THE Y-M-C-A-AY CREW

Do you ever wonder why Yankee fans love the YMCA grounds crew so much? When you see the fan cam, it seems as if almost everyone in the stadium is into the dance like they're experiencing it for the first time. It seemed that way on Monday night, and it seems like it every time I visit the stadium.

Since the YMCA dance happens at every home game, the routine - for me - got old quick. There's no spur of the moment excitement, and the routine is a little too corny for me. Until this week, it really didn't occur to me why fans love it so much. But I finally figured it out. It's the tradition. Yankee fans love the YMCA dance crew because Yankee fans love tradition.

There's something to be said for tradition. While I usually prefer new experiences to old ones, I can appreciate mind-numbing repetition every once in a while. One tradition I do like to see at the stadium is the roll call from the bleachers. I love how it connects the players with the fans. I love how each player responds to the roll call in their own unique way. And I just love the spirit of it. I just can't seem to get into the sight of grown men sweeping and dancing in robotic fashion.