HOW FAR DOES 'YOU'RE WITH ME, LEATHER' STRETCH?

Wherever a young mother is ignorant of what to feed her baby, you'll be there. Wherever nacho penetration is less than total, you'll be there. Wherever a Bavarian is not quite full, you will be there.

So how far has "You're With Me, Leather," the Chris Berman-skewering phenomenon that grew organically from a post at Deadspin, the greatest sports blog going, actually penetrated into the mainstream?

On Monday, Deadspin detailed two more "YWM,L" sightings: in a graphic from a Fox Sports Southwest Houston Astros telecast. The other involves the Blue Jays' Class A affiliate in Dunedin, Florida. The D-Jays are hosting not one but two Deadspin-themed promotions, including the "You're With Me Leather Giveaway." Quoth minorleaguebaseball.com:

The first 25 kids in the gates will receive a game-used (leather) baseball. Also, each player's name will be announced with a special nickname over the PA system. Also, "You're With Me, Leather" T-shirts will given away during the game. Sponsored by Deadspin.

Here's the thing. Yours truly proudly wore a "YWM,L" t-shirt last Saturday to both the Blue Jays-Yankees game at Rogers Centre and out on the town whilst sampling some of Toronto's nightlife.

So what was the reaction? Next to nil. Here is the summary of the people who noticed, never mind actually got the meaning of my "You're With Me, Leather" t-shirt:

Woman taking cover charge*: 'You're With Me, Leather.' I don't get it.
Sager: You will. Just give it time.

That was it. Then again, deciphering "YWM,L" would have involved looking at my gut. So maybe that is the explanation.

So when will "You're With Me, Leather' officially become passé? It says here that it will officially be dated the moment that any talking head on Canadian cable TV uses it during baseball or CFL highlights. The most likely on-air personalities (some would say "poseurs" but that's so 1991) to use it at each network are, and this only assuming none have done so already:

• Mike Toth of Rogers Sportsnet;
• Adnan Virk of The Score;
• Jay Onrait of TSN (keep an eye on Jennifer Hedger here... don't just keep an eye on her since she's smoking hot even though she went to Western and thereby has this obnoxiousness that was acquired honestly).

C'est la vie. Cool is eternal but always dated, after all.

Incidentally, here's the best Berman-esque nicknames for the D-Jays that come to mind at 1 a.m. on a Monday night:

• Eric Fowler, 'But I Hardly Know Her!'
• Josh 'In The Back Of The' Kreuzer
• Curtis 'Please Don't' Falkenbach
• Yesson 'Prop 145' Berroa
• Robinzon 'Buenos Ding-Dong Diddly' Diaz (for Simpsons fans)

(*Nature of establishment this happened at glossed over since my mother is a regular Out of Left Field reader.)

Related:
Equal-Opportunity Offender: We Eat TV Sports 'Personalities' For Lunch (June 27)
Blog Blasts Past, No. 1: Me 'N' Adnan V. (June 26)

That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.