2018 - Another Year, Another World Series Parade

Things have changed a lot since 2013, and things haven't changed at all.  2013 was the last year that we celebrated a Red Sox World Series victory with the Duck Boat parade.  And while 2013 was different in that all of went to Fenway Park on a  Saturday morning and basically missed the whole thing, 2018 saw C, G and I go to the corner of Boylston and Tremont.  They didn't mind since they missed a day of school (What excuse will we give C so he doesn't get detention was a big brainstorm session that LC and I had all week?).

For the uninitiated (or for those from New York, Los Angeles, etc.), after a Boston team wins its championship, the team usually celebrates by getting on Boston's fleet of Duckboats and whips through the Back Bay, usually stopping somewhere around City Hall Plaza so everyone can cheer. I've gone to a couple of the Red Sox parades, a couple of the Patriots parades, and an ill conceived Bruins parade.  I've been lucky, I guess.  I've managed to enjoy myself and managed to avoid all of the Massholes who inevitably show up to these kinds of things.

It was this and 20 pictures of duck boats flying by.

Wednesday, 10am.  Boston.  Really, except for the overwhelming aroma of weed wafting through the air, this parade was similar to the Bruins parade we went to back when they won the Cup in 2011...except that I was happy that it happened.  We were at the turn from Boylston to Tremont.  I thought we got a good vantage point leaning up against a City of Boston Dump truck that was blocking other cars from going down Boylston toward Chinatown.  Little did I know that G did not like this spot.

Then the wait began.  I was probably the oldest in the group hugging Boylston Street by about 20-25 years as every high school student and college student in the greater Boston area decided to skip school.  The idiotic signs, the vaping, the immaturity.  It took me back to when I was that age (except for the vaping - what the Hell is that all about - it's like getting a Raspberry coffee at Starbucks).  The wait was shortened by watching the construction guys banging their hammers and start "Yankees Suck" chants.  It was kind of amusing, even through that chant is as tired as I am.  The crowd seemed less than electric, almost jaded, so when the police started tearing around the corner to signal that the Duck Boats were finally coming around the bend, it was heartening to see the crowd pick up its fervor.  "Let's go Red Sox" began to be the chant.  That's one I can get behind.

The first boats came by.  Steve Pierce, World Series MVP was on the first boat, followed by the entire organization that sits in the back room and mocks you when you pay $100 for an uncomfortable, too small of a seat.  One of the next duckboats had the hangers-on from previous World Series wins - Pedro, Big Papi and Varitek.  At least Jason Varitek was a part of the organization. 

After an endless array of staff duck boats, the boats with players started coming by.  In what was to be a portend of things to come, the players were throwing beer cans to the construction workers in the building across from us - most of the time missing and hitting the scaffolding below.  (Sorry bystanders below!)  Note to self not to enter that building on Tremont Street...those guys were drinking beer!  David Price continued to be defiant in the face of every single person to have doubted him.  Mookie was in the last boat with a bunch of guys I had never heard of.  Well, except for Tzu-Wei Lin.

Let the record show that I said Price was going to have a good Postseason - which was before his dumpster fire in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Yankees.

And then just like that, they were gone.  As we walked back to Southie for lunch, we had to dodge near fistfights and yelling and screaming.  Another year, another reversion back to being Massholes.