Excellent post, John.  I like the wine analogy especially. 

The problem for the Red Sox is that they have lost their identity.  And they keep trying to reclaim it.   In 2004, when they won the WS as the “lovable idoits” the raison d’etre, was eliminated.  They could no longer act like the “long suffering Red Sox” fans of old.  My brother in law is a Phillies fan, but back in 2004-2005, he used to laugh at Red Sox fans by saying, I wish I could be in the playoffs almost every year with a $130 million payroll.  Obviously, he can’t claim to suffer now either, but Phillies fans don’t whine like this. 

Like it or not, they are now – big spenders, with an emphasis on winning, corporate, title-oriented, with all of the trappings of that success, i.e., needing box office appeal.  And once you hit that status, no one wants to hear you complain.