"Yankees suck" should be shelved next to the history books along with the Yankees last World Series title

Kevin Cullen crafted the journalistic sentence of the day in his column, "Enough already," that appears on Boston.com. In the column, Cullen implores Red Sox fans to stop uttering, "Yankees suck!" at Fenway Park and venues everywhere.

"Shouting 'Yankees suck' at Fenway Park today is like yelling 'No taxation without representation!' at Faneuil Hall," Cullen writes. If you know basic American history, you likely laughed when you read that line. For those of you who did not pay attention in history class, let me explain. "No taxation without representation" was uttered by American colonists long before the Revolutionary War.

British Parliament taxed imports and exports to the colonies, which had no say in the matter. Americans were agitated by the Stamp Act of 1765 (which required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used) and the Townshend Acts in 1767 (which included special taxes on lead, paint, paper, glass and tea imported by colonists). In fact, the colonies rejected taxes levied by the Townshend Acts, insisting they had no obligation to pay anything imposed by a British Parliament in which they had no representation. The British responded by retracting all taxes with the exception of a duty on tea.

According to EyewitnessToHistory.com, "In May of 1773, Parliament concocted a clever plan. They gave the struggling East India Company a monopoly on the importation of tea to America. Additionally, Parliament reduced the duty the colonies would have to pay for the imported tea. The Americans would now get their tea at a cheaper price than ever before. However, if the colonies paid the duty tax on the imported tea they would be acknowledging Parliament's right to tax them. Tea was a staple of colonial life - it was assumed that the colonists would rather pay the tax than deny themselves the pleasure of a cup of tea."

The British were wrong. Oh, were they ever wrong, as they were shown at the Boston Tea Party.

EyewitnessToHistory.com says, "In Boston, the arrival of three tea ships ignited a furious reaction. The crisis came to a head on December 16, 1773 when as many as 7,000 agitated locals milled about the wharf where the ships were docked. A mass meeting at the Old South Meeting House that morning resolved that the tea ships should leave the harbor without payment of any duty. A committee was selected to take this message to the Customs House to force release of the ships out of the harbor. The Collector of Customs refused to allow the ships to leave without payment of the duty. Stalemate. The committee reported back to the mass meeting and a howl erupted from the meeting hall. It was now early evening and a group of about 200 men disguised as Indians assembled on a nearby hill. Whopping war chants, the crowd marched two-by-two to the wharf, descended upon the three ships and dumped their offending cargos of tea into the harbor waters.

"Most colonists applauded the action while the reaction in London was swift and vehement. In March 1774, Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts, which among other measures closed the Port of Boston. The fuse that led directly to the explosion of American independence was lit."

Even those who are mostly history illiterate know the rest of the story. The American Revolution ensued, the United States of America was born, the British were sent home humbled and defeated, and our country earned its independence.

Those of you who are intrigued by history and are still reading this post understand Cullen's comment that how "Yankees suck" and "No taxation without representation" are no longer relevant. Just as America does not play second fiddle to jolly ole' England anymore, the Red Sox are no longer below the Yankees. As Cullen points out, that ended in 2004, when Boston executed the greatest comeback in the history of sports by erasing a 3-0 deficit in the ALCS, defeating the Yankees and then winning the team's first World Series title since 1918.

In a way, England of the 18th century and the New York Yankees of the modern era are similar. The British were arrogant, egotistical elitists who felt a sense of entitlement. Ditto for the Yankees. The British Army was dominant and feared, just like the Yankees. Essentially, England ruled the world, just as the Yankees did in Major League Baseball. The British had their multiple victories in battle around the globe, and their array of taxes against the American colonists. The Yankees had their World Series titles, and their jabs to keep the Red Sox down (such as Bucky Dent's home run in 1978 and Aaron Boone's dinger in 2003).

Then, like the mighty and scrappy American Army spearheaded by George Washington, the Terry Francona-led Red Sox had enough. Just as the Americans were bolstered by a resounding tactical and moral victory on Christmas night in 1776, when Washington guided them across the Delaware and they defeated the Hessians and the British in the Battle of Trenton, the Red Sox were charged by a Dave Roberts stolen base, a game-tying base hit by Bill Mueller and a walk-off home run from David Ortiz in Game Four of the 2004 ALCS.

The Americans were on the verge of losing the Revolutionary War against the world's strongest military until the Battle of Trenton. The Red Sox were three outs from being swept by Mariano Rivera and the Yankees until their ninth inning comeback in Game Four. Like the Americans rebounded and won their revolution, the Red Sox were ignited by the Game Four victory and demoralized the Yankees by winning the ALCS.

Though the Yankees will never by an ally of the Red Sox, I agree with Cullen that Boston fans should forego taunting their rival with the "Yankees suck" chant.

First, with the exception of that stretch between 1982 and 1994 - when they had some decent seasons but never reached the playoffs - the Yankees have rarely "sucked" in the modern era, which I consider 1968 to the present day. Why 1968? Because I was born that year, and I am not ready to admit that 1968 is not part of the modern era.

Only a moron would chant "Yankees suck" - at home or in public. I despise the Yankees. I don't like what George Steinbrenner did to baseball, ruining the salary structure (and, no, he does not deserve induction into the Hall of Fame). I don't like Derek Jeter, A-Rod, Jason Giambi and, of course, Johnny Damon. And I don't care for that noise pollution they play throughout the game at Yankee Stadium.

Simply put, I can't stand the Yankees, but I respect their place in baseball history, and their involvement in this rivalry. It wouldn't be a Red Sox-Yankees rivalry without the Red Sox or the Yankees. I don't like the Yankees, but even this season, when they are a very flawed team, the Yankees don't "suck."

Perhaps a better chant would be, "the Yankees and most of their fans are arrogant, egotistical bastards who still feel a sense of entitlement." However, not only is that chant too long to memorize, it is not appropriate anymore. What have the Yankees done since winning the World Series in 2000? Sure, they have won the American League East every season except 2007, but they have fallen in the post-season, which is inexcusable for a team with their unlimited financial resources. They are no longer feared, nor should they be. They now have to deal with the Red Sox and Angels, which are both perennial contenders who are as good as if not better than the Yankees each season. There is also the Rays, which should be competitive for the long term. The Yankees are no longer the king of baseball. The American League is more competitive than ever, and other teams are willing to spend big dollars on free agents and trade acquisitions.

The Yankees are making a run at the playoffs, mostly because an awful bullpen has prevented the Red Sox from leaving Tampa Bay and New York in the rear-view mirror, and also because the Rays are mostly young and inexperienced, and are showing signs of wilting in the pennant race heat. So it's alright to root against them. After all, this weekend's series at Fenway Park is relevant - because it's the Red Sox and Yankees, and since the Red Sox are a half-game out of first and three games ahead of the Yankees.

Regardless of the standings, I have never uttered, "Yankees suck." Why? Because though I am far from perfect, I do have class. I'm not a drunken moron. I do feel emotionally spent after every inning of a Red Sox-Yankees game. I feel a greater high when the Red Sox beat the Yankees than I do when the Red Sox defeat any other team. I love watching the Yankees lose, regardless of who they are playing. And I am grateful to be alive in an era when the Red Sox, and not the Yankees, are THE team to beat.

But, just as I'm sure most Americans no longer resented the British for taxes once the United States gained its independence, I feel no need to utter, "Yankees suck." I am embarrassed that the phrase exists. Other Red Sox fans should take the same approach. Make it a distant memory of yesteryear. Yankees fans are stuck in yesteryear, touting their World Series titles as if they happened yesterday. Let them remain in yesteryear, which is exactly where the "Yankees suck" chant belongs.