New York Yankees fans came out in droves Monday as the Bronx Bombers kicked off their pursuit of a 27th World Series championship.

The excuses were wide-ranging, but the theme was the same - real fans weren't going to let work get in the way of heading to the park. Some boasted of their fake cough and 24-hour flu, while others claimed opening day was a religious observance. For some men, the real fear was having their wives find out.

No matter which way they spun it, the Yankees' followers prided themselves on not being fair-weather fans. They said true fans come early and often, watching typically weaker teams like the Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Fair-weather fans, they said, first sit down at the Stadium in October.

On the field, the Yankees started off the 2007 season with a 9-5 win over the Devil Rays. Clutch hitting by Derek Jeter, who tied the game in the 6th inning with a two-run single, fueled the home team's victory.

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