The Boys Of The Endles Summer Realize The POSSIBLE DREAM

Like with national tragedies, we will always remember where we were, and who we were with when the fianl out was made. Much like a wedding or graduation, years from now we will look back at the photographs and the videos, and recall what a happy time it was., when the Boston Red Sox won the World Series in 2007. Although the baseball season is over, Red Sox Nation will go happily into the winter safe in the knowledge that their Boston Red Sox are not just the best team in baseball, but champions in every sense of the word. It is now time for Red Sox fans everywhere to rejoice and remember, as the 2007 edition of the Boston Red Sox truely is a team for the ages. The record will show that New England's endless summer concluded with a parade, under cloudless skies, and unseasonably warm temperatures

The Sox fought back every challenge in 2007. They got into first place on April 18th, and stayed there right through the end of the season. The team withstood a late season charge by the Yankees, then extricated themselves from a 3 games to 1 deficit in the ALCS. They were never really challenged the rest of the way, as they swept the upstart Colorado Rockies 4 games to none, just as they did to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2004. Through the whole journey, the Red Sox carried themselves like true champions. They took a page out their neighbors from Foxboro's text book, and showed the world what happens when 25 men band together as one, even when the road gets rough, and there are doubters and critics around every corner. In short, and at the risk of being overly dramatic, they provided an example of what we all can be.

As the World Series played out last week, the wisdom of placing such trivial pursuits such as baseball games on the front page of the newspaper was debated

The Boys Of The Endless Summer

Growing up in the cold Northeast, you learn at an early age that endless summers exist only in songs and fairy tales, or for those lucky enough to live in such warm weather locales such as California and Florida. An Endless Summer. It sounds so nice to those of us in New England that deal with cold, or otherwise unpleasant weather for about 8 months out of the year. Of course everyone has their own special time in their life that feels like an endless summer, perhaps when someone meets a future spouse, and life partner. For others it is that last Summer before college, or before that first 9-5 job, a time spent going to concerts and cookouts, enjoying warm evenings, travelling with friends, before the realities of family and career set in.

For members of Red Sox Nation, the 2007 season has been one big endless summer. The Red Sox spent the entire season in first place, withstood a late charge by the hated Yankees, and won their first division title in 12 years. It was a year which saw a late inning comeback victory against Baltimore on Mother's Day, and a no-hitter thrown by a rookie in September. There was no wild card entry into the playoffs this year, and this time it was the Yankees that were pondering difficult questions after being eliminated in the first round of the tournament.

The magic has continued throughout the playoffs and the World Series, where almost every home game (with the exception of games 1 and 2 of the Fall Classic on Wednesday, and Thursday evenings) has been played under unseasonably warm temperatures., and most of the Fenway playoff games have been magic indeed. There was Manny Ramirez's game winning home run in game 2 of the ALDS Vs. Anaheim. That was followed by Curt Schilling's gutsy performance this past Saturday evening, followed of course by Sunday evening's game 7, 12-2 ALCS clinching victory over the Cleveland Indians ( both games were played in over 70 degree temperatures), which completed a comeback from a 3 games to 1 deficit.

There really is nothing like Boston when the Red Sox are in the World Series. The region of New England comes together, strangers update each other on the scores of games while riding the MBTA. and for a brief time, the political and ideological differences that divide us are put aside, and we all join as one and gather at Fenway (for those lucky enough to score tickets), and various bars and watering holes throughout New England, and take in the drama that is the Boston Red Sox in the postseason. It is enough to make even the most cynical of fans (which I am still guilty of being) believe that anything is possible, and it seems that since the magic of the 2004 season, everything IS possible.

It really is a special time ot be a sports fan in New England. In addition to the Red Sox, the Patriots are undefeated, (and appear to be unstoppable), and Boston College's football team is also undefeated and ranked second in the nation. Also, with NBA season set to get underway, optimism abounds with the likes of Kevin Garnett now leading the charge for the Celtics, as they begin pursuit of their elusive championship banner number 17. Yes, these are special times indeed in New England these days, ones to savor and remember, because they don't last forever.