With the Red Sox winning the 2018 World Series, I personally have felt so much joy and excitement as I always have when a Boston team wins a big game or championship but this time my surroundings and experiences were different than usual.
I’m from Quincy, MA. For those who do not know, Quincy is directly next to Boston. Growing Up, I was an okay Boston sports fan. To be honest, I mainly just knew what was going on and how the teams were doing by listening to my Dad or Papa (my grandfather). I’ve been to one Bruins game but I was so young that I don’t remember it I have gone to at least one or two Red Sox games a year since my first game when I was 7. However, in the past 4 or 5 years, I have become a big Boston Sports fan on my own. I am a HUGE Patriots fan. I watch every week and follow most of the players on Instagram and know all about their kids and personal lives. I am an especially big fan of Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman. Although, I don’t watch every Red Sox game I like to know how they are doing and I follow some of the players on instagram too. Also, I love Fenway Park, it is definitely one of my favorite places in the world because it is so unique and historic. Then, I’m a bandwagon fan of the Bruins and Celtics and really only pay attention if they are in the playoffs but besides that, I don’t pay attention to them.
Boston Sports Fans are a very distinct group of people. We are very proud of our teams and have no problem showing it. Basically, most people don’t like us except for us. I have always been used to having my surroundings and peers be as passionate about a big game or championship in Boston as I am. In 2017 during my senior year of high school, The Patriots Super Bowl Victory Parade was on my 18th birthday and literally half of my school skipped classes that day in order to attend the parade. It was a day I will never forget. I saw so many people I knew there. It’s such a great feeling to feel that bond or connection with others. Being a fan of Boston Sports has allowed me to do that with so many people. That being said, COLLEGE WAS A COMPLETE CULTURE SHOCK!
First of all, at home, it’s nice having my mom make her buffalo chicken dip or going to my friends and family’s houses and having their food while watching the Patriots together. Watching your favorite team at school is nothing like that. Most weeks, I’m lucky if I can find someone neutral enough to at least watch the game with me so I don’t have to watch it alone. (Shout out to my friend from Long Island who does!!) However, it’s not the same watching it in a common room or on your laptop in your bed as being with your friends and family.
Speaking of laptops, when I cannot go down to my common room to watch it on TV… the streaming takes me like 20 minutes to figure out. THAT IS A PAIN!!! I missed the entire first Patriots game this year because I could not figure it out. Luckily, since then I have learned that Thursday Night Football is streamed on Amazon Prime and I’ve also been able to finesse my way on a few streams through Reddit (but like I said, after 20-30 mins of searching). At home, we’re so spoiled by just being able to use our ~clickers~ to turn the game on. (Clicker is a HUGE Mass thing that I get made fun of for saying all the time at school).
Another thing I miss is going to my favorite coffee shop at home (I miss this in general) on Sunday Mornings and seeing all the workers in jerseys. Now, when I go to Dunkin Donuts, there is the Giants or Jets logos on the cup. Personally, I have no beef with New York sports but I find the Boston-NY rivalry very funny and how some people take it so seriously and personally. At School, I’m in the wrong territory.
Since Connecticut is in New England, you would think I would have a lot of fellow Boston Sports fans at Sacred Heart. WRONG. Since we are so close to the border of CT to NY and closer to NYC than we are to Boston, it is mostly New York fans. And a lot of SHU students are from New York. Therefore, I’ve gotten a few eye rolls and comments when I try to show my pride for Boston Sports. I can only imagine how my friends from home that go to school outside of New England feel.
Like I mentioned before, The Patriots Super Bowl 51 Victory parade was a day I will never forget. So, it is killing me that I am not home to go to the Red Sox World Series victory parade this season.
Being a Boston Sports fan has definitely been a challenge while being away at college. It’s definitely a game changer than when at home. I’m sure sports fans of other areas feel the same. However, I think the important thing is that we are still proud to be fans and that our love and pride for our teams has not changed, regardless of where life takes us.