What they're saying

Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe

Sunday: Watching the Red Sox strand 13 runners and waste four homers, Boston fans were left asking one vital question: What's up with Josh Beckett? He was Bob Gibson in October 2007. Now he is John Wasdin in October 2008.

Sean McAdam, Boston Herald

Sunday: The Red Sox already knew they would have to defend their World Series crown without Mike Lowell. Come to find out, they’re going to have to do it without Josh Beckett, too. Or at least the Josh Beckett to which they’ve become accustomed. Because this Josh Beckett is not that Josh Beckett. Not even close.

Jack Curry, The New York Times

Sunday: The Red Sox pushed, but the Rays shoved back. The Red Sox slapped the Rays, but they smacked back. It was a game the Red Sox wanted to win but one the Rays desperately needed to win. The game dragged and dragged, past midnight, past bedtimes and past last call. This was playoff baseball, at its longest.

Comments

[Helene]

oops. Meant to say "fifth paragraph."

[Helene]

Nice post, Go Rays!!, especially the third paragraph. That was on-point.

Many in the community who have now jumped on the bandwagon have always liked and casually followed the Rays (does that really make them the kind of bandwagon jumpers worthy of the ridiculous contempt I've seen in the press?) Let's face it, it was difficult to be truly passionate about a team that was so hapless and hopeless. I will include myself in this. God knows I tried to be a good fan and community supporter (for instance, I always went to as many Rays games per year as time and money and finding friends and family to drag there afforded), but I can't say I was a "true fan" from the start because for many years, I wasn't really emotionally invested in them....even though, like you said, I always cheered and wished them well. I don't think this makes me a bad person. It's just honest reality. The Rays were not only terrible, but frankly mindnumbingly DULL to watch most of the time. They played frustratingly uninspired baseball. It wasn't until 2004 or thereabouts that I started to warm up to them and started to adopt them more as "my" team.

The way people talk, I'm supposed to have contempt for my home team, because of the stadium they play in, because they've been a punchline for years, because of the "bandwagon fans." Ooookay. The way people talk, rather than sharing my love for the game and encouraging their interest, I'm supposed to get all snide and elitist with the friends and acquaintances who are coming to me with enthusiastic questions about the team and about basic baseball rules and strategy. And so on and so forth.

[9equals8.com]

hey guys, only 3 web hits in the last week ... can someone PLEASE stop by and see my site?

9equals8.com

[Ted's head]

On the way down the first base-side spiral walkway after Saturday's game, we were treated to two Boston fans beating the hell out of each other, rolling on the concrete, shoes, caps and shirt torn off. Fan were pleading for them to stop, as this was a crowd with children, families, elders and, quite frankly, civilized humans. There was genuine fear one, or both, would topple over the railing.

This was on top of an exceptionally long game, fueled by beer sales that lasted at least four hours DURING the game (it took that long to make it to the eighth inning), not to mention the pre-game "Drink Responsibly" happy hours.

But these, of course, were Red Sox fans. Saturday tally undoubtedly topped Friday's record expulsions.

Boorish.

[Bill Buckner]

I'm comin' back.

[Go Rays!!]

I believe 3 Series in the last 5 years was his foregone conclusion that they will win this year.

Rays fans haven't supported the team for 100 minutes? There are some die hard Red Sox fans up in New England, but I never knew of their uniqueness over die hard Cardinal or Royal fans until about 2001. When the Sox got close and everybody and their brother was rooting against the Yanks in the new primetime "Fox Postseason: There's Only One October!" coverage, then the Sox nation membership began to skyrocket. I will say it for the umpteeth time -- there was never that many Sox fans at the Trop until 2005, then they came en masse. They weren't absent before, just not as overwhelming. There are plenty of bandwagon Sox fans. Way more Sox 'wagoners than Rays. I'm not saying that is wrong.

In fact when the Red Sox won in 2004 we heard "86 years" until our ears bled, when the White Sox won in 2005 we were all suprised to hear that the White Sox hadn't one since 1917. How could that be? Were the White Sox cursed? Nope. They just didn't whine nearly as much or as loudly.

Sure there are tons of bandwagon Rays fans. To this I say SO WHAT. I say ESPN and FOX 13 and ABCNEWS and FOX GAME of the WEEK is also bangwagon because now we are getting coverage where we never did before.

I also think people in this community have always liked the Rays. There were always 'my second team', they were always the 'little brother' team that everyone wanted to do well and sighed when they inevitably didn't. When Yankees were pounding the Rays at the Trop, they would start screaming "Red Sox suck!" Never that we sucked. Even sox and yank bandwagon fans want us to do good, we were just never an attraction, or the main attraction. Now people want to go to the game.

Oh and when was the last time you heard a reporter being sarcastic AND nice? We're supposed to dismiss his rude comments based on sarcasm? He reminds me of the rude kid in school who said the meanest things and then when confronted with it would say, "I was just kidding."

[9equals8.com]

11:05 - how many World Series have the Red Sox won in the last 5 years? Clueless, indeed. At least get your facts straight.

If you are going to ding a franchise because it's only existed for 11 years, that's just plain dumb. There are plenty of legit things to knock us for (bad signings, trades, etc.) and we can knock you for those, too (you did get rid of Babe Ruth, after all).

But, all that matters at this time is here and now. The truth is that journalists can't find one single thing to knock the Rays on, so that makes for boring reporting (especially to the readers that want red meat). So, they stretch for something bad to say about the Rays franchise (attendance and the Trop being their two favorites). Yes, the Rays don't have 100 years of history, but we do have one heck of a special team here and these guys play the game the right way (pitching, defense, speed and a sprinkling of power). So, Rays fans, let's celebrate our success and ignore the press. I am sure there will be plenty more dumb stuff written in the days to come. Let's just hope they all continue to underestimate this team.

FYI - I finally posted pics from Game 1 and 2 of the ALCS. You can view them at http://www.9equals8.com

[John]

The First time I saw Fernando Perez run, I told my wife "This guy is as fast as those rice burner sport bikes I see zooming down the highway" so since then we have called him our "Rice Burner"

After last night, we discovered that Perez has an extra gear we never knew existed. When it comes time to put him on the base, all Rays fans have to say is "PEREZ: WARP FACTOR 9!!!!"

[Jesse]

So glad I can say I was at Game 2!! EPIC, HISTORIC, CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now lets handle business at crapway park and the puke monster

[Richard]

Loosers make smartelic remarks, winners are having to much fun celebrating to pay attention and I am celebrating. Did Ferg's serve breakfast?

[Brad]

Sox fan isn't clueless. They've just morphed into elitist/a-hole Yankee fan and lack the sense to know any better.

[MikeD]

11:05, didn't look or sound like he was being sarcastic to me, if you watch the video. Just disrespectful, and admittedly I may be a bit oversensitive to this lately. Guess we will have to earn your respect, and if games like the one last night don't help, I don't know what will.

He is a columnist being sarcastic.

I wouldn't say Sox fans are clueless, they've supported the team for 100 years, Rays fans have barely supported the team for 100 minutes.

I also think you should redefine laughing stock. I believe given the Rays history they define it much better than the Red Sox.

The Sox have made WS appearances in the 40s, 60s, 70s, 80s and have won it three of the last five years.

The Rays are having a good year, but don't hurt yourself climbing on the bandwagon.

[GEO]

Easy, MikeD. Red Sox fans are just like Cub fans, loud and relatively clueless. The fact that their team was a laughing stock of the American League for the better part of 50 years seems lost on them. For most of them, the world began in 1986 and Bill Buckner is the antichrist. They have no appreciation for the 1967 team, couldn't name you four starters from the 1975 lineup, and believe their team was always called the "Sox". In realtity, only the Chicago White Sox have been referred to as the "Sox" for their entire existence.

[MikeD]

I'm fully convinced, now, that Shaughnessy is a hack. The "Trop Dome"? It's Tropicana Field, it's Tampa Bay, they play in St. Petersburg, and there ain't no devil any more. Do BoSox fans, and writers for major newspapers, think they will hurt our feelings and intimidate us by slamming the place where we play ball? Maybe the Rays record in the "pinball machine", or "big top", has gotten under their skin. Just getting a little tired of hearing Tampa Rays, etc. from people who should know better, and get paid to know better. /rant