I live in Rhode Island. I was thirteen years old when the Curse of the Bambino was broken. I can name a dozen players from the 2004 Red Sox team, and I have no idea who the Red Sox won against (the Angels?). I always thought baseball was stupid because it was a bunch of fat guys running around in a circle after hitting a small, fast, hard ball with a thin, wooden stick. (Honestly, take a step back and think about baseball as a game. Can you honestly tell me that that doesn't sound ridiculous?) But I was part of Red Sox Nation.
Fast-forward three years to June of this past year: I'm sitting in my grandpa's apartment at the assisted living place, zoning out as my parents watch "the game." Whatever, I want to leave, cos I have homework to do! I make my dad promise to leave after the fourth inning, and because there's nothing else to do, I find myself getting sucked into this baseball game. My dad loves the Red Sox, and my mom loves my dad, and my sister gets excited about these things, and between the three of them, there's a lot of team spirit in our house. That had never really been my thing, but I think it's safe to say that's changed. Between NESN playing 24/7 in our home or discussions on trades and rosters at the dinner table, I have been sucked into the American obsession that is baseball. For this season, at least. ; )
We are Red Sox Nation: As arrogant as it may sound, it has been my experience (and thus I truly believe) that Red Sox fans are the best fans in baseball. We are crazy and loud and sometimes obnoxious, but we live baseball. We're dedicated to our team. Tickets at Fenway sell almost as fast as tickets to a Red Sox v. Yankees game. And both sell way faster than tickets to a Hannah Montana concert. (*rolls eyes*) It gets me feeling all soppy, that by following baseball and rooting my team, I'm part of something bigger. Red Sox Nation is like a sports cult and some sort of strange cultural tradition!
And while when the Red Sox of 2004 broke the curse I hardly knew my team, for 2007 I have been all Red Sox all the time. (Seriously, listening to NESN can do that to you.) My iPhoto library is filled with pictures from the season, my favorite videos on You Tube are all of Papelbon dancing, and I have mentioned "them Sox" in every conversation I've carried since the playoffs started. Perhaps I'm experiencing some Red Sox-mania, but when you're part of Red Sox Nation, this kind of obsession is completely normal. Yes, the irony.
The Red Sox have won the World Series, baby!! The parade was today, and it was Free Taco Day thanks to ah-mazing Ellsbury who is nasty fast. There's talk of trading and deals, but A-Rod better stay out of Boston. Schilling's getting old, but he was ours. Jon Lester and Mike Lowell have beaten cancer. Matsuzaka and Okajima have represented Japan. Manny and Papelbon have made us laugh. Gagne has made us groan. Buchholz and Pedroia have broken into rookie fame. J.D. Drew has proven himself in the post-season after a disappointing year!!
So baseball season is over and life goes back to normal and it was fun to let loose, be loud, and root for the home team.
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