(Part 1 of a Series of undetermined length)
Sometimes I just feel lucky to live at a point in human history where things such as large televisions, refrigeration, and deep-fryers coexist. And, when you manage to combine these things consistently over the course of a week in addition to a steady diet of professional and collegiate sports, beer, and good company you may just have to stop and say "fucking A" and say it with strictly positive connotations.
I'm sure people all over the world are sick of hearing things like "its just a great time to be a new england sports fan", Even the Fox broadcast of the Patriots this afternoon featured a three minute segment on Troy Aikman's first visit to Fenway Park to catch a world Series game, complete with a montage of clips from the sox game with Aikman in red sox gear rooting for the team and trying to fit in. I cant decide if I have a personal grudge against Aikman as I am admittedly not a big fan of the cowboys teams for which Aikman played and I also really hate Emmit Smith (you might not see a correlation here but I really do hate Emmit Smith and I feel the need to point this out frequently, I am not perfect).
It did kind of seem contrived to me that Aikman just so happened to pick now as the time where he comes out to claim that he has been a fan of the team since he played little league, and not during the mid-90s when Tim Naerhring was stalking the infield dirt of Fenway park on legs of differing lengths. I am not sick of saying it, and although I attempt to keep perspective on the great fortune that has befallen Boston Sports as of late, it is hard not to walk with a little extra swagger when your football team is 8-0, your baseball team is up 3-0 in the world series, the basketball team just acquired Ray Allen and Kevin Garnet, The college football team (sorry Umass) is number 2 in the country, and even the local NHL franchise is winning games despite attracting approximately the same level of interest from the public as the new sitcom "Cavemen". It is good to be a Boston Sports fan right now. It hasn't always been this way (clearly) so for now you all just have to deal with it.
The downside of all of this dominance is that good teams play in primetime and that to properly enjoy something such as a world series game 1 or a game two combined with a simultaneous broadcast of no 2 BC at no 8 Virginia Tech I need to journey to Salisbury Massachusetts and find a seat at the Winner's Circle. Why? Well, there are several reasons. First, I live at home with my parents (strike one), Second I do not have cable in my bedroom (strike two), third they "frown upon" me drinking alone at home, (strike three), since I left for college they have done some serious remodeling of my bedroom including the addition of a giant glass case filled with my grandmother's extensive doll collection (weak). So you can see why a good sports bar is key to enjoying this era of boston sports for me in particular, and I know that some of you out there may share a similar situation although probably without the issue of the dolls.
To be fair, I would have to say that the "Circle" as it is called among friends and alcoholics alike, is no better or worse than any other sportsbar out there that features an extensive array of scratch tickets and fried food, beer in plastic cups, sports memorabilia, mullets (worn with pride by members of both sexes), sweatpants, arbitrary pennants of defucnt USFL franchises, keno, a computerized horce racing simulation which you can bet on, and multiple television sets. The bouncers both easily weigh over 400lbs, and always say something like "Ive been better" or "Can't complain, you wouldnt listen anyway" when you ask them how theyre doing during that awkward silence that accompanies the ID scan at the front door. Usually when you arrive there are a few stragglers smoking butts by the door complaining about a divorce or a timing belt, leaning on the railing and scoping out newcomers. You rarely see an attractive girl inside and they offer free popcorn after 8pm. Tables are first come first serve and on any given evening where there isn't a big game on you can come in and watch Seinfeld reruns or a random 90s action movie like "Broken Arrow". Basically it is my mecca and at this point in my life I cant imagine that there is a place in the world that offers me the same possibility to feel both awesome and worried for my future as the Circle.
Wednesday: Red Sox 13-1 over the Rockies
Feeling good from a long days work, a nap, and a trip to the gym I arrived at the circle on wednesday to catch game 1 of the world series. I met my buddy and we immediately grabbed a couple of tall Busch drafts priced competitively at $3 apiece. I placed an order for some jalepeno poppers and a small cheese pizza. Needless to say, things were going well. Beckett took the mound and looked as dominant as ever. He is really pitching out of his mind right now and I would venture to say that his performance this postseason is on par with any pedro Martinez performances that I can remember. He is a huge badass, totally on another level from any other hurler in the postseason and the kind of guy you root for because he can kick all the ass in his life that you could never kick in yours.
Things got better early on in the game when my buddy bet me $50 that JD Drew would get out in his first trip to the plate, no sooner had I shaken his hand then Drew slapped a duoble down the rightfieild line. Easy money, and to make it sweeter I was basically paid for rooting for JD Drew something I dont think many people in the region could claim to have accomplished this year. I will say that it has been awesome to see Drew play better in the postseason (currently hitting .340 with 16 hits, 11 RBI) , looking at his stats to date his numbers are in the top five for the team offensively, and he has played solid defense. Rooting for him feels like the right thing to do, I dont regularly contribute to charities but I bet it inspires a similar type of feeling. People will never say that he was worth the $14 million he got this season but hey, its not my money, and if the sox win the world series doesnt that make any money they spent on any player worth it? That seems like the whole point to me, especially since Drew has "earned" his money in the playoffs. I really hope he plays well next year, and if I continue to root for him I believe I will feel better about stiffing the bell ringer for the salvation army as I make my way into the liquor store this holiday season.
Some random observations I jotted down onto a Keno card to help me remember them, in no order of significance:
The Rockies Players have some of the wierdest names I have ever heard, Yorvit? Please.
At one point during the night my buddy turns to me and says, dead serious, "I'm a big fan of staring at other dude's girlfriends." we both laugh heartily and then I scan the room to make sure that no huge dude with a tattoo arm sleeve has noticed him staring at his woman's tits. All seems well, and continues as such throughout the night.
During a trip to the bathroom I stand next to a man at the urinals and as I begin to relieve myself he drops his cell phone and it slides underneath my urinal. We say nothing as I slide it back towards him with my sneaker. We do not make eye contact, and nor do we speak as he retrieves the phone and scurries out of the bathroom neglecting to wash his hands. I deduce that there is little chance he was an employee as he is rather thin and is not wearing sweatpants. Im sure wierder things happen in mens rooms all the time.
I leave the circle at the end of the eigth inning and catch the last inning on the radio as I drive home, buzzing pretty good and not thinking about waking up in 6 hours. I spare you all of the statistical details of the game becuase Im not wasting my time recanting all the "important numbers" they are availble online and I am not in the mood to research. Beckett was sick (1.29 ERA in the postseason) , the sox hit the ball all over the park, the rockies looked severely overmatched, I lost two games of pool and played a couple David Bowie songs on the jukebox, the world series was off to a good start, AND the weekend loomed around the corner, as promosing and menacing as ever. It is a good time to be a new england sports fan, before I made my exit I vowed to return again tomorrow night for game 2 and the BC Virginia Tech game. I felt like I was on the beginning of a roll.
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