fans. It officially closed the book on the most dominant decade one city has ever had in the history of professional sports. Technically, the Feb 5 Super Bowl was just outside the decade. But, for the ten years from Feb 3, 2002 to Feb 3, 2012 Boston was the hub of the sports world. I know it’s nothing new to any of you. We’ve all enjoyed the seven titles won by the local teams these last ten years. And, I know that’s not a record number of championships for a city in a decade. Heck, the Celtics had more than that in the sixties all by their lonesome. But, the sheer number, in addition to the variety is pretty amazing. Sure, the Yankees won five World Series in a row. But, you still had to wait until October to get the next ring for the city. The Patriots won a ring in February 2004, the Red Sox won a ring in October of 2004, and the Patriots grabbed another ring in February 2005. That’s three rings in twelve months. Simply amazing.
So, from here on out, each year drops an early Patriots ring from the equation. If the Celtics win the title, it’s still only seven rings in ten years. (I love that I used the word “only” there.) The Celtics and Bruins would both need to win before we can start talking about an even better decade.
And, that’s really the coolest part of it. Sure, the best decade has ended. The best decade so far. Look at where those four teams are right now. The Patriots are the Vegas favorites to win the next Super Bowl. The Celtics have their window closing. But, they’re still on the short list of teams capable of winning the championship. The Red Sox missed the playoffs last season, but are poised to come back this season. They bring back the best offense in baseball, and should have a healthy pitching staff to go with it. The Bruins? They’re the defending champions. Simply amazing.
It’s hard to believe that the best may be yet to come.
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