You have to wonder about The New York Times front-page story selection sometimes.

Long considered the arbiter of what is newsworthy, even in the age of celebrity-driven, cable-chatter led reporting, The Times usually takes a proper view of what is a lead story.

So when the paper placed an article on Page One today about local criminals sporting New York Yankees attire, it made me wonder:

A curious phenomenon has emerged at the intersection of fashion, sports and crime: dozens of men and women who have robbed, beaten, stabbed and shot at their fellow New Yorkers have done so while wearing Yankees caps or clothing.

It later noted:

In some ways, it is not surprising that Yankees attire is worn by both those who abide by the law and those who break it. The Yankees are one of the most famous franchises in sports, and their merchandise is widely available and hugely popular.

But Yankees caps and clothing have dominated the crime blotter for so long, in so many parts of the city and in so many types of offenses, that it defies an easy explanation. Criminologists, sports marketing analysts, consumer psychologists and Yankees fans have developed their own theories, with some attributing the trend to the popularity of the caps among gangsta rappers and others wondering whether criminals are identifying with the team's aura of money, power and success.

Perhaps a bit too analytical. Maybe save such analysis for real issues like why certain crimes are up or down and how to stop them.

And, yes, I am a Yankees fan. But so far not accused of any crime.