This explains a lot

[Stolen from DNT]

Why the Wankees can afford that monstrous payroll:

Report: Yankees Trademarked 'Yankees Suck' Chant In 1996
Team Has Earned More Than $90 Billion From Popular Phrase
November 13, 2009 | Onion Sports

TAMPA, FL—New York Yankees team ownership revealed Tuesday that the phrase "Yankees suck," one of the most popular chants in sports, was trademarked by the 27-time World Series champions prior to the 1996 season, a business strategy that has earned the team close to $100 billion over the past 13 years.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office records show that every time an individual chants, shouts, or writes the words "Yankees suck," the New York Yankees organization earns at least $2.15, an amount that escalates depending on repetition, volume, and whether the phrase was used during a national broadcast.

I always suspected...