yea, that's pretty much what I figured. The feeling I get is that hardcore Sox fans know that sometimes teams like the Rays are a bigger rival, whereas a lot of newer Sox fans just love to hate the Yanks. On the other hand, I dunno maybe I'm wrong.
I'm actually doing a research project for school on the Red Sox Nation, basically on this very question. My name's Dexter and I'm not from New England, so I'm just learning about the Sox. I like what I've learned so far, though, which is why I'm doing this project--to find out more, basically. What I really need, though, is to interview some Sox fans. The interview is easy, basically you just get to talk about the Sox the whole time, which we all do on this site anyways...
If you're interested (and of course I'd be ever appreciative) send me a PM. It would take less than an hour and we could watch the Sox play while talked, if you prefer.
Lastly, some food for thought: do you HAVE to hate the Yankees to be a true Sox fan?