NO MATTER HOW YOU CUT IT THIS PAST WEEK WAS A ROUGH ONE FOR NEW ENGLAND SPORTS FANS.
THOSE OF US WHO FOLLOW THE PRO TEAMS HAVE BEEN ON A DOWNHILL RIDE.
OF COURSE IT ALL STARTED WITH SUPERBOWL 46.
I'M NEVER SURPRISED AT THE WAY FANS HANDLE ADVERSITY BUT SOMETIMES I'M EMBARRASSED BY THE REACTION.
YES, THE PATS LOST AND THE GIANTS WON.
DISAPPOINTING INDEED BUT NOT THE END OF THE WORLD.
CONGRATULATE THE WINNERS AND MOVE ON.
BUT, IN THIS MEDIA FRENZY WORLD, EVEN THE SMALLEST THING GETS BLOWN INTO A MAJOR STORY.
FIRST IT WAS TOM BRADY'S WIFE, BEING HARASSED BY GIANTS FANS, MAKING REMARKS THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SAID.
IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT, WITH CAMERAS ROLLING GISELE BECAME A HEADLINE.
ROB GRONKOWSKI, WHO WAS A NON-FACTOR IN THE GAME DUE TO AN INJURY, WAS REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN DANCING AT A "AFTER THE SUPERBOWL PARTY."
CAMERAS ROLLING, MICS LIVE AND TALK SHOW PHONES START RINGING.
SOME DOT COM AGENCY IN BOSTON DECIDES TO DUMP BUTTERFINGER CANDY BARS IN COPLEY SQUARE IN HONOR OF WES WELKER DROPPING A BALL IN THE BIG GAME.
AND THE CAMERAS ROLL AND THE PHONES RING.
JUST WHEN WE THOUGHT MAYBE THE FOOLISHNESS WAS OVER FORMER RED SOX PITCHER OIL CAN BOYD SURFACES AGAIN.
PUSHING HIS NEW BOOK BOYD TELLS THAT WHEN HE PITCHED FOR THE SOX HE WAS USING COCAINE ON A REGULAR BASIS.
OH YES, I'M AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS BECAUSE I HAVE A NEW BOOK COMING OUT.
BOYD, NOW CALLED "COKE CAN", WON 78 GAMES WITH BOSTON, SAYS HE WAS ON THE POWDER IN AT LEAST TWO-THIRDS OF THE GAMES.
WONDER WHAT HE DID WHEN HE WAS HERE PITCHING FOR THE BLUE OX.
I FIGURED THE WEEK COULDN'T GET WORSE.
BUT I WAS WRONG AGAIN.
STANLEY CUP WINNING GOALIE TIM THOMAS DISCOVERED FACEBOOK AND THE PARTY WAS ON AGAIN.
THOMAS, HAD ALREADY GAINED SOME BAD PUBLICITY, FOR REFUSING TO GO WITH THE TEAM TO VISIT THE PRESIDENT AND THE WHITE HOUSE IN A CELEBRATION OF THE VICTORY.
IT WAS A FRANCHISE AND TEAM THING BUT HE SAID NO.
SUDDENLY THOMAS NOW, WITH A LARGE FOLLOWING, STARTS GOING POLITICAL ON HIS FACEBOOK ACCOUNT.
WHEN REPORTERS ASK HIM ABOUT IT HE WALKS OUT.
HE SEEMS TO FORGET THAT HE IS NOT JOE SIX-PACK BUT A WELL KNOWN PERSONALITY AND IF HE POSTS SOMETHING HE WILL BE ASKED ABOUT IT.
BEFORE SOCIAL MEDIA OTHERS HAVE DONE THE SAME THING BUT AT LEAST THEY TALKED ABOUT IT.
JUST ASK CURT SCHILLING, JIM BROWN OR MUHAMMAD ALI.
I CAN ONLY SHUDDER TO IMAGINE WHAT ALI COULD HAVE DONE WITH FACEBOOK OR TWITTER.
LAST NIGHT I THOUGHT I WOULD GET SOME RELIEF FROM THE INSANITY OF THE WEEK WHEN KOBE AND THE LAKERS CAME TO TOWN.
THE GREATEST N-B-A RIVALRY ON DISPLAY.
IN THE END LOS ANGELES WON IN OVERTIME WHEN THE CELTICS MISSED A LAST MINUTE SHOT AND PUT BACK.
BUT THERE WERE TWO THINGS THAT HELPED NEW ENGLAND FANS GET THROUGH THE WEEK.
PAUL PIERCE PASSED THE GREAT LARRY BIRD AND BECAME THE SECOND LEADING SCORER IN CELTICS HISTORY BEHIND JOHN HAVLICEK.
THERE WAS ONE OTHER TELEVISION MOMENT THAT MADE THE WEEK TOLERABLE FOR ME.
SITTING IN THE STANDS, CELTICS COACH DOC RIVERS, PLAYING DAD WATCHED AS HIS SON AUSTIN, BEAT NORTH CAROLINA ON A BUZZER BEATER THREE POINT BASKET FOR THE DUKE BLUE DEVILS.
WATCHING RIVERS JUMP UP AND DOWN AND CHEER FOR HIS KID WAS WORTH PUTTING UP WITH THE BAD STUFF OF THE WEEK.
THIS IS GEORGE HALE WITH MY PERSPECTIVE ON SPORTS.
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