I was a Mets fan as a kid in middle school, even went to a few games at Shea… But since that time I have given almost no attention to Baseball… Can someone explain to me why I find myself all of the sudden watching games and even considering glancing at the sports pages? I was warned when moving to Boston that sooner or later I would find myself transform into a Red Sox fan, but has that brainwashing finally started to take hold? I think it really started in August when Corinna and I went to Fenway to see the Red Sox play the Blue Jays (thanks to tickets I got thru work). Before that day I didn’t think about Baseball at all. Since that day, however, I find myself mildly curious… Did I find some latent enjoyment of baseball, or have I simply become one of the masses here in Beantown?
I bet it’s probably latent. Through most of high school and all of college, I didn’t follow sports at all. I really just didn’t care. Prior to that, I followed a few teams, but never to the extent of my brother, who could rattle of statistics for about any major league player.
However, having graduated, I’ve found myself drawn to sports again. I’ve been actively following football and can actually speak somewhat intelligently about it (though not nearly as much as), and I’ve been following baseball as well.
My hockey and basketball fandom is pretty much still hibernating, as my following is only that peripheral hometown interest.
I used to love the Mets when Gary Carter was part of the team. Since he left… my intrest in baseball has become nothing. I’m not sure if I’ll ever like baseball the way I did when I was a kid.
Playoff fever, that is all.
the red socks suck.
Red Sox == Jesus
The Red Sox are like Jesus. Many people love them, to the point of obsession. Some people don’t even want to love them, and can’t understand why they do. And, in all cases, fanatics are considered freaks by people elsewhere in the country. But the fanatics are still proud and convinced that they are right.
In my case, I choose the Sox are my Jesus-replacements. At least when the Sox choke I can witness it.
One of the masses! One of the masses! Er..MASSes.
I maintain a rudimentary knowledge of all sports (mostly teams that are in the running/are actually in the playoffs), if only to prevent being murdered by the troglodytes when they smell an IQ higher than 80.
However, Boston (as I understand it, which isn’t much at all) has this weird Charles Manson vibe about it when it comes to the Red Sox. Any devotion that fervent to a fucking sports team should be illegal to some extent. If you ever refer to your team as “we” as in “WE COULDA WON THE PENNANT THIS YEAR!” Go off and die somewhere. From shame. The shame of identifying with 18 (or whatever) millionaires who couldn’t give a shit less whether or not you enjoyed their capering antics on the diamond.
Then again, I come from the land of fair weather fans. Everyone adored the Lakers this year, and not a single person will be bothered to give a shit next season when they suck. Except for the inland desert trash, but they’re all Deltas or Epsilons anyway.
Regional brainwashing.
Actually, I didn’t care all that much about baseball before coming out here. But, I guess hanging around people who talk about the Red Sox all the time does tend to get you dragged into it all…