An expletive came flying from the living room that October night in 1986.
Mookie Wilson's slow roller had somehow found its way through the balky legs of Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner, and my father reacted in a manner befitting the latest in a string of heart-wrenching collapses by the Olde Towne Team.
I was just six years old that night, but my perception of the sports world and how things were supposed to work was forever cemented by the Mets' win in Game Six of the World Series.
Losses weren't surprises, I believed—they were expected. The Sox would never beat the Yankees; the Celtics would never again be THE Celtics of Bird, McHale, and Parrish.
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And the Patriots...um, who?
What a difference two decades make.
The Red Sox are now a model major league franchise, the C's have discovered a new Big Three, and the Patriots on Saturday likely will become the first team ever to complete a perfect 16-game regular season.
But I still can't relax.
Whether it's the Sox' latest romp through the playoffs (I was worried about the spunky Colorado Rockies because of their remarkable winning streak) or the Pats' perfect season (I'm reminded of the 2005 Indianapolis Colts' awesome run through the regular season, which ended in playoff defeat), I can't shake the nervousness.
"It's rare for the sporting planets to align so magically and rarer still for them to remain that way for long," reporter John Powers wrote in The Boston Globe this week.
Whether it's an inherent New England cynicism or the result of memorable losses sprinkled throughout my youth, I don't expect my team to win—even if I should.
Come Saturday, I'll be be hoping that Tom Brady and the Pats can write history on the cold turf in the Meadowlands against the Giants.
But my chewed fingernails will mock the quiet confidence that should be the hallmark of all Patriots fans.
Hopefully, there will be no expletives this weekend.
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8 months ago
Ditto from another Diehard. It's just the way we were brought up. Lucky for us the current teams have changed that for my kids. My Daughter born in 2000 has seen 2 WS titles, 3 SB victories and she's 7!! I keep telling my son to enjoy it because we're seeing history. If /when (see that pessimism) the Pats go undefeated and if/when (again) the win the Superbowl and the Celts top it off with number 17 that would be unbelievable.....I think the original Sox motto of Believe is what we need to do....It's working so far..Happy New Year Boston Fan....Hope it's better than 2007!
8 months ago
i also am a die hard new england fan howevr i am a little older and i agree this it the most nervouse i have felt in a long time.
however when the pat's start in the playoff's they will win . the diffrencebetween the pat's of this year and the colt's a few year's ago is that the colt's where used to losing in the playoff's .and the pat's are used to winning .simpley said the pat's are proven winner's .atleast that is my thinking to make me feel better
8 months ago
I hope you guys get a chance to stop by my forums and talk some Pats with me! Sorry for the shameless plug in your comments section!
:-)
http://www.thescoreboards.com/forums/new-england-patriots/
8 months ago
I am nearly as confident that the Pats will win as I was when they got into the playoffs just before their first Superbowl win. I only get nervous when the opposing defense applies speed to turn the corners on the pocket, the offensive line can't open a hole for Maroney, opposing running backs run outside, special teams miss their tackles on ball returners, and nobody covers Marvin Harrison or Tyrell Owens. Other than that, what's to worry about other than Brady getting hurt by someone who really wants to spoil the Pats chances for going all the way?
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