Friday, May 29, 2009

ON SPORTS ~ Fanatic...

OVAH THE MONSTAH




Fanatic:

where previously Molly created special memories by sharing baseball games with friends & family

When I first returned to Boston after college I lived with one of my former college Roomies for a few years until our boyfriends took us in different directions. While her relationship ended in marriage, mine ended in pain and an empty bank account. So I found another Roomie and we rented an apartment in a suburb of Boston called Arlington. She was a local yokel who knew plenty of her home town teams but not a lot about them. However, by the end of our time living together she was a sports fan. She took very easily to the Sox. She was particularly smitten with John Valentin and before I knew it she had pinned the Sox schedule on our family room wall.

This is the time in my life that I am consciously aware of watching game after game after game of the Sox. Perhaps it was because it was a new beginning in my life, ending a relationship, moving to a new apartment with a new Roomie, and starting all over again. The Sox were a pleasant constant in my life and I thoroughly enjoyed absorbing all their games and sharing the fun of the team with my Local Roomie. It was also the first time in my life that I roomed with someone from MA whose team loyalties were the Sox, Pats, Celts & Bruins. No outside allegiances to contend with. She was a dog person but living with my cats quickly converted her to a cat lover as well. When we moved apart, she got cats of her own – and on her own now tunes in to a Sox game and keeps tabs on their season. She was an easy student.

Local Roomie and I met at work, an insurance agency. You can take the girl out of the Insurance Capital of the World but you can’t take the Insurance out of the girl I guess. It was through this office that my boss was given tickets to a Sox game to distribute to the other agents in the office. At that time a part of my job was working on administrative issues with the agents that my boss supervised. So when he got perks from vendors he tried to set aside a ticket for me as a reward for my work.

The vendor sponsoring the tickets to this game was a very prominent investment company in Boston. The seats were on the third base side in shouting distance of left field. And so, after a few brewskies and apparently not enough Fenway Franks, shout I did – at Mike Greenwell. Never having forgiven him for almost hitting me with his SUV back in my college days, I quite boisterously yelled out my favorite obscenity at him multiple times for missed plays, lack of hustle, or just because it seemed like the appropriate thing to do. This was a great source of amusement for the agents from the office attending the game. I think it was partly because they were surprised that this young chick from the office was an informed sports fan, but most likely because I lightened the mood amongst all the stuffed suits. Professionalism be damned! I was given a free ticket to a Sox game and I didn’t go to network – I went as a passionate fan. I recall that my boss asked me to tone down my enthusiasm when the vendor sponsoring the seats was within earshot. I know I thought of directing my favorite obscenity towards that suggestion but don’t believe the words actually came out of my mouth. I took the T home safe and sound and wasn’t included in another free Sox game for a while. To this day my boss cracks up retelling the story of my fan experience at that game – especially when one of the agents that was there is around to chime in. He tells people I am the biggest Sox fan he knows and warns them not to disparage the Sox in my presence or they don’t know what they’re in for. No harm, no foul I guess.

next week, LOVE AND PASSION, where Molly and Andy use Fenway to bridge the gap from friendship to dating...

3 comments:

Sandy Nawrot said...

You are a woman after my own heart. That would have been me, in the stands, with the suits around, screaming my head off, whether it was deemed appropriate or not! But I'm really excited now, because I've been waiting for the Molly/Andy story. How will I ever make it to next Friday???

Will said...

Great post. Just don't mention the Bruins, even in passing, for a little while more. This playoff season was just too painful!

Thanks for your visit and comment on my site.

Mojo said...

Baseball, like most sport, would be better if it was hockey. Can you imagine a catcher being allowed to deliver a Tim Gleason-style hip check to block the plate? That's what I'm talkin' about!

Hmm... maybe I should back out quietly now. Seems like Will's still a little bitter about the Semifinals...