I’m a frequent traveler to New England, got in-laws stretching from Worcester, through Boston, up Cape Ann and into Maine. I lived in Boston one summer. And now I take long vacations there to visit family and friends.
I have never had a bad experience regarding my Yankee hat. Some light-hearted ribbing here or there. Most just ignore it completely. But there’s one caveat to this track record. Every time I’ve been up there for an extended period, the Yanks have been on top.
That summer I lived in Boston? 1998. I think they made it a Federal crime to pick on Yankee fans that year.
So I now I trek up for week’s vacation into the heart of Red Sox country wearing the lessor team’s hat. I wonder if they’ll treat me differently? I’ll let you know next week as I relay the choicest encounters leading up to the Yanks visit next weekend.
Could the Yanks figure out a way to take that series and get back in the Division race for reals? It would certainly make my return to New York all the sweeter.
Yo! Dude....
The Yankees SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!
Nah, you'll be fine. Though Rhode Island is different -- it's always had a healthy minority of Yankee fans -- so maybe my sample is skewed.
Oh and hey, Jon, 'lessor' doesn't mean what you think it means. (Unless John Henry rents Fenway from the Steinbrenners.)
I can't imagine why your experience would be any different. 2004 took a lot of the venom out of the rivalry from Boston's perspective (and from New York's perspective, the venom was really never there).
I disagree, I think the Sox fans have become much more aggressive since 2004. Before they won, they knew their place in the script. It was kind of romantic. Now, they're just ... well, I have to live up here, so I won't say more than "jerks."