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Kevin Youkilis: ‘We Need to Adjust the Society,’ Stop ‘Going Berserk Over a Sporting Event’ (Audio)

Kevin Youkilis received a standing ovation when he returned to Fenway Park last season as a member of the Chicago White Sox. The next time he enters the friendly confines of Fenway, however, fans may not be so kind.

Youkilis, who signed with the Yankees this offseason, is preparing for the boo-birds when he returns to Fenway — and why wouldn’t Red Sox fans boo him? Outside a few dozen expletive-laden phrases, “boo” is the most popular chant when it comes to the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. Youk, who was a guest on the Hill-Man Morning Show on Tuesday, spoke about joining the other side of the rivalry and used it as an opportunity to talk about some big-picture issues.

“In this day and age we’re living right now — with all the things around this world — we’re booing and getting so worked up about sports. Why is it so crazy in sports?” he asked. “This [Sandy Hook] tragedy happens, we have all of this craziness. People are going berserk over a sporting event. It’s wild. It’s wild to me how people can react and act with so much hate in sports. It’s supposed to be a release from your everyday life.

“There’s a lot of problems in our society today,” he adds. “I feel like there’s a lot of hatred and a lot of bad things. It’s the way we treat people from the early-going as kids — but the kids only learn from adults. The adults are the ones that teach these kids hate. That’s why I say, at these Yankees games, Red Sox, there’s hate — there’s so much hate. We need to adjust the society and just love each other a little bit more each day. I don’t know if that will change the outcomes in life, but I think it will help.”

Check out the interview below.