Here's my take on it. In 2003, the Red Sox were 5 outs away from going to the World Series. Then they collapsed, at Yankee Stadium. I never cried over the outcome of a sporting event until that night. It's still the only time that's ever happened, and as fellow Boston sports fans can attest, we've experienced some pretty brutal defeats since that time as well, including SB 42. I felt like that would haunt me for the rest of my life the same way those old enough to remember '86 felt every time they relived that Game 6 against the Mets.
But then 2004 happened, and it was magical. They defeated the Yankees in historic fashion, and then swept the Cardinals (a familiar WS foe) to end "the curse". It's not only that the Sox won the WS but it's also the way that they did it that completely provided closure. It allowed Pedro Martinez and Tim Wakefield, two of the greatest Red Sox of all-time, to be taken off the hook as goats from that 2003 ALCS and get the WS rings they deserved.
Now...
Consider the 2007 Patriots. That was as an emotionally charged season as I've ever experienced following any Boston sports team. It was truly us against the world for the whole year. We Pats fans developed a bunker mentality which, for me at least, made the season bittersweet. The Pats were blowing teams out and it was great, but instead of being lauded for it, they were scrutinized in a way that no other team would have. There was so much vitriol from both sides that it took away some of the fun for me. The only thing that would have made it satisfying would have been 19-0. It would be us getting the last laugh. Unfortunately, we all remember how that ended. And let me tell you I hated the world for it. I'm still incredibly bitter about it and still look at anything that reminds me of that game without feeling down. I want so bad for those demons to be exorcised.
Having said that, I'm not without perspective.
http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/10/77475-hats-off-patriots.html
The next SB win will be extra sweet because our last SB reminded us what it looks like when we get our teeth kicked in. It's easier to savor a championship when it doesn't seem like it's a foregone conclusion. SB 42 (and everything that happened since then) humbled the hell out of me. Nothing will remove the scar of 2007, but any SB win in the future would make a huge difference in morale. After all, in the end, it's the Lombardi trophy we're after, everything before that are just details. But anything short of an actual 19-0 season would make it tough to sweep 2007 under the rug the same way I was able to with 2003 in baseball. It's still hard seeing some of my favorite ex-Patriots, Junior Seau and Randy Moss, not get their championship moment, to atone the way Pedro and Wake were.