Did You Catch the Red Sox Game? Red Sox Fall to Phillies in the First Game of Interleague Play

Posted on May 18, 2012 by pinkhatmary

Here at Pink Hat Sports, we know that even the most die-hard fans have lives outside of sports. No one can see every game.

So if you missed Friday Night’s Red Sox game, here’s what you should know before meeting up with your foursome on the links.

The Game: Boston Red Sox v. Philadelphia Phillies

The Score: Red Sox: 4, Mariners: 6

The Recap: Daniel Bard started for the Sox, but it just wasn’t his night. He pitched for 5 rough innings, with three hits, 5 walks and three strikeouts. When he left the Sox were down 5-2. On a bright note, three Red Sox players homered, Adrian Gonzalez, Mike Aviles and Cody Ross, but that wasn’t enough tonight.

Jonathan Papelbon is Phillies' Closer Now (AP Photo/H. Rumph Jr)

Beyond the Score: Inter-league play is here, and the Red Sox and the Phillies are living parallel lives in their respective leagues. Both teams sit at the bottom of their Divisions, but have had started to make a comeback in recent days. Bobby Valentine was ejected for the first time this year for arguing a call. The Phillies Manager wasn’t even at the game because he was serving a one-game suspension. Red Sox catcher, Jarrod Saltalamacchia had to leave the game early after being grazed by a pitch on his ear. Finally, former Red Sox closer, Jonathan Papelbon, made a statement of his own by closing out the game with a flawless ninth inning.

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Why Pink Hat Sports? Because We Can’t All Be Diehards

Posted on May 9, 2012 by pinkhatmary

Why start this blog? Hmmm, good question. For a lot of reasons I guess, most of all for fun. Actually, truth be told, there are three reasons why I started this blog.

Because most of us really are “Pink Hat Fans” – There’s a place for a sports blog that recognizes sports as one dimension in the bustle of our overflowing lives.
I want to remind and encourage my still very young daughter to not shy away from areas and interests typically dominated by men.
I’ll be opening my already big mouth a little wider here, and in the process, I hope I can do a little good for causes I support.

Because I am pretty long-winded by nature, and don’t want to chase you away too fast, today I’ll just focus on why I named this blog “Pink Hat Sports”.

Here’s the thing. The term “Pink Hat Fan” isn’t a compliment; I know that. It’s a term coined by certain sports fans and sports radio DJs, and it most likely originated in Boston. Officially, at least according to Wikipedia’ s Glossary of Baseball, a “Pink Hat Fan” is:

“A fan of a team who is perceived to be merely ‘jumping on the bandwagon’ as opposed to a more loyal, knowledgeable fan (of either gender). This term comes from the alternate pink caps that are sometimes worn by female fans. A “pink hat” is not necessarily a female fan, nor do they all literally wear pink hats.”

“Pink Hat Fans” are dismissed as folks who are simply warming the seats for the real fans who deserve them more.

Though some will go to great pains to tell you that this term is not a sexist stereotype. Let’s be serious; I think it’s safe to say that less than 2% of men at a Red Sox game are wearing a pink hats. Ask a “real fan” to draw a picture of a “Pink Hat Fan” and I guarantee they won’t draw a picture of a chubby guy with 5 o’clock shadow sitting at the bar, with a beer in one hand and handful of (pea)nuts in the other.

So there you have it; according to common wisdom a “Pink Hat Fan” is a waste of a good ticket to the game. Certain sports-radio personalities have a lot of fun with this. They profile some unwitting (and coincidentally female) fan outside the park who has clearly had a few pregame cocktails, and engage in their own “Jaywalking“-like comedy bit. And I know, it’s “all in good fun,” and sometimes it does get me to chuckle, but it still sort of bugs me too.

My take? I like sports; I love the Boston teams (the Red Sox and Patriots in particular). I’ll also admit that I don’t know as much about the players and nuances of the game as some do, especially the folks who get paid for it. I also like to wear pink hats, AND THAT’S OK.

The long and the short of it is this: male or female, there are very few of us who get paid to stay on top of every bit of sporting news, or who even want to. I don’t know about you, but turning on sports radio is NOT the first thing I do when I get in the car. We all have lives outside of spectator sports. We have spouses, families, pets, jobs, meetings, reports to write, lawns to mow, Little League games to watch, dance recitals to attend, and parent-teacher conferences. Some of us even have hobbies. With all of this, most if us can really only manage to be casual fans, so most of us must also be “Pink Hat Fans”.

We Can't All Be Diehards

The truth is, a little bit of sports knowledge goes a long way. If you know about at just one game played last night, the score and maybe a stellar play (for color), you have yourself an icebreaker, and the skeleton key to credibility in any sports discussion. It gives you with an immediate connection with your kid’s soccer coach or that client you’re trying to impress. A tidbit or two of sports trivia can even get you through that miserable cocktail party at your brother-in-law’s neighbor’s parent’s house (just don’t forget to bring that bottle of wine).

John Steinbeck once wrote “Sports get into everything.” He was right, of course. It’s part if the fabric of our lives, but it is not everything. That’s why there is a place for this simple little blog, with just enough information to be useful, but not enough to weigh you down.

And, like the Red Sox lineup, this is all a work-in-progress. So don’t be shy, let me know what you’re thinking!

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Did You See the Celtics Game? Celtics take Game 3 Against the Hawks in OT

Posted on May 5, 2012 by pinkhatmary

Here at Pink Hat Sports, we know that even the most die-hard fans have lives outside of sports. No one can see every game.

So if you missed last night’s Celtics v. Hawks game, here’s what you’ll want to know before you hit your kid’s soccer match today.

The Game: Boston Celtics v. Atlanta Hawks – Round 1, Game 3 of the NBA Playoffs

The Score: Celtics – 90, Hawks – 84

The Recap: The Celtics led after a bit of an ugly first half, but they gave up an 8 point lead in the 4th quarter to force OT. During OT, the C’s turned the defense on, and were able to recapture the lead, and the game.

Beyond the Score: Rajon Rondo returned after a 1-game suspension, and got a triple-double. He never said he had anything to prove after his temper tantrum in game 1, but he sure played that way! Ray Allen returned from an ankle injury and scored 13 points. Here’s hoping they can carry this winning momentum into Game 4 on Sunday.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

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Allow Us to Introduce Ourselves

Posted on May 1, 2012 by pinkhatmary

Hello Red Sox Nation, and welcome to Pink Hat Sports! – A sports blog of a different color.

First, let’s tell you what this blog will NOT do:

It will NOT drone on endlessly about the stats behind each game, each player, each draft choice.
It will NOT, at least not intentionally, debate the merits of play calls, referee calls, or pitch selection.
It will NOT cater to folks whose single-minded focus on sports and current playoff standings prevent them from having conversations about anything else.

What this blog WILL do:

It will be informative and entertaining for the casual and enthusiastic fan.
Like Goldilocks’ favorite bed, it won’t be all fluff, nor will it be dense and dry. It’ll have the just-right ingredients of sports info, game recaps, and a taste of current debates to keep you in the sports-loop in a sports-town.
It will have a pinch of gossip and All-Star buzz.
Add a few special features to keep you up-to-date on yesterday’s wins and losses and upcoming games.
Blend it well; make it easy to digest.

All said and done, Pink Hat Sports blog will give you with the insight you need to comfortably blend in with the Boston Sports “die-hards” at your local sports bar, cookout, or boardroom meeting.

So fear not! Contrary to popular belief, Pink Hat Fans will no longer be fodder for digs from the folks who get paid to talk sports – All. Day. Long. With Pink Hat Sports at your fingertips, we will be the fans “in-the-know”!