Boston Sports Fans Think Pink

Two batboys say ex clubhouse manager Donald Fitzpatrick attacked them at Fenway

(NEWSER) - Two men who have accused a dead Boston Red Sox clubhouse manager of sexually abusing them when they were batboys are filing a $10 million lawsuit against the team. “These were inner city kids happy to have jobs with the Red Sox,” said their lawyer yesterday. “Then they were sexually molested by Donald Fitzpatrick, a serial pedophile. It's similar to the Penn State case .” Fitzpatrick died in 2005 at the age of 76. The team settled a $3.15 million lawsuit with seven Florida men in 2003 who accused Fitzpatrick of molesting them during spring training in the 1970s, and Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty in 2002 to four counts of attempted sexual battery. The team also paid $100,000 to a former clubhouse attendant who charged that he was assaulted during a team trip. This is the first time accusations have involved incidents at Fenway Park, according to the Boston Globe . More»

'Marketing giant' heads to sports-mad Boston

(NEWSER) - Shaquille O'Neal will be paid the veteran minimum as a Celtic , but he probably won't have to worry about making ends meet—Boston businesses are already lining up to pitch endorsement deals, reports the Herald . "The minute I heard about him coming, I thought about the idea," says the owner of the serendipitously named Summer Shack restaurants. "It’s a great fit and a great idea." More»

Summer game, Red Sox yield to Winter Classic, Bruins

(NEWSER) - The crown jewel of American baseball became a hockey rink today as the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers took over Fenway Park for the NHL Winter Classic. Fans packed the stands and even perched atop the iconic left-field wall, wearing far more clothing than typical visitors to the almost-98-year-old park. "Not in my wildest dreams did I think there would be a hockey game here," a vendor called into offseason service told the Boston Herald . More»

Having NFL, NHL champions gives it a leg up on Penn. rival Philadelphia

(NEWSER) - With championship NFL and NHL teams and solid college squads, Pittsburgh is America’s top sports city, the Sporting News rules. “Sports fans in Western Pennsylvania have had a lot to be proud of these last 12 months. Pittsburgh truly is the City of Champions,” says Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, who briefly changed his surname to “Steelerstahl” during last season’s Super Bowl run. The rest of the top 10: More»

(NEWSER) - His hometown Boston Red Sox honored the late Ted Kennedy tonight, the Globe reports, with an Air Force sergeant playing Taps before a pre-game moment of silence at Fenway Park. The team also played a video tribute midway through the first inning to the Massachusetts Democrat—who, the team owner noted, threw out this season’s ceremonial first pitch, a tradition begun at Fenway by his grandfather. More»