In a Yankees season that's seen us fans experience more ups and downs than Tera Patrick in a reverse cowgirl position, I submit to you 10 reasons why watching the 2005 Yankees resembles a roller-coaster ride:

1. There's a long-ass line to get on. The Yankees are averaging a killer 49,791 fans in 61 home games, best in the majors and on pace to draw over four million for the season. Absolutely tremendous support from the fans.

2. You're so excited when you finally get moving. Remember when we opened the season with consecutive wins against the Sux? Randy dominates and Tino shines defensively in Game 1. Captain Intangibles wins Game 2 with a clutch homer. 162-0 still a possibility. The Elias Sports Bureau says those games occurred 27 years ago.

3. On that slow first climb, you think "Get me off this thing!" Ladies and gentleman, meet our 11-19 start, when we couldn't decide who was hurting the team more, a healthy Tony Womack, a healthy Bernie Williams, a healthy Jason Giambi or a healthy Carl Pavano, whose gopher balls recently cashed in their frequent flier miles for a 24-karat gold house in the Cayman Islands.

4. After the big drop, you think the worst is behind you. The Yankees followed their 11-19 start by winning 16 of 18, including a 5-1 record against Oakland — against whom they're now fighting for a playoff spot — and culminating with an electric Friday night win against the Sux, in which Gary Sheffield crushed an Alan Embree pitch that killed a fan in the left-field upper deck.

5. Unknown people are along for the ride. Before they were thrown into this mess, I'd never even heard of Robinson Cano, Chien-Ming Wang, Shawn Chacon and Aaron Small. And they've all played big roles for the highest-paid team in sports history.

6. Everyone has a different take on the situation. Some think it's a thrill-a-minute that'll end up just fine. Some think we're gonna die any second.

7. The old coasters feel like they're gonna fall apart. At one point, four of our top six starters were on the DL, and Randy was as creaky as the Cyclone. In the outfield, Bernie looks like he's two steps from the glue factory. The defense has been bad enough to hang a "DANGER: Flying Objects" sign.

8. Plenty of upside-down loops. Up is down. Down is up. The Big Unit is a model of inconsistency, but the Chien-Ming Dynasty was a rock. A-Rod's putting up MVP numbers, getting huge hits, and we're worse than last year. Jason Giambi comes back from the dead, and we're still worse than last year. Jeter can't beat out Scott Podsednik for an All-Star spot.

9. At some point, you're close to throwing up. Or, as we like to call it, games against the Devil Rays and Royals. To call them doormats would be an insult to doormats, and we're 4-12 against them.

10. In the end, you realize it was worth it. You finally wobble off the thing, check your teeth, count your limbs, fix your hair, high-five your buddy and scream, "That was fucking awesome!" Then you both lie and say you weren't scared at all. Let's see if this pans out like it should.

More Yankees Thoughts:

• Back in June, when the team was 30-32 after a 3-9 road trip, I wrote that the Yankees would probably miss the playoffs. That simply means I didn't think they had a better than 50-50 shot to either a) win the AL East or; b) finish higher than the second place finisher of each of the three divisions.

That wasn't a write-off, just a mathematical estimation.

Since then, they've been very good, going 35-22 (projects to 99 wins over 162 games). I think they've increased their chances, as the field of contenders has trimmed a bit, and the A's and Indians scare me a bit less than the Twins and O's did earlier in the season.

Better than 50-50 right now? Nah, probably right at it. The Sux aren't exactly cruising, so that's another bullet in the chamber if the other wild-card challengers stay hot.

• Before this season, I probably saw about two home runs hit off Randy Johnson in my life. Now he's given up 25, and all seemingly against "Who's He?" guys.

Batters are hitting .263 against the Big Unit. Only once since 1989 has it been higher (.280 in 18 starts in 2003), and 13 times it's been no higher than .216.

• I still root for Roger Clemens. It's amazing what he's doing. I just can't think about it too much, because then the vomit starts to rise up my throat as I think about our Game 6 and 7 starters in the ALCS last year: Jon Leiber and Kevin Brown, a couple of first-year Yanks.

• How many times do you think the YES Ultimate Road Trip crew has cursed god for making this the season they attended every game?

• Get ready for the most tense regular-season Yankees games since 1995. The Bombers made the playoffs in 2000 by only 2½ games, but they lost 15 of 18 to end the season. It was always in the bag. Last year was a battle for the AL East but we knew we'd be invited to the ball in October. This year, strap yourselves in. Three games in Oakland and six left with the Sux. Holy crap, keep the Maalox close.

• Keep hope alive. Most of all, have fun.