Red Sox Nation

I love going to Mariners games. In my mind there are very few better ways to spend a summer evening then hanging out at Safeco Field watching the M’s play. Even when the team is bad it is an enjoyable experience. The stadium is beautiful, in the neo-classic baseball stadium style. Left field looks out over the Seattle skyline.

One of the most annoying things in sports is bandwagon fans. You know these people, they are the ones that suddenly become fans of a team as soon as they start winning. People that might not even have known the team existed the season before when they were entrenched in dead last. But now that they are in the playoffs these same people buying official game wear jerseys and crying the teams praises to everyone and anyone that will listen.

Every year these two things collide when Safeco Field is invading by an opposing fan force known as “Red Sox Nation”. They swarm Safeco. The seats are covered in a sea of red. Chants of “Let’s go Red Sox” start up sporadically. They talk amongst themselves about how great Big Papi is. Red Sox Nation is by far the largest collective of band wagon fans I have ever encountered. They ruin the whole Safeco experience.

So, in honor of the Mariners, Red Sox series I have provided this list of the 5ish most annoying things about Red Sox fans.

1. The vast majority of the so called fans only know 3 maybe 4 players actually on the Red Sox. They love to shower praise onto the captain Jason Varitek, or their DH David Ortiz. Ask one of them about the bullpen or the outfield and you have a good chance they will struggle to even name the players.
2. Most Red Sox fans that you see at the game aren’t even from Boston, Massachusetts or even New England. They usually have some lose tie to the area. Something like, “I landed in the Airport there once and the city had such a great vibe.” or “My wife’s uncle lives there.”
3. Red Sox fans just assume everyone is a Red Sox fan. They will turn to you during the game and ask who your favorite Red Sox is or why you think Big Papi is the greatest player ever.
4. Lots of them hadn’t even seen a professional baseball game until the World Series in 2004.
5. They all have that kind of douchey Frat boy smile as they drink $8 beer and pop their collars.
6. In the mind of many (even non Red Sox fans) the Yankees are the ultimate sports evil. The Red Sox play in the same division as the Yankees and are often battling them for the top spot in the AL East. Because of this Red Sox Nation thinks they get some kind of free pass regarding their team constantly out spending everyone in order to field a good team.

(Ok so much of this might be purely subjective but, just like George W I stand by all my misstatements.)