An estimated 50,000 Scotland fans descended on Boston over the past week, and for a glorious 24 hours they believed they had liberated haggis from its 55-year American exile. Then the bomb dropped.
On Wednesday, a video of Governor Maura Healey swept social media showing her signing a declaration that the Scottish dish was now legal in Massachusetts. The Tartan Army’s mission – to drink the city dry, inject fun into baseball matches, donate generously to charities, and free the haggis – seemed complete. But 24 hours later, Healey posted on Instagram: “I have received countless messages from Massachusetts residents, Scotland supporters, legal experts, and at least one very concerned sheep. After careful review by my office, I am prepared to clarify that this was, in fact, a joke.”
“50,000 Scotland fans in Boston, haggis hoax by governor, sister city bid with Glasgow.”
Ah, there goes the whole trip into the bin. What’s the point?
But if the haggis liberation failed, the takeover of Boston succeeded. There is not a statue in the tri-state area that now does not have a traffic cone for a hat, nor a sidewalk that has not had an unfortunate view up a kilt. The love affair has gone way beyond baseball, a glorious embrace of two cultures.
At Fenway Park on Sunday night, the toiling Boston Red Sox were celebrated all the way to a limp 6-4 defeat to the Texas Rangers. An on-screen proposal was done to the backing of 10,000 Scots singing about John McGinn, a row of Sox fans had their view obstructed by two men doing the Gay Gordons, and organist Josh Kantor kept the hits coming while displaying a “No Scotland No Party” sign. A Scot even scooped the 50/50 draw jackpot.
Two days later, thousands of Scots returned for Pride Night as the Toronto Blue Jays fluttered into town. There is now talk of thousands descending on the Miami Marlins game next week in south Florida.
At last, all those games of school rounders are paying off.
The point of the affair was underlined by news that Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has declared a sister city application with Glasgow. Fittingly, she did so in a Scottish pub wearing a Scotland football jersey.