"Why did you become a Red Sox fan?"

Most of these blog entries are intended for any SoSHer to use as a reference. This entry is an exception as I'm the only SoSHer who has a reason to link to it. This entry also isn't a counterargument like most of these entries, but it's a response to a frequently asked question. I get asked all the time why I became a Red Sox fan, especially whenever I reveal that I've never lived in New England. Of course this question comes up often during SoSH bashes.

I grew up in central NJ, halfway between NYC and Philly. I could get radio stations from both cities, and I could get TV stations from both cities without cable. As opposed to living in an area with 1 home team, I lived in an area with 3-4 home teams in every sport, so I pursued other avenues in choosing my teams. This wasn’t uncommon there, at least when I grew up there. The only team from around there that I became a fan of was the NY Islanders. The NJ Devils were the Colorado Rockies back when I picked the Islanders.

I hated the Yankees right away. I hated Steinbrenner. I hated Reggie Jackson. I felt that Reggie had an arrogant attitude of, "Yeah...we baaad...we baaad...", etc., and it turned me off. I felt the arrogance of Steinbrenner and others carried over to their fans.

My hatred of the Yankees led me towards the Red Sox in '77. I liked the players, the ballpark, the unis, the hatred of the Yankees, etc.. I stuck with the Red Sox ever since.