I think that most people in Green Bay (football) or Buffalo (hockey) get it. To a lesser extent, there are certainly respectfully dedicated franchises and fans -- the Yankees in New York, the Lakers in Los Angeles, and the Cowboys in Dallas come to mind. I'll add to the list the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus to include collegiate sports.
But even in these cities, there are many people in the area who just don't care about their team.
Not so in Boston.
I postulate that there is no other city in America that is connected to a sports team like Boston is to the Red Sox, and how connected the Red Sox are to Boston. If you were to conduct a random survey here, I'd bet that more than 80% of respondents would say that they are a fan, and better than half could tell you how many games ahead/behind the Red Sox are in the American League East.
Some major league players wither under the intense spotlight of playing for Boston. They find the scrutiny annoying. They want to play, take a paycheck, and go home. You simply can't expect do that here in Boston. Players know and must deal with the fact that the Red Sox are often the lead story in our newspapers and on our television newscasts. For cryin' out loud, even the members of the Celtics, Bruins, and Patriots get it.
Fenway has been sold out for every single game in the last six years. Six years! Even when it's a midweek game and the competition is a crappy bottom-feeding National League team, there are no tickets available.
I humbly offer the following screen shot of the e-mail I received tonight as another example of how connected the Red Sox are to New England. It's like a family. John Henry, Tom Werner, and Larry Luccino understand. While I don't know these guys personally (obviously, or I'd be able to afford tickets), I'd like to believe that they aren't merely brilliant businessmen but truly comprehend what the Sox mean to the millions of citizens of Red Sox Nation.
They get it. So do all the people in this video clip.
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