Being a Boston sports fan is a bit like being in the mob: every time you try to get out, it sucks you back in. You are given just enough to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, just enough to ensure your devotion, but you are often disappointed. One thing is for sure, cheering on a Boston pro sports team will have you feeling the full gamut of emotions, often all in the same season or even the same game!
Sometimes I wonder why I’m still a fan of Boston sports. The Patriots, Celtics, Bruins and Red Sox all make you want to like them, but sometimes it’s painful to remain a devoted fan through all their turmoil.
I grew up in a hockey family and my dad was particularly loyal to the Bruins. I can remember him from a very young age watching Bobby Orr and Esposito skate circles around other teams. When I was old enough to really understand what was going on, the Bruins were made up of some of the most incredible players like Middleton, O’Reilly, Pederson and Milbury. I loved watching Boston play Montreal with my dad, but it seemed like Boston was losing a lot more than it was winning.
It was great to see Terry O’Reilly beat other players, and it was great to see all these veterans a few years later skate without helmets while the rest of the players had to wear them due to a grandfather clause. These were tough guys. When Cam Neely and Ray Bourque started playing, I really enjoyed the Bruins. But after Orr and Esposito left, neither of these more recent players won a Stanley Cup for the Boston Bruins, which was pretty frustrating.
But fear not, the Boston Celtics at this time were hot. Like the Bruins/Canadians, the Celtics/Lakers rivalry was a wonderful experience, especially when the Celts won. And win they did. I probably remember one of the best NBA teams that ever existed, Bird, McHale, Parish, DJ and Ainge. They weren’t the prettiest bunch of guys out there, Bird was particularly weird looking, but they were a lot of fun to watch. It was wonderful to see them beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1983-84 championship and the Houston Rockets in the 1985-86 championship.
Unfortunately, the last few seasons for the Celtics have been dismal lately. They don’t even make the playoffs regularly anymore. How many more “years of construction” do we need? Seeing Pierce take off his jersey and wave it around his head as he was ejected from one of the playoff games against the Pacers this year was sad. Seeing the Celtics get a terrible pick in 2007 makes me think the Celtics aren’t going to be any good anytime soon.
But 1986 was the end of Boston’s champion teams for a long time. In fact, it took sixteen years for the Patriots to finally win Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002. That’s a long wait. That’s a lifetime to scream out loud.
The New England Patriots were another difficult team to watch and remain devoted to. Grogan was a decent quarterback and many would say Drew Bledsoe was even better, but they never brought home a championship. Seeing Drew throw numerous interceptions and walk off the grid with hunched shoulders was unsettling. I like to think of Bledsoe as an ‘almost’ type of player. He was almost awesome, he was almost a champion quarterback. He almost wins the game. Bledsoe actually drove me crazy. He was the franchise player for New England, but he never seemed to do enough to win. It was very frustrating to watch him play. All big and gangly, shuffling through the pocket like my lullaby.
But then the sports gods shone down on Bean Town, the tide turned. Third quarterback Tom Brady stepped in for an injured Bledsoe and brought the championship to the Bostonians. The 2002 NFL playoffs were absolutely amazing to watch if you were a Boston sports fan.
Watching Adam Vinatieri go through the studs in a blizzard to beat the Oakland Raiders and again win the Super Bowl by beating the St. Louis Rams was monumental. Thank God for the pats. They brought respect back to Boston. They showed what true courage is, what the word “team” really means, in an age when everything in sports seems to be focused on individual achievement. I loved when they took the field together as a team instead of being introduced one by one at the start of the Super Bowl.
When the Pats won their third Super Bowl in four years, they were finally accepted as a dynasty. These victories will carry me for many years. Once again, thank God for the pats.
As the Patriots prepare for the upcoming season, I see some fantastic draft picks, which is par for the course in the Patriots’ offseason strategy.
But no good article on being a Boston sports fan can be complete without talking about the Boston Red Sox. What can you say about the Sox? They were the epitome of frustration. They were the bears of bad news for a long time. Of all the Boston teams, they were the most painful to watch. They often had the talent, they often played well, but they haven’t won a World Series in 86 years! Between the ball rolling between Bill Buckner’s knees and Grady keeping Pedro against the Yankees during the 2003 playoffs, every Red Sox fan was pushed to the breaking point. Of course, there were plenty of other less notable but just as frustrating moments in Red Sox history. Any Red Sox fan who has remained a fan should be in for a treat.
And what a sweet treat it was when the Sox won the 2004 World Series. Being down 3-0 in the American League Championship Series against the Yankees, and then coming back to beat them and sweep the Cardinals in the World Series was one of the best professional sports stories in history. In fact, it has been called one of the best comebacks in history. All those long years without a championship in Boston finally ended with the Pats’ victory in 2002. But after 86 years without World Series rings, the Red Sox’s victory was the sweetest of all. 2004 was one of the best years in Boston sports. A World Series and a Super Bowl won by Boston teams in the same year, almost unbelievable.
Being a Boston sports fan is like being in a difficult marriage that has many ups and downs, but is worth working to maintain. Being a Boston sports fan is as frustrating as it is rewarding. Patience, loyalty, persistence and faith will help you. And in the end, everything works out. Just keep the faith.