Considering a Hodgpodge of Boston Sports Stories

I have a few free minutes, here are a few thoughts:

• Some media members are wondering why the Cardinals have a new manager already and the Red Sox don’t. When you lose your GM in the middle of things, it slows down the process a wee bit.
• 

  You mean his mouth closes?

  Who should be the new manager of the Red Sox? They had each candidate do interviews. In a market like Boston, known for aggressive media, this is an important consideration. Mackanin came off like Robert California from the Office. His playing both sides approach sounded to me like smoke and mirrors. Lovullo came across as the most secure and relaxed of the bunch. I was greatly disappointed when he left for Toronto with Farrell.  I would welcome him back, but I don’t think it will go that way. Sandy Alomar Jr. will probably become a very good manager one day- I just don’t think it will be in Boston.  Reading about Sveum, I think he should be the choice.  I don’t hold the whole 3rd base coach thing against him. Send ’em In Kim would be a different story. But I appreciated his approach, including defensive positioning. I see that as one of the things Tampa does really well. Their defenders are seldom out of position.  The last 2 years the Red Sox have not seemed in position very often except for Pedroia. He understand what each coach should do, since he’s done it all. He coached guys well. I share the hunch that he’ll be the guy unless the Cubs strike first. If so, Lovullo would probably make a great choice.

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Considering the Stanley Cup Champions

I was pretty young during the Bruins’ hey-day.  Too young to remember it or enjoy it.  My dad took me to a few games at the Garden when I was a kid.  I love watching hockey live- TV?  Only during the playoffs.  During my adult life, they have been an exercise in frustration.  The times they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, they really looked over matched.  Since Cam Neely retired, they have been mired in mediocrity.  Anytime they had a star, they had nothing around him.  Eventually they would trade him for a bag of dry, crusty bread.

Last year I thought they had a chance.  Then Krejci went down and the Flyers took a series they had no chance in before that.  I can’t stand the Flyers, they ruined the Bruins’ chances too many times by injuring key players.

I was not sure how good this year’s Bruins were.  I seemed to have always checked the headlines when they were struggling.  Savard’s concussion was a bit of a blow.  They just didn’t look strong heading into the playoffs.

And they didn’t start strong.  Down 0-2 to the despised Canadians, it didn’t look good.  Amazingly they came back to take the series and advance to play … the Flyers.  It was a time of redemption.  This year’s series against them was what last year’s was supposed to be- a sweep.  That felt really good.

On to Tampa Bay.  The Lightening were not a good match up for the Bruins.  That was probably the toughest series the Bruins had.  It really could have gone either way.  The 7th and deciding game was full of great hockey.

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Considering 2010: The Year of Injuries

As a Boston sports fan (since my youth), I found 2010 hard to stomach.  Injuries plagued the Boston teams, derailing potentially good or great seasons.

It all started during Week 17 of the Patriots’ season when Wes Welker blew out his knee.  Surely this did not strike a death blow to the Patriots’ season, but it sure hurt.  There were a number of problems that were exposed in that playoff debacle against the Ravens.  But you have to wonder how a healthy Welker may have changed the outcome.

The Bruins seemed to be rolling along in the playoffs.. They were up 3-0 on the Flyers and seemed in position to move ahead.  But 2 important things happened.  1st, one of Philly’s best players returned to action for Game 4, and in Game 3 David Krejci was injured for the Bruins (another in a long line of Bruins’ seasons ended by the thuggery of the Broadway Bullies).  His loss was pivotal as the Flyers won 4 straight against a Krejci-less Bruins team.

The Celtics were leading the 2010 NBA Finals against the Lakers 3 – 2.  When Perkins blew out his knee, all that changed.  Unable to keep the Lakers off the boards, and expecting too much time from Davis & Wallace, the Celtics withered down the stretch of Game 7.  Perkins’ injury changed the series.

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