It isn’t bad enough that my two nephews have been brainwashed with nothing but New York Yankees since they were old enough to run the bases.

I can almost live with that because they really aren’t old enough to know any better.

OUCH! That was my sister slapping me across the back of my head.

Back to the reason why I’m venting today.

The second game of the World Series hadn’t even reached the sixth inning yet and I was already being bombarded by over-enthusiastic reactions from an unnamed Yankee fan.

This is what makes Yankee fans so unbearable.

Okay, so maybe it’s me that’s overreacting now.

But it’s that “In Your Face” cheering and the constant “Look what WE did” comments that drove me to hate those Bums from the Bronx as a youngster growing up in North Olean.

You would think that growing up in a neighborhood that featured first generation Italian and Polish families that one group would cheer for one team while the other might cheer for a different team.

Not so.

Everybody I knew cheered for the Yankees.

I can remember one older gentleman who never missed a Yankee broadcast.

He would sit in his easy chair night after night, a cold bottle of Genesee in one hand, and listen to his transistor radio.

Others would not venture out of their homes if the Yankees were on TV.

To be sure, as a young boy, I got my fill of Yogi, Mickey and the Scooter.

It just never seemed to end.

When I got older and realized that there were actually other teams out there, I decided to adopt one.

In fact, I adopted all of them.

But it’s only gotten worse.

And I must sadly admit that I’ve come to realize that, while Yankee fans can be grating, avid fans for any team can be overbearing.

Here in the southwestern corner of New York State, it can be downright uncomfortable during football season.

You’ve got Buffalo Bills fans complaining about the constant losing in Orchard Park and Pittsburgh Steelers fans nitpicking because coach Mike Tomlin’s squad’s latest game wasn’t perfect.

I had to laugh two weeks ago when the story broke about the disgruntled Buffalo fan who paid $1,500 to rent a billboard so that he could tell Ralph Wilson that he wasn’t happy with the state of the Bills.

This same fan had already paid for season tickets and he went out and spent another $1,500. WHY?

To me, it would have made more sense to stay home the next time Buffalo plays at The Ralph.

Yeah, I know you already paid for your tickets, but it seems Ralph Wilson might get the message quicker if you decided NOT to spend any more money supporting his team.

This would mean no parking fees, no concession sales and no souvenirs sales. Not one single extra dime for the Bills’ organization.

But fans being fans won’t do that. They would rather go to the games and get themselves totally flustered with disappointment.

Well, don’t come crying to me.

And don’t be flashing your smile in my face when your team does good.

It’s just a game.

(Jim Melaro, a Times Herald sports writer, can be reached at sports@oleantimesherald.com)

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