The Skankees and Philthydelphia

   Let's just see how much money the most underachieving team of this century has spent so far.
   Depending on the counters, the Bankees have spent between $1.1 and $1.9 billion during the first nine years of the young century and have yet to win a championship.
   Needless to say the Spankees are a collection of the most ridiculously compensated egocentrics in sports history and their management expects fans to simply cough up thousands of dollars to support the shakedown.
   Alex Rodriguez (who has apparently improved his postseason play after hooking up with Kate Hudson {what is it with this woman? I don't get it}) is being paid $33 million this year: more that the entire payroll of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Together with Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeria, the three players' salaries total more than 14 of the 30 franchises in the league: $75.2 million.
   Consider also that this year the franchise attempted to extort $500, $600, $850, $1,250 or $2,500 per game for a premium seat. After the season began and swaths of empty seats were caught on camera, the Steinspender clan whacked prices in half so the best field seat cost a meager $1,250 for one seat at one game. How can you not hate an organization that thinks so little of its fans' fannies?
   Still; rooting for the Phillies in the World Series has its own drawbacks. While there are players on both teams that deserve respect and conditional awe, I've been to the City of Brotherly Boos four times in my life and am continually put off by how absolutely filthy the place is, no matter where you go, no matter what time of year.
     Sheesh, I've been to some less than sparking domestic locales, but Killadelphia resembles an open-air sty. And with New Jersey sharing the sewage dump into the river it's no wonder you can nearly walk across the Delaware Bay.