There is, as some of you are aware, a chant that has been associated with Red Sox fans, and their contempt for a certain team for New York. It was never really all that classy, though I can't claim to be innocent of joining in. In fact, back in the day I was shouting just as loud as everyone else. But even in the heyday of the whole "Red Sox finish second to the Yankees. always" era (even if the Yankees win the division this year I consider said era to have come to a close with the World Series victory) there was use of it that I found annoying. Like if the Red Sox were, to give an example, trailing the Royals and the crowd wanted something to shout about. Sitting in the bleachers at Fenway three years ago I found that more annoying than having paid to watch my team lose to the Royals.
Midway during last year's run, I grew tired of the chanting. In fact, I recognized it as the blunted Parthian shot it was. But then, something changed. It was the eighth inning of the seventh game of the ALCS, and the Red Sox fans in the crowd, with the strength of a commanding lead behind them, began to drown out the New York crowd. But amid the chants of "Let's Go, Red Sox," there was a less audible yet easily distingushable shout of "Red Sox Suck." For me, that was the instant that the Curse was broken. Now, we are the dominators. Now, we suck. We no longer needed to claim superiority, we had proven it. So when I heard the familiar chant once again at the Fourth of July fireworks, in Boston, I greeted it with a disappointed sigh. Today, I was disgusted.
Tampa Bay is a city where the Red Sox fans are for most of the time louder than the Devil Rays fans. Chant's of, "Let's Go Red Sox" are more powerful and prevalent than whatever the hell it is the Devil Rays fans chant (I mean there's not much to go on. The name isn't really right for chanting and the team hardly gives the fans reason to chant.) Tonight, for one inning, there was an unmistakable "Yankees Suck" drifting out from the Sox fans in Tampa, while the score was tied.
Unnacceptable.
The Red Sox are not trailing the Yankees in the standings. They were not playing against the Yankees. The Yankees weren't playing at all tonight. They were in Tampa Bay, where no one really gives a shit about the Yankees unless they're there. They were out there, in enemy territory, proving that Red Sox Nation still has a victim complex.
If any of you fuckers who were in the stands chanting are reading this, I want all of your names. You're fired.
in '99, I was leading the parade with YANKEES SUCK, after we were robbed in the '99 ALCS especially. We weren't evenly match,but several umpire calls went the other way just to dig that dagger even deeper.
ReplyDeleteI've had some entries about the whole 'yankees suck' phenomenon. I really did embrace it for a long time. in the '03 ALCS, it ended. When Boone hit that home run, it just left me. They don't suck. And they didn't suck in '99. I hated them in '99,00, that era.. the Jeter, Oneill,brosius,tino era. I still hate the yankees, but that's just because you're supposed to have a irrational feeling towards your rival. I don't agree with the Yankees Suck chant. I think it's dying away too, I think you're more likely to hear 'lets go red sox' more often. I think it died before the world series victory, I think it died when the Sox stopped playing like the historically plagued sox of previous years. I mean, the 03,04, and this years team.. they don't play like the 01, 99, 93 sox. With those previous teams, you knew they were out of it if they were down 4 after 6 innings. They battle now, this crop of players make every game worth it.
That being said. I think those who still yell 'yankees suck' and also the folks who pronounce our third baseman's name as 'mewler', couldn't tell ya who Darren Bragg, Carlos Quintana or Rich Garces is. They're folks who bought their first Sox hat on or after October 27th of 2004.
I think you had a good point with the 'red sox suck' comment. I think depending on how this season turns out, we'll be the hated. My money says the Patriots entered that realm after their most recent championship. Nobody likes empires or dynasties...unless it's their favorite team. :) In my opinion though, the Sox deserve 4 straight championships before they enter the realm of undeserving. lol :)
Well I was just talking about "Red Sox Suck" coming from Yankees fans. I mean they've hated us for a while, albeit not as strongly. I don't think universal contempt for the Red Sox is likely anytime soon, though it is true that people have gotten tired of Red Sox-Yankees being in the spotlight.
ReplyDeletebut the Yankees reall do suck this year. Overpaid and underperforming. Mostly mediocre and often really bad, especially the pitching.
ReplyDeleteIt's not just a taunt this time. Tt's a statement of fact.
I got nothing.
ReplyDeleteDo the Yankees really suck????
Just checking.
All I can say is...Wow. Incredible game tonight, amazing team to pull it out like that. We Still Believe! Go Red Sox!
ReplyDeleteWell, they suck for a team that's being paid 203 million dollars. And Steinbrenner, Sheffeild, and Rodriguez are assholes. Probably more of them too, but those are the definate ones. Jeter is a bit smug, but I respect him now... I mean the dude dove into the stands, right into a chair, to catch a foul ball. I'll tip my cap to that even if the guy who did it has goat legs
ReplyDeleteI'm just glad that Clement is ok.
ReplyDeleteI went to school with Steinbrenner's daughter. She tried to buy friends.
ReplyDeleteThen they had to go, I think because Steinbrenner was indicted for illegally laundering campaign contributions to Nixon through his workers' Christmas bonuses.
The next thing I knew he bought the Yankees.
Do the Yankees suck? Nah. But management usually does.