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Courtney Borkowski
Boston Sports Fans
Introduction
Although Boston has a rich history and is known for its universities it is also known for
its sports. When referring to sports it is not just professional sports. Not only are professional
teams very popular in this city, but so are college and high school teams. Boston fans do not just
have to be from Boston to share a love for its teams. These fans come from all over the country
and even the world to express their interest for the city’s teams and sporting events. This paper
will not only define what it takes to be a Boston sports fan but it will also talk about common
goals, events, and the unique language and texts that make up this culture.
What makes someone a Boston sports fan?
People do not have to be from Boston to be a fan of its sports teams although most of its
fan are from this historical city. When mentioning Boston sports fans, people usually think of its
fan base being only in the New England states. The professional teams centered in Boston, with
the exception of the Patriots in Foxborough, MA, are the only major professional teams in New
England. Major professional teams refers to major sports like basketball, hockey, baseball,
soccer, and football. Although most fans in New England states do support Boston’s teams, there
are some that support closer teams. For example, some people in Connecticut will cheer for the
Yankees and the Giants instead of the Red Sox and the Patriots. In more simple words, not
everyone from New England are fans of Boston sports teams. The definition of being a Boston
sports fan is very simple, someone just needs to have an interest in the teams. They just need to
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cheer for those teams and also be passionate and dedicated to them. In the book “The Die-Hard
Sport’s Fans Guide to Boston” author Christopher Klein writes:
…being a die-hard sports fan in Boston is about joy, it’s about heartbreak, it’s about
honoring the traditions of the past, and it’s about unbreakable bonds with our families
and our community.
Not only is having an interest in the teams important but so is connecting with other fans about
the history of the teams and sharing those memories together. Fans will interact with one another
by attending games, watching the games at bars, listening to the games on the radio, or more
simply gathering around the television at home in the living room. Before and even after football
games, fans will tailgate outside Gillette stadium (the New England Patriots stadium) and cook a
variety of foods like hamburgers and hotdogs. Boston sports fans will do anything to go to a
game. Due to the teams’ increasing popularity, ticket prices have sky rocketed making some fans
make the trip over to the other team’s city rather than to theirs, which is an example of fans’
dedication.
Although professional teams in Boston are very popular, so are its college teams.
Thousands of people will line up along the Charles River in Boston to watch the annual Head of
the Charles Regatta where college teams, and professional teams, will race down the river in
their rowing boats. Another popular sporting event is the Beanpot where four college teams,
Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern, and Harvard, will play against each other in
hockey (Klein). Boston has a wide variety of sporting events to attend which is why the sports
fan culture is so unique and also well-known. To be a true Boston sports fan one needs to be
passionate, energetic, and dedicated to their team. These are three characteristics that separate
Boston fans from other fans across the country and even around the world.
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History
What makes Boston teams different from other teams is their deep history. Teams like the
Red Sox and Bruins are some of the oldest professional teams in the country. The Bruins
happened to be the first National Hockey League (NHL) franchise in America. In the 1700s
many sports were originally banned in Boston, due to religious beliefs of the Puritans and
violence, but soon gained popularity with the increase of immigrants. Once sports like boxing,
football, and baseball gained popularity, organized teams started emerging around the city. In
1902 people could pick up a newspaper and find a variety of sporting events going on in the city
that day. Sporting events like baseball, racing, golf, tennis, cricket, boxing, yachting, and rowing
are just some of many events people could go to. Boston sports teams have dominated the city
for decades which is why these teams have become so popular (Klein).
Although Boston’s professional teams have been around for decades, most of its college
teams have been around much longer. Rowing between teams in Boston have been around since
the mid-1800s. The Harvard-Yale Regatta, an annual rowing race between the two rivals, had its
first race in 1852. Even college football was more popular than professional football in Boston. It
took many years for fans to attend the New England Patriots games before Robert Kraft bought
them in 1994 (Klein). Today, college hockey, rowing, football, and high school football are next
to professional sports in popularity in Boston. If one cannot catch a professional game in Boston
there are plenty of other options of sports teams to pick from.
Author Christopher Klein explains that the reason for Boston’s sports obsession is mostly
because of how blessed the city has been with their teams. He states, “Quite simply, the city has
been blessed with some of sport’s most-storied franchises, brightest stars, and memorable
moments.” Some of the greatest moments in Boston sports history, the 2004 World Series
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reverse of the curse win of the Boston Red Sox, Bobby Orr’s incredible game winning goal in
the 1970 Stanley Cup game, and the Celtic’s seventeen championship wins, are what draws fans
to these teams. These moments are what fills Boston with energy. Most Boston teams have
struggled with winning championships so when they do it is a big deal. Fans waited eighty-six
years for the Red Sox to win and when they did all that excitement came out and people went
crazy. The most memorable players, Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins, Larry Bird, Bill Russell,
and Kevin McHale of the Boston Celtics, and Babe Ruth and Ted Williams of the Boston Red
Sox, are also a big factor in what draws fans to Boston sports teams. By visiting the teams
sporting hubs, Fenway Park of the Boston Red Sox, TD Garden of the Boston Celtics, and
Gillette Stadium of the New England Patriots and New England Revolution (New England’s
professional soccer team), fans will always be able to get a glimpse of its history, not only of the
players, but also of the places they play in. These places try to keep the history and traditions of
the teams alive, from the Garden’s parquet floors to the Green Monster of Fenway Park. It is fair
to say that without these incredible moments, landmarks and players Boston fans would not be
what they are like today.
Community Goals
The most common goal for Boston sports fans is for their teams to be successful and win
games, or most importantly championships. Klein writes, “The vibe of the city is often dictated
by whether the home team won or lost the night before.” One of the biggest wins in Boston
sports history was the 2004 World Series. Author Leigh Montville writes, “The Red Sox finally
won two World Series…ending an 86-year curse and sending people celebrating into the streets”.
Fans went crazy when the Red Sox won because they waited so long to see them win again
(since 1912). These championship wins, not only from the Red Sox but also other Boston teams,
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increased the intensity of the fans dedication to them and also increased the number of fans that
attended the games. Even before the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series fans did not lose hope
and supported them through thick and thin.
Another goal is to obtain more fans. One of the best ways Boston has done this is by
creating Red Sox Nation, or RSN. Created in 2004 RSN attracts Red Sox fans from across the
country and even the world. To be an official RSN member you have to sign up for a
membership and pay a small annual fee. After signing up fans are eligible for newsletters,
discounts, and even members only seating at the games. RSN was designed to recruit more fans
from all over the country. Another program created was Red Sox Destinations. Since the prices
for tickets have dramatically increased since 2004 it is harder for fans to afford to attend their
games so they created Red Sox Destinations to help fans watch the Sox in another city for a low
price. This program sells packages that include pre-game events, hotels, and the game itself.
These programs help expand the fan base to across the nation, which increases the number of
fans overall (Klein).
No matter where one goes in the country, or even the world, they are bound to see
someone wearing Boston sports team’s apparel, whether it be a Red Sox hat or a Tom Brady
jersey. It was very shocking to see the abundance of Boston sports team’s apparel in distant parts
of the U.S. I observed a Hurricanes vs. Bruins game in Raleigh, NC. It was surprising that Bruins
fans made up almost half of the crowd. As I was walking through the parking lot I saw cars with
North Carolina plates with Red Sox and Bruins stickers on their back windshield. While
interviewing Ms. Crocker, who grew up in Boston, she told me how she went to graduate school
in Baltimore and attended a Red Sox game there and was amazed at the amount of Sox fans there
were. When I asked her about the game she said
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Yeah there were a lot of [Orioles] fans obviously in Baltimore, rooting for the Orioles.
There were some people like myself rooting for the Red Sox. It was different at the game,
very different than being in Boston. The fans didn’t act like Boston Red Sox fans. Red
Sox fans really get into the game and they show how they feel and if they disagree with a
call they make a lot of noise and in Baltimore it wasn’t that way.
Every day the fan base for Boston sports teams is increasing and expanding. These teams have
an incredible history and many people want to become a part of it. Being a Boston sports fan is
something that binds people together and creates a common ground for them.
Community Events
Most of the fans will attend the professional games. For example, Celtics and Bruins fans
will watch games at the TD Garden, Red Sox fans will go to Fenway Park, and New England
Patriot and New England Revolution fans will go to Gillette Stadium. Fans will also attend
college events. Some events are: the Beanpot, the Harvard-Yale Regatta, and football games, like
Boston University, Boston College, and the Harvard-Yale game. These types of games are more
centered in the U.S and not so much globally. Events like the Boston Marathon and the Head of
the Charles Regatta attract a more global audience.
The Boston Marathon is one of the largest races in the world. About twenty-five
thousands runners come from around the world to participate in this prestigious twenty-six point
two mile event. It is usually common to see runners from countries in Africa, for example Kenya
and Ethiopia, participate and most times win the race overall. Winners have come from countries
like the U.S, Canada, Ethiopia, Italy, and Kenya. Another sporting event that brings in global
participants is the Head of the Charles Regatta. It draws more than eight thousand competitors
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from around the world to the Charles River in Boston. Some people come as far as South Africa
and China. These two major events make the Boston sports fan base expand globally. One does
not only have to like the Red Sox or Celtics to be a Boston sports fan, they can cheer on the
rowers at the Charles River or the runners on Heartbreak Hill (the big hill runners run up at the
Boston Marathon) and still be considered a Boston sports fan (Klein).
Language & Text
When attending a Boston sports game one will hear a variety of words or phrases that are
unique to its fans. One of the most popular words someone will hear is wicked. Wicked in
Boston does not mean what some think it might. In simple terms it means very or awesome. You
will usually hear people say “wicked pissah”, “wicked awesome”, or “wicked loud” when
talking about their sports teams. A fan holding a sign up can be seen at a Red Sox game with the
words “wicked pissah” on it or they might even be wearing a shirt with that phrase on it as well.
Although the word “wicked” is used in those phrases at sports games the word itself is part of
one’s daily vocabulary throughout the city. So the word “wicked” is not just a sports thing but it
is also used among Bostonians, and New Englanders, in their daily vocabulary. Another common
thing someone will hear is people will drop their r’s when talking. For example, instead of
saying, “Park the car”, Bostonians, and even many New Englanders, will say “Pahk the cah”.
Some words and phrases one will hear specifically at sporting events are the Green Monster, or
the “Green Monstah”, Heartbreak Hill, Fenway franks (hotdogs), the “Gahden” (TD Garden),
Pesky’s Pole (the right field foul pole in Fenway Park, named after Red Sox infielder Johnny
Pesky), “I Love That Dirty Water” (reference to the Charles River when it was very polluted,
also a song), and much more. The dropping of the letter “r” is more of a Boston thing but since
most of the major sporting events occur in Boston one can hear this language at the events.
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One of the most popular songs someone will hear at a Boston sports game is “Dirty
Water” by the Standells, which is about the Charles River and Boston. Someone can also hear
the song “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond playing throughout Fenway. Klein explains the
atmosphere of these games perfectly
Inside Fenway you’ll hear the buzz of the crowd, the dulcet organ tunes, the crack of the
bat, and the fans singing ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ in the middle of the seventh
[inning] and ‘Sweet Caroline’ in the middle of the eighth. And if the Sox prevail and the
die-hards get their wish, you’ll hear the distinctive sounds of ‘Dirty Water’ celebrating
another victory.
This language and its texts bring Boston sports fans together and allows them to express their
teams and cities history together. They are an important part of the fans culture and without them
Boston sports fans would not be what they are like today.
Conclusion
Boston sports fans can be found everywhere. “In stadiums, bars, and living rooms,
Bostonians come together to cheer on the home teams with a singular voice,” says Klein. Boston
sports connect people not only to people around the city or across the country but also to distant
ancestors and family. Season tickets are usually passed down from generation to generation and
even when the teams are suffering, fans will never give up on them (Klein). One fan from
Gloucester, MA explains how she is a season ticket holder of thirty-six years and never loses
hope for the Bruins (Montville). Author Randy Roberts writes
In a city with traditionally deep ethic, racial, and class divisions, sports have provided
Boston with a common ground, joining people from diverse backgrounds.
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What binds fans together is the love of the teams, regardless of race or ethnicity. True Boston
sports fans can tell others all about the history of their teams. They are easy to pick out of crowd
not only from what they are wearing but also from how they act. One of the best places to
experience the fans at their finest for free is at the Boston Duck Boat Parades. These parades are
held after a championship game win. Players will ride the Duck Boats around the city and fans
will cheer them on as they ride by. To be a Boston sports fan one needs to have passion for their
team, dedication, and also they need to support them. These fans have a rich history, along with
their teams, and will do anything to express how they feel about their team.
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Works Cited
1. Klein, Christopher. The Die-Hard Sports Fan's Guide to Boston. Boston, MA: Union
Park pr, 2009. Print.
2. Montville, Leigh. "Deep In the Heart of the City." Sports Illustrated 114.23 (2011): 6875. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Feb. 2015.
3. Roberts, Randy. The Rock, the Curse, and the Hub: A Random History of Boston Sports.
Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 2005. Print.
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Ethnography Interview
Me: So my essay is about the culture of Boston sports fans.
Mom: Okay
Me: What is your earliest memory of Boston sports?
Mom: I remember going to Fenway Park when I was a kid and watching the Boston Red Sox.
Me: Who took you?
Mom: I would go with friends of mine.
Me: How old were you?
Mom: I was probably about sixteen.
Me: What was your favorite team you watched growing up?
Mom: I would say out of all of the teams in Boston it would probably be the Boston Celtics.
Me: Did your mom or dad ever watch any of the teams on TV?
Mom: My dad, I remember when I was growing up, that he used to have a radio and he would
always be listening to the Boston Red Sox on it if they were playing.
Me: How many games did you go to when you were a kid?
Mom: I would say I probably went to maybe ten games.
Me: Who did you see?
Mom: I remember one time I saw the New York Yankees, who is a big rivalry of the Boston Red
Sox.
Me: How were the fans there?
Mom: There was just a lot of cheering going on because the fans don’t like the Yankees and the
Yankees don’t like us back. It was really loud and people were really into the game and if we
were winning they would almost taunt the players because they didn’t like them.
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Me: Do you know if they won that game?
Mom: I remember once yes, I don’t know about every game but I do remember once that we
won the game.
Me: How were the fans dressed? What were they wearing?
Mom: Boston Red Sox stuff. People had shirts, people had hats, people had really just about
anything with Boston Red Sox on it. It was obvious when you looked out that everybody was
rooting for the Red Sox when they were in Boston.
Me: Did you go to any of the games when you were in college?
Mom: I remember once when I lived in Maryland I went to a Red Sox game in Baltimore, their
team is the Orioles.
Me: How were the fans there? Were there a lot [of Red Sox fans] there?
Mom: Yeah there were a lot of [Orioles] fans obviously in Baltimore, rooting for the Orioles.
There were some people like myself rooting for the Red Sox. It was different at the game, very
different than being in Boston. The fans didn’t act like Boston Red Sox fans. Red Sox fans really
get into the game and they show how they feel and if they disagree with a call they make a lot of
noise and in Baltimore it wasn’t that way.
Me: What was your favorite game that you went to?
Mom: I would say the Boston Celtics. I went to see them win a championship game against the
Los Angeles Lakers, they were their rivals, and I mean it was down to the wire. I can’t remember
what the score was but the teams were neck to neck and it came down to about two minutes. You
know everybody was worried that we weren’t going to win because I think at that point the score
was up by maybe five points. But we did it.
Me: Do you remember what year that was?
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Mom: I would say that was probably around 1983.
Me: Did you have any season tickets to any of the teams?
Mom: I had season’s tickets to the Boston Celtics.
Me: How many seasons’ tickets did you have? For how many years?
Mom: Probably about ten years.
Me: Was that in the 70s and 80s?
Mom: Yup, that was, it was in the 80s.
Me: What famous players do you remember seeing at the games?
Mom: Probably the most incredible sports player that I have ever seen was Larry Bird of the
Boston Celtics. I remember him very well playing. I also remember Kevin McHale.
Me: Did you see Magic Johnson?
Mom: Yes, yes I did.
Me: Have you only been to the Red Sox and Celtics or have you been to other sports games?
Mom: I’ve been to the Bruins in the 70s.
Me: How was that?
Mom: Oh they were quite loud. They were very good at that. The fans were very vocal. It was
just very noisy.
Me: What do you remember that the fans did after they won a championship game?
Mom: I remember when I was in Boston and the Boston Celtics won, everyone came out of the
Garden and they just cheered. They weren’t doing anything bad they were just cheering, they
were excited that they won. People were just cheering in the streets.
Me: Have you ever been to a Duck Boat Parade?
Mom: No, I have never been to a Duck Boat Parade.
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Me: How did you feel when the Red Sox “reversed the curse” in 2004?
Mom: Oh I was just ecstatic. It was about one in the morning because it [the game] was in the
west coast. I just, I couldn’t believe it. I was just so happy. I called Roger [my Uncle] and I kept
saying that I couldn’t believe it happened. I was just ecstatic, ecstatic. I was just so happy that
they finally won.
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Ethnography Observation
On January 4th, 2015 I went to a Boston Bruins vs. Carolina Hurricanes game in Raleigh,
NC. When I was walking into the arena I was really surprised to see so many Boston Bruins fans.
I even noticed that some of these people who were Bruins fans lived in North Carolina. After
finding my seats I realized that I was right above the Bruins locker room. When the Bruins came
out there were a lot of Bruins fans trying to slap the player’s hands as they were coming out onto
the ice. As I looked around I was shocked to see so much black and gold. Almost half of the
arena was filled with Boston fans. I was also shocked about how many empty seats there were at
the game. At a Bruins game, in Boston, the Garden, where they play at home, would be packed.
This was a big difference between Bruins fans and Hurricane fans that I noticed.
During the game I noticed that a lot of the Hurricanes fans, well the ones sitting around
me, had little faith in their team. I overheard them say that they were having a tough season this
year and it would be a miracle if they won the game. When the Bruins scored you could hear the
fans go crazy. Sometimes during the game you would hear the fans yelling “Let’s go Bruins!”
about ten times in a row and the Hurricanes fans would look a little confused and startled.
Eventually the Hurricane fans would get in on it and the Bruins fans would start to quiet down.
At the third period the two teams were tied. Even when they were tied the Hurricanes
fans still didn’t think that they could win. The two teams went into overtime and then a shootout.
The Hurricanes ended up beating the Bruins in the shootout and I could tell that the Hurricanes
fans around me were shocked.
It was really interesting to go to a game in North Carolina and still feel like I was back in
Massachusetts. Even though the whole arena was not filled up with mostly Bruins fans, I could
still feel the intensity of the game from the Bruins fans there in North Carolina. I did not realize
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that there are Boston sports fans everywhere, they don’t necessarily have to live in New England.
When I was in the parking lot I noticed that some people who now lived in North Carolina use to
live up north and were still Bruins fans. It was cool to watch the game in a different environment
and being there with all of those Boston fans around me made me feel a lot more comfortable,
like I was back home.