Writes Dario McDarby: "When you insulted the New York Yankees, at first I was going to challenge you to a duel for besmirching the honor of America's greatest team. Then I remembered, I'm chicken!

"So, I read the article about Steinbrenner and the Yankees instead. Wow!! I can never root for this vile team again ... and I've been a 'fan' nearly 60 years, since my earliest days of recollection. What a sinister, democratic ideal: all are to remain motionless while bad music is piped into empty heads. It's a vestige of the egalitarianism of our bland, flag-waving culture, democratic through and through.

"However, in the yankee (small y) character there is a lot of libertarian sensibility. In fact, here in gigantic but poor Aroostook County, our county's Repugnacan caucases went handily for Dr. Paul this time. There are two Yankee characters: one, the cold, immobile, avaricious monster who peeps through his curtains to spy upon neighbors (sort of an early form of police state agent); the other, a less cold- often friendly, helpful, stay-to-himself neighbor who believes in things like, live and let live, and, don't tread on me. Unlike Southerners, both rarely smile.

"As for the baseball team, adios amigos, from a former fan."