No team can be despised more than the Dodgers. However, the Sox are closing in right behind them.

Its the cluelessness and sense of entitlement of the Sox fans. I spoke to a huge Sox fan last year who had no idea who Johan Santana was - he basically knows nothing apart from Sox and Yankee players. He thought Buccholz (sp?) was the greatest young pitcher evar, and had never heard of Lincecum or King Felix.

But yes, Dodgers fans molest young children so there's no comparison.

For years, New Englanders wore their allegiance to the perennial runner up Red Sox as a badge of honor, a testament to their stoicism and a contrast to the front running Yankee fans. Now that they have won 2 Series, the only difference between Red Sox fan and Yankee fan is the accent.

That said, I will stop watching baseball before I ever root for the Dodgers again. I went with the National League allegiance during those Yankee-Dodger World Series in the 70's, and I have never felt so unclean either before or since.

It's not just that their fans are obnoxious at Fenway. The Sox have this large contingent of fans that follow the team around the country and invade every opposing ballpark. It happened at Mays Field in '04 and there were horror stories abound.

I went to a Red Sox-Padres game at Petco last year, and every Red Sox fan I encountered, both in the park and in the Gaslamp District before the game, was drunk off their ass, and, to paraphrase John Brittain, not suffering from stupidity because they were too busy enjoying it.

Seriously, it didn't take five minutes after the game started before a drunk Red Sox fan challenged somebody to a fight. They're loud, they're rude, they use some of the worst language (a lot of it was around kids, no less), and they have this bizarre sense of entitlement. At one point I had to use a bathroom that was filled to the brim with beer-drunk, vulgar Sox fans. Having to share one of those urinal/trough things with these people was one of the most horrifying moments of my life. There's a very good reason their fans are characterized as low-brain-celled troglodytes.

I've never been to Boston and I'm sure there are articulate Red Sox fans out there, but from my own personal experience, this is why we hate them so much.

I've had a very complex relation with the Sox. Started rooting for them when I ventured East for college, $6 bleacher seats and no trouble getting tickets. There were a lot of working-class townie fans alongside the academics, knowledgeable and respectful in their rough way. Enjoyed the whole Greek tragedy thing through the 70s and 80s -- failure at the edge of triumph is good literature. Then they traded Lee Smith, which made their racism too much to swallow. Since then they've been kinda meh for me.

The Nation thing is a brilliant marketing ploy. It takes the Greek tragedy thing, combines it with the recent titles, and creates a tribe that everyone can buy into...emphasis on "buy". When someone says "nation" I immediately think "consumer" not "fan".

I hate both teams. That said, I just want one of them to be humiliated in 4 games.

Currently dislike Boston for the following reasons:
-That asshole Curt Schilling
-The Big Dig
-Holy JD Drew and Scott Boros
-The "obnoxious drunk Irish guy" act is getting old.
-Segregation
-Those accents.
-The Celtics (up to this year)

I've often wondered why more people don't talk about racism in the Sox organization. I seriously think that had a lot to do with the Manny situation. Right now, their starting lineup in the field doesn't have one minority (well, I guess Youkilis counts as a minority, but you get my point.)

Varitek
Youkilis
Pedroia
Lowry
Lowell
Bay
Ellsbury
Drew

They've marginalized every non-Japanese minority on their roster, with the exception of Ortiz, all five of them (Colon, Lugo, Cora, Crisp), only Lopez gets any work out of the bullpen. They're seriously turning back the clock on desegregation in the sport.

That's one reason to root against them. I've got about 20,000 more if you're interested.

Let's just hope it's a Rays/Phillies series. I bet Fox would love that.

I hate, hate, hate the Dodgers. Any team that plays the Dodgers is my friend.

Though if you look at Boston's organization, it's EXACTLY what the Giants OUGHT to be, but is not--Home-grown players who have talent and work their rear-ends off (Pedroia, Youkilis, Ellsbury, Masterson, Papelbon) and free-agents/trades in the last few years that are actually worth the money (Drew, Lowell, Schilling, Beckett).

So while jealous is a factor, can NEVER hesitate at rooting against the Dodgers

I've had the unfortunate experience of becoming friends with a number of red sox fans, and they are the most obnoxious group of people when it comes to sports I've ever encountered. I've come to hate Boston sports with a passion because of them. However, there is no excuse for rooting for the Dodgers unless it somehow directly benefits the Giants. If they play, I will not watch another baseball game until Lincecum is standing on the mound next year on opening day.

1. Dodgers
2. Yankees
3. Red Sox

The Hate list ends there. The Red Sox only made it to the list when they started spending like the Yankees, and cemented their position when Schilling started mouthing off.

The teams on this list even trump my NL bias, so the AL gets an unlikely fan in the WS this year. Ho hum. Looking forward to next year.

I've always been a Sox fan second after the Giants, but I definitely understand the general dislike for the Boston fans. Still, I can't imagine ever rooting for L.A. in a World Series. Hopefully it's a Rays-Phillies Series, anyway, rendering this whole argument moot.

I used to actually root for the Red Sox because I despise the Yankees. 2004 was awesome. But no more love for any Boston team.

Boston fans are either bandwagon jumpers or just annoying. Boston fans are just the same as Yankee fans now, no matter how hard they try to fight it. Besides the Dodgers, those are the two teams I most enjoy to see fail.

Go Phillies/Rays! Screw ratings, I'll watch every game.

in a player's vote, Timmy was listed as the best (toughest?) pitcher. I'm not sure what it was but it should be announced soon.

The Red Sox are pretty far down my list of hated teams. Yes, the "we're the underdogs who win World Series" line is irritating, and life doesn't exist beyond the AL East, but as Rob Neyer pointed out today, they're a well-run team who treats employees well and play in a great old stadium.

I'll definitely root for the Dodgers to lose; that's most important.

My hater list:
1. Dodgers
2. Yankees
3. Braves- anyone who grew up watching their smug success in the 90s would have to agree, plus the idiotic Tomahawk Chop
4. Angels- shades of 2002, and a general distaste for all things Orange County
5.Cindy Mccain's Diamondbacks

My grandmother emigrated to Boston in the 1920's, adopting the Sox along with her new nation. My mother--her daughter--watched Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, the DiMaggio brothers, etc. She's been in California since 1957 and still calls me "Mahk." She loves the Sox, and is NOT obnoxious. Sure, the Sox Nation thing is disgusting, but that is the price of success. Fans of perennial winners (USC, Dallas Cowboys, Yankees, etc.) are always the worst. When the Giants win some day, we'll be just like them, especially since we've had to play bridesmaid and loser for so long--much like the Sox.

I can excuse any person who genuinely grew up in Boston. Not Mark, though, the one-generation-removed thing doesn't cut it. Haven't you ever heard of rebelling against your parents? Hell, I have distant Mayflower relatives and don't give a damn about the Botox. That said, if it were Botox/smogsuckers, it would be no contest, go Pedroier. I too am rooting for a Rays/Phillies match-up. One reason is to give those tv execs with their pre-made stories and tv market dreams a shot of reality. Another reason is that, I've seen the Bostons plenty this year, I want to see the Rays. So far, so good, the miracle cubbies are gone, the Pierzynskis are gone, the Anaheims are gone and now to get the other LA team out of the way. They really don't deserve to be there, it was only the horribleness of the NL West that put a mediocre team in the playoffs (although they have been pitching well lately). Is four games and gone too much to ask in the NLCS?

1. Dodgers
2. Yankees
3. Whoever AJ Pierzynski is playing for at the time.

'Nough said!

I'm chiming in a few days late - I've been terribly behind on my RSS feeds. But here goes.

I never had a problem with the Red Sox until I lived in Massachusetts for a year. It was the year before they won the World Series - that year, they beat the A's in the ALDS, and when they won, there were RIOTS in the town where we lived. Nothing huge, but cars were overturned, bonfires were lit, and drunks were staggering around everywhere. For a win in the ALDS.

All teams have obnoxious fans, but living in Massachusetts taught me that Red Sox fans are a special kind of obnoxious.