Boston: Best of 2000
Written by RandolphC, Thursday December 31 2009
Boston, Massachusetts is the city of the decade thanks to the success of their various sports franchises
Boston sports fans, we’ve been spoiled. We have to admit it, because it’s undeniable.
For a city steeped in history, for years it was all a sports fan could talk about as the 2000’s got underway. The last championship was the 1985-86 Boston Celtics. After that, it was a short list of “almosts.”
The New England Patriots had two Super Bowl trips end in failure. And a chance for the Red Sox’s first World Series since 1918 began unraveling when a grounder rolled through the legs of first baseman Bill Buckner in game six. Blame it on The Curse of the Bambino.
With nothing new to be proud of recently, we recycled stories of Larry Bird, Bobby Orr, and Ted Williams. Bostonians appreciated the greatness displayed by the legends, but at the same time were depressed by the memories because the modern day teams always let the fans down.
So when a team finally broke through, we were in disbelief. We didn’t believe we’d celebrate another title in our lifetime.
The Patriots broke through first, under the unlikeliest set of circumstances. With franchise QB Drew Bledsoe injured in the second game of the season, Tom Brady, the 199th player selected in the 2000 NFL Draft, quickly took command of the offense and the team rallied around the second year signal caller.
The stars aligned time after time for New England. Wide receiver Fred Coleman, with two career receptions, had the biggest catch of his life – a 46-yard catch and run in a December win over the New York Jets. WR David Patten fumbled the ball along the sideline but fortunately made contact with the ball and the sideline (ruled out bounds) as he fell down unconscious. “The Tuck Rule” preceded the greatest kick in NFL history by Adam Vinatieri as he knuckled a 45-yard field goal to force overtime. And in the extra frame, New England drove the ball for a short game-winning field goal. Snow angels for everyone! Love, Lonnie Paxton.
With everything going the Patriots’ way, it’s not totally surprising they drove 53 yards in 1:30 to set up the winning 48-yard field goal. And just like that, 41 years of disappointment stepped aside for the establishment of a standard of excellence: The Patriot Way.
As the Patriots evolved into a machine-like organization, the Red Sox devolved into a loose and fun-loving group of personalities. Starting pitcher Pedro Martinez, while focused and intense on the mound, was like a little kid off of it, joking with teammates and the media. Left fielder Manny Ramirez arrived later and became the symbol of aloofness as his living for the moment approach became Manny Being Manny.
The Sox came close, but couldn’t get past the hated New York Yankees. The newest chapter to Boston’s post season disappointments happened in 2003 when manager Grady Little left an obviously tired Pedro Martinez on the mound with the Red Sox ahead of the Yanks, 5-2. By the time the inning was over, New York tied the game. And in the eleventh inning, a twist was added to Boston’s vernacular. Bucky “Bleepin’” Dent was updated to Aaron “Bleepin’” Boone, after the latter hit the game-winning homerun. The Bambino did it again.
During his tenure with the Sox, Martinez was asked about the Curse of the Bambino. He declared if Ruth’s apparition stepped into the batter’s box, he would, “hit him in the ass.” Pedro didn’t get the chance to plunk the ghost haunting the Sox, but he did the next best thing.
In the ALCS rematch the following year, Pedro buzzed New York’s Hideki Matsui who was hitting like the Babe. After Martinez played ghost hunter and headhunter simultaneously, Matsui and the Yanks were spooked at the plate from that point on.
And the Sox couldn’t do wrong. Dave Roberts was going to steal second in game five. Everyone knew it, and he still did it. Curt Schilling made a bloody sock fashionable as he reinforced his reputation as a clutch playoff pitcher. Alex Rodriguez became a Photoshop legend with his slap of Bronson Arroyo’s glove.
The metaphoric ball kept rolling for the Red Sox from game four of the ALCS through game four of the World Series as Boston swept the St. Louis Cardinals. Curse Reversed.
Whether it was a curse or not, the Celtics certainly felt like they were. The deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis set the franchise back and caused immeasurable damage to the future.
And the string of bad luck continued through the worst record in the league in 1997, the hiring of Rick Pitino, and losing the NBA Lottery with two shots to win it. By the time Pitino said Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish were not walking through the door, Slick Rick was ready to walk out that door.
Danny Ainge, a member of past Celtics Championship teams with Bird, McHale, and Parish, did walk through that door as the President of Basketball Operations and aimed to assemble a modern day Big Three. He did it when he acquired shooting guard Ray Allen and power forward Kevin Garnett in separate trades. With Pierce already in place, the core was united.
Team chemistry didn’t completely come together until the playoffs. Boston survived two seven game series against Atlanta and Cleveland by winning all home games. The highlight was the Paul Pierce-LeBron James duel. The King won in the box score with 45 points, but the Celts won the game and the series, led by The Truth’s 41 points.
The baptism by fire hardened the Celts for the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals. When the Celtics staged a game four comeback win after being down by 24 points to the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston was on the cusp of the long awaited championship.
They didn’t claim the title until June 17th, which was serendipitous: on 6/17, in game 6, the Celtics won their 17th Championship.
What city is ever lucky enough to celebrate three Championships with three different teams? If a Boston fan was told in 2000 that they would see the Patriots, Red Sox, and Celtics win titles in the decade, they’d ask who made the deal with the Devil and ask if they could sign the contract too.
Never in our wildest dreams did we think the Pats would go from laughingstock to the class of the league with three titles in four years. Or that after breaking a 86-year Curse the Red Sox would wait just three years for a second World Series sweep.
If winning is contagious, then it spread to the college ranks. Boston University and Boston College won the last two NCAA Hockey Championships. BC also won in 2001.
Other franchises got close. The New England Revolution made four MLS Cup appearances, including three in a row. And the Boston Bruins won four division titles.
That’s 14 Championship appearances, nine Championships, and countless playoff appearances. The next 10 years might get off to a good start with the Pats, Celtics, Bruins, and Sox as legitimate contenders, possibly for years to come. But it’s going to be very hard for the next 10 years to be as good as the last 10.
Soak it in Boston fans. It’s been a heck of a ride.
Randolph Charlotin writes a New England Patriots blog at www.randolphc.com. Send any questions or comments to talktome@randolphc.com.
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10 comments
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Also... when you write an article for the Patriots, there is no category for "New England", so they have to be put in "Boston"
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Oh yeah, beautiful, that's it.... actually on the return trip we stayed on the jersey turnpike... on the whole, i'd rather have been in Philadelphia (w.c. fields)
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Actually Randolph I was only thinking about the stinkin Lakers, who won FOUR titles. And the Angeles aren't REALLY from LA, they're in Anaheim and USC is in Pasadena right? I was just messing with you guys about the whole Boston thing. You guys had a nice decade. Enjoy it. LOTS of teams don't play IN the actual city of their name. Hell, the Giants and Jets don't even play in the same STATE as their name. Chriso, it just seemed like it took you forever because Philly is so beautiful right?
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OK, I'll hear you out, B-Dub. Lakers won three titles, Angels won once, the LA Galaxy won two MLS Cups. Since I lumped in college, that includes USC with one in football. What am I missing? I'm up to seven right now.
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B-Dub, I'm right about the Lions and Pistons, they never changed their names to the Michigan Lions or Michigan Pistons... and driving by the Linc it only felt like it took forever to get to downtown Philly...
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You better have that arm checked out by a doctor Randolph. You probably pulled something with THAT big a reach. All I said was that BOSTON can't be considered the team of the decade since the Patriots don't play there. I'll concede the OVERALL point to you, but technically you would have to give the title of CITY of the Decade to LA. And I HATE saying that. You should join the circus with all the hoops you've jumped through trying to justify your assertion. It was impressive.
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Two things, B-Dub. One, before they were the New England Patriots, they were the Boston Patriots. They played in Fenway Park and Harvard Stadium. Second, the Patriots represent New England. That includes Boston, MA, Foxborough, MA, Hartford, CT, Providence, RI, and every city and town in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. When the Pats won the Championships, they held six celebrations -- one in each state. The Pats are the only football franchise that represents a region. That's why when the Patriots wins, Boston wins too. If you can get the people who own Pensylvania's sports teams to rename them after the state, then the whole state can celebrate when either team wins.
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Chriso, how about checking a fact or two before coming up with lame responses like that. ALL of Philadelphia's professional sports teams play in the same giant sports complex area in Philadelphia. Not near Philly, IN PHILLY.
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For years, Detroit claimed the Lions and the Pistons when neither played in the city of Detroit. Foxborough is probably closer to downtown Boston than the Linc is to downtown Philly... should be the Boston Patriots
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How can Boston, Mass. be the CITY of the decade when the Patriots play in FOXBOROUGH????????? Weak. Under these loose guidelines I could say that Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the city of the decade by including the Pittsburgh Steelers and Penguins with the Philly teams. Or how about LA? They can just claim every Championship won in the state of California right? Obviously someone should have given you a MAP for Christmas Randolph.