Enemy Territory
A lot of my friends who have never lived in New York express their sympathy that I am a Red Sox fan living in New York. I don’t know why. Maybe they think that Red Sox fans get treated as badly here as Yankees fans do in Boston. Trust me, they don’t. I wear my Sox hat out all the time. If the New York was as bad as Boston, I probably would have been through the ER with stitches or a black eye roughly seventeen times by now.
There has been exactly one incident in my three years living in New York when I have had an insult hurtled at me for wearing Red Sox apparel. It was during a Yankees-Red Sox ALCS game in 2004. The Red Sox were leading, and I was walking down Manhattan Avenue in Brooklyn to grab a sandwich between innings. As a car drove by, one of its passengers saw my Red Sox hat. Clearly out of the frustration of seeing their World Series hopes slip away, a Yankees fan sticks his entire upper body out the window to shout, “BOSTON SUCKS!” I laughed. I laughed harder when we won that series.
Last night, I thought I was about to become the victim of another Yankees fan-bashing. I was walking down my block wearing my Jonathan Papelbon t-shirt. About halfway to my door, I heard a voice behind me shout, “PAPELBON’S A FAG!”
I tried to ignore it, but I had to turn around and face the music. After all, the Yankees lost yesterday, so I had some fuel to add to the fire.
I turned around and saw the source of the voice: a guy with a Red Sox shirt on. He had a smile from ear to ear. I laughed back. “Dude, how many heart attacks have you had in the past week,” I asked.
He laughed as painfully as I did when I watched our AL East lead start to slip away last week. “Yanks lost today,” he reminded me.
“Yup, 2 game lead now. We can do it,” I said, as I stepped through my front door. ”Go Sox.”
“Go Sox.”
Red Sox Nation is everywhere, even on 1st Avenue.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 25th, 2007 at 8:32 am and is filed under Life in NYC, Sports. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
September 25th, 2007 at 9:11 am
quin says:my grandfather was a sox fan, and told me they were the only team worth cheering for.
he lived in a town of 36 people in the middle of mississippi.
red sox nation is everywhere.
September 25th, 2007 at 9:17 am
amish says:There has been exactly one incident in my three years living in New York…
What about the PT incident?
September 25th, 2007 at 9:19 am
Scott Dimig says:The Red Sox are holding on to their marginal lead by their teeth.
The Yankees on the other hand are the hottest team in baseball, even before the all star break. Move back to Boston, stop blogging about the east village and get a life. The only reason I am posting this is because a friend pointed me in the direction of this blog and well IT SUCKS. You know very little about anything going on in the east village - as it seems you attend and visit night spots that no one frequents or cares about - I HATE YOU
September 25th, 2007 at 9:41 am
Chris says:Amish: Point taken. Although you took the brunt of that one, and you’re not a Red Sox fan.
Scott Dimig: Wow, within an hour of posting this, an asshole Yankees fan shows up to prove me wrong. It’s a shame that this blog isn’t about the East Village - it’s written by someone who lives there. Of course, you didn’t bother to read enough of this blog to realize that before you cast judgement.
Also, what loser goes on to someone’s blog and tells a complete stranger he hates him? You, apparently.
But really, thanks for stopping by.
September 25th, 2007 at 10:52 am
Val says:it’s so funny how riled up people get about sports…. I mean, i’m all for a little friendly competition but name calling is just childish. really.
September 25th, 2007 at 11:06 am
StuyGirl says:I’e had the same experience: I get way more “Cowboy up!” calls from Sox fans when I wear my Millar shirt than comments from Yankees fans. I truly believe there are as many Red Sox as Yankees fans in NYC.
And wow, Scott Dimig. Wow. It’s people like you who make New York such a warm and fuzzy place to live.
September 25th, 2007 at 11:21 am
Hiro says:We’re all over NYC and at least 1/4 of the crowd at Sox-Yanks games in the Bronx.
September 25th, 2007 at 11:28 am
Jonny says:GO FUCK YOURSELF SOX FAN,… I like your blog though… funny stuff when you’re not talking about the Sox
September 25th, 2007 at 11:43 am
Jimmy says:still waiting for your next website, lolgagne
September 25th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Chris says:StuyGirl: And to top it off, thanks to some Facebook-stalking, someone pointed out to me that he’s not even from the city… he’s from LONG ISLAND. Like he even has a right to open his mouth.
Jimmy: You’ll be pleased to know that if the Sox lose the division… rest assured, that site will be up the next day.
September 25th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
StuyGirl says:Long Island–I love it. He should move back to Suffolk County, stop writing on blogs he’s too lame to enjoy, and get a life.
September 25th, 2007 at 6:54 pm
mjones says:If I have a team in the AL it’s the Sox. But please don’t tell my roommates. They already hate me because I’m a Mets fan and I fear they may beat me in my sleep a la Full Metal Jacket.
I hate clinch time.
September 25th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
joanna says:Long Island??? I thought I smelled Wonder Bread. I can wax vitrolic as well as the next person but Dimig and Jonny just reek of “trying too hard”. I’m all for some competitive trash-talking in a sports bar or with someone you know, but you two might as well be wearing big neon signs saying “New Yorker wannabe”.
Count me in as looking forward to lolgagne.
October 1st, 2007 at 12:10 am
jerryatrics says:Screw the Red Sox. And the Yanks. The fans are the most obnoxious in sports.