Last week, I started a seven-part series in which I will try to settle the debate on which team I am more passionate about, the Red Sox or the Patriots. I laid out seven factors which I believe determine the extent of one's fanaticism for a given team. In Part 1, I debated the Knowledge factor; which team do I know more about? In the end, the Sox won out.
Today, S3B proudly presents Part 2 of the Ultimate Debate: tenure.
As I go through this process, I hope to get some reader feedback as to where their hearts ultimately lie. Are you more of a Sox fan despite having an entire basement wall painted as a mural of Gillette Stadium? Or are your more of a Pats fan despite being a member of Red Sox Nation since 1923? Like I said last week, I feel deceitful in a way for engaging in this debate, so I don't want to go into this alone.
Tenure
It's no secret that a team becomes a bigger and bigger part of your soul the longer you remain a fan. Growing up, most of us (with the exception of myself) have the hometown team engrained into our minds like it's simple addition. And no doubt, these teams become a part of our early soul, and we latch on and follow these teams as part of a lifelong journey. If you need any proof as to how being a fan of a certain team can become more than just a lifestyle, read Bill Simmons' book and pay particular attention to how he describes his father's devotion to the Red Sox.
I'll compare the Tenure factor to a monogamous relationship. You meet a girl that you are attracted to, and you pursue a relationship with her because she possesses some qualities that you like in a female. You spend all of your time with her, and you ultimately fall in love because she turns out to be far better than you could have ever imagined. Finally, you marry this same girl and engage in the aforementioned lifelong journey. This marriage comes with many very high highs, but also may come with some very low lows. Like any marriage, you continue to love your wife despite these lows. As time progresses, the love grows with each passing day, or, as they say in the Kay's Jewelers commercial, "With every step, love grows." It all sounds corny, I know, but the comparison is legit.
But in essence, being a fan of a given team works the same way. In the beginning, you hook onto a team because they have certain things going for them that appeal to you. Over time, you become a diehard
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| It's probably a good thing that Buckner happened before my tenure began. |
As for the Pats, I hopped on board that ship in 1993 when they drafted Drew Bledsoe and switched to the Flying Elvis. Since '93, I've endured some brutally bad seasons; the Patriots finished 5-11 in both 1993 and 2000 and 6-10 in 1995, the year after a Super Bowl appearance. These down season have also been accompanied by the occasional heartbreaking loss. On the other hand, though, I've also seen five Super Bowl appearances, three Super Bowl wins, an undefeated regular season, and the creation of a dynasty. That last sentence is what being a fan is all about. It makes all of the heartache from those 5-11 seasons and those Super Bowl losses well worth it.
On the other hand, due to a lack of exposure - I grew up in the Pittsburgh area - I didn't really become a full-fledged fan of the Boston Red Sox until the early 2000s. I knew what I was getting into. The Sox were a franchise marred by bad karma and heartache. Just to run through some of the all-too-familiar names, there's been Tony Conigliaro, Bill Buckner, Aaron Boone, and, of course, Babe Ruth. Since I've joined Red Sox Nation, I did witness the Aaron Boone saga as well as the Grady Little mess, but I've also seen some of the most memorable wins in the history of any sports franchise. The 2004 ALCS comeback was something out of a fairy tale. And to do it against the Yankees was remarkably gratifying. Then, after 86 years, the Red Sox finally won their first World Series title since 1918. After going 86 years between titles, the Sox won again last season to become the first franchise in the 21st century to win two championships.
In the end, I've been a fan of the Patriots for about 10 more years than I have been a fan of the Red Sox. I've seen five Super Bowl appearances, the progression of two Hall of Fame worthy quarterbacks throughout their careers, two Super Bowl coaches, and the development of one the NFL's greatest franchises.
Advantage: Patriots
Next Saturday: Players
2 comments:
That definitely makes your emotions over the SB loss more understandable. The Patriots were fourth-tier when I was growing up. Sox came first, then the Celtics and Bruins, with the Pats bringing up the rear. If you grow up in New England, the Sox are always first in your heart. It must be in the water or something.
I suppose that is a valid explanation as to why the loss hit me harder than seemingly everyone else. I couldn't really put my finger on it.
Your point definitely makes sense. The Patriots have historically been terrible, so there was no real interest in following them. It was even as recently as the '90's when they were almost moved out of New England. And the Sox, well, they've always been the sweethearts, so to speak, of the New England area.
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