Defining the Decade - New England Sports

You know, I thought about writing about all the acts of terrorism that've occurred this past decade, from Madrid to London to 9-11, and then following that up with a list of some of the biggest controversies (any decade that starts off with a botched election is sure to be controversial) but I realized that we all lived it, we all know how eventful this decade was, and we'll see how far into the future the effects of this decade hold. Check out this video for a review of the decade from a more news-orientated perspective.

But until then, I want to focus on what this decade has meant to all those living in New England. This isn't a sports blog, and I'm by no means an expert on everything sports.... but this is just what's gone on this past decade, and it's one of the best for the New England teams in awhile.

The New England Patriots started it all in 2002, winning Superbowl XXXVI. My mom knew we had it right from the start. As soon as the Pats came out of the tunnel as a team, forgoing the usual individual introductions, Mom was like, "How can they lose?" And it's true.... the team that did it as a team, won it all. Who's ever going to forget that epic image of Adam Vinatieri leaping into the air after kicking the game winning field goal? Or Tedy Bruschi doing a snow angel in the turf after the game? For a 12-year old, I thought it couldn't get any better than to partake in this.... Until they won it again in 2004, then 2005. The win in 2005 capped everything off.... Being the middle of the decade, and coming only months after probably the greatest win in MLB history....

The Boston Red Sox. 2004. Curse Reversed. Bloody Sock. 86 Years. Dave Roberts. Johnny Damon. Big Papi. Manny, Pedro, Millar. And a World Series win....

How do you talk about the year when the Sox won the World Series? What words describe the sensation that rippled through Red Sox nation that night in 2004? It wasn't just that they won it all.... it was that they faced the brink of elimination, with almost no hope.... Down 3-0 to the Yankees, until Dave Roberts steals second base in extra innings, as the Sox stave on elimination.... He gets driven home, and the Sox find themselves battling, against all odds, to win. And Terry Francona's merry band of "Idiots" makes history, becoming one of only a handful of teams in all of professional sports to battle back from a 3-0 deficit, and he did it against the Yankees no less!

I can remember huddling under my sheets with my alarm clock, listening to Johnny Damon smack a Grand Slam out of Yankee Stadium.... In the second inning! I went to bed with a smile on my face like you couldn't believe.... Only to make it to the World Series.... AND SWEEP!

Every Sox fan will tell you, watching Foulke flip to Mientkiewicz, they couldn't help but feel the chill of Bill Buckner pass through them... Or maybe that was just his soul finding peace.

Not only did they do it in '04, but 2007 was just as good. Remember that time the Colorado Rockies thought they stood a chance? True, we had been battled pretty hard by the Indians... but we managed to take Colorado and run with it. Another World Series sweep! It was unbelievable.... Red Sox Nation felt so good coming into this season! Only to miss the playoff hunt entirely.... It's fine, us Sox fans are used to waiting for next season.

The streets of Boston had hardly been cleared before the Celtics hit the hardwood for their regular season in November '07, but yet this season would be unlike any in years for the hardcore Celts fans. With the acquisition of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, coupled with the Celts's mainstay in Paul Pierce, the C's now had the new "Big Three," or "Boston Three-Party" to capture their 17th Championship win in franchise history. For the Celts, this represented the fastest turnaround in NBA history, going from one of the sorriest teams in the NBA to the very top of the world.

"Anything is Possible."

And New England sports prove it: Whether it's a upset win over a heavily favored St. Louis Rams team, or an epic battle from the very brink of elimination, or turning around a losing team, Kevin Garnett described all of New England sports this decade in that little, three letter phrase. "Anything is Possible," and in New England, anything can always happen.

Defining the Decade

How do you put a label on 10 years, 3650 days, 87,600 minutes, 5,256,000 seconds? (Someone check my math.... im a history major for a reason =P)

I'm going to try.

In the "Big Plan" inside my head I'd do it in four parts, talking about the rise of the internet, global terrorism, biggest controversies, and sports. We'll see how much I get done, after all, I've still got to party like it's 2009 tonight....

Since I'm still waking up, and I want to bookend the darker, heavier topics with something a bit lighter, here are my top list of favorite YouTube videos, since how else would you rather celebrate the rise of the internet than with everybody's favorite viral hits? Check em out, and let me know what you think should be included:

C'mon, you know you love 'em!

On Christmas Presents

As I said in my first post, this is where the thoughts that come to me in the shower go. Maybe it's all the cold meds I'm on (yes, sick for Christmas, a shame), but this is what I've got today. Here goes:

Christmas is like a story. As any middle schooler will tell you, a story needs to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. It starts as early as you please, sometimes as early as late summer when you see something that's perfect for a particular person. For the majority of Americans, it means Black Friday, that day after Thanksgiving when people wake up at ridiculous hours to flock to strip- and super- malls for prices that somehow turn a profit. Only in America.

The middle is that Christmas morning adventure, when little (or not so little) kids wait for their parents to OKay Santa not still hanging around to eagerly shred wrapping and tear at boxes and bags for their newest goodies. It usually lasts about an hour, sometimes 90 minutes if you're lucky.

Then the real test of a Christmas begins. Christmas doesn't end with no more wrapping to undo, or it shouldn't. This year, I'm taking a different route: the quality of a Christmas is to be measured by the longevity of the presents. That is, How long will I use each one for? I look at my ski stuff, some movies, a couple of quality books.... and say Christmas might never be over for me. Luckily for me, I can live Christmas for a good long while to come.

Merry Christmas! Probably post something about this decade coming to a close sometime next week. And my, what a decade it has been....

The Beginning

Hey!

So yeah, this the blog "This Kid, His World," something I've been thinking about for awhile now... My main purpose in writing is just to throw out whatever ideas have come to me in the shower, right before sleep, or whenever. Who knows how often I'll write, or if anyone will read the musings of 19-yr old college freshman, but I'm up for giving it a shot. Thanks for reading this already, I appreciate it =P

Anywho, this is where it starts, on the day after Christmas, near the close of the decade. We'll see where it goes from here....