The new guy is starting to get on my nerves.

Have you ever gone out of your way to give somebody a hard time? Perhaps you've harped on a particular subject you know they find annoying... I've seen it before with Yankee fans, "hey red sox fan, 26 championships, where's your ring?" (thank the idiots that's over) but they just keep harping on it, keep bringing it up, just to piss you off. This new guy is like that...but unintentionally.

He's talking basketball with the two other basketball fans in the group, and it's bugging me no end. Now, I don't watch basketball, I don't follow basketball, but even I know that this kid doesn't really believe what he's saying, that he's only saying it to get a reaction, or only to hear himself speak. Shut up already.

I'm dreading the conversation that will take place later on in the morning when he raves about "his NY Jets" and starts putting down Joe, the Steelers fan. "Yeah, Big Ben's falling apart...missed a game with sore ribs, more like Big Baby...Curtis Martin's just warming up, we Jets are gonna run all over you this weekend, I can already smell superbowl" He's not even talking to me! I can't stand it. Shut up already, first of all, "your" Jets don't stand a chance against the Steelers on any day of the week, much less playoff sunday. The only way, only way, you win is if the steelers implode or every single starter gets carried off the field with a season-ending injury in the first quarter. But more to the point (second:) You're an idiot. How about instead of antagonizing your coworkers by using what I assume you think is "good natured needling" or "joshing around" you knock it the hell off?! Thanks. Maybe a conversation that doesn't involve the person you're talking to, or the six people within earshot, wanting to slap you around can be a goal for today. Go ahead and talk about your precious Jets, but after one round of "Baby Ben vs. My Man Martin" you get down to the real strengths and weaknesses of the teams? If that's the entire substance of your twenty minute schpiel then you're only going to piss everybody off. And basketball? That's fine too, if you're actually talking basketball, and not just saying "see, I knew we'd win, I told you he can shoot from the outside, I told you he'd be dangerous from the outside" when we all heard you friday saying "no way, he sucks from the outside, no outside shot, no outside shot, can't win with him on the outside" Give it up! Knock of this insincere, cry-for-attention pandering and just talk. Or maybe, better, give it up, and just shut up. At least give us all a little break from the chatter. Maybe after lunch I'll have some more engergy and we can go round for round. Cuz there's no f-ing way "your" Jets beat the Steelers, and I swear that if I hear you say one more word about the unstoppable, even-though-they-lost-seven-of-their-last-ten vikings I will beat you with an nfl regulation football and hand you over to the steelers fan.

-Tom

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