Soxy Lady: Boo Birds Sing

There's stormy weather in the forecast, and it made me think about one of the times when I feel it's okay to boo at Fenway Park, when it's not directed at the other team; If you feel you're being held hostage by a rain delay.

Rain is just a part of what you deal with as a baseball fan. It's not played indoors like hockey and basketball, and it's not just an exciting, additional factor, like it is in football. It's cause for cancellation of a game that is played almost every day of the Summer. Therefore, it's hard to make up this games after they're called off. Believe me when I say I'd much rather have an open field like Fenway than one of those artificial domes, that feels more like a novelty size child's toy than a ball park. However, there's been plenty of times where I feel this has been taken advantage of.

Obviously not all Sox fans live in Boston. Usually, a trip to catch a game involves a commute that lasts hours each way. When one finally arrives, the ordeal isn't over. If you didn't feel like parking outside of town and going through the nightmare that is public transportation revolving around a sporting event, you have to find a place to park that beast, and it costs $30.00 + dollars to do so. Then you file in, probably pick up an official trash bag with a hood, because you forgot to pack any gear, buy some food, and wait for the delay to be called off, knowing in your heart the whole time the whole game is going to be called off. You heard the weather man say 100% chance of precipitation in Boston tonight on the way up.

That excuse about how difficult it is to make up that game is always at the ready, should you ever imply the whole run-around is given to prevent loss of vendor revenue to anyone official.

So you sit there...In your hooded trash bag...Watching as time trickles on, just like the rain, only to have it called about an hour after the game was supposed to start. Just enough time to make sure as many people as possible spent money on parking, rain gear and food.

Recently, my father had tickets to a game that was cancelled hours before it started. He was so pleased that he didn't have to deal with the weather gamble that he was moved to write a letter to the Red Sox saying so. I've never known Dad to take the time to write letters when he's anything but livid about something. Sign my name on the bottom of that letter too, pops.

Anyone who has been in this situation knows exactly what I'm talking about. Anyone else thinks I'm just bitching about the weather, which no one can control. Fair enough, but it brings me back to my original point about being more clear about when it's okay to direct boos at something other than the other team. Here's the break down:

-When your team is losing to a bunch of Canadians on America's birthday.

Nope. Just turn that cap inside out, and rally like a good fan.

-When a consistently lackluster pitcher is giving the game away.

No. This is only going to make him worse, and build up resentment.

-When the organization waits until the last second to call a game, while the weather reports were telling the people of Boston all day not to worry about filling up the kiddie pool using town water.