I wouldn’t even know where to begin addressing the ignorance of your comments.

So I’ll take it for an ill-fated attempt at making a joke. I chuckled.

Yep, it was a Globe columnist . . . but it wasn’t Shaughnessy, Ryan or McDonough . . . it was a guy named Nathan Cobb. And it was done in a 1986 column about the split allegiances of Red Sox, Yankees and Mets fans in Connecticut.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Sox_Nation

As for “The Nation” – I can only relay the experience I have had as a Die-Hard Red Sox fan for 35+ years, as someone who has lived in NE nearly my entire life, watched probably 80% of televised games going back into the 80′s, from reading about the team virtually on a daily basis – even through the Winter, my interaction with fellow fans over all that time and my time spent working in professional baseball and attending Winter Meetings marketing and promotions seminars . . .

Going back at least into the mid-90′s the Red Sox fan base was often referred to as “The Nation” – a reference to the unique regional identity of New England and the fact that the Red Sox fan base mirrored that geographic area (save for Southwestern Connecticut, of course).

If I had to guess I’d say it likely originated in Shaughnessy, Ryan or McDonough’s column.

In any event, sometime after the Henry ownership group came aboard, and I believe either during or just after the 2004 season, the Red Sox announced they were issuing membership cards for “Red Sox Nation” which ended the hip fun in-joke of referring to oneself as a member of ‘The Nation’.

Since the Red Sox overstepped their authority in co-opting and monetizing something the fans used uniquely among themselves – it has spread like wild fire throughout pro and collegiate sports. And if I had to guess, it proliferated after someone from the Red Sox made a presentation on the success of their new fan club at a Winter Meetings.

Honestly, I didn’t finish reading your post. I got the point in the first few sentences.

It’s all in fun and it’s commonly called “teasing”. Here’s how Dictionary.com defines teasing:

1.
to irritate or provoke with persistent petty distractions, trifling raillery, or other annoyance, often in sport.

I have teased Orioles fans for most of my life. Just like I have teased and razzed Spankees, BJ’s, and Spays fans.

And never has it been more fun to poke at the O’s than now . . . as they begin to enjoy some long overdue successes thanks, of course, to an accomplished former Red Sox GM and an ex-Yankees Manager.

However, I’m making somewhat of an exception here because there’s nothing worse than a fairweather fan who pontificates from an ivory tower in chastising and characterizing his/her fellow fans in a negative fashion.

I’ll agree with one legit point you made about the media circus and how easily fans are influenced by it. But mass media has that level of influence across the spectrum. The average person by-and-large puts a level of trust in the media they consume and often regurgitate what they hear without giving it a second thought.

Anyway, if I chose to, I could eviscerate your post point-by-point but for now I’ll take the efficient route and just state the following:

For the record . . .

I do have some personal experience with Beckett and thus do have some insight to “judge his heart, his character or his conditioning”.

The Orioles would love to have you.”
_________________________________________

So I need to hear your justification here, because this seems to be nothing more than a weak shot at the O’s, most likely stemming from last years pathetic collapse at the hands of the O’s, effectively removing the BoSox from the playoffs, followed promptly by all hell breaking loose (see Francona, Epstein, beer in the clubhouse, Bobby V commentary on his own players, etc.)

But please, justify why this would put you into the O’s fanbase. While you can call us fairweather all you’d like, I’m pretty sure you’re basis of opinion would stem from attendance at the games and nothing more. Are tickets cheap? Yea sure, on Friday nights, but they sit right at the league average for a seat, and what do you truly expect fans to do after the umpteenth losing season? (see Pirates and Cubbies) TV ratings have not dropped, and if you were to ever come to Baltimore and catch our sports talk radio, there’s no lack of O’s talk, whether it be negative or positive, and for the most part it’s year round. HOWEVER, the one glaring difference here? You will never catch an O’s fan booing a player for performance like the BoSox did with Beckett. Perfect example: Mark Reynolds. Dude is weak. His defense is non-existent and he’d be likely to lead a T-ball league in K’s. Occassionally he gets a clutch hit, and he gets cheers but when he goes through nasty hitless tears or adds an E to his league high total? Never gets booed. Maybe the random fan in the stands, but not collectively by the entire fan base. A BETTER example which is more comparable to Beckett: Brian Roberts. B-Rob was one of, if not THE best 2B in the AL prior to his concussion issues. He came back for a cup of coffee in 2011, then went back out for the season, then came back 2 times this year and back out again. The general sentiment around town? What a shame he’s so injury riddled or else he’d be a huge help to this team. Not once have I heard anyone say ‘what a bum, we wasted money and time on this guy who clearly gets hurt too much and sucks.’ That’s not what a fanbase is for. The fanbase is there to pump your team up, not tear them down for a bad performance. If Beckett was as bad as the BoSox fans make him out to be, they would have dealt him no matter what yesterday, not passed up on the offer from Texas (or anyone else we’re no hearing about). And if those 2 examples aren’t enough, I could go into Arrieta, Matusz, Chris Davis every other month, Tommy H(unte)R….

Alas, Beckett will come back, the BoSox fans will see him pitch a gem, and the sentiment will be “we love Beckett! I never thought he was a bum, he just needed a kick in the ass to get him on track.” as the roller coaster of emotion continues with the BoSox fan base…

Also have to ask: did you really suggest the RedSox were the team who essentially patented the “_____ nation” phrase? THAT I need to see some justification other than “It’s a fact.”

I’m not saying the Fenway faithful have never booed their own players, but I do know that prior to 2007, most Sox fans I met were good people. Now most fans I come across are half-witted angry bunch of nimrods who know next to nothing about the team other than what the circus of the media tells them to think.

And for the record, unless you know the man personally, you can’t judge his heart, his character or his conditioning. The blisters and the back issues existed prior to Beckett coming to Boston (go ahead and use the google, I’ll wait). Who’s not paying attention now?

Mid-60′s to low 70′s hardly qualifies on the injury risk meter.

And even if your claim had some legit merit, Beckett’s need only look above his belt line to identify one of the main culprits in his inability to stay healthy and reliable . . . especially with his ‘known back issues’. Beckett is one of the most poorly conditioned players on the team. At some point, if he has any pride in what he does . . . he looks over at Big Papi and says I need to do what he did and be better prepared. But I don’t think that will ever happen at this point.

“since ’07, since we became a nation of entitled whiny bitter little bitches who’ll turn on our favorite players over nothing”

Let’s get it straight – Red Sox fans are a legion or a fanbase or some other suitable name for a group . . . but any self-respecting true died-in-the-wool Red Sox fan from 2004 or prior eschewed the vernacular after the Fenway Sports Group claimed it as their own, started charging for and printing membership cards, and decided to hold a dopey half-baked election for “President of Red Sox Nation”. Oh, and it was never “Red Sox Nation” until Luchhino got his grimey little fingers involved. It was simply “The Nation”. Now every team in baseball has claimed that it’s fanbase is “XYZ Nation”.

OK, that aside . . . please just come clean and admit it . . . at best you were a fair weather fan prior to 2004, and suddenly became a passionate and engaged fan in September or October 2004.

1) Red Sox fans booing Red Sox players is not a new Fenway phenomena from 2007 on.

2) Was Beckett leaving this Start tonight in the 3rd Inning, really nothing? If you think that, you haven’t been paying attention.

And, 3) if you think Beckett being booed over his latest in a long list of blisters, tweaked muscles, spasms, postponed starts, etc . . . especially in light of the last 12 months, is somehow unjustified, unwarranted or being a poor fanbase, then really, truthfully, this is no longer the team for you, because you just aren’t paying attention.

The Orioles would love to have you.

You’re a lazy fucking prick that doesn’t give a SHIT about anyone else but yourself and you’ve not only let the others on the 40 man roster down, you’ve managed to get a manager railroaded out of town all the while leading your team to the worst collapse in the history of the franchise.

Nice work dickhead.

We can go on and on about how he’s been blessed with a gift and how most people don’t ever get to experience half of what this guy has done in his career, but it all doesn’t matter. He makes watching baseball a fucking chore because he’s just downright fucked up.

He’s a fat ass yet he’s delicate.
He can pitch, but he’ll need some fake injury to get some time off.
You know he only gets 18 days off per year.
2003 and 2007 were enough and now he just wants to collect his cash.

He irritates the shit out of me and I can’t stand him. Lucchino loves him and won’t even try to get rid of him. He may clear waivers next month, but do you think they are going to bend over backwards to get him out of town? No fucking way.

In review, fuck you Josh Beckett.

Goodnight.

Spoiled and unlovable because . . .

. . . fans booed the highest paid pitcher on the team who everyone knows is the biggest black hole in that clubhouse?

. . . back spasm is just the latest ticky tack injury which generally occur because of a lack of conditioning and/or preparation and/or poor diet?

. . . a guy who was scratched earlier this year with a tight lat, only to go golfing the next day?

. . . a guy who constantly deflects criticism by saying he won’t respond, but then responds . . . in some of the most subtlety self-aggrandizing ways imaginable, while insulting anyone who dare call him out on his BS?

. . . a self-professed leader who never seems to claim responsibility for anything that goes wrong?

Hey, maybe you’re right. Maybe we turned into spoiled and unlovable. Forgive us for celebrating the success that eluded so many fans for so long.

But none of that has anything to do with booing a boor who has earned his unwelcome status in Boston.

This is about Red Sox fans letting Beckett know what they think about him. He’s thumbed his nose to the fans with his F-you attitude and there’s the payback.

To think fans would have booed anyone else on that team (other than Lackey and/or Valentine) is ridiculous. Does Pedroia get booed when he gets hurt, how about Ellsbury or Ortiz? They’ve had about 1,000 guys get hurt this year and who else got booed? No one.

This is a Beckett issue, end of story.

Just stay loveable losers Cubs. It’s not worth it. Your fan base already sucks. Don’t make it worse.

But not this one. Beckett has managed to turn Hall of Fame talent into an underachieving career filled with constant maladies that serve as excuses for his failures. I’m sure some of his injuries are just bad luck and no one’s fault, but come on. A big strapping guy with a thick body and a smooth motion, who gets hurt that often? A year ago he was the #1 starter on a team with the best record in baseball at the end of August. By all accounts (which have never been refuted) he then LED his fellow starting pitchers by examples of laziness, clubhouse partying during games and dreadfully bad performances into the worst September collapse in baseball history. He gained 20 pounds during the course of that regular season and couldn’t have gotten minor leaguers out in his most important outings of the year.

And this year he’s just taken that September example and continued it. With Beckett there is always a sore back or shoulder or blisters or the flu to explain a poor performance. He got extra rest before his first start after the all-star break, came out gave up his usual first-inning runs and we were told he was felling lousy because of the medicine he took that day.

So if you want to just completely let Beckett off the hook for his latest physical breakdown, then feel free to think the fans were cruel brats tonight. But I think if you follow the Red Sox closely, chances are you know better. The fans who booed him tonight, undoubtedly wincing from the news that no other team would trade for Beckett before this afternoon’s deadline, were being quite reasonable. It’s not that we assume Beckett doesn’t have back spasms or whatever, it’s that we assume the reason is his lack of dedication to fitness and preparation that is the main cause. This man has exhausted the patience of a lot of very loyal fans.