Damn that Hank Steinbrenner

Here's my problem: I think Hank Steinbrenner is a jerk. And I am not the only one. A lot of people think this. And I think the evidence supports this assertion. My problem is that I love the New York Yankees. I grew up a Yankees fan, I have always been a Yankees fan. For those of you who have forgotten, the Yankees spent a lot of time sucking in the 80's and 90's. I grew up watching them suck. I loved Mattingly and Winfield, but the Yankees still sucked. I watched them every chance I got on Channel 11. And I listened to Phil Rizzuto hoot and holler. But suck they did, despite all my efforts to the contrary (which were few and meager- I've never gotten voodoo to work).

And I could live with the sucking. And I could live with Derek Jeeter. And I could live with them getting trounced for no good reason on a regular basis. But I cannot live with Hank Steinbrenner. George Steinbrenner was bad enough. But his kid (little Hank) is a complete and total jerk. He's obnoxious, he's rude, he's pompous and he has no class. And if you want to run the biggest legacy in baseball history, you have to do it with finesse and some humility. But not this guy. Holy crap, not this guy.

So what is a fan to do? My problem is compounded by the fact that I do, in fact, live in Red Sox Nation. Actually, my household is a member of the Nation, as my wife repeatedly reminds me. What's more is the Paw Sox, their triple-A team, is here in Rhode Island. Out of respect for said Nation, I refrain from wearing Yankees paraphernalia. I refrain from being an active fan. And that's fine. I cheer to myself and am thrilled when they win. But Hank Steinbrenner is not going anywhere, he'll be the co-owner until he dies. Or I die. And it appears as though he is always going to be a jerk.

So why do I care? Although not always the case, an owner of a team can actually become "the team". He or she is the long-term image and soul of that team. That person is the front man. Players change. Managers change. Fans change. But owners can stick around for a long time, especially when a team becomes more than just a business. Maybe I'm making too big a deal out of it. Maybe it doesn't matter. But I look at Robert Kraft and the comparison to the Steinbrenners is stark. When you respect the owner, respect for the team comes naturally, even when they lose. It's quite a conundrum. Defection may be my only recourse.