Yub Nub, eee Chop Yub Nub

So do you remember at the end of Return of the Jedi when Darth Vader grabs the Emperor and throws him down the conveniently placed bottomless pit? Seriously, there is never a bottomless pit when I need one. Well, I remember having my 5 year old brain blown away at that moment. The Empire is dead. No more dark side of the force. The good guys won.

My friends, that is exactly what happened last night in Yankee Stadium. In the 8^th inning, 2007 rookie of the year Dustin Pedroia hit a grand slam, clinching the game and the last series played between the Red Sox and the dirty, filthy Yankees in Yankee Stadium. This effectively kills whatever hope the Yankees had to catch the Red Sox in the wild card race. For the first time since 1994, the most evil team in professional sports (Lakers are close second) will not be in the playoffs. Suck it, Steinbrenner.

This team has the largest payroll in the history of American professional sports. By acquiring Ivan Rodriguez (the only Pudge I know is Pudge Fisk), the Yankees have about 4 hall of famers. Ivan, Rivera, Arod and maybe Jeter. I’m not convinced Jeter is a hall of famer though. But the point is this lineup is loaded, the ownership and front office is insane, the local press is relentless and the fan base is arrogant and entitled. Not a good combination when you’re dealing with massive failure. This will lead to an enormous overreaction in the off season. The Yankees will hold a fire sale and officially begin the “rebuilding process”. The Yankees are dead. It makes me want to dance around a bonfire with a bunch of Ewoks.

By the way, how awesome is it that all I have to do is google "yub yub" and I immediately can pull up the complete lyrics of the original Ewok song complete with translation? Glorious nerds and their internet. Here's a link, so you can sing along.

By they way, I know the Yankees beet the Sox today, avoiding the sweep. I don't care. The Yankees remain dead.