As originally aired on the Rochester Press Box
I have a Wall of Champions at my house. Framed issues of Sports Illustrated magazines that represent mostly Boston based championship teams that I rooted for over the years. They begin with the Boston Celtics 1966 championship team and conclude, so far, with the New England Patriots winning the Super Bowl in 2019. There are six from the Patriots. Eight from the Celtics. Four World Series titles from the Red Sox. The Bruins have three Stanley Cups and I put one up for Syracuse basketball from 2003. There’s 22 of them in all.
That’s a lot. And I’ll be the first to admit that in this regard, I’ve been somewhat blessed. Great sports teams and the likes of Bobby Orr, Bill Russell and Carl Yastrzemski growing up. A dedicated sports crazy community and the best sports page in something that was once called a newspaper, provided the professional foundation of what I am today.
My serious attempts at objectivity fall on deaf ears here. So, I am left to admit that 2023 will go down as a tough year for me. Over the course of their regular seasons, the NHL’s Bruins and NBA’s Celtics provided near unparalleled excellence. And were both considered championship favorites by the experts. Certainly one would rise above the rest. As we know now, neither did. And it’s all my fault. In 2018, I made one of those silent vows. The Red Sox were in the World Series and I was like, ‘just give me this one and I’ll never ask for another.’ So I got it. And then another from the Pats through the side door as a thank-you for all the years I rooted for that team pre-Tom Brady. But it’s time to pay the piper. I’m stuck on 22. It is my own fault. And just something I’m going to have to live with.
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