My first encounter with Reggie Jackson

I thought today would be a good time to tell this story.

The New York Yankees are in Boston this weekend for 5 gigantic games (actually the games are the same size)... If Sept. 11th had happened during a Yankees/Red Sox series it might have made page 2 of the papers.

For the next 4 days all you'll hear on the news is Yankees this, Red Sox that. Every person you encounter will ask: "What's the score?" or "Did you see that game last night?" or "Posada...what a douchebag, huh?" or "What the heck is a Matsui anyhow?" and on and on. One way or the other it's gonna be glorious.

But not as glorious as that summer of 1978 (look it up) In 1978 Reggie Jackson played right field for the Yankees and was almost as big as the game (figuratively not literally...or do I mean the former or the latter??) Reggie was the most egocentric, self-centered Me. Me. Me player ever. He always referred to himself in the third person...or was it the first person? (maybe it was the former....could be the latter)....folks hated him. But he was good. Real good. Hall of Fame good.

....so anyhow I get tickets for a game at Fenway like everybody who has ever lived in New England gets at one time or another (unless of course your brain is the size of a tea bag)....Section 1 row 2, which sounds like a nice section doesn't it? Well, Section 1 is the worst place to see a game in all of sports. It sucks. You can barely see anything....except the right fielder. And on this particular day, yup...you guessed it...Reggie Jackson was playing right field. For the Yankees. The MFY.

When it's time for the Yankees to take the field in the 1st inning I become Joe Obnoxio and just start hootin' an a hollerin' at Reggie. Every possible thing I can think of I scream at that bastard. Every inning. Every pitch. "REGGIE YOU UGLY BASTARD!!" and "REGGIE YOU SUCK" (clever, huh?) and of course HEY REGGIE... I ENJOYED YOUR MOTHER LAST NIGHT" and the always classic "REGGIE THROWS LIKE A GIRL" and even the absurd "REGGIE IS TICKLISH" and on and on it went. Until finally after about 8 innings Reggie turns around, scans the stands, hears me, sees me, looks me direct in the eye while a HUGE grin appears on his face and then gives me the finger.

I've always loved Reggie Jackson since then. The only Yankee I've ever liked.

(The reason I've always hated the Yankees is because they throw like girls, they suck, they're ugly bastards, I've been with all of their mothers, and they are ticklish.)