I come from a state known for people being nice; ever hear the phrase “Minnesota nice?” Well I’m done being nice about this. New York sports fans (mainly Yankees) seem to be among the poorest sportsmen, when they lose but especially when they win.

The Yankees are the richest team in baseball; of course they are supposed to win. Doug Stanhope in one of his shows lists many good points on this topic. Firstly, they bought their team. Additionally, it doesn’t make sense to cheer for the Yankees when they are supposed to win. “Have some character and pick an underdog.” You’re New York, you have the Mets too and THEY are an underdog. Cheering for the Yankees, unless you bet on them in which case you have a financial incentive for them to win, is like “cheering for the house at a casino.”

Seriously, you also have the Mets, a team that tends to not be as dominant as the Yankees. If my state had multiple teams in the same sport, I’d be a fan of both, provided one wasn’t the “team to beat.” Now maybe I just don’t understand what it’s like to have more than one team at the same time, and maybe I don’t understand the neighborhood rivalries that consume my friends from Chicago. Despite this, sports teams should have a uniting effect on a community rather than a divisive effect. I have a newfound respect for Mets and Cubs fans in their committed support to their teams. They may be the truest sports fans out there; however I still don’t understand why not support both in the case of Cubs fans.

Another issue I have is (speaking to New York Fans in general) your attitude about winning. Granted you have a strong strong may even be an insufficient word– rivalry with Boston in sports. Granted, Boston fans can be “Massholes”. In my experience, validated by an apparent hatred on Bostonians’ part of Brett Farve and the Randy Moss trade, Boston fans are only really bad when it involves New York teams. You’re their big rival and of course they are going to trash- talk you; but they never seem to aggressively trash my teams. New Yorkers, why not be the bigger side and be good sports when you win or (heaven forbid, cue the sarcasm) lose.

I’m not saying that I’m always a good sport when my teams do well or lose. I didn’t want to associate with New Yorkers after the Twins lost like Superman faced with Kryptonite; especially after the Jets also won two days later. I also tend to trash-talk Packers fans on the basis that they are cheese-heads. But here’s the deal, the only reason I have problems with New York teams is because in my years out here most of my encounters with New York fans (mainly Yankees) have left me wondering why the term is Massholes and not some derivative with New York instead.

Here’s a deal that I propose. You celebrate when you win, I’ll celebrate when my teams win. Neither side will rub it in the others face when one team beats the other, we will respect that the other fan is in mourning for the defeat of their beloved team. OK?