Wednesday, September 08, 2004
Tea or No Tea, It's a Party in Boston This Season
Let me make this as clear as possible. I don't like the Red Sox and I have an even greater distaste for the so-called Red Sox Nation. However, even though I often find them both borderline intolerable, I must admit they are the most colorful team in the game today and their fans are consistently the wittiest. The same organization that spawned the infamous "25 taxis for 25 players" teams has now found itself with one of sports' great comraderies.
I'll admit, I have not seen every team in the league this year, but I think it's safe to say that the Red Sox players have a truly unique chemistry in their dugout. Whether it's Derek Lowe wearing a ridiculous wig or Manny and Pedro doing a home run celebratory game of pattycake, the Red Sox seem to be all smiles. Sure, when you're the hottest team in the league you've got a lot to smile about, but it goes beyond that. It's not always about a great play that just occurred on the field; you watch their dugout and you get the impression that these guys have a special bond. It's like those times we've all had hanging out with our lifelong pals where even the worst or most boring of situations becomes a male gigglefest. Rather than subplots of players maintaining they only have to get along on the field a la Kobe and Shaq, you have stories of guys in the clubhouse helping each other to show their true personalities to the media. The Red Sox dugout becomes more of a frat house than an office building. They seem to be truly enjoying the game and each other rather than living the mantra of "going to work" and "taking care of business." Such a fun-loving dynamic is especially remarkable given the heartbreak they suffered last season, losing to the rival Yankees in Game Seven on Aaron Boone's walk-off home run. The 2004 Red Sox appear completely unaffected by that disappointment now and their fans, while still wary of impending doom this season, seem to be feeding off it.
While the "chowdaw" accent usually puts them over the top, the way Red Sox fans revere every player or person affiliated with the organization like they were an old pal from the "neighbaw-hood" is actually quite endearing. My colleague, Joe Lederer, is a proud Red Sox fan (I will NOT say "Nation") and he was kind enough to provide me with a list of nicknames he and his fellow fans commonly use for their beloved Sox.
Pitcher Bronson Arroyo is referred to as "Death Wish."
Staff ace Pedro Martinez sports a relaxed jerry-curl and is aptly described as "Sexual Chocolate."
They call the phonetically defiant Doug Mientkiewicz simply "eyechart."
Not even third base coach Dave Sveum is ignored. Notorious for sending runners home when they have no chance of scoring, fans dub him "Send 'Em Home Sveum" and "The Windmill."
Annoying as the creators may be, their material is undeniably clever. While the Red Sox Following has been around since Dan Shaughnessy's hair was in style or longer, it has been given new life by its current civilian leader, espn.com Page 2 columnist Bill Simmons a.k.a. "The Sports Guy." Since his debut as the "Boston Sports Guy" on espn.com in April 2001, Simmons' down-to-earth, pop-culture influenced writing style and die hard dedication to the Red Sox has brought him a fan base almost as great as the team itself. If Red Sox Nation (there I said it) were a religion, Bill Simmons would be its off-the-field Messiah. He never misses a play and will not hesitate to devote 400 words to the team if he feels passionately about something. Simmons refers to his dad and his buddies with such frequency and affection that you feel like you know them or might have hung out with them some time. As a passionate and entertaining writer, he gives a voice and an always-smiling face to a community of fans that branches out far from its roots in Boston. He's the type of guy, as Seinfeld showed us, that men get "non-sexual crushes" on. He's one of my favorite writers and I can admit that, as an Angel fan, I'm jealous of his affection for the damn Red Sox. With Simmons at the reigns and Red Sox players hauling the cart, Red Sox Nation is sure to be rolling on for quite some time.
Let me reiterate that I am neither a fan of the Boston Red Sox nor of their fiercely loyal fanbase. I bleed Angel red...or whatever the team color is at the moment. However, there is something tangibly special about this the team from Beantown and I thought it deserved mentioning. Whether you're a fan or not, it will be interesting to see how far that bubbly chemistry (and ungodly good hitting) can carry them into the postseason.
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I'll admit, I have not seen every team in the league this year, but I think it's safe to say that the Red Sox players have a truly unique chemistry in their dugout. Whether it's Derek Lowe wearing a ridiculous wig or Manny and Pedro doing a home run celebratory game of pattycake, the Red Sox seem to be all smiles. Sure, when you're the hottest team in the league you've got a lot to smile about, but it goes beyond that. It's not always about a great play that just occurred on the field; you watch their dugout and you get the impression that these guys have a special bond. It's like those times we've all had hanging out with our lifelong pals where even the worst or most boring of situations becomes a male gigglefest. Rather than subplots of players maintaining they only have to get along on the field a la Kobe and Shaq, you have stories of guys in the clubhouse helping each other to show their true personalities to the media. The Red Sox dugout becomes more of a frat house than an office building. They seem to be truly enjoying the game and each other rather than living the mantra of "going to work" and "taking care of business." Such a fun-loving dynamic is especially remarkable given the heartbreak they suffered last season, losing to the rival Yankees in Game Seven on Aaron Boone's walk-off home run. The 2004 Red Sox appear completely unaffected by that disappointment now and their fans, while still wary of impending doom this season, seem to be feeding off it.
While the "chowdaw" accent usually puts them over the top, the way Red Sox fans revere every player or person affiliated with the organization like they were an old pal from the "neighbaw-hood" is actually quite endearing. My colleague, Joe Lederer, is a proud Red Sox fan (I will NOT say "Nation") and he was kind enough to provide me with a list of nicknames he and his fellow fans commonly use for their beloved Sox.
Pitcher Bronson Arroyo is referred to as "Death Wish."
Staff ace Pedro Martinez sports a relaxed jerry-curl and is aptly described as "Sexual Chocolate."
They call the phonetically defiant Doug Mientkiewicz simply "eyechart."
Not even third base coach Dave Sveum is ignored. Notorious for sending runners home when they have no chance of scoring, fans dub him "Send 'Em Home Sveum" and "The Windmill."
Annoying as the creators may be, their material is undeniably clever. While the Red Sox Following has been around since Dan Shaughnessy's hair was in style or longer, it has been given new life by its current civilian leader, espn.com Page 2 columnist Bill Simmons a.k.a. "The Sports Guy." Since his debut as the "Boston Sports Guy" on espn.com in April 2001, Simmons' down-to-earth, pop-culture influenced writing style and die hard dedication to the Red Sox has brought him a fan base almost as great as the team itself. If Red Sox Nation (there I said it) were a religion, Bill Simmons would be its off-the-field Messiah. He never misses a play and will not hesitate to devote 400 words to the team if he feels passionately about something. Simmons refers to his dad and his buddies with such frequency and affection that you feel like you know them or might have hung out with them some time. As a passionate and entertaining writer, he gives a voice and an always-smiling face to a community of fans that branches out far from its roots in Boston. He's the type of guy, as Seinfeld showed us, that men get "non-sexual crushes" on. He's one of my favorite writers and I can admit that, as an Angel fan, I'm jealous of his affection for the damn Red Sox. With Simmons at the reigns and Red Sox players hauling the cart, Red Sox Nation is sure to be rolling on for quite some time.
Let me reiterate that I am neither a fan of the Boston Red Sox nor of their fiercely loyal fanbase. I bleed Angel red...or whatever the team color is at the moment. However, there is something tangibly special about this the team from Beantown and I thought it deserved mentioning. Whether you're a fan or not, it will be interesting to see how far that bubbly chemistry (and ungodly good hitting) can carry them into the postseason.
# posted by j.h.k. @ 1:30 PM 
