Jumping Ship?

[Len B]

I grew up loving baseball in the 1990's, it was my favorite sport. I remember watching the Red Sox play as many nights as I could for an ADD 8 year old. Growing up on the Rocket, Mo Vaughn, Mike Greenwell, Tim Naehring, John Valentin, Troy O'Leary, etc. was such a fun time.

After the 2004 season, I lost all interest in baseball as a whole, specifically because the Boston Red Sox fan base and their management style. In 2007, I played an exhibition Madden game against my roomate as the Sox beat the Rockies to win the World Series.

I love everything about the game, but I hate everything the Red Sox stand for. Is it wrong of me to abandon the local yahoo's (minus Yawkey, kyhadley, etc.) and to start rooting for a random team that's never really had any success? I need to find a way to get back into it, and what a better way then to follow a team such as the Kansas City Royals or Oakland Athletics, aka all hail the small market team?

Is there anything wrong with this? Anyone ever jumped ship on a team before? It feels weird to me, because New England sports is all I really know, but in order to get back into the game I feel it has to be done.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Please explain what drives your hatred of the Red Sox. I suspect I know the answer.

Also, I think you will have a hard time going all in on a new time. You just won't have that personal, lifelong connection.

Anyway, I would adopt a shitty team and suffer for a while. Easier to appreciate the winning when it comes.

 

[Blick]

Seems weird.

And you don't want to watch the Royals. Trust me.

 

[EmpireWF]

They're the same as the Yankees is the reason I surmise.

Plus, when you expect your team to make the playoffs and contend for a championship every year, does it take the fun out of it?

 

[Len B]

Please explain what drives your hatred of the Red Sox. I suspect I know the answer.

Also, I think you will have a hard time going all in on a new time. You just won't have that personal, lifelong connection.

Anyway, I would adopt a shitty team and suffer for a while. Easier to appreciate the winning when it comes.

Two reasons...

1) They despised everything the Yankees were about, then just souled their soul (sic) to achieve their success. Buying championships and throwing money at any player that's a free agent isn't my idea of fun. Always been the guy who built up bad teams in video games since I was young.

2) The fucking fans... just awful. I've never seen a worse fan base. New England Patriots fans are much better than Red Sox fans. I could write a 300 page essay on how bad the fans of the Red Sox are.

 

[Len B]

They're the same as the Yankees is the reason I surmise.

Plus, when you expect your team to make the playoffs and contend for a championship every year, does it take the fun out of it?

Not really, go Patriots :smug:

It's really no fun when you have a $100 million dollar edge on some teams, and have no ramifications for spending money poorly. I like farm systems, not free agents. There's a lot to be said about development, which is why I'm huge into youth sports.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I always felt like Red Sox fans lost their identity when the Red Sox finally won, and couldn't figure out what to do with themselves at that point, so they just continued to whine about anything and everything.

Also, Ben Affleck and his famous "evil empire" rant...all while the Red Sox had the second highest payroll in baseball and had just signed a big free agent a few days before kinda made me want to smack him.

 

[Leftwich]

Become an orioles fan.

Nothing cries the exact opposite of someone paying for a championship and throwing money at any big name free agent than the orioles.

In Angelos we trust.

 

[Primetime]

Become an orioles fan.

Nothing cries the exact opposite of someone paying for a championship and throwing money at any big name free agent than the orioles.

In Angelos we trust.

 

[West]

mariners till i die

 

[Woy]

:motte:

 

[Goober]

Ex. 1
Fan 1: If that fucking pink hat doesn't stop singing "Sweet Caroline" I'm gonna skull fuck her.

Fan 2: At least we don't get this shit at Bruins games.

Pink Hat: SO GOOD! SO GOOD! SO GOOD!

This was pretty funny, but it would have been better if it hadn't set up the Sweet Caroline joke right away.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

Become an orioles fan.

Nothing cries the exact opposite of someone paying for a championship and throwing money at any big name free agent than the orioles.

In Angelos we trust.

We need a Dan Duquette smiley.......:duke:

 

[StealthShot]

Everyone loves underdogs that's why.

 

[MvP]

That is exactly why I stopped being a Yankees fan back in 2001 (I officially turned against them midway through the World Series against the Diamondbacks). I hated the "buy championships" mentality and the arrogant fans were starting to piss me off. Crazy thing is that I was only 10 years old at the time I came to this conclusion.

Later on I fell in love with the concept of Moneyball and started rooting for the A's for a few years. Then I went to Citizens Bank Park for the first time in 2007 I believe, loved the atmosphere and rooted for the Phillies for a couple seasons. But as I got older I realized I couldn't possibly consider myself a fan of the Phils (or any other team) because I couldn't share the same feelings and emotions of finally winning a championship the way longtime fans could.

Baseball has always been my favorite sport overall and it saddens me that I don't have a team, but that's just how it's gonna have to be. Maybe if theres another expansion team down the road but it still won't feel the same.

If I were you, I wouldn't even bother trying to root for a new team. Just get heavily involved with Fantasy Baseball to keep your interest in the sport/players.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I wish my team was a big market team that raped and pillaged the small market teams, bought championships, and lived in the playoffs.

To each his own, I suppose.

 

[killgod]

:joeybats:

 

[EmpireWF]

As a fan of a team who once spent money like it was going out of style (ironically, for them, IT WAS), but now has cut almost a third of the payroll.....I miss "meaningful games in September" so badly.

No light at the end of the tunnel isn't a good thing. :duda:

 

[Len B]

That is exactly why I stopped being a Yankees fan back in 2001 (I officially turned against them midway through the World Series against the Diamondbacks). I hated the "buy championships" mentality and the arrogant fans were starting to piss me off. Crazy thing is that I was only 10 years old at the time I came to this conclusion.

Later on I fell in love with the concept of Moneyball and started rooting for the A's for a few years. Then I went to Citizens Bank Park for the first time in 2007 I believe, loved the atmosphere and rooted for the Phillies for a couple seasons. But as I got older I realized I couldn't possibly consider myself a fan of the Phils (or any other team) because I couldn't share the same feelings and emotions of finally winning a championship the way longtime fans could.

Baseball has always been my favorite sport overall and it saddens me that I don't have a team, but that's just how it's gonna have to be. Maybe if theres another expansion team down the road but it still won't feel the same.

If I were you, I wouldn't even bother trying to root for a new team. Just get heavily involved with Fantasy Baseball to keep your interest in the sport/players.

This is what I think will happen, but it really saddens me. Nothing beats seeing "your team" succeed.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

I think MvP has the most valid suggestion. Even with the futility I have to endure as a fan of my teams- the Redskins and Orioles, and to a lesser extent the Capitals (can I at least get a conference finals from you guys?) I still couldn't imagine rooting for any other team.

I know I say that a lot about the Orioles, and how I want to root for another team, but chances are I would just forget about the Orioles and focus on fantasy baseball. I actually used to run a dynasty league that is starting its eighth season, so I would probably look to get involved in one of those again.