The Breakdown

Well, that just happened.

Just days ago things were going great for the Boston sports fan. The Bruins, down 3-1 in their series with the Hurricanes, began to show why they were one of the two best teams in the NHL all year. The Celtics, constantly seeming to be on their last legs and down 2-1 to the Magic, fought back using heart and tenacity that hasn’t been seen since the days of Bill Russell. The Red Sox, despite struggling starters and a non-existent Big Papi, were continuing to win. To top it all off, the Sox, Bruins and Celtics all pulled off wins on the same night two times in a 4 day stretch.

Then it began to fall apart. The Sox entered their final west coast trip of the year, losing two of three to both the Angels and Mariners. The Bruins entered game 7 with all the momentum in the world, but ended with Scott Walker entering the realm of Bucky Freakin’ Dent with his game winner in overtime. The Celtics hit the bottom of their tank late in the fourth quarter of game 6, then had just enough left to tug fans along until the fourth quarter of game 7 when the Magic showed their potential.

Sterling and I witnessed that aforementioned game 7, not just from any seats but from loge box 17, 10 rows from the court. The view was great and the seats were amazing, but there was one issue that surfaced as the game went on. We were amongst all season ticket holders. While many fans were just happy to be at a game 7, these fans were mostly silent midway through the fourth as Mickael Pietrus did his best Ray Allen impersonation. They had blank faces, unsure of what to do next. This wasn’t just a game for them; this was part of their lives. For 49 games these seats were there whenever they needed a break from real life. At times they were their home, a part of their daily routine.

We've all heard of life imitating art, but last night was life imitating sports. The Sox aren't even at midseason, and although the Bruins lost they have a bright future. The same cannot be said for the Celtics. They are getting older, and their future, like their fan's expressions last night, is partially blank and unsure. They have multiple important free agents that they won't be able to afford. The big three have more miles on them than Black Beauty, my 1999 Oldsmobile Alero. And like Black Beauty you can see the rust, parts sometimes aren't working and it isn't as fuel efficient as it once was.

The good news? Right now, Black Beauty is still running fairly smooth on a daily basis. But I know the inevitable breakdown is coming and it could happen at any moment. The only question is how many road trips are left before it happens.

~Aaron Jackson

(Aaron was formerly the co-producer and writer of White Hat Sports, now Sterling's Sports. He is currently a sports reporter/anchor for an ABC/Fox affiliate in Maine.)