For 86 years fans of the Boston Red Sox have suffered through crushing defeat after crushing defeat. Up until 2004 my father and even his father had never lived through a Red Sox World Series victory. Yet every year, they'd set their hopes high and think "Maybe this could be the year". Despite the inevitable let down, my family always faithfully follows the Sox year in and year out. New England is where my family has lived for generations and despite the horrendous losses the sox seemed to always suffer, we still worshiped them. Moving from Connecticut when I was younger and eventually moving 7 other times, left a void in the sense of having a "home". This void was filled by the unity of watching the New England sports teams, where ever we had went. .
My dad, his brothers and my grandfather would sit around at family gatherings telling stories of the terrible predicament the Sox had found themselves in that particular year. Which would always lead to stories of seasons past, like Bill Buckner letting the ball go between his legs in the 86 World Series or Aaron Boone hitting a walk off homerun in the 2003 American League Championship Series. Then when the Sox were finally put out of their misery, the reoccurring tales of "The Curse of the Bambino" would come out. A superstition evolving from the failure of the Boston Red Sox team to win the World Series in the 86-year stretch from 1918 to 2004. This misfortune began after the Red Sox sold star player Babe Ruth, also known as "The Bambino", to the New York Yankees in the off-season of 1919. .
Before that point, the Red Sox had been one of the most successful professional baseball teams, winning the first World Series and earning five World Series titles. After the sale of the Bambino the Sox went 86 years without a title, losing in time and time again in some absurd manor that could only be explained by a curse.
