Attending a Red Sox-Yankees game at Fenway Park a few years back, I expected a hard-fought battle between two teams who hated each other. It was almost expected that harsh words would be exchanged, maybe even fists. However, the involvement of a five-year-old child was not expected.

A few seats below, a father was seated with his young son. The child donned a dark blue Yankees cap, much to the displeasure of some nearby fans. Heavy taunting ensued.

“Hey, old man!” yelled one teenage fan. “Good job teaching your child how to grow up! You’re a disgrace!”

The verbal attacks kept coming from all sides. Some fans even had the audacity to throw crushed up wrappers at the two. The child started to cry and the father had no choice but to leave the stadium.

Witnessing the event first hand, I was sick to my stomach. How disgusting. For all we know, that could have been the child’s first baseball game. From that moment on, my dislike for Boston sports was born.

Sure, Yankee fans would have done the same thing, and Colts fans actually did something similar to a young girl during their playoff game against the Chargers. But do two wrongs make a right? Why try to imitate the antics of fans that not only Boston, but the rest of the nation despises?

Boston fans pride themselves on being the most passionate fans. But they seem to mistake arrogance and obnoxiousness as passion.

Take the Super Bowl, for instance.

The two weeks prior to Super Bowl XLII, all that was heard from fans and radio hosts were guarantees of a victory. The arrogance glowed when a listener called in and predicted a low-scoring, close game.

“Are you nuts, man?” the host exclaimed. “Have you forgotten what we’ve done? 45-13 is more like it.”

Local news stations continued the trend by filling their broadcasts with issues such as “The Patriots parade or voting? What will Bostonians do?”

The Boston Globe took it a step further.

“19-0,” a book dedicated to the Patriots’ perfect season, was published. After defeat, the book was quickly taken off Amazon.com. Which reminds me, if any of you actually pre-ordered this book, there’s no need to fear. It would make a nice addition to my fiction section. I could place it right between, “Give ’em Hell, Tommy: The Memoirs of President Dewey” and “0-16: The Long Season of the 2007 Miami Dolphins.”

After the Super Bowl, it only got worse.

Patriots fans refused to accept defeat. Countless Facebook groups emerged blaming the referees, blaming the clock, blaming pre-game antics. Anything they could blame to make them feel as if they were robbed was fair game. It’s a surprise Gisele escaped all of this finger pointing. I guess people just needed a reason to rag on Jessica Simpson.

Whatever happened to good sportsmanship? Where, after a losing effort, you simply applauded your team for their effort and congratulated the opposing team for a game well played? All of this whining and finger pointing does nothing except disgrace yourselves and your hometown.

I’m not saying all Boston fans act like this. I’m just trying to use this as a podium to inform those of you who forgot that sports is just a game. It’s here for your entertainment.

So next time your team finds itself on the losing end, try not to lose your mind. Step back, take a deep breath, count to ten, and breathe out. Oh, and if your car happens to have a New York license plate, moving it wouldn’t be a bad idea either.