OT: BRADY or PAPI....

[chicowalker]

You can't compare them.

The boston sports trinity is Larry bird, big papi, and tom brady. Each have three rings and are loved by all.

Boston sports trinity since 1980, perhaps. Otherwise, Bill Russell, Ted Williams and Bobby Orr come immediately to mind (all of whom were before my time).

 

[chicowalker]

Brady -- one of the greatest ever at his position, at the most important position on the field

(and secondarily, while the teams both have 3 championships, the Pats have been a dominant team for more than a decade now in an era that is clearly understood as Brady / Belichick. During the same period, other players have been as important to the Sox as Ortiz at times, and the club's performance has been good but not dominant.)

 

[BSR]

Boston sports trinity since 1980, perhaps. Otherwise, Bill Russell, Ted Williams and Bobby Orr come immediately to mind (all of whom were before my time).

In that mid century group you could probably include Marciano in that group given that boxing was probably more popular than either Basketball or Hockey at that time.

In the early century group you have Babe Ruth, Cy Young and Eddie Shore.

 

[Steve102]

Here's the question to ask: which championship season, red sox in 2004 or patriots in 2001, can the city live without? The answer to that will tell you who has been more valuable to the city of boston. Note, this is an entirely different question from which athlete is better at his respective position.

I would go so far as to say the 2001 Pats forced the Red Sox hand into fighting to be a true player for championships. Hear me out... Until that time, fans were happy going to the games, getting somewhat deep into the playoffs, and then complaining about not winning. The 01 Pats changed the rules. No longer would "close enough" be good enough. If the Red Sox continued to be what they had been of a hundred years, they were in danger of being second fiddle to the NFL and the Pats. That's a pretty hard pill to swallow.

In my mind, if 2001 doesn't come about, '04 never happens. Just one man's opinion.

 

[ausbacker]

I would go so far as to say the 2001 Pats forced the Red Sox hand into fighting to be a true player for championships. Hear me out... Until that time, fans were happy going to the games, getting somewhat deep into the playoffs, and then complaining about not winning. The 01 Pats changed the rules. No longer would "close enough" be good enough. If the Red Sox continued to be what they had been of a hundred years, they were in danger of being second fiddle to the NFL and the Pats. That's a pretty hard pill to swallow.

In my mind, if 2001 doesn't come about, '04 never happens. Just one man's opinion.

I don't believe for a second that teams magically transform themselves into championship competitors in direct response to town success/rivalry. Teams turn into championship caliber teams owing to a number of factors.