Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond for Boston Red Sox. We love you, Boston!

[mother earth]

[Please proceed]

1. So Good, So Good, So Good

And when I hurt,
Hurtin' runs off my shoulders
How can I hurt when I'm with you
Warm, touchin' warm
Reachin' out, touchin' me touchin' you
Sweet Caroline

[mother earth]

2. Boston Strong! :)

[southernyankeebelle]

3. Lovely song but I bet Caroline Kennedy is probably sick and tired of that song.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

4. I hate to break it everyone, but most New Englanders are sick of it

It's kind of a joke, like watching people willingly go into the Bull and Finch pub (the Cheers bar).

[mother earth]

5. Really? Guess someone should let the rest of us New Englanders in on that one,

esp. after the happenings this week?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

6. The use of it was slowly fading away

Most people thought singing it while the team was getting plastered 8-3 was kinda dumb.

[mother earth]

7. May be making a come back after the marathon bombing...I think today's singing of it at the game was

more of support to a city that's gone through a lot. No worries...I'm from Mass. and the fact that it reminds me of Caroline Kennedy is a plus, and reminiscent of happier, more innocent times. A throwback to Camelot, really...back to a time when we didn't worry about terror scares...and I, like others here, have much respect for the Kennedy family. THAT does not wane, so I love to hear Sweet Caroline, tho I don't think ANY team is going to be singing their theme-song of sorts when they are getting slammed...just common sense. You maybe are a NY fan? sorry...my bad.

Stay strong, Boston Strong!

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

8. Not a Red Sox fan, but not a NY fan either

All I know is that most diehards will tell you it became embarrassing when the Red Sox would give up the lead in the top of the eighth, but the drunk college kids would be up singing away happily and then leave.

[mother earth]

9. Oh, come on, we were cursed for a very long time. Cut us some slack will ya?

I know you are a closet Yankees fan...no one else would fight us this hard...no one. If you were at games to see drunk college kids leaving, I'm guessing you were on the Yankees side...gave yourself away...Rhody (as in Rhode Island? yeah, nice try Ms. NY). But no cigar.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

15. I'm a Pittsburgh Pirates fan

I've watched a losing team for twenty straight years.

Who'd admit to that if it wasn't true?

When I do so around here (well until last year when some humility was restored), I usually get "Haw haw haw....your fawking team sucks....haw haw haw".

It allows me to be somewhat unbiased in my view of the Sox and Yanks feud.

I've been to Fenway and Yankee Stadium (As well as Shea and Citi Field) to see the Pirates play, and the most shit that went beyond good natured ribbing I've gotten is at Fenway. So no, I don't care much for a lot of the front running Red Sox fans who never went to a game before 2004.

However, you only have to listen to local sports talk radio to know there are many diehard Red Sox fans who recognize Fenway is not what it used to be and has become less about baseball, and more about being an overpriced tourist trap with the highest prices in the league for seats and food. When I went to college in Boston in the early to mid 90's, even I could afford a bleacher seat to a game regularly. (Then again, it's not like tickets were scarce, being the Sox were awful and all) Now? Heh.

By the way, my brother would laugh at your response. He's the biggest Red Sox fan around, and even he thinks the front office and bandwagon fans are annoying and will not go to a game anymore.

Oh, and I hate the Yankees too....but I don't see any difference between them and the Red Sox. Both are a bunch of big spending blowhards who I hope get whooped on by the Oaklands and Tampa Bays of the world for a little humility. But I will say this that when you go to Yankee Stadium, at least you won't be blocked by someone waving a neon sign saying "LOOK AT ME JERRY AND DON CAME ALL THE WAY FROM BRATTLEBORO PLEASE PUT US ON NESN" sign, or have to watch the Chestnut Hill frat boys in their matching American Eagle ensemble being trailed by their entourage of furiously texting, tweeting and Facebooking girlfriends wearing those ugly blood red home jerseys with the names of the player printed on the back screaming "WHOOOOOOOO, FAWKING SALAMARCHHIAAAAA RULES!!!" when you're in the Park Street tunnel. I guarantee you, none of these people know who Joe Cronin or Dave Henderson is, and think the worst thing that ever happened in Red Sox history was when they blew that game to Baltimore two years ago on the final day of the season.

Mind you, none of this has to do with the outpouring of support towards Boston the last week. It's a nice, wonderful gesture. I'm still wondering how Heathcliff Slocumb's (no one knows who he is either, anymore) entrance music became synonymous with Boston in general.

[mother earth]

16. Most of my response was a bit tongue in cheek - there is a definite huge rivalry, BRS was definitely

cursed, and it seems sports fans in general have gone off the deep end with their loyalties and sometimes ridiculous behaviors, we see that across the boards, not only in professional sports, but even at grade school level. That's just wrong.

I could not resist the NY fan comment, and truth be told I love NY (not for sports) but in general, my OP was truly for Boston, Sweet Caroline is their theme song, don't know how that can be overdone, it isn't going away any time soon, there's no evidence for that.

Despite the rivalry, I know sports fans from both Mass. & NY that can be fans for their respective teams yet they continue to enjoy deep friendship, so I will add that what feeds poor sportsmanship & bad fans is what feeds hate in general, ignorance & fear. College kids, like any other faction, can take things too far, and I agree that commercialization can certainly take away from the authetic enjoyment in everything, not just sports, holidays are other fine examples, sometimes less is truly better than more.

It seems that the themes of extremism of all kinds have far reaching effects. May we put an end to it in general, speak out and be the example. Who knows, maybe it will catch on?

[RebelOne]

12. I am not a fan of any sports teams,

but I have always been a Neil Diamond fan.

[hamsterjill]

17. Me, too!

Neil is one of the remaining "good" guys! Talent and class all in one package.

[southernyankeebelle]

10. It's overkill with the song for sure. He dedicated to little Caroline Kennedy when she was a

child. It was nice then but I bet she is a little tired of it. Oh I never watched Cheers. I just couldn't get into the show.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

13. I thought he never explained the story behind the song....

....until many years later....like maybe the last 10.

[southernyankeebelle]

14. I don't know how long ago he explained it. He said he wrote it with Caroline Kennedy

when she was a sweet little girl. It is a pretty song. But it can be overkill like with any song.

[lovemydog]

11. Music bonding and bringing people together.

Beautiful.

Here's the original version: