Patriots' Day 2012: Bad Day in Store for Boston Sports

It doesn't take much for gloom and doom to consume the Boston sports scene on any given day, even if the forecast calls for unusually hot temperatures and clear skies.

Though, when it comes to Patriots' Day in 2012, the warm weather may well be part of the problem.

The Boston Athletic Association has already had to offer deferments to Boston Marathon participants worried about the threat of dehydration, exhaustion and heat stroke during Monday's 116th tradition of one of America's most prestigious endurance runs. That could whittle down the field of 27,000 considerably by the time the festivities begin.

Either way, Geoffrey Mutai's marathon time of two hours, three minutes and two seconds, the fastest marathon time in history set at last year's Boston Marathon (though not eligible for world-record consideration due to the conditions), figures to be safe for at least one more year, though the fleet-footed Kenyan will be a favorite to defend his title regardless.

However many runners drop out of the marathon doesn't figure to affect the challenge of getting around Beantown, especially if you're headed to Fenway Park to see the Boston Red Sox take on the Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox have recovered from their 1-5 start by winning three in a row against the visiting Rays, buoyed by a 6-4 win on Sunday over rookie sensation Matt Moore.

The pickings will be a bit slimmer for the Sox on Monday against James Shields, who notched two complete games (including a shutout) against Boston last season.

Granted, Shields' career earned-run average of 6.75 in the shadow of the Green Monster doesn't bode all that well for the Rays, though the big righty has been much better against all competition, the Sox included, over the last calendar year.

Should that game end in disappointment, weary Bostonians figure to take some solace in a game taking pace further south, when the Boston Bruins battle the Washington Capitals in Game 3 of their Stanley Cup playoff series.

Then again, the B's haven't exactly been world beaters through two games against the Caps. They were decidedly less than dominant in Game 1, which they won on a stinging slapshot in overtime, and were stonewalled by rookie goaltender Braden Holtby again in Game 2 on the way to a 2-1 defeat.

Now, home-ice advantage belongs to the Caps, with Alexander Ovechkin and company taking surprisingly well to the role of underdog after so many seasons as disappointing favorites in the East.

So, by the end of Monday night, the sky may well have fallen on Boston...or not.

Where else could a warm day in April portend such cause for alarm.

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