| Being A Boston Sports Fanby: Jason OConnor | | | | Bostonians. The 2002 NFL playoffs were |
| | | | absolutely awesome to watch if you were a |
| Being a Boston sports fan sometimes reminds | | | | Boston sports fan. Watching Vinatieri blast |
| me of battered-wife syndrome. You get beaten | | | | it though the uprights in a blizzard to beat |
| down, but you keep coming back. You're given | | | | the Oakland Raiders, and again to win the |
| just enough to make you feel warm and fuzzy | | | | Super Bowl beating the St. Louis Rams was |
| inside, just enough to ensure your devotion, | | | | monumental. Thank God for the Pats. They |
| but then you're inevitably and sorely | | | | brought respect back to Boston. They showed |
| disappointed. I don't know why a woman would | | | | what true grit is, what the word "team" |
| ever go back to a coward who hits her, and I | | | | actually means, in a day when everything in |
| often don't know why I remain a Boston sports | | | | sports seems to be centered on individual |
| fan. The Pats, Celts, Sox and Bruins make you | | | | feats. I loved it when they ran out on the |
| want to like them, but it's sometimes painful | | | | field together as a team instead of being |
| to remain a devoted fan throughout all their | | | | introduced one at a time at the beginning of |
| turmoil. | | | | the Super Bowl. |
| | | | |
| I grew up in a hockey family and my dad was | | | | Pathetically enough, most people thought the |
| particularly faithful to the Bruins. From a | | | | Pats would not win it all again. They thought |
| very early age I can remember him watching | | | | it was a fluke. The Pats had lost for so long |
| Bobby Orr and Esposito skate circles around | | | | that few had faith in them. But they won it |
| other teams. By the time I was old enough to | | | | again two years later and people started to |
| actually understand what was going on, the | | | | pay attention. The word "dynasty" crept up in |
| Bruins were comprised of some more awesome | | | | New England vernacular. When the Pats won |
| players like Middleton, O'Reilly, Pederson, | | | | their third Super Bowl in four years, they |
| and Milbury. I used to love to watch Boston | | | | were finally accepted as a dynasty. These |
| play Montreal with my father, but it seemed | | | | wins will carry me for many years. Again, |
| like Boston lost a lot more than won. | | | | thank God for the Pats. |
| | | | |
| It was great to see Terry O'Reilly beat the | | | | But no good article about being a Boston |
| heck out of other players, and it was cool to | | | | sports fan can be complete without discussing |
| watch all these veterans a few years later | | | | the Boston Red Sox. What can be said about |
| skate around without helmets while the rest | | | | the Sox? They were the epitome of |
| of the players had to wear them. I guess it | | | | frustration. They were the Bad News Bears for |
| was some sort of grandfather clause or | | | | so long. Of all the Boston teams, they were |
| something. They just looked tough. When Cam | | | | the most painful to watch. They often had the |
| Neely and Ray Bourque started playing I | | | | talent, they often played well, but they |
| enjoyed the Bruins just as much. But after | | | | didn't win a World Series for 86 years! |
| Orr and Esposito were gone, none of these | | | | Between the ball rolling between the knees of |
| more recent players won the Boston Bruins a | | | | Bill Buckner, and Grady keeping Pedro in |
| Stanley Cup, quite frustrating. | | | | against the Yankees during the 2003 playoffs, |
| | | | every Sox fan was pushed to the limit of what |
| But not to fear, The Celtics around this time | | | | they could endure. Of course there were many |
| were hot. Like the Bruins/Canadians, the | | | | other less notable, but just as frustrating |
| Celtics/Lakers rivalry was a blast to | | | | moments in Red Sox history. Any Red Sox fan |
| experience, especially when the Celts won. | | | | who remained a fan throughout should be given |
| And they did. I remember probably one of the | | | | a gift. |
| greatest NBA teams ever to exist, Bird, | | | | |
| McHale, Parish, DJ and Ainge. They weren't | | | | And what a sweet gift it was when the Sox won |
| the prettiest bunch of guys around, Bird | | | | the 2004 World Series. Being down 3-0 in the |
| being particularly funky looking, but they | | | | ALCS against the Yankees, and then coming |
| were so fun to watch. It was wonderful to see | | | | back to beat them and sweep the Cardinals in |
| them beat the L.A. Lakers in the 1983-84 | | | | the World Series was one of the greatest |
| championship and the Houston Rockets in | | | | professional sports stories in history. In |
| 1985-86 championship. | | | | fact, it's been called one of the greatest |
| | | | comebacks ever. |
| Unfortunately the last few Celtics' seasons | | | | |
| lately have been dismal. They don't even make | | | | All those long years of no championships in |
| it to the playoffs regularly any more. How | | | | Boston finally came to end with the Pats |
| many more "building years" do we need? | | | | winning in 2002. But after 86 years of no |
| Watching Pierce take off his shirt and wave | | | | World Series rings, the Red Sox win was the |
| it around his head while being ejected from | | | | sweetest of all. 2004 was one of the greatest |
| one of the playoff games against the Pacers | | | | years in Boston sports ever. A World Series |
| this year was sad. | | | | and Super Bowl win by Boston teams in the |
| | | | same year, almost unbelievable. |
| But 1986 was the end of Boston championship | | | | |
| teams for a long while. In fact, it was | | | | So I guess being a Boston sports fan is not |
| sixteen years until the Patriots finally won | | | | so much like battered-wife syndrome. It's |
| Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002. That's a long wait. | | | | more like being in a difficult marriage that |
| That's a lifetime for crying out loud. | | | | has lots of ups and downs only, but is worth |
| | | | working at to keep. Being a Boston sports fan |
| The New England Patriots were another | | | | is as frustrating as it is rewarding. |
| difficult team to watch and remain devoted | | | | Patience, loyalty, persistence, and faith |
| to. Grogan was a decent quarterback and many | | | | will get you through. And in the end, it all |
| would argue Drew Bledsoe was even better, but | | | | works out. Just keep the faith. |
| they never brought a championship home. | | | | |
| Watching Drew throw numerous interceptions | | | | Copyright: 2005 |
| and trudge off the grid iron with hunched | | | | |
| shoulders was disturbing. I like to think of | | | | TERMS OF REPRINT |
| Bledsoe as an 'almost' kind of player. He was | | | | |
| almost awesome, was almost a championship | | | | You have permission to publish this article |
| quarterback. He almost won the game. Bledsoe | | | | electronically or in print, free of charge, |
| actually drove me crazy. He was New England's | | | | as long as the bylines are included and you |
| franchise player, but he just didn't seem to | | | | follow these rules: |
| ever do quite enough to win. It was so | | | | |
| frustrating to watch him play. All big and | | | | * Email distribution of this article MUST be |
| gawky, shuffling out of the pocket like my | | | | opt-in email only. |
| nana. | | | | |
| | | | * If you post this article on a website, you |
| But the tide turned. Third string quarterback | | | | must set any URL's in the body of the article |
| Tom Brady took the place of an injured | | | | and most especially in the Author's Resource |
| Bledsoe, and brought the championship home to | | | | Box as hyperlinks. Please send us the URL. |