Redsoxchickie: Just This Side of Stalking

In the great tradition of crappy "You’re from the Boston area if…" lists, I’ve decided to compile my own on the eve of the game I sold a kidney for to see the Red Sox get their second ring in my lifetime.

You’re a Boston Sports fan if…

Your heart ached at the greatness that would ever be of Len Bias, Tony C. and Reggie Lewis.

You can still hear Johnny Most calling the Celtics game.

It’s a reflex action to give a standing ovation to Larry Bird and Bobby Orr.

You can name the starting 5 of the '86 Celtics and starting 9 of the '86 Red Sox.

You remember the fog in the Boston Garden.

You watched the Patriots lose 3 and win 3 Super Bowls.

You saw the Patriots win their first Super Bowl and said "But we don’t win these types of games."

You don’t remember Game 7 of the 1975 World Series.

You got choked up when Ray Bourque held the Stanley Cup over his head in something other than a Bruins Jersey 'cause you knew he won it for Boston as much as himself.

You remember exactly who you were with and where you were and what you did in the last 3 outs of Game 4 of the 2004 World Series.

You give a Standing 'O' for the guys who did the little things.

You stood for 3 hours because you didn’t want to change the luck in a comeback victory.

The hair on your arms still stands up in a tie game in the bottom of the ninth.

You remember the smell of the grass in your backyard as you listen to the game on the radio in the middle of the summer.

You always root for the underdog.

You smiled when the local kid made good.

You laughed maniacally at Madden just before the Pats first Super Bowl win.

You felt hurt when your favorite player got traded.

You felt betrayed when they left for the money.

You remember when it was more about the jersey they wore and not about the shoe contract.

You hated the Yankees before you knew why.

You were old enough to hate Laimbeer and know why.

You bawled when the Greats retired too young and left this earth too soon.

The crack of the bat, the reverb of a puck off the crossbar, the swish of a ball getting nothing but net and the silence of a hail-Mary pass evokes innumerable memories.

You’ll sell a kidney to go to the opening day after the Red Sox win the World Series just to see them unfurl a banner.

You cried during every painful loss and every great triumph.

You remember everything like it was yesterday.