My sister recently accused me of being an optimist on these pages, and while I'll admit to an optimistic tone, I realized that an explanation was in order. If you are over 30 and a New England sports fan, you grew up in a time of perennial disappointment, a time where only the Celtics hung banners and even that came to a crashing halt 20 years ago. You learned to expect to be strung along, only to taste the bitterness of loss, the agony of defeat. The '67 Sox, the '75 Sox, the '85 Pats, the '86 Sox, Bird's back, Len Bias, Reggie Lewis, the '95 Sox...these are the burden of the sportus fanaticus Bostonian, a weight that perhaps can never be completely lifted. But things have changed. It started improbably with the Patriots, then the Red Sox, and now, maybe, the Celtics too. The air has changed, and we must change with it. In this way, much of what I write here is intended to carry forth a new spirit, to express the urgency to Believe, because if we Believe, it will lead our teams to the promised land.
All that said, don't mistake me for an optimist. It is the willful suspension of disbelief. It is the ability to, for a few hours, ignore everything history has ingrained into us and Believe. It's Charlie Brown. Every year, Charlie Brown charges that football, intent in kicking it. He knows Lucy will pull it out of the way at the last second, she always has before. But in those last moments before he starts running, he somehow convinces himself that THIS is the year. Well, for Charlie Brown, he's landed flat on his back since 1973 (and that's only on film!). And we New England sports fans landed flat on our backs for longer than that. Only it isn't that way any more, and it is time we started to accept that fact.
Look, I sit on the edge of my seat for more games each year than is probably healthy. There is no telling how many years the Celtics, Red Sox and Patriots have collectively taken off of my life. I still worry about Beckett's blisters (done), Lowell's contract (done), Paul Pierce having no help (done), and every other seemingly minor transaction, transgression, or transcendence that might befall my Hometown Teams. And by my very nature, I assume that all of them will come back to bite us on the ass. The thing is, lately they haven't. Just when you thought the Patriots had blown another Super Bowl chance in 2001, Brady drove the team 48 yards in 1:21 without a time-out to set up the game winning filed goal. They've gone on to win 2 more and may run the table this year. The 2004 Red Sox were down 3-0 to the Yankees in the ALCS, and 4-3 in the ninth inning of Game Four. But Dave Roberts stole second and the Sox won 8 straight and their first World Championship in 86 years. 3 years later, we're World Champs again with virtually the same team returning next year. And the 2007-2008 Boston Celtics? Well, time will tell, but we're already a third of the way to last year's win total with 5 months left to the regular season. So every once in a while, you have to forget what history has taught us and simply Believe.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving airs at 8 PM tonight on ABC. I suggest you all watch. Maybe this year Charlie Brown, maybe this year.
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. When you sit down at that table and give thanks, be sure to think of all you have and how blessed we all are. And right before you start stuffing your face with turkey and all the fixin's, give thanks that you are here to witness the Greatest Era In Boston Sports History. It ain't World Peace, but it sure is a lot of fun.
...see y'all next week.
No comments:
Post a Comment