Lots To Be Thankful For As A Boston Sports Fan

Tis’ the season to be jolly, or at least amiable for people around the hub.

Boston sports fans may be turned off by the overall play from the Patriots, injuries to Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, a lack of consistency from the Bruins and of course, a lack of a big bat in the Red Sox off-season shopping.

But don’t be down, it could be worse and Boston sports fans have many things to be happy for or about, especially during the Holiday season.  Here is a list of five things Boston sports fans should be thankful for…

1) The Coaches: Oh what would we do without our managers and coaches?  From Bill Belichick and Terry Francona, to Doc Rivers and Claude Julien, Beantown is lucky enough to have some of the creme of the crop when it comes to head coaches.  Sure, many come with their own faults but for the most part these four figure heads bring a sense of professionalism and integrity (cough Belichick) to the city of Boston and their fans.  

2) Tom Brady: We New Englander’s love TB.  Sure, many others see him as a pretty boy who whines to the referees but we see him as the handsome gentlemen who is one of the best quarterbacks of all-time and dates Giselle.  What we would do to spend one day in Brady’s shoes.  We are thankful for the presence of No. 12 because he brought three super bowls to the Patriots organization and his underdog story has touched us all in some way or another.  

3) Championships This Decade: The total tally is six in the past eight years and has turned Beantown from the city of losers into the city of champions.  Once accustomed to losing seasons and bottom-dwelling franchises, Boston is home to six total championships this decade with three going to the Patriots, two to the Red Sox, and one to the Celtics.  The Bruins have been playoff-bound for a majority of the decade and are on the heels of a Championship.  What a difference a decade can make.

4) Superstar Players: Early on it was Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez, Joe Thorton, and Paul Pierce and now its turned to John Lackey, Kevin Garnett, and Zdeno Chara.  With David Ortiz, Curt Schilling, Antoine Walker, and Randy Moss in between, the organizations in Boston have brought the superstars to our beloved city.  Now considered one of the biggest stages and places in sports, its no wonder that big-name players are inking their names in Boston’s checkbook.  It certainly beats the days of Jiri Welch, Jose Offerman, Anson Carter, and Andy Katzenmoyer.

5) World-Class Owners:  Eh, may be stretching myself on this one but there is no denying the good the owners have been doing since taking over in the hub.  Bob Kraft has transformed the Patriots organization and is now reaping the benefits (deserving so).  Although John Henry and Larry Lucchino may take a lot of fire from fans, they have brought two championships in three years to a team that went 86 years without one.  That alone, deserves some recognition.  Then there’s Wyc Grousbeck and Jeremy Jacobs have done some great work with the Celtics and Bruins, keeping both teams competitive and resourceful in the past few years.    

So, there you have it.  Five things that Boston sports fans should be thankful for this holiday season.  It’s still a great time to be a Boston sports fan, even if the last time we’ve won anything was with the Boston Celtics in 2008.  Here’s to many more championships and seasons coming to the scene in 2010.  

Moss And The Gang Finally Get A Road Win

The media had a field-day with the Randy Moss situation in the locker room and on the press, but Moss had a field-day on the field while silencing his critics– just by letting his play speak for itself.

Moss and company took their road woes and threw them out the window on Sunday as the New England Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills 17-10 at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Moss had five receptions for 70-yards with one TD as the Patriots star wide-out shut up critics and reporters alike who questioned whether Moss was giving up on his team and teammates.  Tom Brady was shaky on Sunday as he fought through rib, finger, and shoulder injuries.   

The Patriots finally got their first real road win of the season (minus the London contest with Tampa Bay) as they all but locked up the AFC East as both the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets lost on Sunday.  

New England heads home for their last regular season home game of the season with the Jacksonville Jaguars next week before ending the season on the road in Houston against the Texans.

(AP Photo)  

Trade To Texas Falls Thru Due To Thumb Injury

After the dust settled, the Texas Rangers deemed Mike Lowell’s thumb injury to big of a risk for $3 million and Max Ramirez.

So, welcome back to Boston Mikey.

The trade that sent Lowell to the Texas Rangers, along with $9 million, was called off on Saturday night as the Rangers found radial collateral ligament damage in his right thumb and ended the verbal agreement.

The deal was pending a physical from both players and approval from the Commissioners office but in the end it was Lowell’s health and Texas’ uncertainty that brings Lowell back to Boston.

Even with a class act like Lowell, it will be awkward for him and the Red Sox to reconcile after repeated attempts by Theo and company to trade away the 2007 World Series MVP.  Lowell has been nothing short of a model citizen and player for the Sox since coming to Boston in 2006 as “throw-in” chip of the Josh Beckett for Hanley Ramirez trade (which, by they way was not under Theo’s watch).

So with the 35-year-old back in the hub, what exactly do the cards hold for the hobbled third-basement?  Well, the Sox have made it clear they are comfortable going into 2010 with Casey Kotchman and Kevin Youkilis manning the corner spots in the infield, so a starting job, if healthy, could be in the cards for Lowell.  

If the Sox elect to choose Lowell, over Kotchman, by the end of Spring Training, its because they think his health is good enough for him to produce good enough UZR rating to keep the saber-metric geeks in the Sox office happy with the range of Lowell at third.

If not, it could be a sticky situation for a professional like Lowell as he won’t be happy sitting on the bench.  Not at this latter stage of his career.  Epstein and Francona have made it clear that they see David Ortiz as the DH for the Sox in 2010 and if the Sox elect to start Kotchman at first and move Youkilis across the diamond, Lowell could be lost in translation.

Not fair for a good guy like Mikey Lowell.

Injuries Could Play A Big Role In End Of Season For Pats

Even the joy of becoming a father to a new baby boy couldn’t heal the nagging injuries of Tom Brady.  New England’s franchise quarterback, who has been fighting injuries to his right finger, rib, and right shoulder, was back at practice the past two days after missing practice on Wednesday.

With the Patriots, uncharacteristically, playing poor football in December, their AFC East and post-season ambitions are up in the air much like the status of No. 12.  However, it looks like Brady will suit up on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills but things don’t look as promising for two of New England’s more prominent defensive linemen.

Defensive tackles Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren did not participate in practice Friday as both are listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest. Other questionable players on the injury report are Tully Banta-Cain, Sam Aiken, Julian Edelman, Jarvis Green, Nick Kaczur, Stephen Neal, Fred Taylor, and Benjamin Watson.

Even with a semi-healthy Brady, the Patriots offense could be in cahoots without Aiken, Edelman, and Watson, spread wide for Brady and the New England pass offense.  

A lot of scenarios are hanging in the balance for Bill Belichick as fans will have to wait to see what he decides to do with his squad full of injuries that have them questionable for Sunday’s game.  And much like the injury report, the Patriots playoff chances could very well be questionable with so many players missing from the playing field.      

76ers Snap Boston’s 11-Game Winning Streak

The Philadelphia 76ers snapped an 12-game losing streak earlier this week and on Friday snapped the Boston Celtics 11-game winning streak with a 98-97 victory over the C’s at the Garden.

The Celtics had control of the game for the first two quarters before the Sixers jumped back into the contest with a 30-point third quarter and outscored the C’s by 12 points in the second half to steal away the victory.  Rasheed Wallace was ejected for the first time this season, and as a Celtic, for arguing a foul call by an official.  It was his 30th ejection of his NBA career.

Four of the Celtics five losses this season have transpired on Fridays on the Garden parquet. The C’s have two more home games left against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers before they hit the road for a mini four-game road trip.

(AP Photo)

Hockey Set To Come To Fenway

The game is set, the ice is cold, and the rink is built.  Its almost time for hockey at Fenway Park.

With two weeks left before the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers square off in the third annual Winter Classic, attention to the outdoor event is growing.  Even with the Boston Red Sox hogging the headlines for the past week along the Charles River, the Bruins still find themselves as the number one topic of discussion on the streets of Yawkey Way and inside the walls of Fenway.

With the Green Monster lurking in the background, the ice and rink has been placed across the infield and outfield of Fenway, opening up opportunities for former Bruins and current Red Sox alike– to take a test skate on the ice surface.

Bruin legends Bobby Orr, Cam Neely, and Ray Borque laced up the skates to test out the “First Skate at Fenway” alongside Red Sox captain, Jason Varitek, on Friday.  

The Bruins (16-10-6) look to snap a two-game losing streak with a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday in a matchup of two Orignal Six teams, as the Black and Gold may be looking for a little good will and luck from the old-timers skate at Fenway.  The B’s have seven more games until the highly anticipated Winter Classic.

(AP Photo) 

Media Frenzy Focused On Randy Moss

With key figures of the New England Patriots organization coming to the defense of their beleaguered star wideout, should we really be paying that much attention to the play, or lack their of, of Randy Moss?

After all, Brady to Moss is still the unstoppable toss.  Right?

Well, one Wes Welker may have something to say about that, as No.83 has benefited more than anyone else from having Moss line up on the opposite side of him in New England.  Sure, Moss may look like he is doggin’ it or quitting on routes, but with other teams gameplans geared to stopping Moss and the deep ball, its alright for our “prima-dona” of a wide receiver to pout every once and a while.

Its obvious that Moss hasn’t put up the type of numbers that New Englanders are accustomed to from No. 81 in the past five games but don’t quit on the 32-year-old.  

Because he hasn’t quit on you.  Not quite yet.  

He has 9 TD’s to go along with 1,074 yards receiving yards this season and despite his one-catch, 16-yard performance last week, there is reason to believe that Moss will turn it around.  Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and now Bob Kraft have all come to the aid of Moss and his fragile psyche and there’s optimism in Patriots camp that the University of Marshall grad will turn it up in the Patriots remaining three games against the Bills, Jaguars, and Texans.      

You can’t expect the most popular kid at school not to sit and pout for the rest of the day after being called out by the teacher infront of all his classmates.  Moss will get over his little tiff with Big Bad Bill and move his attention to outplaying Terrell Owens and the Buffalo Bills.

If he doesn’t, he can be assured his days in New England, along with Adalius Thomas, are numbered.