More Red Sox Fans in Seattle than Mariners fans?! (transplants, safe)

[Destructoman!]

The other day I watched part of the Red Sox/Mariners game and was shocked to see and hear so many people rooting for the Red Sox, it seemed like there was more enthusiasm for the Red Sox than the Mariners. Then this evening I was picking my girlfriend up from work downtown just as the game was getting out and I swear half the people walking around were wearing Red Sox Hats and shirts!

This whole Red Sox bandwagon thing is really getting on my nerves. I mean these fans can't all be transplants from Massachusetts! Half of these morons weren't Red Sox fans before 94. It also bugs me that there are enough baseball fans here to be so fickle as to abandon the Mariners so easily, I mean I know it's gotta be rough being a Mariners fan, but think about the Cubs, they haven't won in 99 years?!

WTF is wrong with these people?!

[joebaldknobber]

I noticed this trend at Texas Rangers games when the Red Sox or Yankees play. All the local Boston or NY transplants come out to call attention to themselves. This also happens in KC.

[toughguy]

The problem is the Mariners ownership. They aren't interesting in winning, they are only interesting in being profitable. Therefore, they create this "family" atmosphere at Safeco field that panders to the soccer mom casual crowd, and they don't ever make serious efforts to go after big name free agents. I mean, they have a freakin knitting night where all the grannies bring their needles and yarn to the game.

They draw just enough people to stay profitable without having to build a real contender. It sickens me as a lifelong Mariners fan.

[joebaldknobber]

They wouldn't consider selling the Mariners to Okies. Oklahoma City is booming!!!

[SeattlitefromNC]

Originally Posted by joebaldknobber

They wouldn't consider selling the Mariners to Okies. Oklahoma City is booming!!!

ABSOLUTELY no chance of that. The owners of the Mariners are the same guys who helped to create Nintendo ... they are hell-bent are selling their brand successfully to the largely Japanese audience (and the local market, tangentially).

But, as toughguy said, there's little to no interest in actually winning a game. They really don't care. As long as they are profitable, they will keep running this team into the ground ... and the fans will lap it up or (as many do) defect to other teams.

[MichaelinWA]

You might be surprised. And it's not just transplants from Massachusetts - it's all of New England. I truly doubt that most baseball fans ever change allegiances. The Red Sox simply have a lot of fans nationally, most of whom have moved from NE, and they are very loyal. This was true before the World Series win.

The Cubs have a similar nationwide following in the NL.

Originally Posted by Destructoman!

This whole Red Sox bandwagon thing is really getting on my nerves. I mean these fans can't all be transplants from Massachusetts! Half of these morons weren't Red Sox fans before 94. It also bugs me that there are enough baseball fans here to be so fickle as to abandon the Mariners so easily, I mean I know it's gotta be rough being a Mariners fan, but think about the Cubs, they haven't won in 99 years?!

[aardvarks]

Originally Posted by MichaelinWA

You might be surprised. And it's not just transplants from Massachusetts - it's all of New England. I truly doubt that most baseball fans ever change allegiances. The Red Sox simply have a lot of fans nationally, most of whom have moved from NE, and they are very loyal. This was true before the World Series win.

The Cubs have a similar nationwide following in the NL.

I agree with this, however, I disagree with the fact that the Mariners were content with just making a profit, they played very well last year and seemingly brought in the final missing piece with Eric Bedard last off-season. Things didn't go as well as they planned but I think it's an injustice to say they have no interest in contending.

[Destructoman!]

Red Sox Nation... Psh.... More like Red Sox Bandwagon! I understand hating the Yankees (another bandwagon team depending on how well they do), but you're not lovable losers anymore, now you have the second highest payroll in baseball just under the Yankees.

Cubs are a similar phenomena, the lovable losers who play in the nice old ivy-covered ballpark on the gentrified north side of town. Even if the Cubbies lose you can still hobble over across the street and get drunk and party with the annoying Northwestern frat morons. It's just bizarre how a team who hasn't won in 99 years can sell out every single game!

I don't know the Mariners well enough to know if they are truly trying to compete or not (it sure seems like they aren't, either that or they really just don't know how to build a team at all) but yeah, the whole "family friendly" priority is so annoying. I've heard they'll kick you out if you heckle the other team to harshly. Lame! I used to enjoy watching the Mariners, but when Lou Pinella left the team the Mariners were practically castrated and the balls just don't seem to have grown back at all!

I feel sorry for true baseball fans like Toughguy who have to put up with the Mariners crappy management. Maybe someday whoever owns the team will sell them to somebody who wants to build a winning team. Then they could hire a tough, bitter east-coast manager who doesn't take shh-hit at all and they can finally get rid of this soft, family-friendly safe BS. This is baseball gawdammit, not effin' Disneyland!

[Freebird2007]

coming from Boston....


other than the yankees, you will always find more red sox fans anywhere anyplace anytime

[Beenaroundabit]

I am from New England and am not part of any "bandwagon" per se. That said, though, I think the whole sporting team "bandwagon" concept is evident regarding whoever is on top/popular at any given time, in whatever sport. Moreover, the Red Sox (and especially the yankees) are teams from some of the oldest of the nation's major metro areas, so they've had more of a chance to spread their fans around the country.

Personally, I almost wish the Sox had never won a WS, because it brought out all the posers and people who care more about the popularity of the moment than about a particular team. I have a buddy from Chicago who is a die-hard Cubs fan and I keep telling him that he doesn't want to Cubs to win a WS - it'll ruin it for him .