We Want The Cup!

Talk about momentum shifts!  It’s amazing how a little rendezvous back to BeanTown can completely turn the tides in a playoff series.  The Bruins left Vancouver heavily medicated to deal with all the heartbreak they experienced during the first two games of the series.  But now the team is rejuvenated, fighting with Horton’s injury and that big, shiny, silver cup in mind.

To get you guys even MORE amped up for a decisive Game 5 in Vancouver on Friday, I’ll leave you with a couple Boston Bruins viral videos that have become very popular in recent weeks.  They prove that Boston fans are indeed the best fans in this country.  Get that Cup Bruins!

The Bat Flip Heard 'Round The World

Another classic Sox-Yanks matchup last night.  With first place for the AL East on the line, tension was high amongst the players on both rosters. 

Jacoby Ellsbury didn’t seem to let it get to him though, slapping a quick home-run off of the intimidated-looking Freddy Garcia during the first at-bat of the game.  It was like getting points just for putting your name on the SAT.  Starting off in the black.

When Ortiz knocked a bomb out of right field to put the Sox up 6-1, his reaction to his hit was classic.  He abruptly flipped the bat back towards the Sox bench, not even watching as the baseball soared over the outfield grass. 

To say the least, Yanks manager Joe Girardi wasn’t pleased with Ortiz’s reaction to his homerun.  Seriously?  Come on, Joe.  I know you’re the Yanks manager and you have a special duty to hate everything Red Sox, but you have a team full of some of the cockiest players in the league.  You have no right to criticize Ortiz for a little bat flip.  This should have been a non-issue.  Something not even discussed.  But instead it’s blowing up ESPN articles left and right.  “Was Ortiz wrong?” “Was it an inappropriate reaction?”

Please.

Ortiz summed it all up pretty well: “Big deal. I enjoy the game. I’m a home run hitter. It’s not like I do it all the time. It’s part of the excitement, you know what I mean? What can I tell you?”

Perfect response from the lovable big guy.  He’s not going to take any crap from Girardi about how he handles his Louisville Slugger after he hits a home run.  Good for you, Papi. 

Unsolicited Prediction For Bruins Game 4:  Brew Crew win by one, Timmy Thomas wears a Hannibal Lecter mask to start the game, Alex Burrows disappoints Canucks fans everywhere with another underwhelming performance (too tired from sleeping with one eye open).

Bruins In The Zone, In The Series

There is a special phenomenon that affects many players at some point during their athletic careers.  Many athletes are lucky enough to enjoy this otherworldly experience multiple times.  This intangible and desirable occurrence is known as “being in the zone.” 

I’ve heard athletes often describe “being in the zone” as a feeling of invincibility.  A feeling that everything is and will go their way.  It’s a metaphorical injection of confidence and luck that creates moments of flawless play and success.  

Fans know when individual players or teams are experiencing one of these moments.  When Ray Allen hit seven straight three pointers (8 total) against the Lakers in Game 2 of the Finals last year, it was clear to all that Sugar Ray was feeling it.  The ball left his hands and there was no doubt where it was ending up.  These moments are special, and fans enjoy watching them happen because they know they’re witnessing something unique and timeless.   

Fortunately for all Boston fans, we were able to witness another one of these “in the zone” moments while watching the Bruins pick apart the Canucks last night.  The Brew Crew hit Vancouver where it hurts, putting up a touchdown and two-point conversion on the back-heeled boys from Canada. 

The Bruins played flawlessly - hitting hard (Looch), finishing plays (Marchand), and stopping pucks (Timmy T).  The rhythm they were in was unstoppable.  They ended the game scoring three goals on three consecutive shots!  I think they broke Luongo. 

They sent a clear message to the Canucks.  A message that Burrows took right to the left temple.  The Boston Bruins are back in this series (as if anyone here doubted they would be; see yesterday's prediction).  So buckle up and prepare for more nail-biting (get it?) action the rest of the way. 

Keep Horton in your thoughts and as always, GO BRUINS!

Feeling Out The Weekend

How The Starting Roster feels about:

Miami up 2-1 in the NBA Finals?

Frustrated, but certainly not surprised.  As much as it pains me to give the Heat even the smallest bit of credit, I have no choice but to admit that they are playing at a frighteningly high level of basketball, particularly on the defensive side of the ball (Maybe LeBron finally took the time to watch some 2008 Celtics-Cavaliers game tape for pointers.) 

And this type of basketball is what LeBron, Wade, and Company promised the entire country on national television during their overwhelmingly humble* muscle show/welcome party this past summer.  

*dripping with biting sarcasm 

Boston down 0-2 in the NHL Finals?

Excited.  Seriously, I’m not all too worried about our boys in this series.  We lost both games by one questionable goal each.  Remember: A playoff series doesn’t start until the Home team loses a game.  Vancouver did their job, and now it’s time to do ours. 

Unsolicited Prediction for Game Three tonight: Bruins win by at least two goals, Chara scores, three Canucks lose some teeth in fights.

Player Profile...Adrian Gonzalez

The BoSox got off to a pretty ugly start this season.  For one of the League’s most-promising and hyped teams coming into the year, their 2-10 start was pretty underwhelming.  Although the undying faith of Red Sox Nation kept hope afloat in Boston, it was the coming-out party for Boston newcomer Adrian Gonzalez that helped the Sox turn their season around. 

The Sox traded for Gonzalez this past December and signed him for a seven-year, $154 million deal.  Not too shabby, huh?  Gonzalez has the record to deserve that kind of deal, with a career batting average of .285, 168 homeruns, three All-Star selections, and two Golden Gloves.

The Florida Marlins drafted the slugging first baseman in 2000, but he never made an MLB appearance.  He was traded to the Texas Rangers in 2003 and played 59 games over two years with the squad from the Lone-Star State.  He was traded to the San Diego Padres in 2005 and became a household name during his stay at Petco Park. 

As is only fitting for a slugger of Gonzalez’s prestige, the man has a LOT of nicknames.  “El Titan”, “Gonzo”, “A-Gone”…they’re all aliases for a man who’ll make a living the next seven years putting dents into the Green Monster.  My favorite nickname was coined by YouTube personality Fitzy.  He calls Adrian “El Chupucabra, the Mexican Monster,” in one of his videos and I just fell in love with it.  Flows right off the tongue.  El Chupacabra.

So, Sox fans, get accustomed to having a new kind of Monster in town.  Fortunately for us, it’s another Monster we can all love.  

Heart. Break. City.

Wow.  Words cannot appropriately describe my emotions after watching that Game One.  A mixture of sickness and slight hope all wrapped together to form one sour aftertaste of feelings.

The Bruins played their hearts out.  That was perfectly clear.  And no one played better than Timmy Thomas, who planted himself in front of that goal with authority and confidence.  And he nearly pitched a shutout.  One fluke play was the difference between OT and a loss.

But everyone watching that game learned the same thing: the Bruins can play with the Canucks.  This isn't going to be an easy series for either team.  We're on their level.  We played them as close as you possibly can in their own house with their own obnoxious fans hooting and hollering.

It's safe to say that the Bruins have been placed on the back burner of the Boston sports hierarchy for the last decade or so.  This is not to say that Bruins fans have been less dedicated or less fervent in their support.  It's simply the overwhelming success of the Sox, Celts, and Pats that has overshadowed the recent unfortunate times for boys in black and yellow.

But these times are officially over.  The Brew Crew has reignited Bruin fandom in Boston and raised it to levels reminiscent of the Bobby Orr and the Big Bad Bruins era.  This team plays hard and they play tough.  It's this "dirt dog" mentality that breeds champions in the NHL.

So don't count out our boys for this series.  We'll be back with a vengeance Saturday night and I'm sure the Canucks know they'll have their hands full.  Watch out.

Public Enemy No.6

Here in Boston, we love to hate our rivals.  Perhaps we feel that as a long-time major sports hub, it’s our duty and a privilege to maintain these heated rivalries.

The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry is one of the oldest and recognized rivalries in the country.  Fans from both cities indulge in the long, epic battles between these two teams.  We live for those games in October that keep children up past their bedtimes and make parents scream from the family room couch at the television while periodically hurling a miscellaneous object in the general direction of Joe Buck’s voice.                      

And how about that Bruins-Habs rivalry, eh?  The blood-stained ice reminds fans that very little separates hockey from trench warfare.  And it’s the same case with Patriots-Colts and Celtics-Lakers.  There is an unmatched, immense passion on display when these teams meet.

The sporting world is not too different from Hollywood.  For every good guy, there needs to be a bad guy.  It’s Movie-Making 101, and Boston fans are great at creating these enemies.  Over the years, many players and coaches have assumed this role atop “Boston’s Most Wanted” list.  Peyton Manning, Alex Rodriguez, Kobe Bryant, and Rex Ryan have all garnered the hatred of Bean Town fanatics over the years. 

But while I watched Game 1 of the NBA Finals last night, I determined that no one else should be more detested right now in Boston than No. 6 of the Miami Heat: LeBron James. 

“King” James has been a formidable enemy of the Celtics in years past, but back then we always had the last word.  In retrospect, the Celtics are one of the main reasons why LeBron left Cleveland.  He realized he couldn’t get through Boston without the help of another superstar (or two?).  But this year, LeBron got his revenge and sent the Celtics home in a dazed state of confusion and regret. 

So as you watch the remaining games of the Finals, including each and every smug grin and over-zealous celebration by LeBron, remember that it is your duty as a Boston sports fan to root for the Mavs.  It is your right.  Go Dirk.