#ThingsTimHowardCouldSave

Thankfully for Red Sox Nation, Tim Howard and his heroic saving abilities were not in the Bronx that night. 

(Still sucks to be A-Rod)

Patriots Wishes and Caviar Dreams

It’s that time of year again; the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that my sports wishes, soon will be here.

This year I've had to think long and hard about what I want, because last year my wish came true. As 2012 came to a close, my wish was that the Red Sox would climb out of the AL East cellar. At the time, I just hoped for them to battle for playoff contention. My wish came true times 1,000, with Boston taking the 2013 World Series title. From worst to first, it was a season of the ages.

 This year, my wishes are of the football variety. My Patriots are playing pretty well, and despite some major season-ending injuries, they are winning. But despite the record, something is missing. Primarily, there’s the absence of two 250-lb+ game-changing tight ends. One of them I can hope to see back next season. The other? Well I think right now he’s just hoping he’ll see the outside world sometime before he dies.

For my 265-lb freak, I wish a healthy 2014; one free of surgeries and full of catches, touchdowns and fiestas. Because we all know Rob Gronkowski es un fiesta. I hope his back, knee, forearm and whatever else ails him are good to go next year, and we are graced with a season full of Gronk.

My second request is for tall guys who catch good, and Gronk would say. For Tom Brady’s sake, I wish for a decent received corps. I don’t mean a mish-mash of average talent who are elevated by the play of a great play-calling qb; I mean 2007-esque talent, when The Freak was out there breaking all-time records with Tom Terrific. He deserves to end his career with some great receivers, instead of the mish-mash of talent he’s dealt with since Moss left. I mean a true receiver, not some little slot guy like Welker. Though great at what he did, I want to see someone who can make spectacular grabs like Calvin Johnson or Brandon Marshall.

 Speaking of ending his career, I wish for a Fountain of Youth. At 36, I know that the end is drawing near for the Patriots with Tom Brady at the helm. I can’t imagine he has more than a couple seasons left in his arm, and I’m already freaking out. But my biggest fear? That Bill Belichick will decide to leave at the same time as his muse. Then I really don’t know what I’ll do. If Tom leaves but New England still has Bill, I feel like we can make it; without him, the dreaded “rebuilding” will begin. We've been a bit spoiled in the last 12 years, and I don’t think I can take a season of renovation. Every year since 2001, my football team has been a playoff and Super Bowl contender. I can’t remember a time when I “couldn't watch” the Patriots, or that each game didn't mean something. So I need Tom to drink some H2O from Ponce de Leon’s legendary spring and continue to be an active Patriot for life. Since I know this isn't logical, I hope that Belichick doesn't retire at the same time as the best quarterback ever (I’m not biased at all).

 A guy who can run 100 yards a game… without dropping the ball. I am so tired of the Patriots’ non-existent running game. They have spurts here and there over the years, but they haven’t had a consistent runner since Corey Dillon. I trust Belichick, but his incapability to draft a decent running back is killing me. I know he thinks other positions are more important, which is obvious since the Pats never draft a game-changing WR or RB, but for once I’d love to have a guy on the field who I knew could just run up the gut and score some TDs. As Tom gets up there in years, having a reliable runner to take some of the pressure off would be a God send.

A new hip for Aqib Talib. One of my favorite Patriots, I fear Talib is going to play the rest of his career on one leg. A legitimate option for Defensive Player of the Year before he got hurt Oct. 13, Talib was completely shutting it down in the backfield – in consecutive weeks, he held Julio Jones, A.J. Green and Jimmy Graham to a COMBINED six catches and 62 yards. Through the first six games of the season, with a healthy Talib, the Patriots defense allowed just 16 points per game. Having a guy who can shut down the opposing team’s best player can’t be understated. Then Talib hurt his hip flexor, missed three games, and hasn’t been the same since he returned. That said, Talib on one leg is still better than ¾ of the other corners in the league. But imagine if he was 100%? That is my wish.

So, Eight Pound, Six Ounce, Newborn Baby Jesus, in your golden fleece diapers, with your curled-up, fat, balled-up little fists pawing at the air … don’t even know a word yet, just a little infant and so cuddly, but still omnipotent… please hear my prayers for Tom, Bill, Gronk, Aqib and the rest.

And finally, my wish for all of you is that you have a very Merry Christmas, a belated Happy Chanukah, and a very happy and healthy new year. Here’s hoping for some great Bowl games, some kick-ass NFL playoff matchups, and, hopefully, Tom hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the end. Amen.

Jaded

I have become jaded.

As I watched Kevin Garnett celebrate his first NBA title, and the Celtics first since 1986, I couldn't help being almost jealous of KG's complete elation. I've been spoiled by the past six years of Boston sports domination.

It began back in 2001-2002 with the Patriots first Super Bowl win. Now THAT was excitement. It was the first time I'd ever really seen one of my teams win a championship (I was only 3 when the Celtics won their last in 1986), so it was elation like I'd never felt.

In February 2004, when the Pats won their second Super Bowl, it defintely lost a bit of its luster. By 2005, it was practically old hat.

Then 2004 happened, and the Red Sox won their first World Series since 1918. I have never been so happy at a sporting event, not even the first Patriots title. I was watching at the Dugout in Boston, crying, cheering and hugging strangers. Hearing Joe Buck say "Red Sox fans have longed to hear it: the Boston Red Sox are world champions!" still gives me goosebumps. And no matter what I think of Joe Buck from now on, or what I thought of him before 2004, I will always love the way he called the last play of that game.

But then our teams kept winning. The Pats won again in 2004, the Sox was again in 2006, and it just wasn't the same. I was happy, sure, but not the euphoria of the first Patriots Super Bowl, or the 2004 Red Sox.

When the Celtics won their 17th NBA title Tuesday, it was that same almost hollow-happiness. I can't believe that I, a Boston fan, is actually used to winning. Boston and winning had been almost contradictory for my entire life. Now, all of a sudden, people are sick of Boston winning all the time? How did this happen?!

I have to think it's cyclical, and New England sports domination surely can't last forever. In 10 or 20 years I'll be looking back on this decade as "the golden age," and not believing that I took it for granted.

So I need to try to be like KG and be on top of the woooooorld!!!! while it lasts. I'm starting to feel like... shudder... a Yankees fan in the 90s, who thought they would win every year, and therefore winning it all isn't exciting, it's just expected, which takes a lot of the fun out of it.

My teams can still lose, trust me I know that... I'm still not over the Patriots loss to the Giants... actually, that never happened so I don't know what I'm talking about. Never mind.

But I long for the 2004 World Series, when my team winning brought me to tears, and ended my lifetime of suffering. I wish the Celtics win had tugged at my heartstrings in the same way as Vinitieri's game-winning field goal in 2002... but, alas, I've become jaded.

New England is now the city of Champions... I never thought I'd say that, but I've certainly gotten used to it.