Thursday, August 23, 2007

Not Sure I Like This

The Red Sox are "America's Team." So says USA Today in describing the multitudes of fans following the team, both at Fenway and on the road. On one hand, I am pleased that our local team is the most popular draw (especially over the MFYs), but on the other hand, it would be nice to keep them to ourselves.

Having said that, if the Sox were just a New England draw, I would never have met my buddies on "Surviving Grady". I can't imagine going through baseball season without them! However, the team's success has turned them into marketing gold. Everything is an opportunity for selling something...from the huge ads plastered all over the walls of Fenway Park, to the new Fenway Racing Team (NASCAR), to the fact that everything that comes out of the announcer's mouths on the game telecast is for sale. You know..."This is the Call to the Bullpen, brought to you by (fill in the blank)"

And you'd think that everyone in New England is required to own one of the following: a Red Sox hat, a T-shirt, or a car magnet, perhaps more popular than "support the troops" magnets in this part of the country. I thought it might be fun sometime to count how many Sox logos I see in a single 24-hour period, but it would be a ridiculously large number.

Perhaps the popularity of sports across the country is partly responsible. I did find that last time I visited my hometown during football season, it was awash in a sea of orange and black.

But whatever the case, let's hope the love of all things Red Sox translates into an excellent result in early November. Apparently the world is waiting.

5 comments:

KAYLEE said...

GREAT POST AND how are ya?

beckperson said...

Kaylee, you must have set a record for quickest comment to a post of mine! :) This is what rain delays do to us!! We get bored and go around and leave comments at each other's blogs.

I'm fine, btw - it's finally warming up here! In spite of the heat everywhere else, it's been unseasonably cool here. I hate it.

How are you? When will you get to go back to school? Are you looking forward to it?

KAYLEE said...

I am doing okay...I am looking at going back in november or december.....so will have to make up a half year somehow.II cant wait to get back.....being stuck in the house is not fun:D

Ted D said...

becks, look at you: 2 posts in 2 days! I'm proud of you, young lady!

As a fan living outside of New England, I welcome anything I can find Sox related: however, I can see where you natives are coming from.

And I feel for the players: they are baseball's version of the Beatles right now, and the fact our team is considered more popular than the Yankees does give me some perverse sense of pride.

However, something will come along to distract the casual fan, and it'll be just us diehards again. I'll just enjoy the wave, like you said, into November.

Tex said...

WOOOOT.
I think I should count how many Red Sox stuff I see in a 24 hr period time. or in a week at least in a week. HELL i was in Wichita Falls this week and saw at least about 4 guys in one night with Red sox clothes at a sports bar.