Being a Boston sports fan has its benefits, though mostly in recent years. Growing up, things were different. The Red Sox were the pre-2004 Sox. You know, 1986, Bucky Dent, etc. Yea, those Sox. The Bruins were decent and made a couple runs to the cup. The Celtics were awesome as awesome could be with the original big three.
Then we had the Patriots.
While I loved the team, each week was like getting your teeth pulled. The only memorable time frame for the Pats in my childhood was the 1986 team that got bashed by the Bears. Great season, but they got their butts kicked in the Superbowl.
One other memory from my pre-Brady Pats days (other than the Tuna Superbowl year) was the snow plow game.
FOXBOROUGH - His moment in the sun (or snow, to be exact) has lasted 27 years.it was Dec. 12, 1982 and the Pats were on the verge of losin another football game in a snow filled stadium where the team offered free tickets to those that would shovel out seats.Just walk into the Hall at Patriot Place, go to the second floor, and look up. There, suspended from the ceiling by steel cables, is the infamous green John Deere tractor and the attached sweeper that made Mark Henderson a part of New England Patriots lore.
The Pats won the game, thanks to a convicted burgler of all people.
As with other Boston sports stories and historic wins, it's not always pretty but we get the job done.