F-Bombs and Yankee Haters? Yup, I've Found Red Sox Oasis

Last Saturday, Corey, Jamie and I attended a Red Sox Meet Up to watch the Sox/Yankees game. To our pleasure, it felt like we had been transported back to Boston for the afternoon. When the Yankees started tacking on runs, the F-bombs and crashing of silverware and plates started to increase.

We couldn’t help but look at each other and smile. We were home.

While this over-zealous reaction to the game might have been annoying last year at this time, it was a welcome breath of fresh air as I sat in a bar outside Wrigleyville. For once, I wasn’t forced to watch any Cubs games or pretend the root for the White Sox. When Adrian Beltre hit a homerun, we all cheered and clapped like it was a walk-off dinger and didn’t have to look over our shoulders to make sure it was okay to do so.

For an afternoon it was acceptable to wear my Red Sox hat and I got to hang out with people who hate the Yankees as much as I do. When I moved here, I hoped to find a community like this, the place where those people I see on the El and walking down the street with their Boston ball caps go to talk Sox.

A couple months ago one of my friends told me about MeetUp.com, where there are interest groups for pretty much everything in pretty much every location. It didn’t take long to find the Red Sox group. It took me longer to actually make one of the Meet Ups.

Last week, I got an email inviting me to the Patriots Meet-Up group. I quickly responded and RSVP’ed to the September 12 Meet Up to watch the Pats open the season. I hope this group is just as homey, filled with just as many J-E-T-S haters and Squish the Fish fans as the other Boston group.

When I’m around those people who also feel the urge to vomit when a Peyton Manning commercial comes on the TV and who love Tom Brady despite his bad hairstyle choices, then I know I’m really home. Or at least the next best thing.