I'm from the neighborhoods of Boston. The local teams are ingrained. For our family it was the Sox, C's Bruins and Pats when they came into existence in that order growing up. I cried as a kid for the Sox and B's of the 50's and 60's. I reveled with the C's at the same time. I was thrilled when my older sister told me Bill Russell asked her out, and then devastated when (because she was a fan too) turned him down because he was married. I came of age during the Orr/Espisito era of Bruins Hockey. I worked the door at one of the clubs the Bruins often frequented. I threw out Wayne Cashman on several occasions, but he was a gentleman each time. I was in the same bar softball league with Derrick Sanderson, who own Zelda's. He played but never owned a glove for some reason. When he played us, he used mine.
I owned the record they made when the Sox FINALLY won a pennant. Think of it as 3 days to Glory in 1967, including a song about Yaz. I was at the airport when the B's brought back the cup in 1970. I was at the Garden when Russell won the last of his Championships. I was there when Cowens won HIS first. I played tag football for the Celts front office in the mid 80's (Volk was a friend). Larry Bird once nodded to me in the locker room because he knew I was one of Jan's tag football guys, but he didn't know my name.....or care.
The day the Pats won their way to the Superbowl, I booked a flight to NO and saw that game, that I knew was lost even when they were up 3-0. That's how great that Bears team was. What a 3 day party that was. (and as an aside, every superbowl that ISN'T in NO is a lost opportunity)
The 2 year old in the Kimmell/Brady skit was an accurate description of a Boston fan of that era. Hard passionate, and loyal with an attitude, but always expecting the worst to happen. And that BEFORE the last 20 years of 12 Championships for the city.
But I got older. I don't even think about the Sox until around mid August. The same goes for the B's and C's. I catch a game every now and then. I check the standings on occasion, but I don't get interested in their seasons until April. But of course now I'm all in on both.
The Pats are the only team that holds my attention year round, and controls my calendar for the FULL season. You couldn't pay me to see a preseason game of any team, yet once they put on the pads, I'm at most TC practices. Go figure
....and why I bothered to write this down slips my mind.
