Hey, he's Giuseppe Franco.

The day after I linked to the commercial on YouTube:

"The incongruity of the classiest team in sports being sponsored by what seems to be a smoke-in-a-bucket sell is not all that incongruous. After all, John Sterling has been the radio Voice of the New York Yankees for nearly 20 years. Nevertheless it remains an oddity that the New York Yankees can't do better."

Are the Yankees the classiest team in sports?

My earliest memories of the Yankees are Phil Rizzuto proclaiming "This Bud's for you" or "It's Miller time" whenever a Yankee hit a homerun.

Yum.

Beer.


You know, Mushnick poses as a gritty, cynical, dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker. Yet, he doesn't seem to realize that the Yankees are nothing more than dancers in a strip club. The Yankees exist solely to move the merch.

When one visits Yankee Stadium, one may notice that the bathrooms are rather difficult to locate. The $35 Jeter tee shirts are impossible to miss.

"Class" and "tradition" are marketing campaigns, easily disproven, and completely irrelevant. Without money rolling in, the entire team fails to exist and the entire league fails to exist.


I am not sure what type of advertising would strike Mr. Mushnick as "classy" and appropriate for the YES Network. Perhaps Michael Jordan selling underwear? Tiki Barber selling minivans? Viagra?


I can honestly say that the Procede commercials are the best part of Yankee telecasts. Turn down the volume when Kay and O'Neill are blathering their nonsense. Turn it up just to hear Giuseppe say, "I don't own the company ... (dramatic pause) .... I don't know anything ABOUT it."

Giuseppe, I believe you. Giuseppe, you can sell me anything.