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Add to FavoritesThis is probably one of the easiest questions to answer. It took the Red Sox 86 years to win a World Series. The Yankees have been pretty consistent with that endeavour basically winning at least 1 World Series in every decade (minus the 80s where they at least played in it).
As the Dallas Cowboys are "America's Team" in the NFL, so the Yankees are the same in the MLB. They are the team you either love or hate. I love it! Only teams that garner that kind of attention have the fan base to keep them noticeably in the "love" category. Not only that, but when you have a team that has won 2 out 4 World Series and is considered in their "Golden Age" you're grasping at straws.
Being a fan of the Yankees is an inherited passion. It is passed down from generation to generation with all of the facts, stats, and failures passed down through the years. Despite the fact that the team has more World Championships than any other team in ANY professional sport, the Yankees have had some cataclysmic failures as well as some time at the bottom of the standings during the '80s when they were known as the Stankees. Yet they still persevered as THE team to measure up to. Even when they weren't winning they were still trying to get the big names and trying to turn things around to win. The Yankees loyal followed. You never did see that same affection from Red Sox Nation.
I'm sorry, but this recent "Red Sox Nation" phenomenon is only relevant because it took the Red Sox 86 years to win a Championship. The whole thing was blown out of proportion due to myth and legend revolving around...wait for it...the Yankees! The Red Sox faithful actually blamed ghosts for their consistent choking for a title! And they believed it! So much so that some kooked out fan that was taking part in building the new Yankees Stadium buried a David Ortiz jersey in cement to "curse" the Yankees. These people are crackpots! They're stooping to witchcraft and superstition to make sure the Yanks stay out of the Series. Now I ask you seriously, which fan base is larger?
The Red Sox Nation is hype. That's all it is. A marketing strategy to sell tickets. If you haven't noticed, the Red Sox are up there in total money spent on their talent. They're buying players just like the Yanks. I remember when everyone was accusing the Yankees of "buying" championships. Just like the fans, the Red Sox jumped on the band wagon to beef up their team to compete against those same Yankees. It comes down to the Benjamins. Money equals success in America and if the Red Sox need to invent a Nation to create revenue, then that's what they've done. It's propaganda at it's finest. Maybe we should call them "Reich Sox Nation?"
Learn more about this author, Mark Burnett.
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Red Sox
This is a no brainer. Red sox nation has a far greater size in numbers than does Yankee nation. The majority of people who wear New York Yankees merchandise are doing it for style not because they support the team. Despite the Yankees' dominance of baseball during the 20th century and the Red Sox being plagued by the curse during that time, the Red Sox are still the more popular team. Anyone can go live in New York and not become a fan of the Yankees even if the person in question is an avid sports fan. Where as anyone who lives in Boston at some time during their life becomes engulfed with Red Sox fan hood, even if the person in question dislike sports. For example a teacher that I had in high school lived in Phoenix, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, and Boston and he disliked sports in general, but he could not help the fact that he became a member of Red Sox nation. Everyone in Red Sox nation remains game 6 of the 1986 world series. It was the bottom of the 10th, there were two outs, a man on second, there was a full count on mets left fielder Mookie Wilson, and the score was tied. As I give these details I am sure that every Red Sox fan who reads this has the next few events playing in their mind. On the tenth pitch of the at vat wilson hits a slow ground ball towards first base, which is manned by Boston Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner, it looks as if it is going to be an easy play but it all goes south and quickly. Vin Scully's call of the play would become one of the most famous calls in sports history. "So the winning run is at second base, with two outs, three and two to Mookie Wilson. (A) little roller up along first... behind the bag! It gets through Buckner! Here comes Knight, and the Mets win it!" -Vin Scully's call. The Mets would take the series in game 7. Everybody who has been through Boston is a part of Red Sox nation and they remember that moment, it is to them what the assasination of Kennedy and the terrorist attacks on September 11th are to the United States as a whole. Know I have to ask how many people can recall from their mind a memory of exellence or disappointment by the Yankee franchise. The answer is slim to none, but every red sox fan remmembers that September day in 1986. I will quote Vin Scully once again. "It is so quiet in New York you can almost hear the fans in Boston." The red sox fans are the largest group of fans for a team in America. The red sox fans eat, sleep, and dream about their time. And whenever highlights of the red sox or a red sox game is on they are glued to the TV and rooting for the Red Sox. While Red Sox nation is doing this so called Yankees fans are wandering around and the last thing on their mind is the status of the New York Yankees baseball team.
P.S. Hank Steinbrenner has no clue what he is talking about when he says Yankee nation is bigger and as a matter of fact he knows nothing.
Learn more about this author, Kaleb Brown.
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