Semi-OT: Mythbusters -- Yankees / Red Sox in The Bronx

DISCLAIMER: I am in no way a Red Sox fan and they are among my most hated teams, but some things must be done in the name of science.

Null Hypothesis: Yankees fans are rabid and dangerous to fans of opposing teams at home games.

Materials:

-3 Red Sox / Yankees nosebleed tickets behind home plate

-3 Red Sox hats

Summary: So my friends and I decided to g to the Sox-Yankees game last night and test just how hostile Yankee fans can be. To do so we wore Red Sox hats and put on fake Boston accents for the entirety of the game while sitting in the upper deck of a sold out stadium. We then proceeded to be as obnoxiously Bostonian as possible, making numerous and loud references to the Yankees sucking, questioning Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez's sexual orientation, referring extensively to 2004 and just generally trying to piss people off. Thankfully the game ended up providing many opportunities for comments as it ended up being a pretty exciting game as indicated by the WE chart ( thanks Frangraphs):

Among the many events in the game fueling taunting were:

-A couple brushbacks and Papelbon hitting a Yankee player who had to be held back from walking out towards the mound

-7 HRs including ones by Ortiz, one by Youk to put the Sox ahead in the 8th, one by A-Rod to tie the game in the 9th, and a walkoff following the HBP

-2 plays at the plate, one in which the Sox threw out a Yankee

-Some very poorly fielded balls on both sides

-Derek Jeter striking out as the tying run to end the 8th inning

Results: The Yankee crowd did not live up to the myth. Even with lead changes in the last innings of the game and us being as ridiculous as possible, few people would directly yell anything at us and nary a peanut let alone a punch was thrown our way. Even after the game leaving the stadium and taking the subway when we yelled "Go Sox!" in between the "Boston Sucks!" chants, no one said or did anything directly beyond a brief comment or two. Thus, based on a sample size of n = ~300 Yankee fans within earshot, we calculate a p-value of 0.02 and reject the null hypothesis. It's worth noting we tried the opposite thing in Fenway a couple of years ago with decidedly more hostile results.

Recommendation: Stick to Dodgers-Giants.

Pics after the jump.