Fred Durst Was the Secret to the Yankees' Success

In the late 90s, some very terrible things happened that shook the very foundation of America.

The Yankees won the World Series three years in a row, from 1998 - 2000.

Limp Bizkit, led by front man Fred Durst, rocked the music charts during the same time period, what I like to call the "Middle School Years."

Is it a coincidence? I think not. Fred Durst and this red cap were inseparable. Unfortunately, many of us are all to familiar with the logo that's on the front of the hat (back of his head, because to wear a baseball hat forward, you know, the way it should be worn, would be too awful for Mr. Durst). Fred Durst always wore that red Yankees cap. The two images were inseparable.

It is my theory that the reason behind the Yankees success in the late 90s had very much to do with Fred Durst. I think the best way to prove this theory is to look at their simultaneous downfalls. Their breakthrough single, "Faith," was the driving force behind Three Dollar Bill, Yall$ peaking at #22 on the BIllboard Charts in 1998. Durst "did it all for the Nookie" in 1999, and had several unfortunately successful singles thanks to TRL and Carson "Whitest Guy In The Room" Daly over the next couple of years.

In 2001, Limp Bizkit released Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water - classy, ain't they? This was a last ditch effort to show that they had any talent. Their lone successful single off this album, "Rollin" was known more for being the entrance song for The Undertaker (a dark period in his wrestling career) than anything else.

From 1998 until somewhere in the middle of 2001, Limp Bizkit were, in the media sense, on top of the world. People actually bought their music, enjoyed listening to them play, and liked seeing them appear on TV.

From 1998 until somewhere in the middle of 2001 was also the time period of the Yankees success. They swept the Padres in 1998, after having a remarkable 114 win season. In '99, they again swept the World Series, this time denying the Braves yet again the chance to raise a banner other than NL Champs. In 2000, George Steinbrenner paid Armando Benitez to blow game after game, and won a hard fought series against the Mets 4-1. In the 2001 World Series, after being down 2 games to None, the Yankees pounded away on Byung-Hyun Kim who mysteriously blew up in the playoffs after having a brilliant season. After taking a 3 games to 2 lead, the Arizona Diamondbacks raped them in game 6 forcing a game 7. The Yankees had the lead going in to the 9th inning, before one of the happier moments during my time in 9th grade - Mariano Rivera blew it and the Diamondbacks were World Series Champs.

Ever since then, the Yankees have not had success in the form of their ultimate goal that they feel they are entitled to each year, a World Series championship. In September 23, 2003 - Limp Bizkit released an album Results May Vary. A month later, the Yankees, whose results usually bring home a World Series Championship, lost the World Series to the Florida Marlins. The results surely varied there for them. They have not made it to the World Series ever since. Results May Vary garnered negative reviews and low-sales for Limp Bizkit, and they have more or less disappeared ever since.

I think I make fairly strong case linking the two together - Fred Durst was responsible for the Yankees success. now some of you may be wondering, Well yes, I see the time comparisons. But how does that mean Fred Durst was responsible for the Yankees run? Excellent question, little one.

It wasn't "Fred Durst" himself so much that was the reason for all this... It was his red Yankees cap. That stupid red Yankees cap that hid his balding head, he wore all the time. As he rose to fame and was all over the media, so was that stupid hat.

All my facts are true, you can Wikipedia them. And with the simultaneous rise to power, came the much happier and more celebrated (okay, by me) demise of both Fred Durst and the Yankees. The Fall of 2001 was the last sign of pure success for either party involved. As Durst faded away, so did his red Yankees cap - and so did the Yankees.

A certain someone challenged me, thinking that I wouldn't be able to write an essay on my recently founded theory of Fred Durst = Yankees Success. Well, more like said person probably figured I would never be so bored so soon as to actually write it. Well, classes are officially over until August 25 and before I start 'enjoying' the time off that is 'finals week' I thought I'd show the academic side of me.

For the past 7 years, we have been free of bad music (that's a lie, but as long as one horrible rap-metal band is no longer prosperous, it's a start) and are not inundated daily with the accomplishments of the Yankees (also a lie, unfortunately.) Well, at least I haven't had to watch them raise any Championship banners the past few years.

Fred Durst's stupid red Yankees cap was the driving force behind the Yankees success of the late 90s... well, that and the whole STEROIDS thing.

Tim Robbins Is My Hero

Tim Robbins may have just saved the future of television news broadcasting.

Okay, that's a tad drastic. But he has used his star power to urge those in charge to change the way they deliver "news."

"We don't need to look at the car crash; we don't need to live off of the pain and humiliation of the unfortunate; we don't need to celebrate our pornographic obsession with celebrity culture... We are better than that."

They thought they were going to have a keynote speaker who would serve them fluff about how wonderful they all are and how the internet and technology makes news available to people all over the world instantaneously. But Robbins said something that needed to be said.

News today is crap.

Especially television news broadcasts. Everything he said is right on. They show the rapes, the deadly car crashes, the tallish black male who killed a smallish white female, and what Paris Hilton, Michael Jackson and Tom Cruise have done in the past 24 hours.

I don't care that Oprah went to the bathroom twice while having lunch at the expensive yada-yada-yada, or that Lindsay Lohan spent $2,500 buying sunglasses for her pets.

There are things going on in the world, the country, and locally other than murders, crimes and tragic deaths. Why is there the need to only highlight these things? Is that really what brings in ratings? Is that what attracts advertisers?

The news is full of sensational stories that scares the average white suburban viewer, because, after all, aren't all the people sitting at home watching the news on their TV white and from the suburbs?

The journalist heroes that people talk about from decades past who have covered (or in some cases, uncovered) great political stories and got classic interviews - that's journalism. Journalists are supposed to provide the public with news of what is happening locally, state-wide, nation-wide and world-wide. Good and bad, and give them all the pertinent information.

The fact that the average American knows little to nothing about the situation in Darfur, yet they do know What Britney Spears' shirts say on a daily basis is disgusting. There is a genocide going on right now, and people don't know. Why? Because the people in charge of the media don't think that we care. Well, if we never hear about it in the first place, how can we even form an opinion on the subject matter?

Instead of relishing on the bloody images of a victim being carted away from a deadly 10-car-pile-up, present the news in a respectful matter.

Stop portraying certain people as criminals based on their income, location, skin color, clothes or accent. These people must have been forced to do real journalism through college, have they forgotten everything?

I'm not doing anything new by saying that there is a problem with the current state of the news. All I am trying to get across is the magnitude of what Tim Robbins did. He was granted a high honor, and used it to take a chance to speak to the National Association of Broadcasters to point out what is wrong with the news today.

So while Robbins will never be known for these remarks more so than for his performances in Bull Durham or The Shawshank Redemption (or his Award-snubbed performance in Tenacious D: Pic Of Destiny), this might be the most powerful thing Robbins has ever done.



Oh yeah, his speech, just like this post, ended with a standing ovation.