed completely. I love ragging on my uncle when the Mets do their annual collapse in September. I love that the Yankees lead the league in payroll and we steamrolled their asses in the playoffs in 2007. I proudly wore my Sizemore tee to a NJ bar for the Carmona/bug game and almost got my ass kicked. I love how the Knicks spend almost as recklessly as the Yankees do and are one of the worst teams in basketball. Really I enjoy all of it. But when you extrapolate the love of poking fun at those teams to hatred of the city, I get rightfully annoyed.

Civility – no
A sense of community – no
A good bowl of gumbo – no
One, just one, half-ass decent radio station – no
A good blues bar – no
Please spare me on the theaters – the American musical is dead, and I’d rather have ’em re-do my heart valve replacement than hafta sit through 3 hours of a Broadway play
And Julio, beautiful people? Only if you’re into black-clad troglodytes.