Andy Gresh - The Great Book of Boston Sports Lists

Table of Contents

Many thanks to Michael Connelly who brought me aboard this project. It was fun to do, and his experience was invaluable, along with that of our guy Greg Jones at Running Press. Greg brought us to completion in such a timely fashion and with ease. It was a pleasure working with you both. I also want to thank the management of CBS radio in Boston and my station, 98.5 The Sports Hub, for giving us the promotional vehicle needed to push this project to another level. In a book of lists, I also want to list the names of others who deserve my thanks including Dan Shaughnessy, Tony Massarotti, Tom Brennan, Mike Gorman, Don Orsillo, Dave Goucher, Gil Santos, Tom Brady, the New England Patriots, Howie Sylvester, Mike Giardi, Taylor Twellman, Gary Tanguay, Art Martone and the staff at CSNNE.com, Trent Tompkins, Eric Sauer, Bill Thompson, Bob and Robin Hall, Joan Whiting, Kevin Baldo Miller, Scott Zolak, Jim Louth, Nick Cattles, Rich Schertenleib, Fred Toettcher, Rob Poole, Greg Dickerson, Mike Babchik, Gary Williams of Golf Channel, Scott Masteller, Terry Foxx, Ron St. Pierre. They all contributed in some way. If I missed you, join the line of people who have a problem with me.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all the celebrities who submitted lists to the book. To Greg Jones of Running Press Book Publishers, whose belief in the project made the ramblings of two sports nuts a book. To my assistant editor, Robert Doherty, for his guidance and thoughtful suggestions. To my oldest friend, Robert Tracey, whose help was invaluable. To former Princeton goalie, Wally McDonough, who provided his sincere perspective. To Steven Alperin, who has been selfless in his efforts to help maximize the potential of all four of my books. To Charlie Cahill, whose passion for sports is only matched by his help with the book. To Erin McCarran for her assistance in marketing the project. And to my co-author, Andy Gresh: it was a pleasure.

We in the Northeast take our sports very seriously. Philadelphia, New York and Boston are maybe the three best sports cities in America. But Boston is clearly the best. We cheer. We boo. We throw stuff. We chastise. We debate. But we also take in the joys of winning and bond over it. And at its core, thats what this book is all about. Whether you use it to start or end a debate is up to you.

Unlike Michael, whos on his fourth book, this is my first book as an author. I come from the world of sports radio, which is immediate reaction to and analysis of whats going on. I have a pretty good gauge on how many people are consuming sports in Boston every day. Almost 20 percent of the people each day who listen to the radio in Boston listen to sports radio. And as crazy as that may sound, I think its actually way more than that. I dont think the numbers tell the whole story.

For generations, people in Boston have bonded over the Red Sox. In many ways, just like in New York City, the love for baseball is passed down through generations. Many phone calls to sports radio start with, Ive been watching this team for years.... The 2004 season changed Red Sox Nation forever when the Sox won their first World Series since 1918. Sox fans suffered through so many close calls and heartbreaks on the long road to winning that elusive World Series championship after 86 years. Then it happened. I always used to joke on the air that I wanted to own a bunch of funeral homes across New England when the Sox finally won it all, because lots and lots of folks would die. Many who read this book remember exactly where they were, and who they were with, when the Sox reversed the curse against the St. Louis Cardinals.

For some, Fenway is a monument that should never be torn down. For most of us, Fenway is where we practice the worship of the Red Sox as if we were going to church on Sunday. Folks across New England have a picture or just the memories of the first time they walked on Yawkey Way and had their first sausage and pepper sandwich.

The old Boston Garden was full of great memories of the Bruins and the Celtics. Red Auerbach waltzed into town in 1950 and turned the Celts into a dynastythree different times! Whether it was getting Bill Russell or Dave Cowens or exploiting a loophole in the NBA bylaws to draft Larry Bird while he was still in college, Auerbach set a tone and an expectation of winning with the Celtics that has become commonplace. I would love to know how many men in Boston still to this day smoke cigars because Red Auerbach did at the end of every Celtics win. I know because of him, I love Chinese food. And also because Im fat, but thats beside the point.

After some lean years and time in the new Garden, the Celtics have risen again under Danny Ainge. He was given a lot of rope by fans and ownership to fix the team because hes a link to the Celtics past. He was regarded as the man to lead the team after Auerbach was gone and people like Rick Pitino came in and failed fabulously. Ainge had credibility in this city, which buys you an extra year or two of patience from the fanseven if he took the job with no front-office experience. Bottom line is, people have once again embraced Celtics basketball.

The team that used to get overlooked in Titletown was the Bruinsuntil 2011! The Bs won three Game 7s on the way to their first Stanley Cup in 39 years and had a rolling rally parade that was bigger than the celebration for the 2004 Red Sox. Fans came back to the team who rooted for Milt Schmidt, Bobby Orr, Cam Nely, and Ray Bourque.

Orr made hockey mainstream in the Hub in the early 1970s, and its popularity was felt all the way to the construction business as new rinks were built all over New England because kids wanted to play and wear #4. Orr is the biggest icon in Boston sports history, and whenever the Bs lost, it brought out some of the most venomous criticism of the team and management. And because the Bruins never went above and beyond when it came to spending money in the 80s and 90s, the team never really challenged for a Stanley Cup. IT drove casual fans away and you were left with a hardcore hockey fan base that was ignored for years and years.