Only in Boston and Weei

[Patspsycho]

This is more a perception thing than a reality. Pats football consistently outdraws vewiers than the Sox - regular season, post season, etc. The media here wants to keep that perception a reality too. Obviously it worked with you.

That is exactly the truth. It's far more the media that's creating this false perspective than anything else.

When you look at the Nielsen ratings, strictly, Patriots continue to clobber everyone else by a margin of two to one for the most part.

Correct me if I'm wrong but a Sox playoff game has yet to eclipse a Patriots regular season game in terms of rating.

 

[BradyManny]

That is not true.

Bostonians chanted "Yankees suck" at the superbowl parade. The front runner was clearly the Patriots. They had just won the SUPERBOWL. The Redsox had just gone 82-79, yet the fans at the parade were more interested in celibrating the Diamondbacks victory over the Yankees than the Patriots win over the Rams.

That's true - but the Red Sox fanbase had been much bigger to that point, for many reasons. I guess there's two huge factors to it - there are the bandwagon fans in it due to the recent success, and then the generational fans that accumulate because of prolonged stretches of a team contending. Since the Patriots have begun winning, things have swung the other way. All the kids & teenagers who grew up watching Bledsoe & Brady (such as myself) are now grown up, and soon will have a generation of children to pass their sporting preferences onto. The Patriots popularity is going to increase because of this factor.

Long after Brady's career is done, or maybe even Belichick's, their impact on the New England fanbase will continue.

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

That's true - but the Red Sox fanbase had been much bigger to that point, for many reasons. I guess there's two huge factors to it - there are the bandwagon fans in it due to the recent success, and then the generational fans that accumulate because of prolonged stretches of a team contending. Since the Patriots have begun winning, things have swung the other way. All the kids & teenagers who grew up watching Bledsoe & Brady (such as myself) are now grown up, and soon will have a generation of children to pass their sporting preferences onto. The Patriots popularity is going to increase because of this factor.

Long after Brady's career is done, or maybe even Belichick's, their impact on the New England fanbase will continue.

Maybe, maybe not.

The Red Sox draw fans when they have bad seasons and good seasons. That is an indisputable fact.

To date the Patriots have only done well with fans in good seasons. Just like the Celtics and Bruins. That too is an indisputabable fact.

Your speculation is that Brady's legacy will do for the Patriots what Bird's legacy clearly did not do for the Celtics. There is no evidence to support your claim. And the huge number of tickets available on ticket exchange starting week 2 of 2008 is strong evidence you are wrong.

I strongly doubt fans will be sitting in freezing Decemeber weather to watch a team that is 5-8 and out of the playoff race cause of the memory of Brady. But only time will tell.

 

[102 Pat]

PFW In Progress is having a special show today if anybody wants to listen to anything Patriots related. It'll be on at it's normal time.

 

[Rob0729]

If I was a conspiracy theorist, I would think the Red Sox purposely pulled off this deal this weekend to steal thunder from the Pats. They have done stuff like this in the past, but I don't know if it is right in this case.

 

[mtbykr]

Normally I would hate sox talk during football season, but this is a 'once in a generation' type player they just signed....it's ok with me to spend some time on it. In addition, we have had 11 days of pats/jets so it's easy to talk about something else

 

[Rob0729]

Boston is a baseball town. It has only been the last decade that the Patriots have edged out the Celtics for being #2.

Less you blame it all on the media, it is the fans. The people chanting "Yankees suck" at the Patriots Superbowl Parade.

I think the Red Sox and the Patriots right now are 1A and 1B. I also think the Pats are starting to pull ahead of the Red Sox. Even in years where the Sox had been out of it in the past, Red Sox talk dominated the airwaves. This year, it was all Pats all the time (granted that is because of 98.5 coming into the area and forcing the Patriots issue). Prior to 98.5 coming aboard, WEEI pushed this is a Red Sox town because they are the flagship station of the Boston Red Sox just like 98.5 pushes the Bruins and Patriots. The Red Sox town stuff was partly a media creation.

I think this is no longer a Red Sox town. Anyone under 30 probably are as big or bigger Pats fans as Red Sox fans. The shift has begun. We have seen it in the ratings and interest in the Red Sox beginning to wane. This time 5-10 years ago, people would be calling stations endlessly complaining about the Red Sox not doing anything and people proposing ludicrious deals and trades while now people talk about the Pats defense.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Let's pause and give thanks that the AFCCG and winning the Lombardi is not most often primarily influenced by who has the deepest pockets to pay free agents who can't be cut like in the travesty that is MLB. Albert Haynesworthless gives us a glimmer of THAT kind of alternate universe NFL. Imagine 21st century Super Bowls dominated by the Redskins, Cowboys, Seahags and other pond scum.

 

[PATSNUTme]

I was out for about a hour and a half and listened to WEEI. They spend all but 2 minutes on this baseball crap. Beating a dead horse as usual.

Red Sox fans are the most talkative and whine the most. After all they did all play Little League, so they know all about the game.

And Boston sports media love this crap. Otherwise they would be forced to talk about a sport of which they really know very little. They prove that when they keep bringing up meaningless stats to make arguments about football the same way they do about baseball.

I bet that in Feb if the Patriots signed a high profile FA, they would not spend much time talking about it.

 

[Armen Da Pats Fan]

that the biggest football game of the year will be overshadowed by a sport that is no longer america's past time... who cares of the fa signing.. this is football season not a stupid fa signing...lets talk some football save all the baseball calls till wed at least, this is a huge game...

Both events are huge here in the Hub, but remember that WEEI is the flagship station of the Red Sox, so naturally they are going to pump this news.

Even over on 98.5, though, being the flagship of the Pats, they're still talking Gonzo. How can you not?

I mean think about next year's lineup:

Ellsbury - CF
Pedroia - 2B
Ortiz - DH
...Gonzalez - 1B
Youkilis - 3B
Drew - RF
McDonald - LF
Saltalamacchia - C
Scutaro - SS

P:
Bucholz
Lester
Beckett
Lackey
Dice-K

BTW, if they could package Papelbon and Dice-K and get a front-line catcher until Salty is ready to play every day, I would say do that deal in a heartbeat!!

Go Pats!

 

[shmessy]

Both events are huge here in the Hub, but remember that WEEI is the flagship station of the Red Sox, so naturally they are going to pump this news.

Even over on 98.5, though, being the flagship of the Pats, they're still talking Gonzo. How can you not?

I mean think about next year's lineup:

Ellsbury - CF
Pedroia - 2B
Ortiz - DH
...Gonzalez - 1B
Youkilis - 3B
Drew - RF
McDonald - LF
Saltalamacchia - C
Scutaro - SS

P:
Bucholz
Lester
Beckett
Lackey
Dice-K

BTW, if they could package Papelbon and Dice-K and get a front-line catcher until Salty is ready to play every day, I would say do that deal in a heartbeat!!

Go Pats!

The bottom 4 in that batting lineup is pure crap.

The Patriots would never put out a team with such lousy depth.

 

[PatsSox363804]

If I was a conspiracy theorist, I would think the Red Sox purposely pulled off this deal this weekend to steal thunder from the Pats. They have done stuff like this in the past, but I don't know if it is right in this case.

Possible, but I think it's more likely that they wanted it done before the winter meetings started in case another team threw up a huge offer. That and they needed something with tickets going on sale this weekend.

 

[RodThePat]

The bottom 4 in that batting lineup is pure crap.

The Patriots would never put out a team with such lousy depth.

If J.D Drew, aka. Mr. "I'm in the top 10 among outfielders in OPS pretty much every single year" is lousy depth, than I don't even want to hear what you think of guys like Arrington, Ninkovich, Connoly, Benny, Tate, Sanders, Merriweather...

 

[PatsSox363804]

If J.D Drew, aka. Mr. "I'm in the top 10 among outfielders in OPS pretty much every single year" is lousy depth, than I don't even want to hear what you think of guys like Arrington, Ninkovich, Connoly, Benny, Tate, Sanders, Merriweather...

It's amazing how badly some Sox fans crap on Drew. I don't care about anything else he did, his GS in the ALCS gives him a pass on everything, even without his great OPS numbers.

 

[shmessy]

If J.D Drew, aka. Mr. "I'm in the top 10 among outfielders in OPS pretty much every single year" is lousy depth, than I don't even want to hear what you think of guys like Arrington, Ninkovich, Connoly, Benny, Tate, Sanders, Merriweather...

Baseball is an individual game, where individual stats mean a whole lot more than in football which is a team/chemistry game.

Yes, J.D. Drew is crap, a slow, below average outfielder with no arm. Oh, and he's VASTLY overpaid on a long-term guaranteed contract. When Arrington, Ninko, Connolly, Benny, Tate, Sanders and Merriwether make guaranteed as much in a season that Drew does (COMBINED!!!!), then we can talk.

Thanks for playing, Theo.

 

[DaBruinz]

that the biggest football game of the year will be overshadowed by a sport that is no longer america's past time... who cares of the fa signing.. this is football season not a stupid fa signing...lets talk some football save all the baseball calls till wed at least, this is a huge game...

Since the Saturday after the Detroit game, Boston has been focused on the Pats vs. the Jets... So, because the Red Sox acquire one of the best first basemen in the league, you are complaining because WEEI is spending a few hours on him?

Also, it's not a free agent signing. Gonzalez was acquired in a trade.

Seriously, Sean. You seem to complain about everything... You complain constantly about the Pats and constantly being doom and gloom, and now, you are complaining about this.. Seriously..

 

[RodThePat]

Baseball is an individual game, where individual stats mean a whole lot more than in football which is a team/chemistry game.

Yes, J.D. Drew is crap, a slow, below average outfielder with no arm. Oh, and he's VASTLY overpaid on a long-term guaranteed contract. When Arrington, Ninko, Connolly, Benny, Tate, Sanders and Merriwether make guaranteed as much in a season that Drew does (COMBINED!!!!), then we can talk.

Thanks for playing, Theo.

Let me guess, you're a casual baseball fan. Am I correct?

 

[DaBruinz]

Baseball is an individual game, where individual stats mean a whole lot more than in football which is a team/chemistry game.

Yes, J.D. Drew is crap, a slow, below average outfielder with no arm. Oh, and he's VASTLY overpaid on a long-term guaranteed contract. When Arrington, Ninko, Connolly, Benny, Tate, Sanders and Merriwether make guaranteed as much in a season that Drew does (COMBINED!!!!), then we can talk.

Thanks for playing, Theo.

I have to agree that I never liked the acquisition of Drew. In all honesty, I'd rather have the Sox re-sign Beltre and put Youkilis in RF... Youkilis is, at least, more consistent, than Drew, despite his arm..

BTW, Scutaro isn't crap.. he's a scrappy player and a pretty good (not great) short-stop..

 

[shmessy]

Let me guess, you're a casual baseball fan. Am I correct?

Before 2004, I could quote stats (and the brand of "wheat germ" Bill Lee preferred on his pancakes) as well as any Sox fan.

The lifting of the curse, quenched my fire (as did the ridiculous MLB money system).

As I grew older, I just can't believe in that system - - it's WWF. The whole "Moneyball" thing is an anomaly.

In the NFL, Green Bay, Wisconsin competes on a level playing field with NYC.

I like the Sox still. I'll watch a game these days every so often if I have nothing more presssing to do.

But the Patriots and the Patriot Way STAND for something. I'm not sure what the Red Sox stand for anymore.

 

[PatsSox363804]

I have to agree that I never liked the acquisition of Drew. In all honesty, I'd rather have the Sox re-sign Beltre and put Youkilis in RF... Youkilis is, at least, more consistent, than Drew, despite his arm..

BTW, Scutaro isn't crap.. he's a scrappy player and a pretty good (not great) short-stop..

Youkilis would be a disaster in RF at Fenway. He could play LF at home but it would be a stretch in road games. Ideally I'd love that to happen because we need another RH bat and when Ortiz is gone after this year you can rotate Youkilis, Beltre, and Gonzales at DH.