indulge me for just a little bit. I wrote this out this past weekend and wanted to share. I promise that you won't hear anymore from me about this unless people ask questions to me about it or want to argue. The Life of a Red Sox Fan I sit here at my computer, trying to put into words what I truly felt after watching yet another disappointing Red Sox loss. You see, I am a Red Sox fan and have been for 18 of the 30 years of my life. The Red Sox are the antithesis of the New York Yankees. Where the postseason is a formality for the Yankees, it is truly something special when the Sox make it. Since rooting for the Sox, they have reached the postseason seven times. Most of the time, it has been advance to the ALCS and get swept or lose in 5 games or lose in the ALDS. Nothing will ever top the ’86 World Series, because we were one strike from winning it all. But what happened on October 16, 2003 comes pretty damn close! Teams that have been successful in the past always have names that their fans remember fondly like Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, etc. Not the case with the Red Sox, we have names that we remember because of their failures like Pesky, Galehouse, McCarthy, Burton, McNamara, Buckner, and now Little. Just ask Bill Buckner if his life is a normal one now. Sure it is not right or fair, but such is the case when you play for a franchise that has a fanatical following not only in New England but all over the country. We, Red Sox fans, are demanding of our players and managers, and we don’t dismiss events that were disastrous to the team. As a matter of fact, that is part of the charm of rooting for the Red Sox – the fans are so passionate about the team that when they ultimately fail (and they do it sooner or later every year), a part of you dies because it is always painful with the Sox but the sun rises the next day and you always have hope that the next year they can get it done. Let’s say that we can go back in time and we were able to shake some sense in Grady Little. Pedro comes out of the game at the beginning of the 8th inning, not when it became tied and Timlin, Embree, and Williamson close out the Yankees and the Sox win to go to their first World Series since ’86. They then dispatch of the Marlins in say 6 games, to win that first title since 1918. For some strange reason, it would not only be a surreal thing for me to experience, but I would feel that a big part of the charm of rooting for the Sox would be gone forever. As much as Sox fans hate to admit it, their constant failures, the constant agonizing defeats that tear your hear out is a big part of rooting for them. In an almost masochistic way, you are curious to see what new ways they are going to come up with to lose another heartbreaker. But, it would still be nice to see it happen – a World Series title by the Sox in my lifetime, even if it is just one. So I am a Red Sox fan. I don’t need your pity, condolences, or anything else like that. We, Red Sox fans, love our team and always will no matter what happens. We are tired and frustrated of seeing the disappointments and heartbreaks, but we will never grow tired of following this great team. Anyone can be a Yankee fan; to me that is the easy way out because you never go through disappointment with that franchise. Being a Red Sox fan is much more difficult because it tests every fiber of your being. But at the same time, there is no other team in baseball that I would want to root for.
that's cool...i'm not criticizing...i am a red sox fan, too...not first and foremost...but i really like the sox and have since 86. but i can't imagine feeling the pain of a team that didn't play for my hometown. sure, when non-houston teams i root for lose, i'm a little disappointed...but it doesn't become personal like when a houston team blows it. i didn't like seeing the sox lose the other night...but i'm not there living it, ya know? i'm not surrounded by it...it isn't as much a part of my identity as being a houston sports fan is, growing up and living in houston.
Well, you have to remember that I live in TN and there are no professional baseball teams (at least not on the major league level). There were also no NFL or NBA teams as well. So, I had to find teams to root for. It was around 1985 that I picked my teams, and as much as I hate to admit it, I picked my teams because of players: Hakeem Olajuwon John Elway Wade Boggs and Roger Clemens Of course, all those players are long gone from the Rockets, the Broncos, and the Red Sox, but my allegiance stayed. However, I see where you are coming from. If I lived in Boston, it would be 10 times worse.
Obviously, the Titans are in Nashville but I meant to say that there were no NFL teams back in 1985...(no edit strikes again!)
