Imagine you entered a comatose state on November 1, 1986, twenty one years ago today. When you breathed your last conscious breath your final thoughts concerned the heart-breaking losses of your two favorite local sports franchises in that fateful year of 1986, the New England Patriots and the Boston Red Sox.
You recalled how just nine months earlier, on January 26, 1986, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans your New England Patriots football team finally made it to the Superbowl, only to be thrashed 46-10 by the Chicago Bears, that "running up the score" bunch of midwest misfits. But your fragile heart condition was saved that spring by your Boston Red Sox, who advanced to the World Series against the New York Mets, only to lose in a curse-inspired heartbreaker in seven games, finally succumbing 8 to 5 on October 27, 1986 to the Mets. With the devastating losses of both the Patriots and Red Sox, on November 1, 1986 you gave it up, ready to enter a better world.
After twenty one years, the miracles of modern medicine brought you back to conscious life. As you reoriented to the world in 2007, the first thing you see is the Sports Illustrated cover for November 5, 2007. You almost lose consciousness again in just looking at the SI cover, featuring a photograph of a Red Sox closer -- not the ill-fated Bob Stanley -- but rather this wild kid Jonathan Papelbon celebrating what you learn is the second Red Sox World Series championship in four years under the title "Twice is Nice"! But wait, it gets better. Above the photograph of Papelbon is a smaller photograph of the quarterback of the New England Patriots -- not Steve Grogan or Tony Eason -- but rather this fellah named Tom Brady, with the caption "The Big One: Patriots vs. Colts," heralding a regular season game likened to the Superbowl, being played by a New England Patriots football team described using the term "DYNASTY."
A modern twist on the classic tale of Rip van Winkle, with the results after twenty one years no less startling. If you are a New England sports fan, what a difference twenty one years make, wouldn't you say? Welcome to a brave new world, devoid of Bambino curses and football woes. It is now the happy era of New England sports domination, not heartbreak losses...
The SI sports cover I speak of can be found here if you don't already have it:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_...2007/1105.html
A Modern Rip van Winkle...
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