So, here is the debate: Which Boston athlete can stake claim to the best individual season?
(Note: Email me at kminihane@weei.com if you would like to debate further on our new feature at WEEI.com -- Slugfest.)
Pretty straight forward here, just one rule -- a player can only appear on the list once. Why? Just wanted to avoid four Bobby Orr seasons, three from Ted Williams and a couple of Bill Russell's. Thought a little variety might make for a better read.
10. Randy Moss (2007)
This is dopey I know, but I still get angry when I think about the 2007 Patriots. If they had scored the same amount of points during the season and gone 12-4 and lost in the AFC Title Game I'd probably think of them as a fun team that just didn't have the defense to get it done. But to be so close...
Let's face it, the 2007 Patriots were Matt Dillon in "My Bodyguard." And the Giants broke their noses. I'm pretty sure that this is the only team in Boston sports history that can be compared to a Matt Dillon character.
I almost left Moss off this list purely out of spite. But I suppose 23 TD catches can't be ignored.
In case you were wondering, here's the five seasons that just missed making the cut...
Cam Neely, 1993-94 (50 goals in 49 games)
Jim Rice, 1978
Roger Clemens, 1986
Wade Boggs, 1987
Ray Bourque, 1984
9. Larry Bird (1985-86)
I think this was from one of my blog posts from a while ago…
I fear that Bird has been a little forgotten over the last 10-15 years or so. Right around 1986 (when this cover story came out) there was no doubt that he was the best player in the league and probably one of the three best players in history. What changed? Jordan, of course, and it is tough to fight that argument (although Jordan is 0-6 vs. Bird in playoff games). It doesn’t seem that you ever hear Bird mentioned in the “best ever” argument anymore. He seems to be cemented in the “best forward of all time” spot and any attempt to promote him is not allowed. But I still submit that when Bird walked off the floor after Game 6 of the 1986 Finals he was, at that point, the best basketball player of all time.
The 10 Best Teams in Boston Sports History
10. 2007-08 Celtics
9. 2007 Red Sox (11-3 in the playoffs)
8. 1959-60 Celtics
7. 1969-70 Bruins
6. 1912 Red Sox
5. 2004 Red Sox
4. 2004 Patriots
3. 1961-62 Celtics
2. 1970-71 Bruins
1. 1985-86 Celtics
(The 2007 Patriots would have been no worse than No. 2 on the list if they had finished 18-0. Of course, the 1998 Celtics would have been no worse than No. 2 on the list of they had finished 82-0, but I think you get the point.)
8. Tom Brady (2007)
A truly great season, but maybe a touch overrated historically. Phil Esposito’s season (we’ll get there later) is actually far more impressive, if you look at the two. 50 TD passes seems almost incomprehensible at first glance, but the former record was 49 (and before that, 48). Does anyone think Brady’s record is going to last for another five years?
(Oh, and can we put the brakes on this team of the decade argument? Let’s have the Steelers win another Super Bowl first, then I guess we can open the books. Even then, I think the huge tiebreaker is that the Patriots won a pair of road AFC Title Games vs. the Steelers.)
7. Bill Russell (1961-62)
Again, you can just close your eyes and pick any season on Russell’s basketball-reference page and you’ll find a solid candidate for this list. His 1961-62 season stands out for two reasons.
(1) Career high in points per game (18.9) to go along with 23.6 rebounds (his fourth of what would be 10 straight 20+ rebound seasons). There is no game-by-game data for that era, but with those averages can we assume somewhere between 40-50 games with at least 20 points and 20 boards that season (he played 76 games)? I would think that might even be
RSS Center
