Baseball fever takes over Tufts

The Red Sox may not have made it to the World Series, but with arguably the most exciting series in baseball history between the two biggest rivals of the Major Leagues taking place right here in Boston, playoff fever swept over the Tufts campus.

As a school highly populated by both Boston and New York natives, the intensity of the Yankees and Red Sox rivalry enlivened the student body, as students sported their team's gear and dropped everything to catch the games.

So, what exactly makes a good fan? And where do these loyalties come from? Other than rooting for the home team, team loyalties are often a part of a family tradition. Senior Sara Burrill explains that being a Red Sox fan is in her blood. "I started playing tee ball when I was three, and the first thing I learned about baseball from my dad was to hate the Yankees."

Junior Marny Rosenbloom, says her being a Cubs fan doesn't require a big explanation: "I grew up a Cubs fan and I will always be one."

Living in Boston -- although temporarily as a student -- has made some new fans out of non-locals at Tufts. "As an out-of-towner with[out] a great baseball team, I feel as though I've adopted the Red Sox as my team and am now a fan," junior and Colorado native Sarah Hoffman said. Red Sox loyalty has sparked Hoffman's interest in baseball itself. "I'll always watch the Red Sox because now I know the team."

Sophomore and Colorado native Preston Dickey was also impressed by the loyalty of Red Sox fans. "Seeing the fan loyalty even for the underdogs has made me much more interested in baseball," Dickey said.

Watching the games last week reinforced his belief. "I was very surprised by the fan intensity. The near riot was pretty crazy and there were some streakers outside of my dorm, but I was a spectator of both the game and the streaking."

Dickey says that his loyalty toward the Red Sox, which he admits is in large part an intense loyalty against the Yankees, has sparked his desire to watch the World Series. "Watching the World Series would not have been as fun if I wasn't watching it in Boston," he said. "Now I am rooting for the Marlins just so the Yankees won't win."

But the Boston spirit has not infected all Tufts students. Going to school in New England has not changed junior Marny Rosenbloom's Chicago Cubs loyalties.

"I check the stats, watch every Cubs game and talk to my dad, who is usually at the game, while he is there. Basically, I try to keep up the spirit even if I am not there," she said.

Watching the games last week in Boston has not changed her opinion of the Red Sox or Yankees either. "I have no loyalty towards the Red Sox or the Yankees. Last week I rooted for the Red Sox only because I knew it would make for interesting events around campus."

Students from the New York area, who can relish life in the post-season, found it hard to ignore the Red Sox fever taking place all over campus. But for many students the Boston spirit only fueled their love for the Yankees.

"I am not going to lie, being in Boston has only made me more loyal to my home team," sophomore Tiffany Frank said. "Before I had no opinion of the Red Sox, now I just don't like them."

Mike Kougelman, a graduate student originally from New Jersey, is a fan of the Bronx Bombers as well. "I haven't gotten much sleep for the past week." he admits. Since coming to Tufts his loyalty to the Yankees has increased. "If you identify with a group, when you are suddenly removed from it in a different situation, the whole environment makes you feel closer to that group."

As much as Kougelman roots for the Yankees, he admits that after seeing their loyalty he has gained sympathy for Red Sox fans. "After game seven, which was such a great game, I was really caught up in the win," Kougelman said. "But I felt for the Red Sox fans just given what they had gone through. Under different circumstances the game easily could have gone the other way."

"I felt for the fans, not the players," Kougelman added.

Not all students see loyalty as binding them to only one team. Ashley Berman, a California native and Dodgers fan, is also a fan of the Red Sox. "Since I am from L.A. I am a Dodgers fan, but since I moved here I have started getting into the Red Sox games and have started [rooting for] them," Berman said, adding that "it's not too difficult to divide your loyalties if [you are] not a completely die-hard fan."

"I don't feel weird rooting for other teams like die-hard fans do," she said. "Once you are loyal to a team you should be loyal for life, but I feel that its fun to get into the games wherever you are."