Being that I'm a New Yorker, and due to the resulting ever present laws of Sociology, I lead a more exciting and eventful life than any of you do because of this, I'll relate to you a George Steinbrenner story...
It was the 4th of July, 1986 (gez, another 4th of July story from the 80's for ya). The Statue of Liberty was just refurbished and all the Tall Ships from around the world came into New York harbor to celebrate (see that? MY backyard. I ask you again, "Whatchoo got in yers?").
My dad, being a high ranking officer in The Navy, had his family invited to the Intrepid aircraft carrier museum, which is permanently moored on a West Side dock in The Hudson River. A rich entrepreneur had rented out the whole ship just to throw a private party. Yeah, rented the whole aircraft carrier to watch the fireworks. (You know, the NEW YORK fireworks the nation watches every 4th? The ones I can see out my window. "Whatchoo got out yer window?" lol.)
Anyway, we're all on there and my 16 year old sister sees George Steinbrenner standing on deck with his family during the afternoon. She says,"Hey, you know what? I know today's his birthday and I'm gonna go over there and wish him happy birthday." So, she takes my mom with her and goes up behind him having lunch on a lawn chair set up on deck. Anyway, George acted SO PLEASED that this 16 year old girl knew it was his birthday. He smiled, popped right up out of his chair from the middle of his lunch, waves my mom over, and puts his arm around my little sister, so my mom can take a good picture. Yeah, and on his hand, he's wearing one of his two (It was '86, so there were only 2 of his total of 7) two World Series Rings. It's placed right on my sisters shoulder.
A few weeks later, she got a big enlargement of the picture back from the photo developers and sent to to George so he might sign it and return it. He did. And to this day, my sister has it framed on her bedroom wall... ready for where it resides?...
On my sister's apartment wall in BOSTON.
And my sister isn't even the least bit hot (I'm the hot one, btw). Now, that's a nice man.
Rest In Peace.
(and for the guy, or anyone who thinks George ruined their poor rival baseball team's chances year after year...
hey crybaby, sports mirrors life, and to the men with the most MONEY go the spoils. That's SOCIOLOGY and the quicker you learn that fact of life, the less of a whining loser you'll turn out to be.)
Oh, and Yanks freakin' rule. ima Yanks-Pats fan since 1976 from the middle ground of Connecticut, where you can go either way. Yanks-Pats, the most successful combination of the last 15 years. 8 championships and 12 trips to the finals for me. That's sweet. At 10 years old, I refused to choose The Sox because of what a whining fatalistic masochistic chump they'd turned my father into. Thank God for that.)
-"Whatchoo Talkin' 'Bout, Kontradiction?"
