After living on top of the world from 2001-2008, Boston sports fans are starting to become concerned if the end of a decade could mean the end of the City of Champions. In a 2008-2009 sports season that saw the state of Pennsylvania taking three Championships, of the four major sports. Not to mention the Yankees are about to cash in, on their off-season shopping spree at Stop & Shop MLB.
The situation is very similar to the first time the Patriots won their first Super Bowl in 2001; the only difference is what fans are looking to get from the team now opposed to eight years ago. Granted Boston fans always want a Championship but going into the 2001 season for the Patriots people didn’t really know what to expect. The team was 5-11 the year before and did not look hopeful until the greatest thing the Jets ever did for the team, Mo Lewis knocking out Bledsoe to make way for the savior, Tom Brady. Cut to this season, after not having seen Brady play since the Super Bowl loss to the Giants, it was hard to tell, and still is, how Brady and the team perform. After a 3-2 start, the fans are just waiting for this team to find an identity and start rolling.
At the same time Bledsoe was getting knocked out of football, Boston fans still had a sour taste in their mouths from two consecutive seasons that never saw more than 85 wins and a 1999 ALCS loss to the Yankees. The Red Sox didn’t lose to the Yankees this year in the ALCS but they lost to them in the off-season with free agents. The Sox chose to gamble on aging veterans and players coming back from injury. At this point in Red Sox history the team and fans are expecting more than a sweep in the ALDS against a team the Sox handled for the entire 2000 decade. If it inspires Theo, maybe he should take some advise from Eddie Vedder and “When somethings broke, I wanna put a bit of fixin on it.”
The Celtics were the last team to bail the city out of Boston losing half its population in bridge jumps and alcohol related incidents. The Celtics put together the Big Three just in time, going in to the stretch run of the season with a loss to the Cavs; two days after the Pats blew Super Bowl 42. The Celts however were 36-9 after the defeat. As we all know they did go on to win the title that year and still give Bostonians something to hang their hat on.
Then there is everyone’s favorite topic, the Bruins. A team that has shown no life since their last Stanley Cup appearance in 1989-90 and when it looks like they have the team that could compete deep into June, they usually cave by the second round. Last season they had an amazing regular season that earned them the best record in the Eastern Conference. The team also coasted through the second half of the season, riding their 23-2-1 record through November and December. The only question that bears asking are has Peter Chiarelli put together another great regular season team. Everyone saw all the great teams Ottawa had during the regular season, then come playoff time the Senators were always an early exit.
With all of this stirring in the pot we call Boston sports, how will Boston get back on top. It is going to have to come from the Patriots. The Red Sox are done for the year so we just have to wait for them to retool and hopefully come back like a hurricane and wipeout the league next year. The Celtics have a strong team and Rasheed Wallace helped me in trying to prove my point that the Celts will win 70+ games. As for the hopes for the Bruins this year are high, they are not the team I would count on to win a championship. When it all comes full circles the Patriots have been solid ever since they won that first Super Bowl. Sure the outcomes every season are not what the fans or players want but realistically a team cannot win every year. It is a football season where Patriots fans do not know what to expect but all still believe hands down, they should be in the Super Bowl. A Super Bowl win that would cap off a great 2000s decade for Boston and because the Super Bowl takes place in 2010 it’s a good way to start a New Year and decade. A Super Bowl would also quickly shut-up Yankee fans if they do end up winning this season.
