Boston Red Sox rank No. 29 in FanSided’s Fandom 250
By Sean Penney
The Boston Red Sox come in at No. 29 in the ultimate ranking of sports teams, celebrities, entertainment and brands – the Fandom 250!
Where does Red Sox Nation rank among all the various fan bases around the globe?
This question was part of a monumental task that FanSided took on to rank the top 250 fan bases. We’re not merely talking about sports teams either, as the list includes all forms of entertainment, the most famous celebrities, athletes and even brand names. If it’s something or someone that people can be a fan of, that’s all the criteria necessary to qualify for consideration.
Red Sox fans are known to be a passionate group, so the team’s standing in the Fandom 250 is bound to be a hot topic of debate. While we sadly didn’t make it to the top, Red Sox fans land in a respectable spot at No. 29 on the list.
This ranking puts them just ahead of another Boston area team, as the New England Patriots made it to the No. 30 spot. It also puts them one spot behind the Los Angeles Lakers, a team that has historically been the fiercest rival of another Boston team.
If 29th seems too low, keep in mind that only two other Major League Baseball teams finished ahead of the Red Sox.
The problem that Boston fans will have with these rankings is that one of those baseball teams ahead of them is the New York Yankees. The rivalry between the Red Sox and Yankees is well documented, and while the players on each roster have been mostly amicable toward each other in recent years, bad blood between the fans remains on both sides. Falling short to New York in these rankings stings, but at least Red Sox fans have the consultation of knowing their team will put a better roster on the field next season – especially now that a certain southpaw has been acquired to join the rotation.
The Chicago Cubs were the only other baseball team to finish ahead of the Red Sox, landing the coveted No. 1 overall spot. Clearly this decision was heavily fueled by the Cubbies winning their first World Series title in over 100 years, so even die-hard Sox fans can begrudgingly concede that Chicago is worthy of the top spot. It helps that the Cubs are loaded with players and executives that have ties to the Red Sox organization. We’re all still Jon Lester fans too!
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So, what do you think of the Fandom 250? Was the ranking the Red Sox received too high, too low or just right? Let us know in the comments!