Fenway faithful: wake up!

A running theme so far in the Red Sox playoff run (well, can you say 'run', so far it's more of a 'playoff stroll') has been horribly quiet crowds. The Fenway park faithful have let the Sox down, but most of all they have let themselves down.

Eric Wilbur takes them to task in today's Globe;

Fans used to be fired up for a playoff game. Now, in 2008, Fenway is a sorry state of its former self, more than ever filled with corporate America, boldfacers, and “alternative” hats there for the Jordan’s pre-game party and Neil Diamond sing-along.

The sad part? He is totally correct in his observation. Snobby Red Sox fans can turn their noses up at 'blow-in'/bandwagon Devil Rays fans all they want, fact of the matter is they are cleaning the floor with Boston's silent fans in terms of the '10th man' aspect to the game.


The Rays fans are noisy throughout the game, and the incredible, frenzied din has to be lifting the Rays players. Their stamina is awesome too, tip of the cap to Rays fans who have made that horrific dome a pretty decent fortress.

Whatever happened to the wonderful Fenway crowds of the late nineties and the early part of this century? In '99 the Fenway crowd practically forced Roger Clemens off the mound, and can probably take 40% of the credit for that ALCS game one win.

The crowds that flock to Fenway now are a pale shadow of their former selves, and that's just sad.



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