So I'm from Massachusetts. I am a Boston sports fan. As a youngster, I remember cheering for Mike Greenwell and Ellis Burks with my father and praying they would hit a clutch home run every time they stepped to the plate. Living and dying with every at bat and every game became the norm for me through the Mo Vaughn/Nomar Garciaparra years. Pedro Martinez was must watch TV, the Manny Ramirez signing was exciting, and the David Ortiz/Ramirez 1-2 punch had me on the edge of my seat night-in and night-out. In 2004 the Red Sox finally broke a media-driven 86-year curse and a weight felt as if it had been lifted. Many generations of Red Sox fans felt joy, relief, and satisfaction with this achievement. Then I got bored.
So what happened to me?
Championship Hangover - This happened with the Patriots. The first two Superbowl wins were amazing and thrilling and then when the Patriots won a third Superbowl against the Philadelphia Eagles, I remember nodding my head and thinking "Good, we won" but not losing my mind about it. I felt the same way about the 2007 World Series against the Colorado Rockies.
Fantasy Baseball - Fantasy sports exploded and I started following the whole league instead of just focusing on the Red Sox.
The Pink Hat/Band-Wagon Factor - So you know when you support a band or a stand-up comedian before they make it big? Once the secret is out and they make it, the thing you once wanted for them now kind of turns you off on them. Now the late 80's/early 90's Red Sox teams can't really be compared to an indie band, but they weren't exactly the perennial power house they are now. All of sudden every 15-23 year old was the biggest, loudest, and craziest Red Sox fan you would ever meet.
The Length of the Game/Season - There are 162 games in a year. Games can go for 4+ hours. That's 7128 hours of watching TV during the short period of nice weather during the New England seasons for the Super Fan. Holy Shit!!!
This is not a Red Sox bashing blog or a baseball bashing blog. The point is I was not as interested in the Red Sox as in previous years. Then this off-season happened......
Going into it, my dream off-season was for the Red Sox to package Jacoby Ellsbury with prospects to trade to San Diego for Adrian Gonzalez. Then with Ellsbury gone, sign Carl Crawford who should probably have a restraining order out against me. I was shocked when this pipe-dream essentially came true minus the Ellsbury part which is probably for the better. When does your team unexpectedly do exactly what you want them to do? Not very often.
I like Adrian Gonzalez a lot but I loved the Crawford signing. I have been following this guy since his rookie year and have developed a platonic crush on him over the years. I heard the news of his signing and I felt like I was a kid again and it was Christmas morning. I was screaming like a lunatic on my drive into work that day and I didn't let anything bother me all day. As grown man, its probably ridiculous to feel this way about your favorite player coming to your team and being able to watch him play here for the next 7 years. I don't care, it feels great to throw myself back into this team again.
My love affair with the Red Sox has been re-ignited. I may not watch 7128 hours of Red Sox games this year but I will gladly stand side-by-side with the Pink Hats and Super Fans and cheer this team on.
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