Boston athletes share natural bond

I don’t know about you, but I’m still reeling from that Patriots loss. Playing at the Garden on the first Sunday with no football made me realize it’s going to be awhile before we get to see Tommy and the crew back in action.

I was devastated. I wanted Brady, Wilfork and the rest of the guys who have been here for so many years to get that next ring. Winning the Super Bowl would have brought them to the next level, but it just wasn’t meant to be. The Pats had a great year and you can’t take anything away from them, their accomplishments, or what they were able to do this season.

Losing on a big stage is a terrible feeling, I’ve been there. I’m sure they’re going into the offseason with a bitter taste, but they are competitive and they’ll be back. You can never go wrong when you’ve got my boy Brady in the pocket and Belichick on the sideline! Wilfork is one of the greatest linemen of all time. I’ve had a chance to watch him pretty much most of his career here and he’s just a great player, and he had arguably one of his best years.

As you can tell, I’m a huge Patriots fan, and a huge Boston sports fan in general. Typically, I try to make it to at least a game or two at Gillette, but unfortunately I didn’t get out there this year with our schedule and the shortened season. I am of course a fan of the Red Sox. As for hockey, I got to watch my first Bruins game last year during the Stanley Cup Finals. I’ve seen a lot as a Boston fan here, and one of my favorite Boston sports memories was getting to throw out the first pitch at Fenway after we won the NBA Finals in 2008.

There’s a lot of pressure that comes from being a professional athlete in the Boston limelight and I think that helps Boston athletes to share a natural bond. People here have very high expectations, in that they expect championships every year from each one of their teams. I definitely understand that and approach our game like that, and we don’t hang division or conference championship banners in the Garden. It’s World Championship or bust!

To be honest though, the lean years here were tough, so I know how happy the Bruins must have felt to get back to the top last year. Since I’ve been in Boston, I don’t think any city has won more titles across the board. I never would have thought that as a Celtic, I would see a team in each sport win championship. From the Sox to the Bruins, to the Pats and the green, this is truly a city of champions!

You fans are the driving force behind those championships. There is no other sports city like Boston because you guys are the best fans in the world. You don’t just show up and get loud, but you’re educated on the sports, and it shows.

We’re getting closer to the postseason with the Celtics, and I truly believe we’ll be there at the end. We’re going to work as hard as we can to be here come playoff time. The Bruins are killing it and it is almost time for Red Sox Spring Training. Things are looking up, and spring is just around the corner.

And, if I got anything to say about it we’ll be playing at the Garden well into the spring!

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