Bruins Adding To Boston Tradition

Before the current century rolled around, the enduring images of championship glory for Boston's sports teams were limited to a palette of Celtic-green and the black and gold of the Bruins.

The footage of Larry Bird waving a towel courtside at the old Boston Garden, watching his teammates lock up another NBA title. That grainy photo of Bobby Orr soaring parallel to the ice after putting home the overtime game-winner to clinch the Stanley Cup. These are indelible scenes that embodied the spirit of the city for years and the Celtics and Bruins were exclusively responsible.

That isn't the case these days, and you'd be hard-pressed to find any one who's complaining. The recent championship runs of the Red Sox and the Patriots have breathed new life into the city's illustrious history of sporting successes. Walk-off celebrations initiated by David Ortiz and the various victory poses struck by Tom Brady and Co. provide the latest in memorable imagery in the upturned, modern-day capital of Massachusetts.

Still, we're always reminded - thanks to some of the country's most passionate fans - that the town is four-deep when it comes to sports franchises and the passion for each is undying. April serves as further proof.

The TD Banknorth Garden alternated surfaces of ice and hardwood this month to provide a stage for both the NHL and NBA playoffs for the first time since 2004, and New Englanders flocked to the venue to catch their Celtics and Bruins chase championship dreams of their own with intensity on par with a trip to Fenway Park in October.

I was at the beloved ballpark on Saturday as the Red Sox and Bruins treated fans across the city to simultaneous comebacks.

As the wild third period between the Bruins and the hated Canadiens unfolded, the stadium buzzed as updates flooded in on cell phones and Blackberries. The score was eventually displayed digitally on scoreboards for everyone to see, and as Marco Sturm put the Bruins ahead for good with 2:37 remaining, the countdown was on at the Fens. When the game went final, the place erupted, and it wasn't long after that Manny Ramirez sent a towering blast off a light tower in left in the bottom of the eight inning to propel the Red Sox past the Rangers after they trailed for most of the contest. I can only speak for the 35,000 or so packed into Fenway, but pandemonium is the only way I'd describe that atmosphere.

Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, who came on to pick up the save in the ninth, recognized the added energy in the ballpark that night, saying, "You could just sense that Boston fever from the crowd. City of champions. Right there, something special happened."

The Celtics delivered the following night in the same building where the Bruins had previously thrilled, beating the Atlanta Hawks in the first game in their quest for a 17th NBA Championship. The sparkling play of the team's big three - Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen - has spawned memories of the glory days of Bird, Bill Russell and their respective eras of dominance.

While the Bruins were unable to defeat Montreal in Game 7 to advance to the next round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, they did their part to catch the attention of at least one Boston team and for the first time in recent memory, they added to the fever. The inspired effort they gave in Game 6 won't earn them a championship ring, but for one night, they got to share the Boston spotlight they had been absent from for so many years.

Championships certainly are a nice perk to fan-hood, but it goes much deeper than that. Boston is shared by four teams and the fans don't ever quit on any of them. The Bruins were simply returning the favor.

Chris Brodeur's New England column runs every Wednesday. He can be contacted at

Christopher.Brodeur@UConn.edu.