Unruly Fans at the Yard.

I went to the Red Sox-Orioles game today. Being a member of Red Sox Nation in Baltimore is difficult because it often finds competing loyalties coming into play. I’ve gone to many Orioles games against the Yankees when Yankee fans outnumber the hometown Orioles fans 4-1. In those cases, I’m in the minority. However, today I was in the majority in a crowd that was easily 4-1 Red Sox fans.

That said, it was the most obnoxious game I’ve gone to because, it would seem, fans from other cities don’t quite understand that when they visit another stadium, it’s not like visiting their own hometown ball park. For instance, Oriole Park at Camden Yards is not Fenway Park. Yankee fans visiting Philadelphia have to remember that games at Citizens’ Bank Ballpark are not the same as games at Yankee Stadium. Different cities have different cultures of fans.

For instance, in Baltimore, baseball fans are generally laid back and non-confrontational. The city has been complimented for its “classy fans” and despite the poor performance of a hometown ballclub that tests the city’s patience, this is a “baseball town”.

In Boston and New York, on the other hand, fans are aggressive and hostile often causing uncomfortable conditions for fans of other teams. This is not our style in Baltimore.

Today, I was surrounded by Boston Red Sox fans. That was great because I too am a member of Red Sox Nation. However, what was not fun was dealing with aggressive, and obnoxiously rude New Englanders who felt that the Oriole Park atmosphere needed to reflect that of Fenway Park.

Tagged as: red-sox, Sports