Great Time Of Year For Boston Sports Fans

This is a great time of year to be a devoted sports fan. Of course, as far as I am concerned, there is no bad time to be a sports fan. But early spring and late fall are two of the exceptional times if you are a follower of Boston professional sports.

The Celtics are in the playoffs, limping through their opening series against the New York Knicks. They are headed towards a second round confrontation with the mighty Miami Heat and LeBron James, a series that should be a lot of fun to watch.  Here’s hoping the Green can once again leave James as “The King Without A Ring."

The Bruins are also in the playoffs, locked in a tough opening round battle with their arch rivals to the north, the Montreal Canadiens. I admit I am not the world’s biggest hockey fan (are Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito still playing?) but I have gone to a few games and always watch the playoffs.  If Tim Thomas stays hot in net, the Bs might get a chance to make folks forget last year’s playoff embarrassment.

The Red Sox have started playing recently. Well, the season started a few weeks ago, but the Red Sox have really only started PLAYING recently. After an embarrassing and awful start, they are heating up and their pitching is starting to come around.  They have been out on the west coast, meaning the games start at around 10 p.m.  It’s great that they start as the Celtics and Bruins games end, but I have to admit I’m having more trouble staying up on weeknights than I did in years prior.

The Patriots might not get a chance to play football this season, but the NFL draft will be held, and is fast approaching. This is the best of all professional sports drafts, and fantasy geeks like my son Nate are already analyzing and rating prospects. It provides us with just enough to give us a taste of all four major sports teams at the same time.

Can the Celtics defy Father Time and injuries, and perhaps bring an 18th NBA title to Boston? Can the Bruins shed their “playoff loser” label and win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1972? Can the Red Sox live up to the pre-season hype and make it to the World Series? Will the Patriots use their draft picks, trade them for even more picks or players, or possibly draft Tom Brady’s ultimate successor?

This is just an awesome time to be a Boston sports fan. And if you still don’t get that this is a lifestyle, consider this: My aforementioned son Nate and his wife Melissa live in Baltimore, and they just got a new dog. The dog’s name is - Bruschi. 

You just gotta love Boston sports.

Bill Gouveia is a lifelong sports fan and Norton resident, as well as a local columnist.  He can be reached at aninsidelook@aol.com.