Patriots No. 1 team in Boston and New England

[Zeus]

Today, the Opening Day of the New England Patriots 2015 season, the Boston Globe Sports Section has published its pre eminent columnist emiritas writing about how he cannot wait for the 2015 Red Sox Opening Day to arrive as soon as possible.

You cannot make this stuff up. Here are the good parts as summary, so that you don't have to click the link:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2...soon-enough/5zASoRqWcDymnhk7uxwCuM/story.html



"I wish Opening Day 2015 were today.
Yes, baseball.
Seriously.
This doesn’t mean I’m dissing the Patriots, Bruins, and Celtics........."

He then briefly mentions that the other locals teams are fascinating also, then spends the bulk of the piece ruminating about the incredible story of the Red Sox and how he is so focused on April 2015.

He ends the column with " I am fascinated by the cycle. I am curious. There are a million questions. They are the Boston Red Sox. There’s nobody like ’em."

I'm sure the editors at the Globe had to be embarrassed to cut out his original ending of "I know one of our teams has an Opening Day to their season today but......Red Sox Baseball! It's Soxtastic!"

It's pretty funny to see that turn up in light of what's being discussed in this thread. Right on cue!

I just read the article - it's a terrible piece. The first 40% barely mentions his subject - the Red Sox. Lots of good Indiana Pacers discussion though. His treatment of the issues he finds so interesting about the Sox is superficial and ignores all the really interesting challenges the team faces in 2015.

I'm a big fan of all four major sports teams here in Boston so this sort of thing doesn't bother me as much as it does others. But Mr. Ryan has made your point quite strongly while also showing he's lost quite a bit off his fastball.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

opening day? Take a backseat buddy. It's fall aka.Football

 

[Tunescribe]

Not to mention at that time, the Sox were in bed with the Globe/NESN/WEEI major players in the sports scene around here that FORCED Sox garbage on the region 24/7.

This is important to remember. I felt for years that "demand" for baseball coverage was artificially force-fed up our butts by the likes of WEEI because it was the only high-profile sports station and was in bed with the Red Sox through a sweet-money deal as their flagship station. Then along comes a superior sports radio entity in The Hub and, voila! -- baseball's popularity plummets to its rightful second-tier status.

 

[Triumph]

That was 10 years ago, when the media made up a ficticious "curse" to get people to watch baseball games.

See baseball, unlike football needs a story. Not to mention at that time, the Sox were in bed with the Globe/NESN/WEEI major players in the sports scene around here that FORCED Sox garbage on the region 24/7. Well since then, the "curse" has been broken, and all that you're left with is the game of baseball, which is quite frankly BORING.

If the Cubs ever win the WS, people in Chicago will be placing hats and t shirts on loved one cemeteries. It'll be a cool moment, but they will never, ever replace the Bears as the top team in the windy city. Boston is now at that point with the Pats, even with them playing 45 mins south in Foxboro.

Baseball is history driven.

There is always a story as accomplishments today are compared to yesteryear. The players of yesterday are not forgotten in baseball like they are in football. The Sox were in cahoots with those media outlets because Boston and surrounding areas are baseball hotbeds. The media was giving the populus what it wanted. Nobody forced the Red Sox down Bostons throat becuase their fanbase could not get enough of that team and its sport.

Baseball is also a GM/Manager driven past time where every fan has his or her strategy to improve the team. Add this pitcher to the rotation or change that batting order. These topics are discussed ad naseum throughout the bastball season and off season. There is always hope in baseball with a move here or there. Look at the Royals.

Some cities are football towns and some are baseball towns. Chicago, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Cleveland, Dallas are football towns. Baseball is not going to knock them off their perches unless football really goes south and thats not going to happen in todays money making NFL. Boston, St Louis, NY are baseball towns. Perhpaps the Red Sox management have infuritated their fanbase with some of the recent moves and direction of the team today. Id like to see who owns Boston after Red Sox off season moves.

 

[PatsSox363804]

You know what makes me enjoy the Pats, Sox, and Bruins more? Not reading the Globe or listening to 98.5, or EEI. I stopped last year at some point and it's made me a lot happier as a sports fan. The Boston media lives to cause controversy and troll its audience, just don't give them what they want.

That said, I love both teams, as well as the Bruins, and I think it's awesome that I really never have to go a single week (barring a strike/lockout) without having a team to watch. I really couldn't care less who is more popular in Boston but if it isn't the Pats now, it will be soon, that's just how the country is trending.

Also to the earlier points from "out of town fans." I'll say that here in NO I see more Red Sox than Pats stuff but most of the time it's people from New England that moved here or are going to Tulane.

 

[Rob0729]

Baseball is history driven.

There is always a story as accomplishments today are compared to yesteryear. The players of yesterday are not forgotten in baseball like they are in football. The Sox were in cahoots with those media outlets because Boston and surrounding areas are baseball hotbeds. The media was giving the populus what it wanted. Nobody forced the Red Sox down Bostons throat becuase their fanbase could not get enough of that team and its sport.

Baseball is also a GM/Manager driven past time where every fan has his or her strategy to improve the team. Add this pitcher to the rotation or change that batting order. These topics are discussed ad naseum throughout the bastball season and off season. There is always hope in baseball with a move here or there. Look at the Royals.

Some cities are football towns and some are baseball towns. Chicago, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Cleveland, Dallas are football towns. Baseball is not going to knock them off their perches unless football really goes south and thats not going to happen in todays money making NFL. Boston, St Louis, NY are baseball towns. Perhpaps the Red Sox management have infuritated their fanbase with some of the recent moves and direction of the team today. Id like to see who owns Boston after Red Sox off season moves.

The Red Sox won the World Series last season and the Pats haven't won a Super Bowl in ten years and it is still a Patriots town. The Red Sox could replace their roster with the AL's All Star roster and still not topple the Patriots in popularity. This will likely never be a Red Sox town ever again. It is just the facts.

Baseball is still very popular in this town compared to most parts of the country, but football is king everywhere including this town. With baseball games getting longer and longer, MLB and the Red Sox will become less and less popular in this town as it is around the country.

I am not trying to hate on the Sox, but it is the harsh reality of MLB in general. MLB is quickly becoming the sport for old people to watch. The video game generation would rather watch paint dry than sit and watch a 4 hour baseball game with two minutes between each pitch (as some games have become).

If MLB doesn't address the fact that they are not attracting young fans soon, there could easily be a point in the future where the Red Sox are fifth in this town behind the Patriots, Bruins, Celts, and even the Revolution. Not soon, but in 15-20 years. The Pats have already surpassed them in popularity and the Bruins are closing the gap. MLB has a potentially apocalyptic type of problem that young people don't care about the sport.

 

[AzorianPats]

Baseball is history driven.

There is always a story as accomplishments today are compared to yesteryear. The players of yesterday are not forgotten in baseball like they are in football. The Sox were in cahoots with those media outlets because Boston and surrounding areas are baseball hotbeds. The media was giving the populus what it wanted. Nobody forced the Red Sox down Bostons throat becuase their fanbase could not get enough of that team and its sport.

Baseball is also a GM/Manager driven past time where every fan has his or her strategy to improve the team. Add this pitcher to the rotation or change that batting order. These topics are discussed ad naseum throughout the bastball season and off season. There is always hope in baseball with a move here or there. Look at the Royals.

Some cities are football towns and some are baseball towns. Chicago, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Cleveland, Dallas are football towns. Baseball is not going to knock them off their perches unless football really goes south and thats not going to happen in todays money making NFL. Boston, St Louis, NY are baseball towns. Perhpaps the Red Sox management have infuritated their fanbase with some of the recent moves and direction of the team today. Id like to see who owns Boston after Red Sox off season moves.

Boston, NYC, Chicago, and Philly never has and will never be one sport towns. Anyone who thinks otherwise is just stupid.

St. Louis is the only true city in America that's strictly a baseball town. Everywhere else the sport is dying. I think it's absolutely silly comparing fandom over the hats people are wearing. Baseball fitted hats are very popular with urban folk.

BTW, do you even live in the Boston area?

 

[Dutchmaster617]

Football is better than baseball but the Sox are the defending champs, last two times they had the best record they dominated for a title while NE lost to wild card caliber teams from NY.

Sox and Bruins are a safer pick in the playoffs. Go back ten years and Sox are 3-0 in title series, Bruins 1-1, Celtics 1-1, Pats 0-2. Facts are facts.

 

[shmessy]

Baseball is history driven.

There is always a story as accomplishments today are compared to yesteryear. The players of yesterday are not forgotten in baseball like they are in football. The Sox were in cahoots with those media outlets because Boston and surrounding areas are baseball hotbeds. The media was giving the populus what it wanted. Nobody forced the Red Sox down Bostons throat becuase their fanbase could not get enough of that team and its sport.

Baseball is also a GM/Manager driven past time where every fan has his or her strategy to improve the team. Add this pitcher to the rotation or change that batting order. These topics are discussed ad naseum throughout the bastball season and off season. There is always hope in baseball with a move here or there. Look at the Royals.

Some cities are football towns and some are baseball towns. Chicago, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Cleveland, Dallas are football towns. Baseball is not going to knock them off their perches unless football really goes south and thats not going to happen in todays money making NFL. Boston, St Louis, NY are baseball towns. Perhpaps the Red Sox management have infuritated their fanbase with some of the recent moves and direction of the team today. Id like to see who owns Boston after Red Sox off season moves.

You would be right if you stopped after the 3rd word in your post.

That, in your comparison to the NFL, you can write WITHOUT IRONY that "Baseball is also a GM/Manager driven past time where every fan has his or her strategy to improve the team." on THIS forum, is classic.

Sure, the NFL is not nearly as much GM/manager driven!

Sure, there are waaaay fewer Americans involved in Fanstasy Football leagues than in Rotisserie Baseball.

I'm sorry, Triumph. Your argument is not based on reality.

 

[shmessy]

Football is better than baseball but the Sox are the defending champs, last two times they had the best record they dominated for a title while NE lost to wild card caliber teams from NY.

Sox and Bruins are a safer pick in the playoffs. Go back ten years and Sox are 3-0 in title series, Bruins 1-1, Celtics 1-1, Pats 0-2. Facts are facts.

1) What does that have to do with the subject of this thread?

2) Enjoy the Red Sox in the playoffs this year!

 

[shmessy]

THIS is how plugged in the Globe guys are. Tweet from one of their "Patriots reporters" a couple of minutes ago on the field in Miami:

Michael Whitmer @GlobeWhitmer
If Amendola's outfit is any indication, Patriots will be wearing blue jersey tops with silver pants.


As if we did not know that several weeks ago.......I love how he phrases it as if he's not 100% sure this will happen.

Wow, Mike Whitmer, thanks for the heads up! Are they going to be wearing helmets today?