Sports Then and Now

Marco Sturm etched his name in Boston Sports lore with his Winter Classic clincher.

The Winter Classic lived up to all the hype and then some. It truly was a spectacle and made hockey relevant in this country again. It was a needed shot in the arm for a sport that has been taking up the rear behind baseball, football, and basketball for years.

Personally, I was very excited just to WATCH this game. I watched the Winter Classics in Chicago and snowy Buffalo, but now it was in my backyard at Fenway Park.

I was down at Mohegan Sun and MGM at Foxwoods for New Years. My whole departure was planned around this game.

One of the cashiers at the MGM said to me after seeing my Bruins cap, “I hope you make it home before the game.”

Me too, but those one armed bandits put their magical spell even over the most die hard Bruins fan.

My girlfriend said, “It’s 11:30am.” I told her to give my version of the two hour warning, but I didn’t listen.

I was going to miss some of the game!

Damn these gambling hands!

I broke even for the whole two days, so that was a victory in its own.

The clock read 12:30pm, I had one hour and 10 minutes to go 105 miles.

New land speed record anyone?

I did about 85mph the whole way home and didn’t see one state trooper in MA or CT.

What are the odds?!

I caught the first period on 98.5 the Sports Hub. It just wasn’t that same. This wasn’t just any game. It was at Fenway!

I needed to see the Green Monster as a backdrop to Tim Thomas.

The fans in their pom pom hats.

The players with their eye black on.

I had to settle for my TV, but I wish I was at the game.

Luckily, there was no scoring in the first period. I didn’t miss the Fenway and Bruins faithful explode after a Bruins’ tally.

I made it home during the first intermission.

Perfect timing.

When I first saw snowy Fenway dressed up in its Winter Classic garb, all I could say was, “This is awesome!”

I was jealous, now I wish I was one of the 38,000 hockey nuts that were at Fenway!

It’s all about the once in a lifetime experience.

The puck was dropped.

You could hear, “Let’s Go Bruins!”

Then the Philly fans would proudly scream back,” Let’s Go Flyers!”

It was like a playoff atmosphere.

Scott Hartnell with his permed mullet yet again got under the Bruins skin especially Tim Thomas. He chipped at the Bruins goalie and Timmy had enough.

He gave a nice “How do you do?!” to the back of Hartnell. Unfortunately, the Bruins goaltender lost sight of the puck and Flyer Danny Syvret took advantage.

He scored his first NHL goal in one of the memorable games of his career. Philly was up 1-0 after two periods at Fenway.

The Bruins had to win this game. What a letdown if they lost the Winter Classic in their city. This was a once in a lifetime experience and needed to make the best of it.

After a back and forth final frame, the intensity reached epic heights in the last three minutes (perhaps the singing of Sweet Caroline charged up the B’s?).

The Flyers almost put the game away a few times, but newly chosen US Olympian, Tim Thomas stepped up.

He flipped. He flopped and he kept the biscuit out of the basket.

He gave his teammates a chance to come back and they didn’t disappoint!

Mark Recchi tipped a Derek Morris slap pass to tie up the Classic 1-1 with 2:18 remaining.

The sea of Black and Gold erupted! I was could have been labeled clinically insane by those watching the game with me.

It was like a tying goal in a seventh game. Yes I know this is crazy to say but that’s what it felt like!

What an incredible for the sport and the Bruins!

They tied the Winter Classic, but the boys from Beantown HAD TO WIN IT!

Coming back in such a dramatic fashion would go for naught if they lost in OT or in a shootout.

Fenway was electric; you could feel the energy through my plasma TV.

I was sitting at the edge of my seat with my hands in a praying position.

The heartburn was building. The butterflies in my stomach were the size of the space shuttle!

Win this!!

Patrice “Bergy” Bergeron has made incredible strides since his horrific concussion a few years ago. He is a playmaker, an Olympian, and a game changer.

Bergy did his best David Copperfield with a slight of hand trick as he found Marco Sturm in front of the net.

With a tap of his stick, Marco Sturm made his mark on Boston sports history.

I jumped off the couch and did my best Randy Burridge “Stump Pump”.

What an incredible moment to see such an event and an incredible storybook finish!

Wow I wonder how it felt being there! Damn opportunity missed!

The image of Sturm with his arms raised after scoring the Winter Classic clincher will always be burned in my memory.

Thanks to Gary Bettman, the NHL, and folks at Fenway Park. You did it right. This wasn’t just a game. It was an event. It returned hockey back to its rich history.

I only have one question…

Can we do this every year?!?!?!?