Being Spoiled Stinks

This weekend, Boston sports fans got another reminder that they are living an absolutely charmed life right now. Yesterday, the Patriots advanced to their eighth straight AFC championship game. (Say that again. It sounds even more ridiculous the second time.) This comes just months after the Red Sox won their fourth World Series title in the last fifteen years. That means the Patriots are just two wins away from (again) celebrating a Super Bowl title at Fenway during a Red Sox ring ceremony. Add in the Celtics and Bruins titles this century, and you get an embarrassment of riches that may navel be seen by any fanbase ever again.

So, I'm sure nobody outside of Boston wants to hear about the downside of winning so many titles...but there is one.

Well, a couple really. There’s the expense of buying championship memorabilia for all 11 titles. It’s getting to be a lot.

There’s also complacency. Some of it is on my part. “I won’t buy a ticket this divisional round game...I’ll catch them next time." Assuming that there will be a next time, like there has been for the so many years. But it’s also on everyone else’s part too.

I was shopping yesterday, and saw lots of Red Sox World Series stuff on clearance. While I enjoyed grabbing a cup at 75% off, it also meant there probably wasn’t more stuff coming out. I guess companies decided not to make stuff they had in the past. And that’s too bad

While at Target this weekend, they were unloading new boxes of Wheaties. They had Russell Wilson on the front. So they went right from Uncle Drew to Wilson. Guess no Red Sox championship box this time.

Target also didn’t have a commemorative baseball card team set. When the Sox won in 2004, two companies put team sets out. Now? Not worth anyone’s time. (Yeah, there was a ToppsNOW set but that’s not really the same thing)

Newspapers were harder to find. The Sox weren’t on the front page of every newspaper in the country like they were in 2004. They were barely on the front page of sports sections. They weren’t a story anymore.

The one that really got me was the NESN DVD. They didn’t make one. Can you believe that? Remember, they made a video for the 2003 Red Sox. A team the LOST the ALCS. They got a video. But, a World Champion? Eh. Been there, done that. Sure, maybe times have changed. Maybe streaming has made DVD production silly. But, really? Still not worth it?

So, while I’m not about to complain about too much winning...I wish some things hadn’t changed. I miss the buzz.

And I want the stuff.