Huntington News

Issue date: 2/28/07 Section: Sports

Here's a quick question-and-answer session for you.

Ready?

Q: A regular-sized trailer truck departs from a local street with equipment, uniforms and boxes upon boxes of sunflower seeds. What do people do?

A: Line up on a street, stare at and photograph moving professionals.

Q: It is mid-winter. There is an infuriating amount of ice on the ground, making journeys through streets and sidewalks difficult. Where are legions of Greater Bostonians going if they find themselves walking around ice-cold Beantown?

A: An abandoned, lonely Fenway Park.

Q: Again, we preface with the fact that it is mid-winter. Two professional teams are in the heart of their schedules. Another is so far removed from its next season that its players are at home, lounging and spending quality time with families. Maybe even forgetting about their profession for awhile. Guess who is discussed more?

A: Whether they want it or not, the off-season team.

Q: Middle-aged men from different countries battle for space in areas designated for photographers. They conduct themselves as if they have been assigned to a U.N. Security Council Meeting. Where are they?

A: At a baseball field.

Q: Thousands upon thousands of New Englanders gather in a mid-sized southwestern Florida city, their dedication and fascination not marred by the fact they are watching grown men stretch out and play catch. Organized contests are still more than a week away. What is the subject of this infatuation?

A: The Boston Red Sox.

It doesn't take long to develop, does it?

A matter of weeks, days … hours?

We know we irritate the outsiders and the disinterested. We know the Cubs, Phillies, A's and Mets fans of the world think the entire Red Sox fascination is a laughable enterprise.

Some of it is inner jealousy, as they're tired of being ignored and seeing Boston capture so many headlines.

But their other argument is a very good one.

Since the idea of a "Red Sox Nation" exploded in the early part of this decade (think 2001-2003), the criteria for being a Red Sox fan has changed as much as the franchise.

Before 2001, things were simpler. Tickets could be bought at local malls for face value, weeks and months after going on sale. There were only a few stars on each team. Fenway Park looked a lot more like its original 1912 self, without the Green Monster, patio-style roof and extra corporate-style suites.

That was also before the size of the Red Sox fanship exploded. Rooting for the Red Sox wasn't labeled trendy by critics and the 24/7/365 fascination simply did not exist. Tim Wakefield (joined in 1995), Jason Varitek (1997) and Manny Ramirez (winter of 2000) know this.

So I'll provide a service to the non-Red Sox fans on this campus. Perhaps by reading this, you'll respect the long-time, genuine fans a tad more. Because after all, they still exist.

Here are the fve ways to ensurey ou're dealing with a legitimate Red Sox fan:

1. The fan should be able to rant about the pre-2003 Red Sox. Is 1999 a longtime ago for this fan? Does the fan know what happened in 1999? The point is this fan must be as familiar with Johnny Pesky, Fred Lynn, Tom Brunansky and Mo Vaughn as he/she is with David Ortiz. There are countless stories in Red Sox history that matter, and they don't begin with the failures of 2003 and the successes of 2004.

2. The passion needs to last in a true Red Sox fan. April games must matter as much as June and September ones. There should be a steady progression of interest, not simply a giant indulgence in Spring Training and early April that lasts for an additional month, cools off by July and then magically re-appears during a playoff run in late August and September.

3. Where are this fan's priorities? Are they in individual players or in the team as a whole? Does the fascination come from a pure, inner desire to root or does it come as a result of others?

The priority, of course, is to see the Red Sox win. For every starting rotation argument, trip to Cask 'n Flagon and minute spent waiting in line at a ticket booth, the end result is seeing another win added to the record books. Many non-fans find rooting for the Red Sox as an activity or a bit of entertainment, and that's perfectly fine. But being a Red Sox "fan" comes from an interest in sports, first and foremost, and that means wins and championships.

4. Where is the fan from? Of course, true Red Sox fans can come from Nebraska, North Dakota, Poland and Japan. But the first step in finding a legitimate Red Sox fan is making sure the fan has the right approach and interest. Is the fan a temporary one from North Texas sick of the Rangers? Is the fan one who shares his/her passions with the Mets or another team just because he/she wants to? What matters here is if the fan is truly in it for the long haul or not.

5. Native New Englanders are excused here. The convenience of the fan's transition into being a Red Sox fan should be examined. Did it come as a result of a winning streak, great acquisition or championship? Or did it come as a result of having a true vested interest in all things Red Sox?

Need any more help? Walk to Fenway in the heat of the summer. Find the longtime season ticket-holders, the ones with the stories and the ones with contagious enthusiasm.

They'll remind you to root against the Yankees, keep your dedication consistent and assert yourself as a fan.

They'll probably also tell you to not get so crazy about a truck outside Fenway Park in mid-February.

- Jeff Powalisz can be reached for comment at sports@nu-news.com

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