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| Keith Maseda |
http://www.masslive.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/04/fans_react_to_slow_start_on_op.html
Fans react to slow start on Opening Day at Fenway
Published: Friday, April 08, 2011, 5:03 PM
By Nick Underhill masslive.com
flyover.jpg APF-16's from the Vermont Air National Guard fly in formation over Fenway Park prior to the Boston Red Sox facing the New York Yankees in their home opener in Boston, Friday, April 8, 2011.
BOSTON – Anthony Brincolo was afraid that everyone was getting a little too comfortable.
A longtime fan and well aware of the misery that can accompany those seldom few joys, he became concerned when Boston Red Sox fans put their feet up on the coffee table and as if they were entitled something by just showing up.
“I never go in thinking anything is a sure thing, I don’t want the letdown, I’m very pessimistic,” Brincolo said.
Growing up in the 1960s, Brincolo, a Boston native, learned to temper his expectations early on.
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That decade the Red Sox finished with a losing record six-straight seasons (1960-66), so he fully understands sports heartbreak after coming of age in the thick of the team’s depression era.
So even when the littlest bit of optimism seeps in, it sends him scurrying to the recesses of his memory for a traumatic vision that will knock out those good vibes and allow him to circumvent disappointment.
But even that didn’t fully prepare him for the 1-6 start.
“Losing your first six games is not a good way to start – especially in a tough division,” Brincolo said. “I’m not ready to jump off of a bridge yet, but I am concerned.”
Not everyone at Fenway for the Opening Day festivities shared that bleak worldview. Many fans accept the slow start for what it is: Four percent of a very long season.
“It’s only the beginning of the season, it’s not a big deal,” Boston resident Chris Eusebio said prior to the game. “0-6 is not 0-25. I still think we are one of the best three teams in the league.”
Keith Maseda, a New England transplant from Springfield, Vermont now living in Colorado, hopped a plane Thursday night and flew out for the game.
Prior to opening pitch, he was still in high spirits despite the Sox being marred in their longest season-opening losing-streak since 1945, and remained so even after being socked $200 by Ace Tickets for a seat in the right field boxes.
“I know everyone is doubting their talents, but they’re one of the most talented teams we have ever had,” Maseda said. “I think they are going to win it all.”
Brincolo warns that those with this view are being a bit cheery, and it’s a result of growing up in the age of titles and entitlement.
They don’t fear to dream big because they didn’t experience the deep oppression that used to be at the soul of all Boston sports fans.
“Growing up as a kid the Red Sox were awful, I grew up with much more confidence in the Celtics,” Brincolo said. “Even the wild card is not a given this year.”
Vince Buley, an old-time Yankees fan from New Jersey, feels that the region needs to relax.
He fully enjoyed the early season horror show, but says that those calling into sports talk radio shows with their doomsday prophecies need to calm down and reevaluate things.
“Everything will be alright,” Buley said. “It should be an interesting race. It’s only April and baseball is a marathon. You have to pace yourself and see what happens.
“With all that talent, the Red Sox aren’t going to be out of anything until late in the season.”
But who is going to win the division?
“The Yankees.”
Optimism never was lost on that bunch.
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