Sports Stress

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I must admit that I'm a little surprised by the Yankees this year.

I certainly told everyone I knew that they could be good this year, but I'm not quite sure I believed it.

They're old in some areas and young in other areas.

They needed Tex and Beltran and A-Rod all to be good.

They have been.

So, the year is kind of a bonus, right?

Except now that they are this far into the season and still in first, I'm beginning to get stressed about it.

And it's funny, but sports has become a thing that people stress about in their real lives.

When the Yanks were in the bottom of the 9th against the Blue Jays on Friday night...with the winning runs on base...the count full...the batter fouling off pitch after pitch after pitch, I texted a buddy.

"I don't need this much stress."

"You ain't on the payroll," he texted back.

And it's true...nothing you can do about any of it...just watch...and try to enjoy it.

Cut to two days later and the subject of the Bills came up.

"They can win the Super Bowl," one over-zealous party-goer said.

"They don't have a quarterback," I said.

Then everyone jumped in to tell me that I was wrong:

Manuel can be good.

Cassell can manage the game.

Taylor is exciting.

And perhaps the Bills can be a surprise.

Everyone gathered their new jerseys and went to the stadium to watch them practice this past weekend.

$70 a ticket.

$25 to park the car.

All those in attendance Billieving that the playoff-less seasons are behind the Bills.

Sports wasn't quite like this back when I was growing up.

The players weren't held in such high regard.

We didn't base our entire existence on whether they won or lost.

Miller got the strikeout on Friday night and something Uncle George Steinbrenner said came back to me:

"I want to win every game because our fans have better days when we win."

I had a better day on Saturday.

Isn't that odd?

Let's Go Buffalo!

We don't need no stinking quarterback!

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