By Zach Baru
When it comes the history and tradition of the Boston Red Sox, everything and anything is very sensitive among the faithful fans who have been coming through the Fenway Park turnstiles their entire lives. So what makes it right for a recent Red Sox commercial to have superimposed logos of NESN and Jordan's Furniture on the Green Monster with Luis Tiant pitching? One hundred years of tradition points to all signs of crossing the line.
It is hard to conceive the efforts of the Red Sox to "celebrate" Fenway Park's 100th birthday when we see added graphics of corporate logos on what once was an all-green wall. If the Red Sox are attempting to honor their history, they should spend more time actually honoring it, rather than partnering up with Jordan's Furniture. While fans understand the revenue corporate sponsors bring to the Red Sox, this sends the wrong message to fans of the importance of Fenway Park's history.
If the Red Sox wanted to include NESN and Jordan's Furniture, it wouldn't have hurt to place the sponsors at the end of the commercial, stating they are official sponsors of Fenway Park's 100th season. This would have preserved the historical accuracy of the clip, and even have brought more attention to their sponsors.
The next time a commercial is made commemorating the history of the Red Sox, it should be approached with just that in mind, the sacredness of this franchise. Fans have adjusted to many changes over the years of Fenway Park, but putting a 21st century impression on events of the past simply crosses the line.
Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.
