So, Now what? A glimpse into Boston Sports future by Nick Giannino
It is 2:12am and I am melancholy. This isn't really an unknown or an impossibility with an emo-kid such of my kind, but this night marks a different type. The New England Patriots have won their second Super Bowl in the last 3 years. To say it's unreal and amazing are understatements because frankly they just don't suit the game in the way that it was played: epic. This was a hard fought battle folks and once again the Patriots showed why winning 15 games, the second most in NFL history behind the 1972 Dolphins and capping that streak with a Super Bowl XXXVIII win, makes them the best team in the NFL.
But once again it is 2:14am now, and the Super Bowl is played and won and for the better of New Englanders. I feel an emptiness that I feel every year after the Super Bowl, no matter who's playing in it. Tonight, the reason why I may be up bantering is because i'm wired from my teams win in this years Super Bowl. Or maybe it's an elusive conclusion that I've yet to stumble upon. Bam there it is.
Let's face it everyone, the Patriots have saved many New Englanders lives this night. This isn't to say that everyone was on the edge of some huge decision of life and death importancy, yet that every Boston sports fan has had near brushes with strokes these past few months. To say the least, it has been a rough winter for Boston and New England sports fans. Without the Patriots, I don't believe the fans of this great cities teams would have been able to pull through. Let me start off by reviewing the other teams and why they have almost sent me at least to the ER with panic attacks.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you the 2003-2004 Boston Celtics. Let's face it, trading Antoine was not a good idea. We get LaFrentz, who is decent and Jiri Welsch, who is developing and pretty good. However, these are not the players we need in order to break into the playoffs. After the Ainge regime moved in, he moved everyone else out except 5 starters and until as of late, Jim O'Brien. Those 5 starters: Pierce, McCarty, Baker, Williams and Battie had an incredible task ahead of them as it was. Yet they managed.
Enter Danny Ainge, the douchebag of the Boston Celtics. If I've ever seen someone act more like John McEnroe, it's this gentleman. When the Celtics went on a 5 game win streak in mid-December, Ainge decided to mix up the already developing chemistry that was newly implemented. O'Brien, with his hands full of an injured LaFrentz and a struggling full court offense, was now backed into a wall with Ainge's next move. Ainge took Williams, Battie and Kedrick Brown to Cleavland, home of King LeBron James for Chris Mihm, Ricky Davis and Jumaine Jones. Beyond Ricky Davis' important offense and Mihm's ability to play a decent low post, Jones provides a warm sticky butt for the bench. The worst of this also was losing two very potent defensive and leadership players in Williams and Battie. Williams, quoted as being O'Briens favorite player, was the core of a dangling Celtics defense. Battie was a developing center with good chops, not enough minutes. Phew..done? No.
O'Brien said to himself, "Why not win today?". While Ainge was playing with himself saying "Tommorow will be ok". The two did not see eye to eye. O'Brien therefore left, in what has become this writers position of a sinking ship. Not only had the Celtics lost three starters to the Cavaliers, and now their brillaint and solid head coach but they also had a problem with a certain Vincent Baker. Oh yeah, I didn't forget about him.
In a season where Boston needed him most, Vin Baker started out as the old man that Boston Celtics fans loved to see in the low post. No one on the Celtics could match Baker in the low post, and many opponents couldn't either. After having an encounter with alcoholism last year, Baker was benched for majority of the season, vowing to make a come back. And he did make a come back. A come back that would revolve full circle. First there was the reputed, "out with the flu" case, where the Celtics vowed to cover up his potential relapsed alcoholism. Then he got caught and caught and well....suspended indefinetely. Bye, Bye Vinny and Bye, Bye Playoffs.
In 2 weeks from now a very important event will transpire: The Red Sox Spring training. This is an exciting measure of consequence for anyone following this intense "hot stove" off-season with so many blockbuster trades that occured. It literally reminds me of an arm's race. The Red Sox have re-armed and re-fueled for yet another run at the coveted and almost untouchable for Bostonians, World Series. But let's not stray too far into the future without glimpsing at the past.
5 outs remained in Game 7 of the ALCS this year for the curse to be gone, and for Bostonians to be given the right to arson on a masswide scale. Let's be honest: Had the Red Sox beat those fucking Yankees, the city of Boston would be reduced to rubble. And one further, if they won the World Series, well...stock up...Y2k is a picnic compared to that reaction. It was monumental. It was huge. It was little guys vrs the big guys. David vrs. Goliath. Mighty Ducks vrs. Hawks. Seabiscuit kids. It was Star Wars. The Red Sox were the Rebels and the Yankees the Imperials and I'll tell ya it came down to it. Except if the endings were changed, all the ewoks would be dead and Lukes other hand would be cut off as well as his upper torso and the rest of the happy go lucky crew would be reduced to smoldering "space particles".
Aaron Boone was our Darth Vader, and we still love to hate him to this day, which is why I don't mind seeing that he won't be able to hit any homer's off us this season. Two words: Torn ACL. Get better Booney, we miss you on the court.
To stray back onto the point, we get to the off-season the Red Sox had which was tremendous in both forms of the words. First off, we got Curt Schilling. Need I say more? I can't wait to see him smoke batting lineups as if they were cheap phillie sweets and it was summer by the lake at the boathouse. Then to close out Schillings good work, Keith Foulke, arguably one of the best closers behind Mariano Riveira, Eric Gagne in the American League. Big times there. Then there is Pokey Reese, who will definetely strengthen our D and spice up some already lethal hitting. Along the way we also picked up some strong utility players in Bellhorn, Daubach, Shumpert and Bierbrodt to name a few. But with every ray of sun, a shadow must be cast.
Who's to say Nomar can't be pissed? They opted up his job to another guy without him knowing. Granted, this was Alex Rodriguez we're talking about: The best player in the league. With talks of the hugest trade in baseball going down between Texas and Boston, the offseason became a background to this trade. Who cares if Tejada went to the Orioles or if Pettite and Clemens went to the Astros? A-Rod may fart in wind of Boston and every Boston fan was sniffing the air. The Red Sox tried to pull a fast one on A-Rod by having him defer 5 million per year that would in turn help pay for Manny in Texas. This all would have lead to a Nomar to White Sox for Maglio Ordonez, a power hitting, great fielding outfielder. This would then have lead to Nomar going to the L.A. Dodgers who would send the White Sox pitching. All very mucked up by the Commissioner and the league and Red Sox front office.
Now that things have cooled off and A-Rod stays put, Nomar and Manny are still in the lineup as well as most of the rest of the lineup. Todd Walker is gone and Scott Williamson almost went, but decided to stick around to play set-up man. It will be interesting to see him help Keith Foulke and Mike Timlin this season in the later innings. And more sadly, Lou Merloni once again has left Boston. Whimper.
All jokes aside, what was Boston thinking? Ok...so sending Manny to Texas for A-Rod, numbers wise is awesome. But ousting Nomar and Manny? Not a fan. You don't get rid of the #2 shortstop in the league in exchange for the #1 really. Not to mention the other end of your heavy hitting being Manny: Say what you want, but the boy can hit. A-Rods numbers were a bit better than Manny, having around 7 more homeruns but a lower batting average. Either way, Manny can still hit. Now Ordonez would have been nice, but again a formula existed and I can't help but feel maybe that formula has been disrupted by the business end. In the end, however, we still have Nomar and Manny, which makes this writer pleased.
Lets talk playoffs. I see the Red Sox getting in once again. I don't want to say further. I can't sit back and say that "Each year is dissapointing" because to be honest, for the first time since I was six, I started watching the Red Sox, opening game last summer. It had left me. The passion for me was gone because I saw no passion in my team. I saw it return last season, so you can count me back in...I intend on sticking around too.
The playoffs are a definite in my eyes. But you have to wonder, as some pessimists do,"Should I even hope?". The Red Sox go out and play hard yet make dumb mistakes or are curse induced, to make every Boston Red Sox fan come close to tears. Gradys gone,Francona is in and it's gunna be different. I see a good seasons coming, but not one that isnt clouded with yet another amount of uncertainity. The curse of the Bambino continues to lurk. Not getting my hopes up.
Now unfortuanetely I'm ignorant, so I can't write about the Bruins. But from what I've seen, Keep up the good work. Murray scored a hat trick tonight so thats good and Throntons the man. Their new goalkeeper, Raycroft is badass and they seem to be doing quite well. I can't make any predicitions except that we may see another Playoff bound Bruin team. Again, skeptical.
Which brings me back to the Patriots: The white light of New England sports. They have 4 first round draft picks next year, one of the best quarterbacks in the league, an astounding defense and an amazing coaching staff lead by a genius of a head coach in Bill Belichik. I don't want to get ahead of myself and say I see another Super Bowl, which could very well happen, but I see a deep season for this team.
In saying everything, I intend on going to Tuesdays parade, being that I am an advocate for the Patriots. No I did not watch every game every weekend. I figured I was bad luck by watching them. I watched the Red Sox and they lost. I watched the Celtics and they lost. But then again I watched them both and they won too. So maybe it wasn't me and maybe it isn't some curse. Maybe it's just that all teams need people to watch and to care about them.
Say what you will America, but if you want fans, come to New England. We are the most ignorant, arrogant S.O.B's on the planet when it comes to our sports. But we know em well so you better bring your books, cause we'll take you to school. I'm proud of the Patriots tonight. I'm proud to see them bring hope to a town on the brink of a possible renassiance in the sports world. New England Sports is in need of heroes and the Patriots certainly were that tonight. Now it begs to ask the question: Can anyone else show up and be heroes.
This question of now what is still here in my gut, which is understandable. It will be until I see something happen. Either way, I intend on being here for the long run. Whether it be win or lose I'll buy tickets to the next game or the next season and hope for the best. But when does that day come too old? OR are Boston fans made to always say "There's always next year"? As the Patriots have shown, and the Red Sox almost shown, that isn't always the case. In an exciting year to come in Boston Sports, fans, hold your breath, it may not be for too long.
But once again it is 2:14am now, and the Super Bowl is played and won and for the better of New Englanders. I feel an emptiness that I feel every year after the Super Bowl, no matter who's playing in it. Tonight, the reason why I may be up bantering is because i'm wired from my teams win in this years Super Bowl. Or maybe it's an elusive conclusion that I've yet to stumble upon. Bam there it is.
Let's face it everyone, the Patriots have saved many New Englanders lives this night. This isn't to say that everyone was on the edge of some huge decision of life and death importancy, yet that every Boston sports fan has had near brushes with strokes these past few months. To say the least, it has been a rough winter for Boston and New England sports fans. Without the Patriots, I don't believe the fans of this great cities teams would have been able to pull through. Let me start off by reviewing the other teams and why they have almost sent me at least to the ER with panic attacks.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you the 2003-2004 Boston Celtics. Let's face it, trading Antoine was not a good idea. We get LaFrentz, who is decent and Jiri Welsch, who is developing and pretty good. However, these are not the players we need in order to break into the playoffs. After the Ainge regime moved in, he moved everyone else out except 5 starters and until as of late, Jim O'Brien. Those 5 starters: Pierce, McCarty, Baker, Williams and Battie had an incredible task ahead of them as it was. Yet they managed.
Enter Danny Ainge, the douchebag of the Boston Celtics. If I've ever seen someone act more like John McEnroe, it's this gentleman. When the Celtics went on a 5 game win streak in mid-December, Ainge decided to mix up the already developing chemistry that was newly implemented. O'Brien, with his hands full of an injured LaFrentz and a struggling full court offense, was now backed into a wall with Ainge's next move. Ainge took Williams, Battie and Kedrick Brown to Cleavland, home of King LeBron James for Chris Mihm, Ricky Davis and Jumaine Jones. Beyond Ricky Davis' important offense and Mihm's ability to play a decent low post, Jones provides a warm sticky butt for the bench. The worst of this also was losing two very potent defensive and leadership players in Williams and Battie. Williams, quoted as being O'Briens favorite player, was the core of a dangling Celtics defense. Battie was a developing center with good chops, not enough minutes. Phew..done? No.
O'Brien said to himself, "Why not win today?". While Ainge was playing with himself saying "Tommorow will be ok". The two did not see eye to eye. O'Brien therefore left, in what has become this writers position of a sinking ship. Not only had the Celtics lost three starters to the Cavaliers, and now their brillaint and solid head coach but they also had a problem with a certain Vincent Baker. Oh yeah, I didn't forget about him.
In a season where Boston needed him most, Vin Baker started out as the old man that Boston Celtics fans loved to see in the low post. No one on the Celtics could match Baker in the low post, and many opponents couldn't either. After having an encounter with alcoholism last year, Baker was benched for majority of the season, vowing to make a come back. And he did make a come back. A come back that would revolve full circle. First there was the reputed, "out with the flu" case, where the Celtics vowed to cover up his potential relapsed alcoholism. Then he got caught and caught and well....suspended indefinetely. Bye, Bye Vinny and Bye, Bye Playoffs.
In 2 weeks from now a very important event will transpire: The Red Sox Spring training. This is an exciting measure of consequence for anyone following this intense "hot stove" off-season with so many blockbuster trades that occured. It literally reminds me of an arm's race. The Red Sox have re-armed and re-fueled for yet another run at the coveted and almost untouchable for Bostonians, World Series. But let's not stray too far into the future without glimpsing at the past.
5 outs remained in Game 7 of the ALCS this year for the curse to be gone, and for Bostonians to be given the right to arson on a masswide scale. Let's be honest: Had the Red Sox beat those fucking Yankees, the city of Boston would be reduced to rubble. And one further, if they won the World Series, well...stock up...Y2k is a picnic compared to that reaction. It was monumental. It was huge. It was little guys vrs the big guys. David vrs. Goliath. Mighty Ducks vrs. Hawks. Seabiscuit kids. It was Star Wars. The Red Sox were the Rebels and the Yankees the Imperials and I'll tell ya it came down to it. Except if the endings were changed, all the ewoks would be dead and Lukes other hand would be cut off as well as his upper torso and the rest of the happy go lucky crew would be reduced to smoldering "space particles".
Aaron Boone was our Darth Vader, and we still love to hate him to this day, which is why I don't mind seeing that he won't be able to hit any homer's off us this season. Two words: Torn ACL. Get better Booney, we miss you on the court.
To stray back onto the point, we get to the off-season the Red Sox had which was tremendous in both forms of the words. First off, we got Curt Schilling. Need I say more? I can't wait to see him smoke batting lineups as if they were cheap phillie sweets and it was summer by the lake at the boathouse. Then to close out Schillings good work, Keith Foulke, arguably one of the best closers behind Mariano Riveira, Eric Gagne in the American League. Big times there. Then there is Pokey Reese, who will definetely strengthen our D and spice up some already lethal hitting. Along the way we also picked up some strong utility players in Bellhorn, Daubach, Shumpert and Bierbrodt to name a few. But with every ray of sun, a shadow must be cast.
Who's to say Nomar can't be pissed? They opted up his job to another guy without him knowing. Granted, this was Alex Rodriguez we're talking about: The best player in the league. With talks of the hugest trade in baseball going down between Texas and Boston, the offseason became a background to this trade. Who cares if Tejada went to the Orioles or if Pettite and Clemens went to the Astros? A-Rod may fart in wind of Boston and every Boston fan was sniffing the air. The Red Sox tried to pull a fast one on A-Rod by having him defer 5 million per year that would in turn help pay for Manny in Texas. This all would have lead to a Nomar to White Sox for Maglio Ordonez, a power hitting, great fielding outfielder. This would then have lead to Nomar going to the L.A. Dodgers who would send the White Sox pitching. All very mucked up by the Commissioner and the league and Red Sox front office.
Now that things have cooled off and A-Rod stays put, Nomar and Manny are still in the lineup as well as most of the rest of the lineup. Todd Walker is gone and Scott Williamson almost went, but decided to stick around to play set-up man. It will be interesting to see him help Keith Foulke and Mike Timlin this season in the later innings. And more sadly, Lou Merloni once again has left Boston. Whimper.
All jokes aside, what was Boston thinking? Ok...so sending Manny to Texas for A-Rod, numbers wise is awesome. But ousting Nomar and Manny? Not a fan. You don't get rid of the #2 shortstop in the league in exchange for the #1 really. Not to mention the other end of your heavy hitting being Manny: Say what you want, but the boy can hit. A-Rods numbers were a bit better than Manny, having around 7 more homeruns but a lower batting average. Either way, Manny can still hit. Now Ordonez would have been nice, but again a formula existed and I can't help but feel maybe that formula has been disrupted by the business end. In the end, however, we still have Nomar and Manny, which makes this writer pleased.
Lets talk playoffs. I see the Red Sox getting in once again. I don't want to say further. I can't sit back and say that "Each year is dissapointing" because to be honest, for the first time since I was six, I started watching the Red Sox, opening game last summer. It had left me. The passion for me was gone because I saw no passion in my team. I saw it return last season, so you can count me back in...I intend on sticking around too.
The playoffs are a definite in my eyes. But you have to wonder, as some pessimists do,"Should I even hope?". The Red Sox go out and play hard yet make dumb mistakes or are curse induced, to make every Boston Red Sox fan come close to tears. Gradys gone,Francona is in and it's gunna be different. I see a good seasons coming, but not one that isnt clouded with yet another amount of uncertainity. The curse of the Bambino continues to lurk. Not getting my hopes up.
Now unfortuanetely I'm ignorant, so I can't write about the Bruins. But from what I've seen, Keep up the good work. Murray scored a hat trick tonight so thats good and Throntons the man. Their new goalkeeper, Raycroft is badass and they seem to be doing quite well. I can't make any predicitions except that we may see another Playoff bound Bruin team. Again, skeptical.
Which brings me back to the Patriots: The white light of New England sports. They have 4 first round draft picks next year, one of the best quarterbacks in the league, an astounding defense and an amazing coaching staff lead by a genius of a head coach in Bill Belichik. I don't want to get ahead of myself and say I see another Super Bowl, which could very well happen, but I see a deep season for this team.
In saying everything, I intend on going to Tuesdays parade, being that I am an advocate for the Patriots. No I did not watch every game every weekend. I figured I was bad luck by watching them. I watched the Red Sox and they lost. I watched the Celtics and they lost. But then again I watched them both and they won too. So maybe it wasn't me and maybe it isn't some curse. Maybe it's just that all teams need people to watch and to care about them.
Say what you will America, but if you want fans, come to New England. We are the most ignorant, arrogant S.O.B's on the planet when it comes to our sports. But we know em well so you better bring your books, cause we'll take you to school. I'm proud of the Patriots tonight. I'm proud to see them bring hope to a town on the brink of a possible renassiance in the sports world. New England Sports is in need of heroes and the Patriots certainly were that tonight. Now it begs to ask the question: Can anyone else show up and be heroes.
This question of now what is still here in my gut, which is understandable. It will be until I see something happen. Either way, I intend on being here for the long run. Whether it be win or lose I'll buy tickets to the next game or the next season and hope for the best. But when does that day come too old? OR are Boston fans made to always say "There's always next year"? As the Patriots have shown, and the Red Sox almost shown, that isn't always the case. In an exciting year to come in Boston Sports, fans, hold your breath, it may not be for too long.