Everyone is talking about how insane it will be if the Red Sox can pull it off this week in Game 6 or 7 of the World Series. The city is buzzing with energy and excitement, and the people on the sidewalk seem to have an extra skip in their step. The team is looking great. And as Bostonians prepare for what could possibly be one of the best weeks in six years, Boston Police Department is promising and planning to increase its presence in the Fenway area.
Of the major professional sports in America, baseball is by far the classiest and most traditional. It has a long history in this country and a rich history in Boston itself. Initially nicknamed the “Boston Americans,” our hometown team won the first World Series in 1903. In 1912, Fenway Park’s inaugural year, the Boston Red Sox were champions again. Despite our 86-year deficit and infamous blunders, Bostonians bleed baseball in the deepest Red Sox red imaginable. Unfortunately, we are also known for taking that passion a little too far.
The City of Boston prepared a press release for the return of the World Series, urging residents to “be responsible and use common sense while enjoying this week’s events.” To be fair, not only could the Red Sox be champions for the 8th time in MLB history, President Obama is at Faneuil Hall on Oct. 30 and Halloween is this Thursday. An excitable city is about to be over-stimulated, and Mayor Menino wants to make sure we hold it together. Specific advisories and instructions for crowd control have been distributed to over 200 establishments in the Boston area, and residents are being strongly encouraged to use public transportation. No vehicular traffic will be allowed in the Fenway area after the 7th inning. The city is prepared for pretty much anything.
That being said, there really is no need for rioting and acting like idiots after the games, regardless of the outcome. There is a tangible line between being a pure, honest and passionate Red Sox fan and being a bandwagoner who likes to get drunk, run and scream. If you want the championship so that you can tell your friends the next day how insanely wasted you were in the mosh pit on Lansdowne, stay home. The real Sox fans do not want you at the bar or on those sacred streets that hug the heart of Boston, and the BPD does not want to deal with you either.
Undoubtedly, having the World Series in Boston calls for celebration. It’s more than the chance at a championship this year; it is a momentous and heartwarming occasion for a proud city that is stronger than ever. We are proud of our people, our police force and our teams. If the Sox manage to win the Series, it will be an amazing moment for a city that needs it. Let us plan to give our team a celebration they will be proud of. Give other cities a reason to cheer our victory; hug your friends and family, shout and cheer, you can even embrace Fenway Park if you want. Sing “Dirty Water” with your Boston neighbors, and then go home, sleep and look forward to the parade. Let us honor the classiest sport in the country, and the best team in the world, with respect and common sense. Boston will love you for it.
