"You Rice-A-Roni-sucking dot-com bobo rube"

Readers respond to New Yorker's letter

Published October 19, 2000 7:24PM (EDT)

Read the letter

Well, shucks. If I thought I could be neighbors with people telling me to "shut the fuck up" in all those languages, I'd move to New York in, well, a New York minute. Didn't realize what I've been missing.

If "to live successfully in New York you have to be faster, smarter, funnier, prettier and more interesting," what's Giuffo doing there? I guess he must be pretty, because none of those other things really made it into his letter.

-- Katherine Bolt

Giuffo's letter defending New Yorkers says everything about why the rest of us couldn't care less about these self-absorbed morons. In spite of what he thinks, it's not that the rest of us hate New York, we're just tired of New Yorkers telling us how important their city is compared the rest of the world. (Unfortunately they are aided in this by the N.Y.-centric media.) I think I speak for lots of people when I say let's hope for a sweep by one of these teams and get this series over with as soon as possible.

-- Tim Strane

If I wanted to live in New York, I would. All I would have to do is learn how to talk really, really loudly. Then I'd pretty much have it down, huh? That, and jumping over puddles of urine in every stink-infested block. Have fun in your series, which no longer means anything to anyone outside of the Giuliani dictatorship.

-- Matt Ryan

Giuffo's letter is a perfect exhibit for why a Subway Series is a bad thing. New York City has enough reasons to be rude, obnoxious and perpetually annoying. They don't need another. A Subway Series won't be about good baseball. It'll be a week and a half of screaming and yelling over something New Yorkers feel entitled to while the rest of the country issues a collective yawn. Ratings will go into the toilet, and Steinbrenner's attempt to purchase another ring will continue to send baseball there as well.

The best baseball of the playoffs is once again behind us. At least when the Yankees dominated baseball in the late '70s they managed to make it interesting.

-- David Bruggeman

I'm a New Yorker, born and bred. And I don't want a Subway Series. Not only will it bring in every beer-swilling, foul-mouthed, undereducated, out-of-shape yahoo from the hinterlands and wannabe fan celebrities from Hollywood, but I really don't think the rest of the country will be interested. The ratings for the World Series haven't been that good in recent years (especially with the Yanks dominating the Series). It might be thrilling in New York City, but the rest of the world won't be interested in a local Series.

-- Stephanie Woods

If a John Giuffo letter represents that which is "faster, smarter, funnier, prettier and more interesting" about Queens, I'll take Manhattan. Please.

-- Cathleen Fitzgerald

Thanks a lot, Salon, for printing the letter of an arrogant, vulgar, sexist New Yorker instead of a reasonable one. Where's the one I wrote that invited everyone to have a hot dog and enjoy some great baseball? Instead, you've got this guy inviting everyone to choke on his dick -- not buried in the Letters, but right on the home page! Look everybody, New Yorkers are assholes! Here's proof!

I thought you were above perpetuating this nonsense. There are assholes in New York, just as there are in Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Indianapolis. They don't speak for all of us. You could have shown that, but you'd rather keep the war on. That reflects more poorly on you than it does on New York.

-- Phil Kitchel

Question: If a whiny non-New Yorker complains about a Subway Series that's going to happen regardless of his cries, does anybody hear him?

Who cares how non-New Yorkers feel about New York baseball? Don't watch it, then. Yes, the period from 1949-1958 is referred to as "baseball's golden age," because it involves New York. Get over it. Here's a hint to the other teams that aren't in New York: Play better. Win more games. Go to World Series. Leave New York out of it. Oh, that's right. You can't. New York wins. Again.

-- Joanne Kehoe

Enough with the whining about the Subway Series. Yes, it will focus more attention on an already over-covered city but true baseball fans will recognize this for what it is: baseball history in the making. It will also be a contest between two very good teams who have earned the right to be there. New York's teams may owe a certain amount of their success to the large payrolls they can afford, but the fans in New York are also among the most committed and loyal anywhere. The high attendance at Yankee and Shea stadiums all season demonstrate this, and not just because of the large population (ask the White Sox). So enough already. The only thing more tedious than Man on the Street New York saturation coverage is complaining about same.

-- Bradley Messmer

We, the united worms of the Big Apple, have waited 44 years for this. We've endured some hellishly bad times to get to where we are, and we have not the least bit of shame about enjoying our lofty perch atop the baseball world for all it's worth. It's not our fault that the Bay Area series was marred by a quake, and not even the whining of a spoiled pseudo-baseball purist is gonna ruin this moment for us. You don't want to hear about a Subway Series? Don't follow baseball -- at least until next year.

-- Rick Berman


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