And He Said It With a Straight Face...

Last night, I turned on the local cable news channel (NY1), and caught their late-night sports program. The topic of discussion was (of course) the Yankees' elimination from the playoffs. I watched for about 10 minutes of pure pleasure while Yankees fans tried to explain why it wasn't fair that they weren't going to the playoffs and whose fault it was (suprisingly, Giambi got a decent amount of blame from the fans, while A-Rod did not). Pitching was also a culprit, according to the callers, and many callers and people who e-mailed cursed Brian Cashman for letting Johan Santana go to the Mets, who, upon last examination, were still in the playoff race.

In response to those condemning the failure to sign Santana, the host tried to talk his listeners off the ledge, but methinks his tact might have been a bit off. His logic as to why it was OK that the Yankees didn't get Santana? "He's great, but if the Yankees had signed him their team salary would have entered the ridiculous."

Let's see: the Yankees spent $209 million dollars to not go to the playoffs, with a payroll $71 million dollars more than the next team (Tigers), were paying 6 men in their mid- to late-30s more than $15 million each, but Johan Santana would have made their payroll "ridiculous." And he didn't even miss a beat while saying this.

I always enjoy watching the Yankees not win the World Series, but being in New York when they don't make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years has made the pleasure even greater.

Go Mets!