Comments on: Yankees Suck and Violence

By: Ray LeMoine

Ray LeMoine — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:43:27 +0000

Because they draw from unique demographic bases, sports teams are more political than any other entertainment. Thus sports language can be manipulated to violent ends. In the Nashua case (as I state above), I hope it’s a one-off. But if you watch the link of the fight in above post, you’ll see a brawl, then a chant. This happens all the time in Sox-Yanks universe: fan language leading to violence.

Now, look at Argentina’s soccer gangs. River and Boca crews control all levels of criminal enterprise in Buenos Aires. Likewise, in Boston and New York a regional “nationalism” and pseudo-gangsterism (Departed, Sorprano “honor” codes) is at stake when the two teams play.

So any added (semi-legal) propaganda promotes a nationalist mentality and helps promote a violence.

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:28:44 +0000

I agree with MacKenzie. This woman clearly had something wrong in her brain and if wasn’t a ‘Yankees Suck’ chant that set her off, it definitely would have been something else. We see it all the time, but just dont read about it, because it doesn’t hit as close to home or is not as ‘headline grabbing’ as the Yankees Suck story. Severe violence over parking spots, video games, articles of clothing…it happens all the time. In my opinion, the ‘Yankees Suck’ chant (however lame it is–26 titles) had absolutly nothing to do with the death of this man. This woman’s fragile mental state had EVERYTHING to do with his death.

By: John LaCroix

John LaCroix — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:16:08 +0000

Zelda fights are fucked up.

By: MacKenzie

MacKenzie — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:06:18 +0000

I’m just pointing out that fights over athletic teams are generally a symptom, not the problem itself. Like how football hooligans tend to fit a depressing sociological profile and often use fighting as an outlet for their anger towards the rest of society. Simply put, you’re being too hard on yourself and/or “Yankees Suck.”

And I would love to see a Zelda-inspired fight.

By: Ray LeMoine

Ray LeMoine — Tue, 13 May 2008 18:31:11 +0000

Yeah, but when have ever seen a fight start over people chanting “Zelda! Zelda!” or “GTA IV, GTA IV” or “Rambo First Blood!!!” Sox and Yankees fans have their own language of intimidation—that often lead to violence—and the shirts/stickers are somewhat responsible.

By: MacKenzie

MacKenzie — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:07:35 +0000

“Now, does Yankees Suck propaganda contribute to violence? Yes.”

I disagree and think that this follows the same video games/rap music-causes-violence line of thought. Stable people — even drunk stable people wrapped up in the Yankees/Sox rivalry — don’t run over each other when they’re pissed off.

Don’t get me wrong, I think the rivalry can get out of control and often negatively changes the atmosphere of a game, but I also think the fans who get violent have bigger issues and that this just aggravates them (much like bad driving and a girlfriend who “talks back” do).