There’s always a huge debate among diehard fans and those who just “stop by” during the playoffs over the use of pronoun “we” to discuss our teams. For example, when I talked about the Red Sox last year, I would say “we suck”, or when I talk about the Patriots this year, I say “Hey, at least we aren’t the Falcons”. Well for some reason, the fact that us diehard fans say “we”, drives some of those casual fans insane.
Yes, I get it, I don’t actually play for the Red Sox or the Celtics, and no, I don’t work for the organization either. But here’s what they don’t understand, I have EARNED the right to say “we” when talking about my teams.
Being from Boston, I was raised to be a diehard Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, and Bruins fan…..and somewhere along the way when I was young, I jumped on the UNC Basketball bandwagon. When I was young, my parents moved us from Boston to the worst place to live as a Boston sports fan…..New Jersey. I had teachers get on my case because the Red Sox were terrible, and the closest we got to a championship was when the Bronco’s embarrassed the Pats in the Super Bow. And the teachers were the nice ones, imagine being a Red Sox fan in middle/high school in New Jersey when Yankees dynasty of the late 90’s was erupting. We all know how kind kids can be, and my fellow students didn’t hesitate to remind me about the state of Boston Sports those days (little did they know about our 6th round pick in the 2000 draft who would change the NFL Forever).
Even with all the abuse I took, I still loved those teams, and started out each season believing “this is going to be our year”. And with that devotion, I earned to be part of each win. I’m there cheering when they have a bad season and you bet your ass I pop champagne when they win.
But it’s more than that, these teams have become part of my family and the experiences we share together.
When David Ortiz played his last game in Fenway, my dad and I were there.
When the Patriots received a miracle from the football gods during the Super Bowl against the Seahawks, my dad and I were there.
When the Red Sox played the Yankees in London for the first MLB game in Europe, my wife and I were there.
And when my daughter was born and the Celtics were battling the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals…..well we weren’t there because you know, 2020….. but we were dressed as though we were there.
So why do I get to say “we” when discussing my favorite teams; it’s because I’m part of the legacy of those organizations. We all are and that what makes sports so special. Teams can’t survive without their fans. We buy tickets, jerseys, and everything else with their logo on it. Our schedules are built around the biggest games of the year because we want to be part of the fabric that wills our teams to championships.
I’ll leave you with this….next year is going to be OUR year because WE are a city of champions in Boston.
