Boston sports fans: Has Tom Brady surpassed Larry Bird as

[edjr 6,898]

I never said he was my favorite. He was Boston's favorite. I was an Espo/Marcotte guy myself, but Brad Park is my all time favorite Bruin.

 

And anyway, are you saying can't be under 10 and have a favorite player that sticks with you for life? Aren't you young, innocent, and naive and even more emotionally involved at that stage of your life, so the fond memories stay with you?

 

I'd think 10 to 15 would be the prime time in your life when you have the fondest memories. at least for me.

 

Jim Rice is my favorite Red Sox of all time. I have no favorite Patriot player from that era, although I did want Grogan to start the superbowl. Bird is my favorite celtic and Neely is my favorite Bruin.

[TUM301 10]

Boston fan for 40+ years and have seen many come and go. 4 fav players in order are

1-"The Chief" Johnny Buyck

2-Reggie Lewis, local college player that hit it big but gone way too early

3-Fred Lynn, MVP and ROY, injuries and gone via F A

4-Pedro Martinez, every time he pitched was a must see!

5- hard to pick a fav team, 75 Sox, 2001 Pats, 86 Celts, 70 Bruins

[Foghorn Leghorn 0]

And anyway, are you saying can't be under 10 and have a favorite player that sticks with you for life? Aren't you young, innocent, and naive and even more emotionally involved at that stage of your life, so the fond memories stay with you?

 

I agree wholeheartedly. 8 years old, seeing Ray Bourque play in his rookie year when the Bruins visited, made me a Bruin fan for life.

[edjr 6,898]

Boston fan for 40+ years and have seen many come and go. 4 fav players in order are

1-"The Chief" Johnny Buyck

2-Reggie Lewis, local college player that hit it big but gone way too early

3-Fred Lynn, MVP and ROY, injuries and gone via F A

4-Pedro Martinez, every time he pitched was a must see!

5- hard to pick a fav team, 75 Sox, 2001 Pats, 86 Celts, 70 Bruins

 

 

Pedro is UP there for sure. for 3 years (god bless dan duquette) every Pedro start was like an event, absolute must see TV.

[donhaas 19]

Where does Greg Kite fit in to all of this?

[edjr 6,898]

Where does Greg Kite fit in to all of this?

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MJScitOvZm0

 

Play #4

[donhaas 19]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MJScitOvZm0

 

Play #4

 

Just saw Fred Roberts in that mix

 

70 percent of all the white guys who played in the NBA during the 80s played for the Bucks or the Celtics (or both) at some point.

[edjr 6,898]

Just saw Fred Roberts in that mix

 

70 percent of all the white guys who played in the NBA during the 80s played for the Bucks or the Celtics (or both) at some point.

 

Fred Roberts played for BOTH!

[mighty_thor 115]

My personal favorite players:

 

1. Orr

2. Brady

3. Bird

4. Fisk

 

Favorite Coaches:

 

1. Belichick

2. Don Cherry

3. Francona

4. Heinson

 

Other players I liked a lot: Cowens, Terry O'Reilly, Steve Nelson (Pats), Yaz, Havlicheck, John Hannah and Gerry Cheevers.

[mighty_thor 115]

Just saw Fred Roberts in that mix

 

70 percent of all the white guys who played in the NBA during the 80s played for the Bucks or the Celtics (or both) at some point.

 

I just got a mental image of Brian Winters hitting one of his high arced jumpers with that GI Joe beard.

[Boston 0]

I'm gonna have to strongly disagree with that statement. While Neely is certainly when of the most popular Bruins ever, and gets the sex appeal points with the women, he doesn't quite have the love, respect and admiration that Bourque has. How many Boston fans became Colorado Avalanche fans in the spring of 2001? Household TVs were tuned in, and sports bars were filled with fans rooting for Ray to take home the Cup. They had a day in his honor after he won, and 15,000+ fans showed up at City Hall to see him with the Cup. Sure, we would have seen something similar if it had been Cam, but not to that extent.

 

In the pantheon of Boston sports, I'd say it goes Orr, then Bird, then in no particular order - Williams, Bourque, Brady.

 

We'll have to disagree on this one . Bourque is well loved and is one of the classier guys to play any sport in this town (the #7 to Espo move still brings chills when I see the highlight). He's also one f the best players in NHL history. Yet, Neely is a player who has a bond with fans that's on a different level. They get much more fired up and emotional when it comes to him. In many ways he is the exact personification of what Boston wants it's athletes to be....very skilled but also able to kick your ass.

[Snuff 10]

In many ways he is the exact personification of what Boston wants it's athletes to be....very skilled but also able to kick your ass.

 

I do believe this trait is not just a "Boston" thing.

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,433]

We'll have to disagree on this one . Bourque is well loved and is one of the classier guys to play any sport in this town (the #7 to Espo move still brings chills when I see the highlight). He's also one f the best players in NHL history. Yet, Neely is a player who has a bond with fans that's on a different level. They get much more fired up and emotional when it comes to him. In many ways he is the exact personification of what Boston wants it's athletes to be....very skilled but also able to kick your ass.

 

I doubt even Cam would agree with you on this one.

[Foghorn Leghorn 0]

We'll have to disagree on this one . Bourque is well loved and is one of the classier guys to play any sport in this town (the #7 to Espo move still brings chills when I see the highlight). He's also one f the best players in NHL history. Yet, Neely is a player who has a bond with fans that's on a different level. They get much more fired up and emotional when it comes to him. In many ways he is the exact personification of what Boston wants it's athletes to be....very skilled but also able to kick your ass.

 

Actually, Neely was the exact personification of what every NHL team wants its players to be - a powerful, physical forward that can score a bushel full of goals. I daresay that he was a modern version of Gordie Howe in those respects - he just didn't have the longevity, thanks to that a$$hole Ulf Samuelsson.

[Boston 0]

I doubt even Cam would agree with you on this one.

 

Why not? Seriously, please fill me in. We're not talking who the better player is but who the fans have the better connection to. If you think Bourque brings more emotion to the typical Boston fan than we'll simply have to disagree because I don't know many who feel the way you and Thorton do. It's kind of like Russell and Bird. Everyone knows Russell was the goods but he doesn't get the fans fired up like Bird does.

[Boston 0]

Actually, Neely was the exact personification of what every NHL team wants its players to be - a powerful, physical forward that can score a bushel full of goals. I daresay that he was a modern version of Gordie Howe in those respects - he just didn't have the longevity, thanks to that a$$hole Ulf Samuelsson.

 

I still chuckle every time I see the highlight of him dragging Claude Lemeiux along the ice as he is turtling.

 

I remember reading an article about how tough he was. I forget who the player was but he said fighting Neely was different because his punches were so heavy it didn't matter if you had a helmet on.

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,433]

Why not? Seriously, please fill me in. We're not talking who the better player is but who the fans have the better connection to. If you think Bourque brings more emotion to the typical Boston fan than we'll simply have to disagree because I don't know many who feel the way you and Thorton do. It's kind of like Russell and Bird. Everyone knows Russell was the goods but he doesn't get the fans fired up like Bird does.

 

We are talking about the face of the Bruins before, during and after Neely. Ray Bourque manned the blue line for the Bruins and was the person that they could relate to year in and year out. We are also not talking about one guy who was a talker and one who was quiet. Neely did not like the attention either.

 

Cam played 10 season with the Bruins, with the last FIVE of those never playing in more than 49 games. Ray Bourque played in 23 seasons and in nearly 3 times as many games as Neely did as a Bruin.

 

Neely was a great player and one that was a marginal HOF'er. Bourque was a great player and was a no-question HOF'er and it was not just a question of longevity. I like Neely. I have had beers with him before at Dad's Diner. He would laugh if you told him that you thought he was bigger than Bourque in this town.

[Boston 0]

We are talking about the face of the Bruins before, during and after Neely. Ray Bourque manned the blue line for the Bruins and was the person that they could relate to year in and year out. We are also not talking about one guy who was a talker and one who was quiet. Neely did not like the attention either.

 

Cam played 10 season with the Bruins, with the last FIVE of those never playing in more than 49 games. Ray Bourque played in 23 seasons and in nearly 3 times as many games as Neely did as a Bruin.

 

Neely was a great player and one that was a marginal HOF'er. Bourque was a great player and was a no-question HOF'er and it was not just a question of longevity. I like Neely. I have had beers with him before at Dad's Diner. He would laugh if you told him that you thought he was bigger than Bourque in this town.

 

I don't disagree with your writeup on Bourque but it's missing the point. It's not who is better but who the fans have a bigger emotional tie to. While Bourque is a beloved figure Neely is one there's more emotion tied into and you're just not going to convince me that Bourque trumps Neeley in that area. We'll just have to leave this be because I don't think either is going to convince the other.

 

Funny you should mention Dad's...my guess is we're talking around 1992 because LB and Neely were no strangers to that part of town...and LB was often legless with a couple of groupies on either arm.

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,433]

Funny you should mention Dad's...my guess is we're talking around 1992 because LB and Neely were no strangers to that part of town...and LB was often legless with a couple of groupies on either arm.

 

Bingo. I have some good stories that I won't go into here, but let's just say that alcohol was involved to a heavy extent.

 

[Boston 0]

Bingo. I have some good stories that I won't go into here, but let's just say that alcohol was involved to a heavy extent.

 

 

Same here...I played with and against many of the big names of that era and the ones I knew all liked to tip them back in a big way (among other things). A much different era...they wouldn't get away with 90% of that stuff now.