I'm shocked at how this debate comes up time and again on this board. It is almost as if you are a fan of both the Sox and Pats you are some how not as "good" of a Patriots fan. I just don't get it. I am a season ticket holder at Fenway and on the waiting list at Gillette. I like to think I'm a pretty good fan of both, though I enjoy football more, I have been raised on baseball. As someone else said, you are born into Red Sox nation around here. What will be interesting to watch is how people raising children now are indoctrinating their kids. I teach elementary school and you see as many Patriots shirts on a daily basis as you do Red Sox shirts. The Bruins have always been big and Celtics are a distant fourth. It will be interesting to see if/how that changes over the next few years.
A few points...
1. The sell out streak each team has going is impressive in its own right but the Sox streak is inflated because they sell a ton of their unused seats to Ace Ticket and count them as sold.
2. I've had Sox season tickets for 15 years now and trust me, from 97-03 you could have a whole row to yourself in the right field grandstand before school got out or after the kids were back in school. Three of those years the Sox were in the playoffs and they were not below 500 in any of them. Those are the equivalent of the 2002 Patriots teams when Gillette was still banged out. Also, I normally put out an e-mail to coworkers listing games I have available some time in early March. This year I had one person reply, most just went ahead and bought the games they wanted at Fenway because they were available, no such luck at Gillette.
3. Fans do NOT stick around Fenway as much as our esteemed poster would like to admit. Put this team down 4+ runs after beer stands close and it is like someone pulled a fire alarm at Fenway...or as a local radio personality once put it "Boston's most expensive bar".
4. Gillette may not look packed but every seat is sold and 99% of the people are there. One BIG advantage Gillette has over Fenway is the concession stands are on the outside wall of the stadium allowing for fans to stand along the concourse and watch the game. There are great standing room areas all around the stadium. At Fenway you do not have that luxury. If you want to see the game action live, not on a tv, you have to stay in your seat.
5. Steeler fans travel very, VERY well. Seeing terrible towels in Foxboro is no different than hearing "Let's go Red Sox" in New York or Philly when Boston is in town. Close opponent, good opponent, easy drive.
6. I think the NY Times/Globe recently sold their stake in the Red Sox, though I could be wrong.
7. I don't put a ton of stock into tv ratings when it comes to football vs baseball. Football is appointment tv. How many of us have already put the Patriots games into our Sunday/Monday schedules so as to keep family matters from interfering? How many have already put in for an off day the day after a night game? In baseball there is no need, you miss today's game, there is another one tomorrow. Unless it is a Yankees-Sox, can't miss pitching match up, which you don't know until about a week ahead of time, baseball does not demand that kind of must watch attitude. Of course the gambling aspect and fantasy football has a lot to do with this too.
