Aside from the Neil Entwistle trial, it's been a slow news week here in Boston. Therefore, I wasn't surprised at the uptick in postings regarding the "pink hat" craze that's got a lot of Red Sox fans in a tizzy. To a lot of long time Red Sox fans the pink hat wearers represent the cash cow of Red Sox nation, a new phenomenon created after the 2004 Series that's "ruining" baseball at the expense of their life-long fans. I think the real problem here is that the Red Sox practically gentrified baseball overnight, and a lot of people are using the pinkos as a way to vent their frustration.
Although I'm sure it was a long time coming, the Fenway experience has gone from a semi-affordable family outing to strictly an expense account activity. I don't have a problem with the fact that they're a popular team and therefore buying tickets may require some planning. What I do have a problem with is the fact that the Red Sox force you to pay a fee to Red Sox Nation in order for the opportunity (not guarantee) to even buy them. Those who choose not to be extorted in this manner can opt to be extorted in another - by buying scalped tickets through Ace Tickets. Apparently in the autonomous Red Sox Nation, charging your fans over face value for tickets has gone from illegal to shady to downright encouraged.
Wanna know why a lot of Red Sox fans are pissed? Because they've just been dumped for the new, rich popular kid at school. They've been frozen out of Fenway in favor of the wealthy 30-something who thinks nothing of paying $100 for a $40 seat and drinking their weight in beer at $7/pop. Regional immigrants from New York, Ohio, and California come to Kenmore in droves, poking fun at the Boston accent and reciting gibberish from that morning's sport page, while proving they're really one of us by wearing a barely broken in pink Red Sox hat.
The frustration with Red Sox Nation is a symptom of everything that's changed about this city in the last two decades. Boston has gone from a fairly traditional working class city to a financial and scientific mecca that's brought urban sprawl, traffic, and different ideas on how to work with these challenges. Renters who have lived in Boston for decades have been forced out to make way for luxury condos. In the name of progress the city has revamped neighborhoods, switched around school districts, and even taken away the right to a dug-out snow spot. Now the Red Sox have taken a wonderful childhood experience and turned it into an upscale destination. While it may seem minor but for a lot of people, the influx of Pink Hats appears to be the straw that broke the camel's back.
People may be trading in Fenway Franks for Dice-K sushi rolls, but unlike the redeveloped neighborhoods, Red Sox Nation is probably not here to stay. The Red Sox are a great team right now, not to mention a very popular one, but like everything else their success is likely to be cyclical. The Red Sox are a unifying force in New England, and while I hope that the fan base continues to be a major force in baseball I'm pretty confident that once the excitement dies down that the universe will be restored to its' natural order and Fenway will be Friendly once again.
About Me
- pahkcah02
- Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- I am a 28 year old sales rep who spends most of the day working out of a "virtual" office, which in reality is actually my bedroom. I started this blog because I've always enjoyed writing and having people actually read my blog is the ultimate ego-boost. I originally started off on MySpace but recently decided to join the "big leagues" here on Blogger. For the most part, I'm your typical scotch-drinking, potty-mouthed nice Jewish girl living in the suburbs of the greatest city in the history of western civilization, Boston, Massachusetts. I first left my area code during college, when I interened at a dotcom in London. You'd think that after meeting all sorts of interesting people from diverse cultures that I would become some type of open-minded intellectual. Completely fed up with whiny Euro-trash, upon my return to Boston I quickly became a registered Republican - I haven't looked back since. I like to write about everything from "global warming" to quirky travel stories to one hit wonders recorded in the 1990's. If you'd like to comment that's fine, so long as you're not an asshole about it. Thanks for stopping by.
2 comments:
Great post. Let me know when tickets get affordable again then maybe i'll come back. haha, kidding.
The Red Sox have gone the way of big name designer labels and everyone has just got to get their share. I like it better when you could buy seats the day of the game and they were pretty good and somewhat affordable too.
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