The New York Yankees appear to be cruising towards an AL East pennant (and a playoff loss to the Angels), an altogether familiar circumstance that has author/journalist Jeff Pearlman declaring, “if I™m a Yankee fan, I™m bored and unamused.”  While I doubt more than a few (actual) Yankee fans will concur, I don’t mind what he’s got to say on the matter, either.

This offseason, the Yankees purchased the two best pitchers on the market (C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett), then went out and bought Mark Texiera, the in-his-prime, top-of-the-league first baseman superdooper stud. In other words, how can anyone with a human head actually attend, say, a Yankees-Royals or Yankees-Orioles or Yankees-Rays or Yankees-A™s or Yankees-Mariners or Yankees-Rangers or Yankees-Twins or Yankees-Anybody Except The Red Sox or Mets game and truly, strongly, lovingly, audibly root for the Yankees to win?

Really, it makes no emotional sense. I go to the movies to see The Empire Strikes Back. Darth Vader is absolutely loaded: The Emperor is supplying power and vital support. A new Death Star is in the works. He™s got a whole fleet of ships. So how in the world does anyone root against Luke? Actually, better example: You go to pick up your kid at school. There™s a fight in the playground. The bully lives next door to you. You like his parents, have attended BBQs at their house, remember when he was just a baby. However, now he™s a snarling 6-foot monster. His opponent is Richie Cunningham, the early high school years. Do you root for the thug, just because he™s familiar? Just because, once upon a time, he was likable?

Hells no.

In the event you find Pearlman’s disdain for the Bullying Bombers a tad screwy, perhaps an item from the Journal News’ Peter Abraham will convince you the ’09 Yanks cannot possibly deserve the support of any right-thinking individual. More than a 5th of the active Yankee roster attending a Creed concert (with Johnny Damon renting a bus for the occasion) isn’t quite up there with Eric Show and Dave Dravecky’s John Birch Society membership, but it’s still impossible to condone.