Top 10 Boston Sports Memories of the Decade

This list has been a work in progress for the past few weeks. What can I say? It was a great decade to be a Boston sports fan. Drumroll, please. DaDaDaDaDaDaDaDaDaDaDaDaDaDaDaDaDaDaDaDa 10. BC and BU win NCAA Hockey titles I'm not the greatest hockey fan but when the two of the best programs in the nation reside just a few miles away from each other and are fierce rivals, it is big news when they take national championships. BC took home championships in 2001 and 2008 while BU won the 2009 title. BC also lost in the championship game in 2000, 2006, and 2007. The rivalry will be played out in grand fashion next week when the two powerhouses meet at Fenway Park. 9. The Celtics beat the Lakers in Game 4 of the 2008 Finals On their way to the 2008 championship, the Celtics suffered some major struggles away from the Garden. Down as much as 20 points in the second half in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the Celtics scored 47 of the last 68 points in the game to pull of a 97-91 victory and extend their series lead to 3-1. 8. Derek Lowe's strikeout of Terrence Long to win the 2003 ALDS Down 2-0 to the A's, the Red Sox started their tradition of remarkable playoff comebacks by taking Game's 3 and 4 in Boston. In Game 5 in Oakland, Pedro Martinez pitched seven gutsy innings before giving the game over to the bullpen. The A's got a run in the eighth to cut the Red Sox lead to 4-3. Lowe came on in relief of Scott Williamson in the ninth and got Long to strike out looking with the bases loaded to help the Sox advance to the ALCS. This game also featured a mammoth homerun by Manny Ramirez off of Barry Zito, one of the most dramatic blasts hit by Ramirez in his time in Boston. 7. Rodney Harrison's interception of Donovan McNabb in Super Bowl XXXIX In clinching the Patriots third Super Bowl in four years, Harrison jumped in front of a McNabb pass to seal an exciting 24-21 victory. Tom Brady and Deion Branch torched the Eagles defense all night long but it wasn't until Harrison's interception that all doubt was removed that the Lombardi Trophy would stay in Foxboro. 6. Adam Vinatieri's field goals closes Foxboro Stadium in style in "Snow Bowl" Vinatieri nailed a 45-yarder with :27 seconds to go in regulation to tie the score at 13 and dropped the winner through the uprights from 23-yards in overtime in a blizzard to move the Patriots to the AFC Championship Game in Pittsburgh. Oh yeah, there was also the little replay decision by Walt Coleman to overturn a Tom Brady fumble to give the Pats the ball back on their final drive, allowing Vinatieri the chance to make history in the final game ever at Foxboro Stadium. 5. David Ortiz sinks the Yankees in Game's 4 and 5 of the 2004 ALCS Down 3-0 to the Yankees in the ALCS, the (Dan Shaughnessy created) "Curse of the Bambino" looked like it would be around for at least another year but Big Papi thought it was time to erase the past. His 12th inning homerun won Game 4 and a single in the 14th inning won Game 5. Curt Schilling then stood tall on his surgically sutured ankle to win Game 6 and Derek Lowe tossed six innings on two days rest to make history. 4. Adam Vinatieri wins Super Bowl XXXVIII Vinatieri, who is the star of this list, drilled a 41-yard field goal to give the Patriots a 32-29 win and their second world championship. It still amazes me that Vinatieri never won a Super Bowl MVP trophy, although the 354-yards and three touchdowns by Tom Brady made him a deserving winner. 3. The Celtics crush the Lakers to win the 2008 NBA Championship After 22 years of heartbreak and losing, the Celtics won their 17th championship by blowing out their historic rivals from Los Angeles. The Lakers almost tied the series in Game 4 (see above) but let it slip away. The Lakers did take Game 5 in L.A. before the series moved back to Boston. In Game 6, the Celtics made a joke out of Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant, winning 131-92 behind 26 points from Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, 21 points from Rajon Rondo, and 10 assists from Finals MVP Paul Pierce. 2. Keith Foulke closes the door on the Cardinals to win the 2004 World Series After 86 years of self pity and disappointment, the Red Sox finally won the World Series. After knocking off the Yankees in historic style (see above) in the ALCS, the Cardinals laid down for the Red Sox, who won in a four game sweep. The Cardinals might not have made the series interesting but Boston fans could have cared less, having finally won a championship. It may have been the most important moment for Red Sox fans, but the most important moment in Boston sports this decade, the one that made all Boston fans realize our teams could win the "Big One" was... 1. Adam Vinatieri wins Super Bowl XXXVI The 14-point underdog Patriots had already surprised America by beating the Raiders (see above) and Steelers to win the AFC title. But in facing the Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, and the "Greatest Show on Turf" St. Louis Rams was going to be an impossible game for the Pats to win. Setting the stage for a decade in which he evolved into one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, Tom Brady controlled the ball, Bill Belichick lived up to his reputation as the best defensive mind in the NFL, and Vinatieri drilled a 48-yard field goal with no time left on the clock to give the Patriots a 20-17 victory and their first world championship. Just for fun, here are the best five sporting events that I attended over the past decade: 5. 2007 AFC Championship Game The Patriots move to 18-0. Oh, what could have been. 4. Game 2, 2008 NBA Finals The Celtics held off a furious comeback by the Lakers to take a 2-0 series lead. 3. 2003 AFC Championship Game Peyton Manning throws four interceptions and the Pats advance to Super Bowl XXXVIII. 2. Game 7, 2004 ALCS Taking over Yankee Stadium and erasing 86 years of heartbreak. 1. 2009 Massachusetts Division II Boy's Basketball State Championship Game Best seat I have ever had for a game, no questions asked.