~OPENING DAY~
I often reference October 2003 as one of the most painful times in my life as a sports fan. The Red Sox late inning collapse against the Yankees in Game 7 of the ALCS was a devastating day for those in Red Sox Nation. Those days were so dark that I actually wondered how difficult it would be to find a 1981 De Lorean that I could race to 88 mph and go back in time and change the outcome of the game. I nearly accomplished it, but I could never get the flux capacitor to work. However, it was because of this experience that Tuesday April 8th was so special to me.
I stood on Lansdowne Street in the chilly Boston air on April 8th with my friends and thousands of other Red Sox fans waiting for the gates at Fenway Park to open. It was truly an awesome experience. I was amongst my own, the true Red Sox Nation. Separate from those who joined only after Keith Foulke got Edgar Renteria to ground out in 2004. To be at Fenway Park is an event. To be there on Opening Day is truly surreal. It is almost as fun to be outside the park as it is to be inside. On every street corner posters, calendars, and World Series pins were being handed out. The street vendors were out in force. “Peanuts, pistachios, cashews, super pretzels here!!!!!” To be back on these narrow streets which surround the park was like coming back home.
Once inside the park we quickly found our seats. There are few things in life that are as amazing as the first glimpse into Fenway Park. Walk up any portal and a new world opens right before one’s eyes. The park was alive with activity. The grounds crew was putting the final preparations on the field. The scoreboard on the Green Monster was ready for a new game and a new season. Fans anxiously awaited the beginning of the Opening Day festivities. Every worry in life suddenly seemed so far away. Before I settled in, I bought my traditional Fenway Franks. The price was steep, but the best things in life usually come with a price. A Fenway Frank is not simply a hot dog, but an experience.
At 1:00 pm the festivities began. A “2004 World Series” banner rolled down and covered the entire Green Monster. A moment later, a “2007 World Series” banner took its place. The crowd erupted! I hadn’t teared-up that much since my daughter was born. The Boston Pops Orchestra, situated in center field, began to play. One by one each member of the Red Sox staff and each member of last years World Series team received their rings. With new rings in hand, David Ortiz and Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky raised the 2007 World Series Champions flag high over Fenway Park. A new season was ready to begin. The Boston Pops played the National Anthem and the Vermont Air National Guard gave the fans a fly-over better than any aerial stunt show (see “Fenway Flyover” on Youtube if you don’t know what I am talking about). In the final moments Bill Buckner, 1986 Red Sox scapegoat, walked across center field into the infield and stopped at the pitchers mound. The Fenway crowd stood and cheered a man who had wrongfully taken the brunt of the 1986 World Series collapse. With a tear in his eye, he threw out the opening pitch. The 2008 Red Sox season was underway.
I spent three cold days in Boston, waked back and forth across the city too many times (including 294 painful stairs at the Bunker Hill Monument), and spent more money than I should have. Yet, I wouldn’t trade the experience. There is no city greater than Boston. Its history symbolizes everything good about the United States. The Boston Red Sox are part of that history. To be there on Opening Day and celebrate the 2007 World Series Champions was a once in a lifetime event. I forgot about the pain of 2003 when the Red Sox won in 2004. In 2008 I finally got to celebrate the revival of Red Sox baseball. Thank you to my friend Eric for this opportunity. GO RED SOX!
I often reference October 2003 as one of the most painful times in my life as a sports fan. The Red Sox late inning collapse against the Yankees in Game 7 of the ALCS was a devastating day for those in Red Sox Nation. Those days were so dark that I actually wondered how difficult it would be to find a 1981 De Lorean that I could race to 88 mph and go back in time and change the outcome of the game. I nearly accomplished it, but I could never get the flux capacitor to work. However, it was because of this experience that Tuesday April 8th was so special to me.
I stood on Lansdowne Street in the chilly Boston air on April 8th with my friends and thousands of other Red Sox fans waiting for the gates at Fenway Park to open. It was truly an awesome experience. I was amongst my own, the true Red Sox Nation. Separate from those who joined only after Keith Foulke got Edgar Renteria to ground out in 2004. To be at Fenway Park is an event. To be there on Opening Day is truly surreal. It is almost as fun to be outside the park as it is to be inside. On every street corner posters, calendars, and World Series pins were being handed out. The street vendors were out in force. “Peanuts, pistachios, cashews, super pretzels here!!!!!” To be back on these narrow streets which surround the park was like coming back home.
Once inside the park we quickly found our seats. There are few things in life that are as amazing as the first glimpse into Fenway Park. Walk up any portal and a new world opens right before one’s eyes. The park was alive with activity. The grounds crew was putting the final preparations on the field. The scoreboard on the Green Monster was ready for a new game and a new season. Fans anxiously awaited the beginning of the Opening Day festivities. Every worry in life suddenly seemed so far away. Before I settled in, I bought my traditional Fenway Franks. The price was steep, but the best things in life usually come with a price. A Fenway Frank is not simply a hot dog, but an experience.
At 1:00 pm the festivities began. A “2004 World Series” banner rolled down and covered the entire Green Monster. A moment later, a “2007 World Series” banner took its place. The crowd erupted! I hadn’t teared-up that much since my daughter was born. The Boston Pops Orchestra, situated in center field, began to play. One by one each member of the Red Sox staff and each member of last years World Series team received their rings. With new rings in hand, David Ortiz and Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky raised the 2007 World Series Champions flag high over Fenway Park. A new season was ready to begin. The Boston Pops played the National Anthem and the Vermont Air National Guard gave the fans a fly-over better than any aerial stunt show (see “Fenway Flyover” on Youtube if you don’t know what I am talking about). In the final moments Bill Buckner, 1986 Red Sox scapegoat, walked across center field into the infield and stopped at the pitchers mound. The Fenway crowd stood and cheered a man who had wrongfully taken the brunt of the 1986 World Series collapse. With a tear in his eye, he threw out the opening pitch. The 2008 Red Sox season was underway.
I spent three cold days in Boston, waked back and forth across the city too many times (including 294 painful stairs at the Bunker Hill Monument), and spent more money than I should have. Yet, I wouldn’t trade the experience. There is no city greater than Boston. Its history symbolizes everything good about the United States. The Boston Red Sox are part of that history. To be there on Opening Day and celebrate the 2007 World Series Champions was a once in a lifetime event. I forgot about the pain of 2003 when the Red Sox won in 2004. In 2008 I finally got to celebrate the revival of Red Sox baseball. Thank you to my friend Eric for this opportunity. GO RED SOX!
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