Seven World Championships in 10 years!

Bruins 2011


Celtics 2008


Red Sox 2007


Patriots 2005


Red Sox 2004


Patriots 2004


Patriots 2002

Now what this means is that there is still time for EIGHT Championship teams in a decade.

Red Sox 2011?

Here's an amazing thought. In 2001, no Boston sports team had won a championship since the 1986 Celtics -- a 15 year drought!

In 2001, the Pats had never won a championship, the Celtics hadn't won since 1986, the Bruins since 1972 and the Red Sox since 1918.

Now the Patriots are the team with the longest drought. They haven't won a championship in six years. Amazing! It's changed the psyche of the Boston sports fan.

It's fun to be a Boston sports fan in May!

Up until last week, I was bemused by the fact that I could watch the Bruins in playoff hockey, the Celtics in playoff basketball and the Red Sox by flipping back and forth between channels during commercials. Or I'd go to a sports restaurant and watch all three at once.

What other city has that?

In case you are wondering: None. That's who. Only in Boston.

It's fun to be a fan in the Golden Era of Boston Sports!

And maddening ...

The Bruins

First, a word about the "great collapse." No one expected the Bruins to go anywhere this year. So when they knocked off the Sabres and went up by three games to none while the eighth seeded Canadiens were waiting in the wings, everyone began expecting the Stanley Cup to come back to Boston for the first time in almost 38 years. I distinctly remember the morning at the bus stop in 1972 when every kid in Framingham wore a Bruins cap and talked about Bobby Orr's and tried to act out his game winning goal flying through the air.

But 2010 was not to be. It was the fourth greatest collapse in postseason history by any professional team. To put it in perspective, this playoff run was made by a woefully inconsistent, streaky team that got as far as they did because they played as well as they could in three playoff series, but then lost four in a row just like they did many times in the regular season. It is maddening, but perfectly believable. On the bright side, they'll be back in the playoffs next year and the year after.

As Forrest Gump would say: "And that's all I have to say about that!"

Celtics

Ten down, six more wins to go!

In a recent blog post, I asked, Can the Celtics flip the switch?  I argued that they could still beat any team any time they are all healthy. They can go in a moment from being a sometimes-good-sometimes-mediocre team that blows big leads late in games, to being the Celtics that have won 17 World Championships.

In the postseason, they've become the creaky old veteran team that makes every young NBA star look bad. What is beautiful about this Celtics team is that they are so old school. They play team basketball. They have the "Big Four" in Allen, Garnett, Pierce, Rondo and the deepest supporting cast. Every other team they have faced has one superstar that they can neutralize. They made the best player in the NBA, Lebron "King" James, look so awful he actually quit trying in game six of the quarter finals. They are in the process of making Dwight "Superman" Howard look even worse. Then they can beat you offensively with four different players -- one per quarter.

I'll go further out on a limb with a prediction. The Celtics are going to sweep the Magic by taking the next two games in Boston and arrive with fresh legs to play over-rated west coast team. They are now 62.5 percent of the way to their 18th banner. Then they have Rajon Rondo coming on strong. The Celtics will be playoff bound for years to come.

Red Sox

As Mark Twain would say, "The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated."
40 games into the season, the Sox have won 20 games and lost 20 games.

"Everyone knows that the season is ovah!"

Right?

Not so fast. What has done in the Red Sox so far is inconsistent pitching and numerous games lost by one or two runs. The prognosis at the beginning of the year was that they had the best pitching staff in baseball -- a fearsome starting line-up with three aces and three more quality starters. They had Gold Gloves in half their defensive positions. On paper, they were supposed to be the best defensive team in recent history. The big concern was an aging offense in Ortiz, Varitek, and Lowell with too few younger sluggers in the starting line-up.

Ironically, the pitching and defense has been bumpy to say the least. But this will right itself. Still people are saying that this team is too far behind to gain any ground on the Rays and the Yankees, who have played stellar baseball in the first month and a half.

But hold the phone!

As of today these are the offensive statistics for the Red Sox:

First in the Majors in Runs Scored (210)
First in the Majors in Hits (378)
Second in the Majors in Home Runs (55)
Second in the Majors in Total Bases (636)
Third in the Majors in Slugging Percentage (.454 SLG)
Third in the Majors in On Base plus Slugging (.804 OPS)

This is without two of the key members of their starting line-up, Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury, who have been out for almost all of the season so far, but will both be back by next week. When the starting pitching clicks into place, the Red Sox will go on a tear that could last most of the season. Six games behind in the Wild Card standings is nothing at this point in the season. I won't guarantee they will win the division. But I predict the Red Sox will be in first place either in the division or the Wild Card at some point before September.

Let me pick a random date: How about July 23rd? That's day I have right field box seats at Fenway Park. It will be vs. the Detroit Tigers -- Johnny Damon's triumphant return from disgrace -- the first player since Babe Ruth to win World Series rings with New York and Boston! That is a good omen if there ever was one. I'll write a blog entry on July 24th and report on where they are at in the standings.

Patriots

Hey, it's May! If you are thinking about football already you are not from Boston.

Can the Celtics flip the switch?

One down, fifteen to go!

The Celtics won the 2007/2008 NBA Championship as the team with the best record and home court advantage throughout the playoffs. In the first two rounds, they looked like a team playing on cruise control. They sauntered through the playoffs with the presumption of the divine right of kings. The Celtics took four of of seven against the Atlanta and Cleveland by winning every game at home and losing every game on the road. It was frustrating to watch the 2008 Celts struggle against inferior teams after they had amassed 66 wins in the regular season. But then they "flipped the switch" against Detroit and L.A. showing they were the best in the NBA because they were the best defensive team.

The last two years saw the Celtics playing much of the season with injuries to the "big three" and a depleted bench. Finally, the whole team is healthy and the bench is deeper than it has been since June 2008. The team still showed gross inconsistency in the home stretch of the "preseason" -- as we are now once again accustomed to think of the prelude to NBA playoffs in Boston. The team has been insisting that they were running on cruise control, protecting the health of their starters for the playoff run. During that time, it has been frustrating to watch them blow big leads in the fourth quarter running out of steam after showing flashes of brilliance and dominance early in games.

Can they flip the switch again? Can a team with tired old legs turn on the defensive prowess they showed in 2007/2008 and make a run all the way to the finals? The regular season showed that Boston is capable on any day of being the better team against any opponent either at home or on the road. But can they do it for 16 wins in the playoffs?

If game one against the Heat was any indication, then we see in the fiery indignation of Kevin Garnett something like the transformation of Prince Hal into King Henry V:

O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention,
A kingdom for a stage, princes to act
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!

Then should the warlike Harry, like himself,
Assume the port of Mars and at his heels,
Leash'd in like hounds, should famine, sword and fire
Crouch for employment. - Henry V. Act 1. Scene 1.

Here's the key. The Celtics need to finish off the Heat in four or five games and enable their starters to rest for a few days. Then as the fourth seed, they will find themselves squared off against the best team in the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the second round. It's simple matter of getting past the second round. Then they have an even shot at an 18th banner. (The Celtics don't hang anything but World Championship banners in the Garden.)

Kevin Garnett is out tonight with a suspension. If the Celtics can win game two at home, having a rested Garnett for the next two games in Miami will be a plus. This is it. With the Bruins not likely to go too far in their playoff run, it's the best chance for another world championship in Boston.

At least until October, that is.

Will Boston Sports Fans Determine Outcome of Senate Race?

Today's elections results may forever become known as "the slapshot heard 'round the world."

The Coakley/Brown race in Massachusetts has been heralded as the most important U.S. Senate election in recent history. The future of government run health care may hang on whether the Republicans can gain another seat that will break the Democrats' filibuster-proof super majority.

Scott Brown is not likely to become a conservative dream candidate, since he has backed a number of liberal issues in the past. But he'll instantly become one of the most well-known Senators if he wins, having the ability to work with the voting block of 41 Republicans to block Obama's far left-leaning agenda. He will likely give the Republican rebuttal to the State of the Union Address next week.

Even more notable is the role that Boston sports has played in this election. While Brown went hard after moderate, working class independents who dominate Massachusetts voters, Martha Coakley chose to dismiss her opponent's chances assuming the election was a lock once she won the Democratic primary.

Coakley bristled at the idea. Should she actually be seen "standing outside Fenway Park? In the cold? Shaking hands" of hockey fans at the annual outdoor Winter Classic Bruins-Flyers game? Then she brought in John Kerry, Bill Clinton and even Barack Obama to campaign for her. Obama promptly insulted Brown's pick-up truck that is featured in a campaign commercial designed to appeal to the working class independents.

Then, in the greatest gaffe in Massachusetts' politics since a helmuted Mike Dukakis drove a tank, Coakley criticized Scott Brown for bringing in former New York Major Rudolph Giuliani to campaign, since Rudy is, of course, "a Yankee fan."

But what about Curt Schilling's support? He's "another Yankee fan!" according to Coakley. That brought on a comical spat between Schilling and Coakley. Later, Boston College and Patriots football great Doug Flutie appeared at rallies with Schilling to show his support for Brown.

If Coakley loses, people will remember that her poll numbers nose-dived after she stupidly insulted followers of the Bruins, Red Sox and probably got Doug Flutie fans riled in the mix.

These are the "smahtest fans in America" after all. The very fact that Coakley would insult their intelligence speaks volumes about her competency to hold a Senate seat. Let's see if she can snipe at Celtics fans in the waning hours of her campaign.

The Best Sports City in North America? - It's Boston!

New York City currently has 47 major professional sports world championships.

Boston is second with 31.

Montreal is third with 26.

Then consider that the metro area of New York is 18.8 million, while Boston's metro area is 4.4 million and Montreal's metro area is 3.8 million.

It's a testimony to which city's fans are the most supportive per capita.

This is from: http://www.nuttyaboutsports.com/best-championship-city.shtml

When considering which city can rightfully lay claim to being the best sports city in North America, New York City almost immediately pops into everyone's mind. New York sports teams have won the most championships of any city in North America (47 in all).

When you look at it a little bit closer, however, New York may not be able to rightfully claim the title "Best Sports City in North America." New York currently has, and has had throughout its history, the most sports teams of any North American city. One would expect a city with that many teams to have won a few championships over the years. When you remove the New York Yankees from the equation - yes, I know that they are the most successful sports franchise in the history of professional sports - but, for the sake of argument let's look at New York without the Yankees. Without the Yankees' 26 championships, New York's sports accomplishments look much more modest (the 21 remaining championships would rank them third on the list of most championships).

So if we were to rule out New York, who else then, could lay claim to the "Best Sports City in North America"? A case could be made for Montreal, third on the list of most championships with 26. Even more impressive is that all of their championships have been garnered in a single sport - hockey (24 by the Canadiens, and 2 more by the Montreal Maroons). But it is the one dimensional nature of their championship accomplishment, impressive though it may be, that should eliminate them from consideration.

Where, then, does that leave us? It leaves us in the Bay State in the City of Boston. Boston is second on the list of cities with the most championships with 31. More impressive is that Boston's teams have won numerous championships in all four of the major North American sports (baseball, basketball, football, and hockey). Boston's major sports teams rank at or near the top of each of their respective sports for the most championships (see below).

Boston Red Sox - 3rd with 7 World Series Championships

Boston Celtics - 1st with 16 NBA Championships

New England Patriots - 4th (tie) with 3 Super Bowl Championships

Boston Bruins - 4th (tie) with 5 Stanley Cup Championships

When you compare this to New York:

Sport ----------------- Boston ----------------- New York

Baseball -------------- Boston Red Sox - 3rd -- New York Yankees - 1st

-------------------------------------------------- New York Mets - 13th

Basketball ------------ Boston Celtics - 1st ----- New York Knicks - 7th

Football -------------- Patriots - 4th -------------New York Giants - 8th

-------------------------------------------------- New York Jets - 11th

Hockey -------------- Boston Bruins - 4th ------ New York Rangers - 6th

-------------------------------------------------- New York Islanders - 6th (tie)

The Boston team rankings range from 1st through 4th, while the New York team rankings range from 1st through 13th. Each city has a team that has the most championships in their respective sport (the Celtics and the Yankees). After that, Boston ranks 4th in football versus 8th and 11th for the Giants and Jets, and 4th in Hockey versus a tie for 6th for the Islanders and the Rangers. The average championship rank for New York's teams is over 7 while the average rank for Boston's teams is 3rd.

One final way of looking at this issue is the average number of championships per team. Boston's 4 current teams* have a collective 30 championships, or an average of 7.5 per team. New York's 7 current teams collectively have 41 championships for an average of 5.8 per team.

Clearly, both are great sports cities, but when it comes who is the "Best Sports City in North America," the answer is (drum roll please) - Boston, Massachusetts.

* Current teams refers to the number of teams in the four major sports - baseball, basketball, football, and hockey.

Ellsbury's Straight Steal of Home

It was the first steal of home for Boston with no other runners attempting to steal since Jeff Frye did it on June 4, 1999, on an attempted squeeze bunt. Before that you have to go all the way back to Billy Hatcher on April 22, 1994 for a straight steal of home by a Red Sox player. A straight steal of home -- an attempt to steal with no other players in motion, such as a double steal or a missed bunt attempt -- is a feat that is about as rare as a no-hitter.

Then to cap off an almost perfect week, it was the Red Sox' tenth straight win. The Bruins just took four straight from their hated rivals -- l'empire mauvais -- the Montreal Canadiens. Only a double overtime Celtics loss marred this remarkable week in this Golden Age of Boston Sports.

Patriots Day Report

I grew up in Framingham where the famed Boston Marathon zig-zagged north from Hopkington along Waverly Street until it passed through Natick. I used to ride my bicycle to a spot about five miles into the Marathon on Patriots Day when I was in high school. Although only Marathon runners were supposed to be in the race, many people would jump in along the route. Spectators used to ride their bicycles along side the runners too. Until they got more stringent about this a few years ago (remember Rosie Ruiz?) the tail end of the race always looked like a sideshow with many colorful characters.

One day it was drizzling and I stood near a place in the road where train tracks crossed diagonally at an acute angle with the street. The roads in New England of course have frost heaves and this railroad track was a bit hazardous. I remember watching bike after bike hit those tracks that cruelly grabbed the front wheel forcing the cyclists to slide sideways along the rail until they fell over.

We'd yell, "Watch out for the tracks!"

Then "CRASH!"

After a while it became comically tragic -- a real life slapstick reel.

On a typical Patriots Day, the Red Sox play a morning game at 11 AM, then the crowd spills out along Commonwealth Avenue to watch the end of the Marathon. The Celtics will play a postseason game in the Garden at night this year and the Bruins will try for their third win in the first round of their playoff series in Montreal.

Four monumental sports events in one day. What other city can boast that?

On a related note, I have to point out that no one city has ever had three major league sports teams win championships within a year's time. Boston has a chance to have all four of its major league teams -- basketball, hockey, baseball and football -- win a world championship. It's unlikely, but plausible. We'd be happy with one, ecstatic with two. If Boston wins three you'll never hear the end of it. Four and the city spontaneously combusts with revelry never to recover.

Here I will rate the chances of the four teams.

Celtics -- Chances are now looking slim here. Although I am certain they can come back to beat the Bulls, without Kevin Garnett, they will be lucky to make it past the second round. But have the Celts ever gotten lucky before? If they get to the Eastern Conference Finals, then all bets are off and anything can happen. If they can steal a game on the road, then they play three games in the Garden where that leprechaun lives.

Red Sox -- Fair to good. They have a deep well-balanced team -- the best bullpen and starting pitching in their division. They are 28 million under budget for player salaries this year after jettisoning Manny. They can afford to go out and get some offense and a starting shortstop. If the Yankees and the Devil Rays (I still can't believe I am saying that in the same breath) were not in the same division, they'd be a shoe in for the postseason. But even with a great team, it's going to be a three way dog fight.

Patriots -- Very good. After a difficult first half of the season, the Patriots have a cakewalk of a schedule. They reloaded with some quality players and should be much better than the 11-5 team that narrowly lost to the Dolphins last season. How much better? If they can go 6-0 in the first part of the season, you'll be hearing "undefeated" predictions from me again.

Bruins -- Good to excellent. They are arguably the best team in the NHL, second only San Diego in points. They have the best defense and are playing like a team that really wants it after a 36-year drought. Even without the four team miracle, a Bruins championship would be the icing on the cake of a remarkable decade.

Are the Bruins next?

Six parades in nine years

Are the Celtics too good?

There was an interesting quote by Ray Allen in the Boston Globe today:

Teams want to win. This team had an effect on the rest of the league. After
all the moves that Danny made over the offseason to get all the guys here and
win the championship, teams were like, "Hey, maybe we can get into the feeding
frenzy over the summer with some guys that we know can play and can bring us to
the Promised Land." It's a disappointment. It's the expectation. Most teams can
be in rebuilding mode and you got the same coach and a terrible record, but
you're building your young players. When you bring in high-dollar players and
you're in the bottom of your division, it's a big load on you.

- Ray Allen

Whatever the reason, the NBA is the now the most lopsided of the four major sports. In baseball, teams such as Tampa Bay have shown us anything is possible year to year. The race in the NFL is the most interesting it has been in years. Hockey, of course, is as unpredictable as ever with 16 teams going to the playoffs. Baseball is the only pure championship series with only six teams qualifying after 162 games. No mediocre teams make it to the postseason. The same isn't true in the other three sports.

Nothing is like the lopsided dominance of the Celtics in the NBA. Allen's quote may seem arrogant to some, but his thinking belies the fact that for the best and the worst teams, the season's outcome is determined before it starts.

You may have seen the interesting taped conversation between the great Bill Russell and Kevin Garnett in which the legend tells the new Celtics superstar that he is going to win a few championships in a Celtics' jersey. At the time, I thought it was an incredibly presumptuous prediction, but then after last year's dominant win against a favored team, the Celts look like they are going to be the perennial favorite for at least the next few years.

With a 23-2 record and a .920 winning percentage, it looks like they are on pace for the best record ever, currently held by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls at 72-10. This is one of the most difficult team records in sports to break. But it comes a year after the Patriots broke the record for most regular season wins.

Who knows how much further it can go beyond that? The Celtics have all the right pieces and can afford to build from the bottom up while this run lasts.