Bob Lobel: The Red Sox Need Fan Support Now More than Ever

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Bob Lobel, GoLocalWorcester Sports Contributor

With apologies to public radio and television, one of my favorite Wayne Dwyer quotes is pretty basic. "If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

Go ahead, argue that one.

Okay, so let's change the way we look at the local entry in the American League East. Instead of brick hawking at a team with ticket prices they haven't dared to raise for two years, let's show some love for what they are trying to do for us, their loyal fans.

Yes, we have turned against them.

They came in to save us, to give us something we never had before, to eradicate a plague and a culture of losing only to replace it with a perception that has alienated most of us.

What exactly changed in the past decade that turned this lovable franchise of happy-go-losers into a win at all cost driven hedge fund built by people more at home with a computer than a stack of bubble gum smelling baseball cards?

The answer is pretty simple. Don’t wish for something you might get. Don’t be in the business of granting wishes you might regret. These post-Yawkee Trust people gave us not one, but two World Championships. They gave us two World Series appearances in such a short period of time, we never got to enjoy the first.

Oh, and by the way, the Sox went 8-0 in those games, producing two very matter of fact titles we take for granted.

In both 2004 and 2007 the actual World Series was so anti-climactic.

Down 3-0 to the Yankees in 2004 and 3-1 to Cleveland in 2007, getting to the series became the goal. Winning it once we got there? No problem.

So why can't we fall back in love again? Too much "Sweet Caroline?" Revolt of the pink hats? Liverpool? Nascar? NESN? Whoa, just stop it please!

We just signed Mike Napoli. We may trade John Lester. We have a new manager after not filling the position for the past year. Beckett and Adrian Gonzales are gone. Nick Punto is not walking through that door. Nick Swisher might be.

Theo, Mr. Entitlement of the past decade, is with the Cubs where they lost over 100 games. Let's cut these guys some slack.

Let's give them a two year break where they can decide if they wan to keep the team or not, or just sign some more free agents. Let's just relax and make baseball fun again.

I don’t even know if that’s possible here anymore, but its worth a shot.

Desperately seeking pleasure would be a healthy comeback mission statement. Let's give Ben a chance to be the guy Duquette hired. Lets give Larry some time to back off. Maybe John Henry shouldn’t be so involved with the team.

How much did he enhance it anyway? Can Tom Werner answer the NESN challenge? Can any of these people bring hockey back? Can any hockey people bring hockey back? Meanwhile, let's just sit back and watch them rebuild with the money they saved during last season.

And, if John Henry has less than the commitment he had when he got here, then lets just wish him well, and hope he kicks the can down the road.

Nothing lasts forever, according to Wayne Dwyer. Our frustration with being 86 year old losers didn't and our entitlement over the past decade won't either.

Let's get back to our happy place.