Red Sox vs Yankees 2008 | The Thread

[bigh0rt]

Seeing as I'm an impartial third party, here's some fuel to get you love birds goin' this season. This has potential to exceed the Bonds thread in length, if we play our cards right...

Even the famous Boston movie stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon never uttered the term “Red Sox Nation” as they walked the streets of Cambridge as young boys. That being said, the Red Sox have a tremendous fan base and they deserve to bask in the glory of winning two of the past four World Series. Millions of these die-hard fans had waited patiently to finally win their first championship in 2004 after a long, painful drought that had lasted since 1918. Generations of “The Faithful” were only experts in the experience of losing and looking up in the standings to the New York Yankees.

...Then on March 30, I tuned into “60 Minutes” to watch a fluff piece on legendary “Stat Man” Bill James, who has the title of “Senior Advisor for baseball operations” for the Red Sox. Morley Safer interviewed James with a Red Sox cap on and portrayed him as the reason why the franchise turned the corner with his help for identifying undervalued talent. Safer never got around to mentioning the fact that the Red Sox have now joined the Yankees as out-of -control spenders who will spend whatever it takes to sign any player that can help them win. When Katie Couric recently interviewed Alex Rodriguez, she asked him if he ever took steroids, and I don’t remember her wearing a Yankees cap.

NBC Sports | FULL STORY

Buzz Words Used: out-of-control spenders, "Red Sox Nation", "The Faithful", 1918, Katie Couric

[AussieDodger]

What is this, ESPN?
Can I make a Who's Now thread?
Cafe's poppin.

Actually it is a good idea, it might their in-season NYY-BOS blah blah to just this thread nice one hort.

[BronXBombers51]

bigh0rt started it, so I'm going to add my personal thoughts...

I hate the Red Sox.

But more than that, I hate Red Sox Nation. I hate the notion of it. Red Sox Nation is comprised of, what I like to call, 'rebel bandwagoners.' At some point around 2001, all the kids who grew up as bandwagon Yankee fans started to change sides. All the kids who wore Yankee hats and Derek Jeter shirts from 1996 through 2000 started to turn on the Yankees. When I would ask why, the response I got was, "...because they win too much." Hating the Yankees became the cool thing to do.

So naturally, they started rooting for Boston when the Sox got real good around 2002/2003...not because they liked Boston, but because they wanted to be different than all the Yankee fans. So throughout the rivalry in 2003 and 2004, I see more and more people rooting for the Red Sox to win, especially after the '03 ALCS. Then in 2004, the Sox beat the Yankees. Now, if it wasn't bad enough for me that I attended Game 7, when I go to school I have to put up with crap from people who wouldn't recognize Terry Francona if he knocked on their front door.

These people try to pass themselves off as diehard Red Sox fans. They act as if they've been 'struggling' for 86 years through heartbreak and defeat, and finally have a moment of their own. And never again after 2004 did I hear the Red Sox complain about spending money. I never heard them accuse the Yankees of buying championships anymore. The Red Sox are the Yankees....they have just been more efficient at it over the last 5 or 6 years.

It has only grown worse with Boston's '07 success. I go to school in Massachusetts now, and I cannot believe how many ignorant, bandwagon fans are around. In my opinion, that is what Red Sox Nation is. It's not the true Boston fan who grew up loving the team and who celebrated their championships with class, like most of the Red Sox fans on this board. It's the people who became a Red Sox fan because it was 'cool to hate the Yankees,' and then felt as if they had accomplished something when the Sox finally won their ring.

I wear my Yankee hat everyday around campus as a proverbial F-U to Red Sox Nation.

[Inukchuk]

Yup. As a New Yorker transplanted in New England, I notice that the ratio of real Sox fans to the bandwagoners is around 1:1. I love challenging the fake ones to a "who can name more Red Sox" challenge, and seeing them fumble around after Manny, Ortiz, Schilling, and Papelbon are off the board. The best is when they go with Johnny Damon...yikes.

While I'm sure there are plenty of annoying Yankees fans around (honestly, there are a ton of those in New England as well. You know what? Maybe it's just the people in general...I'm sure that's going to go over well ), I don't think that number is close to the clueless portion of The Nation...

[The Artful Dodger]

But more than that, I hate Red Sox Nation. I hate the notion of it. Red Sox Nation is comprised of, what I like to call, 'rebel bandwagoners.' At some point around 2001, all the kids who grew up as bandwagon Yankee fans started to change sides. All the kids who wore Yankee hats and Derek Jeter shirts from 1996 through 2000 started to turn on the Yankees. When I would ask why, the response I got was, "...because they win too much." Hating the Yankees became the cool thing to do.

So naturally, they started rooting for Boston when the Sox got real good around 2002/2003...not because they liked Boston, but because they wanted to be different than all the Yankee fans. So throughout the rivalry in 2003 and 2004, I see more and more people rooting for the Red Sox to win, especially after the '03 ALCS. Then in 2004, the Sox beat the Yankees. Now, if it wasn't bad enough for me that I attended Game 7, when I go to school I have to put up with crap from people who wouldn't recognize Terry Francona if he knocked on their front door.

Now, what does that say about Yankee fans?

Believe me, son, as I've said on another thread, Liverpool FC fans are much, much more annoying than your Red Sox Nation lot of bandwagon jumpers.

[jake_harv88]

bigh0rt started it, so I'm going to add my personal thoughts...

I hate the Red Sox.

But more than that, I hate Red Sox Nation. I hate the notion of it. Red Sox Nation is comprised of, what I like to call, 'rebel bandwagoners.' At some point around 2001, all the kids who grew up as bandwagon Yankee fans started to change sides. All the kids who wore Yankee hats and Derek Jeter shirts from 1996 through 2000 started to turn on the Yankees. When I would ask why, the response I got was, "...because they win too much." Hating the Yankees became the cool thing to do.

So naturally, they started rooting for Boston when the Sox got real good around 2002/2003...not because they liked Boston, but because they wanted to be different than all the Yankee fans. So throughout the rivalry in 2003 and 2004, I see more and more people rooting for the Red Sox to win, especially after the '03 ALCS. Then in 2004, the Sox beat the Yankees. Now, if it wasn't bad enough for me that I attended Game 7, when I go to school I have to put up with crap from people who wouldn't recognize Terry Francona if he knocked on their front door.

These people try to pass themselves off as diehard Red Sox fans. They act as if they've been 'struggling' for 86 years through heartbreak and defeat, and finally have a moment of their own. And never again after 2004 did I hear the Red Sox complain about spending money. I never heard them accuse the Yankees of buying championships anymore. The Red Sox are the Yankees....they have just been more efficient at it over the last 5 or 6 years.

It has only grown worse with Boston's '07 success. I go to school in Massachusetts now, and I cannot believe how many ignorant, bandwagon fans are around. In my opinion, that is what Red Sox Nation is. It's not the true Boston fan who grew up loving the team and who celebrated their championships with class, like most of the Red Sox fans on this board. It's the people who became a Red Sox fan because it was 'cool to hate the Yankees,' and then felt as if they had accomplished something when the Sox finally won their ring.

I wear my Yankee hat everyday around campus as a proverbial F-U to Red Sox Nation.

YES!!!!

I agree 100% with Bronx here. Its officially become the "cool" thing to be a red sox fan. You see girls running around with stupid pink shirts and hats. Would ted williams ever endorse that? I think not. I know that there are real sox fans out there and I apologize to you for this attack, but where were all these fans in the 1990s when the sox routinely choked every year?

I enjoyed the Bill James interview because I like Bill James. I dont think he is the reason the sox are successful but I have to believe he is a big part.

[AussieDodger]

My turn? (Neutral view)

I don't mind Boston at all. If Oakland has to lose, I don't mind as much when it is to them.
I like Curt Schilling. I like Manny and Papi and Monkeypucker (my g/f loves Manny).I like pretty much all of them individually.
I won a lot of money on them last year as well.
Being this far away, I don't have to deal with BoSox bandwagoners so they don't bother me. I like the Boston front office, I think they are on really on the right track - especially when I heard they weren't even talking Buchholz for Santana.


The Yankees?
Honestly?
I think Jeter is a calm-eyed arrogant piece of cr__ . That play he made in 2006 or 2007 where he tried to take a catch off A-Rod and then glared at him when he dropped it is something I won't forget. That was low.
I like A-Rod, and if it wasn't for the money I'd feel sorry for him.
I think all the Steins are too ridiculous for words.
Cashman is under-rated, he has shown a willingness to learn and adapt, and if Uncle Billy left I'd gladly have him at Oakland.
I really hope they miss the post-season this year because their turn to miss it is overdue - don't take this as an attack, it really is your turn and you know it.

[Grounded Polo]

Boston would be less annoying if they didn't become successful basically following the same strategy as the Yankees but still try clinging a bit to the underdog status.

I'll give them credit though, at least their best players step it up in October, can't say that for the $200 million payroll squad.

[BronXBombers51]

But more than that, I hate Red Sox Nation. I hate the notion of it. Red Sox Nation is comprised of, what I like to call, 'rebel bandwagoners.' At some point around 2001, all the kids who grew up as bandwagon Yankee fans started to change sides. All the kids who wore Yankee hats and Derek Jeter shirts from 1996 through 2000 started to turn on the Yankees. When I would ask why, the response I got was, "...because they win too much." Hating the Yankees became the cool thing to do.

So naturally, they started rooting for Boston when the Sox got real good around 2002/2003...not because they liked Boston, but because they wanted to be different than all the Yankee fans. So throughout the rivalry in 2003 and 2004, I see more and more people rooting for the Red Sox to win, especially after the '03 ALCS. Then in 2004, the Sox beat the Yankees. Now, if it wasn't bad enough for me that I attended Game 7, when I go to school I have to put up with crap from people who wouldn't recognize Terry Francona if he knocked on their front door.

Now, what does that say about Yankee fans?

I completely agree. I feel the same way about Yankee fans who act like this. You know, the people who walk around with the t-shirts that say, "There never was a curse, your team just sucked..." or any of that crap. It's BS, and the people who do it typically don't know anything about the game. I enjoy showing these people up as much as I do bandwagon Red Sox fans. I hate bandwagon fans of all kinds. It's just that the pendulum has officially and decisively swung the other way since 2004.

[StarsNPinstripes]

The people I feel for are the diehards from both teams.Boston is taking their turn in the sun and more power to them and like I said good for the true diehards.As a Yankee fan, before Joba,Ian and Phil Hughes there was Andy Hawkins, Dave Lapoint & Scott Kamieniecki.Before Jorge Posada there was Butch Wynegar and on and on.I can name a plethora of scrubs so for me 1996 was blissful.Beating the Mets in the Subway Series(sorry BigHort and my Mets peeps)was the peak,just to see something that my generation thought wouldn't happen was awesome.

It amazes me how NY,always regarded as a National league town, all of a sudden is Yankees Universe.
I'm sure the same is happening in Boston who now has a nation.I'm sure if a team like the Dodgers went on a run it'll be Dodgertown or something along those lines.

Again, props to the diehards and I won't trash my fellow Red Sox fans since I need them for fantasy advice.