Boston Sports - - This close.....

2007 World Series Champs - Boston Red Sox
2008 Super Bowl Champs - .............................
2008 NBA World Champs - Boston Celtics

The 2008 New England Patriots were perhaps the greatest team in the modern history of ALL sports. They were 18-0. If you count the Super Bowl, they were 18-1. The best record in the history of the NFL. No team has ever won 18 games in a season. They only lost that game by 3 points. 3 Points. If that had been the 6th game of the season, the 2008 New England Patriots would be considered the greatest NFL team of all time. They set scoring records and margin of victory records, passing records and receiving records, they did all this in a time of 'parody'. They did all this on the heels of 3 Super Bowl wins since 2001. Moreover, they did all this in same year that the Red Sox and the Celtics won Championships. All that being said and still this team did not fullfill it's promise.

No city has ever won all three (MLB,NBA,NFL) in the same season. Even if you include the NHL, only 10 times has a city had two of the four in the same season. It has only happened 8 times without including the NHL. Most recent was the 2004 Boston Red Sox and NE Patriots.

2 Sport Champs since 1950.

2007 - Boston - Red Sox & Celtics
2004 - Boston - Red Sox & Patriots
1988 - Los Angeles - Dodgers & Lakers
1979 - Pittsburgh - Pirates & Steelers
1969 - New York - Jets & Mets
1956 - New York - Giants & Yankees
1952 - Detroit - Lions & Red Wings

As it is, the accomplishment is unique. Two major sports champs in the same city twice within 4 years. It had only happened 5 times total in over 40 years.

Once the Red Sox had won it in 2007, it seemed that we only needed to worry about the new look Celts, after seeing the Patriots roll through the regular season and the play-offs. They were facing an over-acheiving Giants team that seemed like they might not even belong in the Super Bowl. The Giants deserved to win the game. I watched every second of that game. Had I not known, I would have thought that Giants were the more complete team. Better coached. More disciplined. However, it still came down to a miracle play for these lovable (for some) Giants. An incredible escape followed by an impossible catch. ON THE SAME PLAY. Either of these two plays could have stood alone as fantastic, timely and instinctive plays to save the day for the Giants. But they happened on the same play. Rodney Harrison was draped all over Mr. Tyree while he was making "The Helmet Catch", not a cornerback or a small safety, but the toughest, meanest, dirtiest player in the NFL. How did he do it? I still can't believe it. If you watch the play again, it doesn't look real. there is no way you can make that play. No way. But it happened.

I am not exactly sure what the point is, other than the fact is we were that close to making professional sports history. History that may never happen. Or at least not until this year.

Red Sox - 2008 World Series chances?
Patriots - 2009 Super Bowl chances?
Celtics - 2009 Championship chances?

All three teams look poised for another run....but something tells me that it won't happen this year, or any year soon. It may never happen. But this past year, we were one miracle play away from it happening. Amazing.