Sounds pretty stupid to me. Its a small city, a tiny sports market, with less than 600,000 people, not even half of them are Bosox Fans.
Boston, sure is the Nation of weird people.
2007-10-29 16:44:40 · 17 answers · asked by Chipmaker 1 in Sports ➔ Baseball
Because of all the bandwagon Red Sox fans around the world.
2007-10-30 03:34:11 · answer #1 · answered by Crusader 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Are you kidding? But I'm sure you asked the question in jest, just to get the discussion going. Red Sox Nation is called that because its fan base extends WAY BEYOND Boston--- like the world! Japan, Germany, many other countries-- and many other cities in the U.S.-- have HUGE Red Sox fan bases. Boston a small city? The Red Sox are the only baseball team in all of New England, for one thing. I live in Santa Monica, California, and we have a big restaurant/bar called Sonny McLean's which is Boston Red Sox West!!! They show all the Boston sports teams on the tvs, New England seafood (like haddock), Red Sox memorabilia--- the place was packed during the World Series! Oh, and to show you the difference between a loyal Red Sox fan and any other fan, before the last game of the World Series in Denver, Rockies fans were SELLING their tickets to Red Sox fans who wanted to get in!
And the Red Sox deserve it! They've gone through a lot to get where they are; just because they won in 2004 after an 86-year drought doesn't mean they turned into the Yankees after winning this year. Good grief!
And speaking of weird, don't even get me started on "Manhattan clam chowder...."
2007-10-30 02:34:27 · answer #2 · answered by Kittenpaw 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe it was started by a Boston Globe writer about 15 years ago. He noticed that wherever the Red Sox played, they had a great many fans rooting for them. The phrase caught on.
The number has grown over the years, partly because it's gotten so tough to get tickets in Fenway. When Boston goes into Baltimore or Tampa Bay these days, it's almost like a home game for the Red Sox. Boston leads the majors in road attendance these days.
Based on the Red Sox revenues, I think you're the only person around who would say Boston is a small market. Maybe you should try joining us to see that we're actually good, decent folks that are enjoying success.
2007-10-29 23:54:27 · answer #3 · answered by wdx2bb 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
That's because most of the Red Sox fans aren't from Boston. There are alot of Red Sox fans in neighboring states, such as New Hampshire (though Connecticut is primarily filled with Yankee fans), but there are also alot of Red Sox fans around the country.
Boston may be a small city, but the Red Sox are a big market team because of all their support around New England and around the country.
2007-10-30 01:05:54 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's a rip off from the Oakland raider's
it's just something the red sox's did to make every one think there's a major thing about them I'm from L.A i am a Yankee fan after first a angel fan and dodger fan i don't see many red sox's nation fan's here lol and i talk to a lot of people from around the country and i don't here them as fan's of the red sox's if i would have to put a America's team of baseball it's gotta to be hand's down Yankee's every body when they were a kid played babe Ruth i know the red sox's have won a few lately but so have the the O's the A's and red's in the 70's and there was know nation's for them so it's just a over sell the city of Boston kinda like's cause it give's them a feeling of importance they haven't felt since there tea party.
2007-10-30 00:44:06 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The concept of Red Sox Nation is at least 21 years old and predates Raider Nation. By contrast, the other baseball team with a national following is the Yankees, known as the Evil Empire.
2007-10-30 01:48:58 · answer #6 · answered by mattapan26 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They don't call themselves that, thats just what the press, sportswriters, ESPN (in particular) call them. Thats where that came from.
I've heard "hawk nation", "Cane Nation" and a few others in the past before it became Red Sox Nation. Its just a way to describe a group of fans.
They just should say Red Sox fans, or Hawk fans, they just replaced it with Nation. It sounds bigger and greater.
2007-10-30 00:33:34 · answer #7 · answered by sebastian 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What's with the weak attempts at mocking Boston? I'm not a Sox fan, but I could sure do a better job of criticizing the team and town than to pick on its population.
2007-10-29 23:51:58 · answer #8 · answered by Craig S 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
We call it the Nation because it is more than Boston. It's Boston, its New England, Its America. Most RedSox fans live outside of Boston. Thats why it is, contrary to what you said, a gigantic baseball market. And this nation of weird people just won the world series.
2007-10-29 23:49:55 · answer #9 · answered by Griff 3 · 5⤊ 1⤋
This is a form of sports fandom that started with the Oakland Raiders. There are so many Raiders fans around the country that they were called Raider Nation for decades. Now it's shorthand for any team that has fans in other cities besides their home city.
2007-10-29 23:53:23 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋