Boston Sports Invigorate Fans

A table full of “World Series Champions” T-shirts and sweatshirts greets shoppers at City Sports, a reminder of the recent victory of the Boston Red Sox.

The Sox are not the only Boston sports team to have an exceptionally strong season this year, fueling the enthusiasm of Bay Staters on campus.

The New England Patriots are currently 13-0, a record that earns them the distinction of being the fifth team in NFL history to win its first 13 games.

After going 24-58 last season, the Boston Celtics are already 17-2 this year, giving them the best record in the NBA.

“I think Boston’s going through a sports renaissance,” said Adam S. Travis ’10, a resident of Mather House and a Red Sox fan.

Students, including Travis, gathered in Harvard Square to celebrate the Red Sox victory on October 28.

“I think that fans who are local care, but other students not so much,” said Travis, originally of Cambridge.

“You have to like it if you’re from Boston,” said Khue N. Nguyen ’11, a Boston native, of the area’s sports teams. “Who doesn’t love Tom Brady?”

Not everyone.

“It’s pretty difficult being around here with the Red Sox winning and the Patriots doing so well,” said Sandeep Rao ’09, a fan of the New York Knicks, Yankees, and Rangers. “You can feel the tension a lot more this year.”

Local business say they have benefitted slightly from the local teams’ successes.

“It’s hard to say, but if the team is doing well and if it is a big important game for them, we will see a bigger turnout,” said Andy L. Cote, manager of Uno’s Chicago Grill on JFK St.

City Sports, on Brattle St., has also seen an uptick in business as a result of the teams’ strong seasons.

“It definitely helps business when they reach that certain plateau,” said Stephond D. Goler, manager at City Sports.

Goler said sales of Celtics gear have picked up, a trend he attributed to the team’s strong season after a “terrible” past several years.

Joe C. Higgins ’11 agreed that the fans’ strong enthusiasm can be attributed to Boston teams’ weaker past records.

“When they win, it’s a reason to celebrate,” said Higgins.