Making small talk with a client on Thursday, I asked him who he was rooting for in the decisive ALCS game. Without missing a beat he proclaimed himself "a diehard Yankee fan." I didn't say anything, but that phrase really got under my skin. You hear a lot of people in these parts make that declaration. It never fails to irk me.

You see, a "diehard" fan is one who willingly, well, dies hard. A "diehard" sticks with his/her team through thick and thin, through the ups and downs. The 100th Fall Classic starts tonight with those Yankees playing at home. This is their 36th World Series. Think about that. Almost 40 percent of the championships have involved those fabled pinstripes. Should they beat the Marlins (and, trust me, they will) it will be their 27th championship trophy. Absurd. What exactly, Yankee fans, could possibly cause you pain?

No. I'm serious. Where's your pain? Where's your Bill Buckner? Where's your Fred Merkle? Where's your Donnie Moore? Where's your Fred Snodgrass? Where's your Ralph Branca? Where's your Mitch Williams? Alas, where's your Grady Little?

There's no answer. There's no pain. There's only ego, expectation and greed.

You know what? I'm rooting for the Marlins.