Tom Brady's reign of terror is in full bloom.

Are you happy?

You pissed off the man with the flowing locks.

Now Tom Brady is going to destroy you!

If you thought 2007 was an assault of biblical proportions, just wait for this post season!

You have already witnessed his wicked ways thus far this season.

You said he would miss Randy Moss. Well he proved you wrong yet again.

Moss factor?

Excuse me.

Since Randall Moss committed career suicide, not once but twice this year, Tom Brady has just set two NFL records.  He has extended his NFL record to 8 straight games with 2+ TD passes and no interceptions. He also shattered Bernie Kosar’s record with 319 consecutive pass attempts without a pick.

Ho-Hum.

Just another day at the office for #12.

He doesn’t have a “go to” receiver any more, he just goes to the receiver that is open. It looks like this system is

working just fine to the tune of 34 touchdowns to only four interceptions.

You say that he is in a “dog fight” with Michael Vick, yes I had to go there, for MVP honors?

But Tom Brady knows that the only MVP award that counts is the one awarded after that little game in February.

Oh and by the way, Brady has thrown 14 more touchdowns than Michael Vick and has started all 15 games. So just give him the MVP, so he can hang his dirty laundry off of it.

Tom Brady has never been more focused or driven in any season including the 2007 almost perfect season. He was visibly upset against the Bills in Buffalo this week. He was only 15 for 27 for 140 yards.

He was incensed.

He was pissed……at himself.

Brady is his own worst critic and he sets the bar so high that he can barely attain it.

This is why Brady is one of the best to every play the quarterback position. He is not even satisfied with passing for three touchdowns  and a 28 point lead because he knows that he has to be perfect to give his young team a chance to win.

Tom Brady leads by example and if you don’t like it there is the [expletive] door!

His mission is to destroy the NFL and his reign of terror will not end until his day of reckoning in Dallas.

My Patriots season tickets arrived with an added bonus.

This is third installment of the Season Ticket Trilogy entitled, Applause for the Patriots.

You may have read the other chapters of this saga, Patriots Not In Focus With Season Ticket Holders and Silence Broken: Patriots Finally Respond, Sort Of . To say these articles have stirred up a hornets’ nest is an understatement.

For the haters, who think I am arrogant Patriots fan and I am entitled to royal treatment, enjoy reading this (Unless you think my writing sucks as many of you have said. If so, please leave this site and return to the BSMW message board gang-lands).

I would like to tell the imposter who posed as the Stacey James from the Patriots; my season ticket package arrived in the mail today as promised. No Revolution tickets or Phantom Gourmet tickets, just tickets to the team I love.

Beside the tickets, information packet, and pins, there was something very cool and unexpected included in the envelope.

Hey, I give credit where credit is due. As I have stated in the previous trilogy entries, I am not asking for the world, just a little something.

Just a small gesture.

The Patriots answered with eight drink coasters that were made from the recycled turf of Gillette Stadium.

The coasters were made from the stadium turf.

I applaud the Patriots for this memorabilia that fans can appreciate every time they have a cold one. The back of each coaster highlights the team’s accomplishments on this turf spanning from the historic 2007 season until the home playoff loss to the Ravens.

A small thank you goes a long way with the team’s primary consumers aka season ticket holders.

Hats off to the Pats.

In the information brochure from the team, they also outlined the other benefits granted to season ticket holders for the 2010 campaign.

These benefits include:
·Free Practice for STH at Gillette Stadium on Monday, August 2nd
·Pre-sale access to Gillette stadium events such as concerts
·STH pins
· 15% off at the Pro Shop on NON game days

A special STH only practice on a Monday night in Foxboro is a great gesture but very hard to get to on a work night. Only fans that live in a 25 mile radius of the stadium can take advantage of this unless they take time off of work.

Why not a weekend session before the pre-season starts?

I have taken advantage of the pre-sale access for tickets to Jimmy Buffet and AC/DC in the past.

Thumbs up here!

I am not a big fan of the STH pin or the promotion around it. I just don’t know how any Patriots employee can see a pin that is the size of a nickel.

Do they check your hats or jackets when they take your tickets?

How about special hats or sweatshirts for the season ticket holders?

This would be something that fans would wear with pride outside the stadium and make them easily identifiable inside for the promotion.

The 15% off the Pro Shop is great, but why not on GAME days?

I know a majority of the fans drive from all corners of New England. Why not reward them with this discount before and after the game?

As most of you know, I am not a big fan of purchasing pre-season tickets as part of my STH package. But just at Bill Belchick says, “It is, what it is.”

I have a solution that would benefit all parties involved; the STH, the team, and the public.

I would propose an exchange program for preseason tickets. I usually donate one pair of tickets each year to a friend’s charity golf tournament. Perhaps the Patriots can reward season ticket holders for donating their preseason tickets to a good cause.

Perhaps in exchange for their donation, the Patriots can give each STH a parking voucher ($40-$50 value) for a regular season game.

Everyone wins.

The STH is able to save some money for parking and receive a charity tax write-off.

There is nothing better than being at the Razor! (Photo by Jim Mahoney / New England Patriots)

The unused tickets would go to someone who can’t afford going to a game.

And the Patriots would have a stadium that is full during the pre-season and would receive positive PR for this program.

These are just some of the points, I would have brought up if I was selected for a focus group.

Unfortunately, even if I was chosen this past week, I would not have been able to attend due to a family emergency. I needed to clear this up for the attackers who thought I wanted to stir the pot with no intention in attending this fan forum.

My participation was NEVER intended to be a venue to tell everyone how awesome Joe Gill is. It would be a forum that I would propose suggestions that would benefit EVERY season ticket holder.

Just like the Patriots, I believe in team first.

Granted, I ranted when I wasn’t chosen. It was because I was disappointed not because I felt they owed me.

I am writing this blog with some caution because I know this may open up the floodgates of negativity and name calling again. However, I hold out hope that there will be some people like Bruce Allen that will give their well thought out feedback about my suggestions.

Criticism or support, I welcome it all.

However, if you are going to call me names, question my support for the Patriots, blast me on message boards behind my back, say my writing sucks when you have no work of your own and post pictures of me with childish captions, don’t waste my time or yours.

If you treat me with respect, I will treat with you respect even if we don’t agree. We can agree to disagree in a mature manner.

However, if you launch immature and thuggish attacks against me again, I will no longer allow myself to sink to your level.

I will block your IP and GAME OVER.

Oh yeah, thanks for the free promotion for my site.

And last but not least, GO PATRIOTS!!!

Joe Gill from Section 336

This is the place I call my Patriots home since 2002.

As you all know, I got snubbed from the Patriots focus group this past week and to say the least, I was not happy.

There is nothing like feeling important to a sports organization that you have supported for 16 years not just as a fan but as a paying customer aka season ticket holder.

However, there is nothing worse than feeling the polar opposite, when the team/company/business/organization that you love snubs your chance to voice your opinion.

The feeling of being a valued customer.

In my last article, Patriots Not In Focus With Season Ticket Holders, I went on a rant of how I have been treated as a New England Patriots Season Ticket holder during “Focus Group Gate.”

I feel like I have been snubbed.

Left in the cold.

Being the last kid chosen in gym class for kick ball(insert cheesy saying of abandonment here).

Perhaps, the Patriots organization got what they wanted out of the season ticket holders.

Most companies cherish their customers especially ones that have been with them through thick(the championship years of the 2000’s) and the thin(the 90’s). They give back and give their consumers that warm and fuzzy feeling.

Well the Patriots don’t know the Rule of Warm and Fuzzy. Their canned response to my email is an EPIC FAIL.

They don’t even address one of my issues/complaints at all.

Mr. Pat Tully(if that’s his real name or that he even exists), just signed his name to a complete generic(to shut me up) form letter.

The kicker….his signature was in a different font than the rest of the letter.

That means just one thing.

CUT AND PASTE!

And it took them three days to send me a generic email.

There is more passion and sincerity in the spam emails I get from Nigerian Princes who need my money and ask for my bank account number.

Below is my exchange with the “Focus Group” at the Patriots, you can judge for yourself the amount of value and thanks they have for their season ticket holders.

My email to the Patriots after “Focus Group Gate”:

Entitled: “Extremely Disappointed”

To whom it may concern,

To find out I was not chosen for the focus group, is extremely disappointing. Being a season ticket holder of over 16 years, I was excited to share my feedback with the organization. To share my experiences and ideas was more of an incentive than the $100 gift card to the Pro Shop.

I feel being a loyal supporter for so many years has come with very few benefits. I felt this focus group was a step in the right direction. And yet again, I am left out in the cold.

Basically taking a $360 loss every season because I cant sell my preseason games to anyone and there is no ticket exchange program in place either. I am certaintly going to embrace the league’s schedule change from 4 preseason games to 2 with open arms. I will only incur a $180 loss now. Small victory I guess.

No season ticket holder discounts to be had. Parking is still $40. Concessions are absurd.

People may ask why do you still go? Well I feel having season tickets is like having a family heirloom that you pass down from generation to generation. I saw this team that was on the verge of leaving Massachusetts forever; become a elite franchise right in front of my eyes.

It has been a fantastic ride, but I don’t see any thanks from the ownership or team. A pin or letter isnt enough. I need help in the wallet or at least allow me a venue to have my voice heard.

Being snubbed from this focus group takes away that opportunity as well.

Joe Gill

Sect 336

Season Ticket Holder since 1994

The canned response from Mr. Pat Tully of the Patriots:

Dear Mr. Gill,

Thank you for your email and your continued support of the New England Patriots. We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with us.

We received an overwhelming response to participate in the focus groups and unfortunately did not have room for everyone to take part. But, we are always looking for ways to improve your experience as a Season Ticket Holder. There will be many other opportunities, both formal and informal, to share your feedback with us throughout the year.

Importantly, we realize we have Season Ticket Holders of all ages and from areas of New England. We are hosting Focus Groups with 3 distinct age ranges and we received an overwhelmingly positive response to participate from every group. We randomly selected participants ranging from 32 to 74 years old.

Given the great response, unfortunately not everyone who responded was able to participate, but we are happy to hear any thoughts you have.

If you have any other thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to email us at Focusgroup@patriots.com

Sincerely,
Peter Tully(original font was different than the body of the email)

Kraft saved the Patriots, but who will save the season ticket holders from his greed.

Folks, judge for yourself if I have the right to be disappointed and disgruntled. I know it is a privilege not a right to have season tickets for one of the most successful sports franchises on the planet Earth.

However, it’s their privilege not a right to have such a loyal fan base supporting their team.

Because god knows, that fan base was not there in the early 90’s when the team almost left for St. Louis.

The Invitation.

Just when you thought the Patriots would turn the corner, they let their season ticket holders down yet again. This time in the guise of a Season Ticket Holder Focus Group.

I was estatic! I have been a season ticket holder since 1994 and I have been cheering on the Flying Elvis for 16 years. Finally, the Patriots wanted to hear my opinions and experiences sitting in Section 336.

The $100 Pats Pro Shop sweetner was a nice hook for people to fill out the questionnaire to be “considered” for the focus group too. However, I was more excited to have the organization finally lend me their ears.

Not so fast.

After filling out the focus group information and getting time off of work, I get an email today saying that I wouldn’t be needed(after two of my inquires about additional information went unanswered).  To lessen the blow they offered me $10 off of a $50 purchase at the Patriots Pro Shop.

They were nice enough to even include a convenient link as well!

You have to be friggin’ kidding me!

Nice parting gift, I guess you ran out of Turtle Wax!

You basically tell me that my opinion is not valuable enough for your precious little focus group and now you want me to buy some merchandise!?

I am a marketer and I know nothing is more important than the voice of the consumer. However, when you continue totake those buyers for granted, it’s going to bite you in the backside sooner or later.

The Rejection.

A lot of companies have loyalty programs such as Borders and Bob’s Stores, you spend money and they give you benefits like coupons and special offers. What do the Patriots give their loyal customers?

A commemorative pin? No thanks, I have had my fill of pins. The four I have received over the last 16 years has been so “thoughtful” and I am more than content with my “valuable” collection.

Who wears pins anymore?

I try to put them on my hat but they drill  into your scalp and god forbid someone hits this death dagger on your head. They act like the cattle gun that kills cows on contact.

Thanks Kraft family, I am all set.

Mr. Kraft being an ex-season ticket holder, who sat in that sorry excuse for a stadium, wouldn’t you think you would be the one who would feel for the season ticket holders?

I would think you would be the one to throw us a bone or two.

Nope.

Sorry Charlie.

He rather take his riches and build Patriots Place. An entertainment complex built by and fueled by Season Ticket Holder money. Thousands of dollars generated by preseason tickets that go unused, but bet your bottom dollar they are paid for.

Every season, I go in knowing I am going to lose $360. No one goes to preseason games anymore. No one wants to buy them for $89 each when you are perched in the third ring of Saturn (aka Section 336).

No one wants to see third stringers play on a Thursday night.

However, as season ticket holders, we are forced to walk the preseason plank and buy these games. The Patriots don’t even have a ticket exchange program for the preseason. Basically, you are stuck making a donation to the Patriot Place fund.

I am not asking for the world here. I just want a little something for being loyal customer for 16 years.

I would be content with discounts on parking for certain games. A gift card based on how many years you have been a season ticketholder or even a free friggin’ beer!

Anything at all.

Just don’t take me for granted because fans come and go.

Just look around the sports world and even in the most popular league in the world.

The NFL.

Just look at the Jacksonville Jaguars and San Diego Chargers who almost had home games blacked out this past season.

Mr. Kraft, we have given you our hard earned money even in a tough economy, just find it in your heart to give a little back.

The Robinson Brothers are back together to stay.

When you go to a Black Crowes show, you never know what you are going to get.

They are one of the few bands that change their set lists NIGHTLY.

You could have seen them play down in Hyannis on Friday and then see a completely different performance at the Hampton Beach Casino two nights later.

And never be disappointed.

I didn’t see them on the Cape, but damn they rocked the Casino. Rock 101 was broadcasting the show, so the crowd seemed even more amped for the performance.

For those who do not know the Black Crowes, the best way to describe them is by  sticking the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Rolling Stones into a blender and pressing high speed.

They are bluesy, melodic, and rocking all at the same time.

If you don’t find yourself dancing, tapping your feet, or clapping your hands, you must not be alive.

The Crowes played many songs off their first album.

I saw them five years ago for the first time and they rocked the place. My friend and I called it the best worst show we ever saw. Not because of their performance which was incredible, but because of their set list. We had no idea what most of the songs were and we are big Crowes fans but I guess not fanatical.

The show at Hampton started off  with the Black Crowes playing hits like “Stare It Cold” “Hotel Illness”, “Hard To Handle” and “She Talks To Angels” off their first two albums.

To say the joint was jumping was an understatement.

The floor was actually moving from the sea of humanity grooving to the Black Crowes bluesy beats.

The smell of whacky tabacky was in the air.

Chris Robinson with his 70 lb frame and 60 lb beard, was the embodiment of a front man.

His booming voice and flaring dancing gyrations put the crowd in the palm of his hand.

The rest of the band was as tight as a band could be. They showed their true chops by inserting 10 minutes jams into songs like “Thorn In My Pride.”

Good Ole  Southern rock at it’s best.

They are incredible musicians and I love their style, but I am a greedy fan. I want to hear as many as my favorite songs in two hours. The jam fest was stealing away from my extravaganza of musical selfishness.

However, my prayers were answered!

For the encore, Chris Robinson came out with a guitar which seemed to weigh him down. You almost thought a roadie was going to help him play his axe.

When the band broke into “I Ain’t Hiding” off their new album, “Before the Frost”, I went out of my mind. My aching knees from a night of  wedding dancing quickly became rejuvenated as the music injected rhythm into my tired limbs.

No better way to end a show but playing the song that put you on the map. The opening lick by Rich Robinson of  “Twice As Hard” was a perfect ending to an incredible night of pure rock.

Not hard rock.

Not rap rock.

Not metal.

Just good ole southern fun lovin’rock and roll.

Can’t wait to see them again in the fall when they come back on their “Greatest Hits” tour.

But of course I will complain then too because I didn’t hear EVERY song I love.

That is a disappointment I can surely live with.

Twice as hard as it was the first time…

Hanging with my new old friends, Jon Fucile and Ryan Durling. We all write for BST&N.

I don’t have children, but this may be the closest thing to it.

You give birth to an idea.

It grows.

It crawls.

It walks.

It runs.

It does things that amaze you.

Sunday May 2, 2010 is the first birthday of a dream that became a reality.

Boston Sports Blogapalooza made me feel like a proud papa.

All my hard work paid off.

Proud Papa Palooza, Brades, and Kippah. What a wicked pissah Tri-fecta!

People with similar passions for Boston Sports met for the first time.

They made each other laugh.

They re-lived Savvy’s OT goal versus Philly.

They tried to figure out what was wrong with the Sox.

They talked about the battle between King James and the Celtics.

They tapped their feet to some great music.

Boston Media members like Chris Price embrace the blogging community.

They gave their money to a great cause.

They united as one.

Friends were made.

Business deals were done.

Blogapalooza achieved what it set out to do.

It brought people together. The power of social media at its finest.

I wanted to thank the following in no particular order for helping Boston Sports Blogapalooza become a defining moment in my life. A moment that I will look back, smile, and say, “One door closed and another opened. And what lied through that doorway was simply incredible!”

• Dean Hybl. The father of the Sports Then and Now family. He gave me the opportunity to untap a passion I never knew I had. My love for sports writing. He let me build Boston Sports Then and Now and make it my own. Hats off to you sir!

• Ant DeRoche. My friend of 15 years and drummer of the Hootchies. He gave up what little free time he had(because he had a real job) to help me build Blogapalooza from the ground up. Rocko you do indeed rock!

• My family, my girlfriend and friends. Without you, I wouldn’t have got through my
  

  My band of brothers. Thanks to my family for supporting me.

  second lay off in six years. You read my website, you believed in my ideas and stories, and dealt with my constant Facebook posts. You were there to roll up your sleeves and lend a helping hand when I needed it. I love you all more than you can imagie.

• The Bloggers, the fans, Boston Media, the musicians, the sponsors, and partners. Without you, none of this could have been possible. You didn’t know me from the next crazed Bruins fan, but you believed in my idea. You pushed me. You gave me the confidence not to throw in the towel when hurdles were put in my path. You believed in me and for that I am forever grateful!

I have a real job now and an incredible girlfriend who puts up with my sports blogging and social media obsession. Love ya baby!

A defining moment of my life.

Things are starting to line up in a good way.

To top it off, I made dozens of new friends.

Damn Life is good.

See you in November(or earlier I hope!) and thanks for getting your BLOG ON!

AIC performs "Rooster" at the Orpheum Theater in Boston.

I have been looking forward to this concert for months. I finally was going to see one of my all time favorite bands, Alice in Chains live.

I have been a huge fan of AIC since they came on to the scene in the early 90’s. Their tapes/CD’s were staples in my music collection and part of the soundtrack for my college years at UMASS-Lowell.  People on campus or the shuttle bus could probably hear “Dirt”, “Them Bones”, and “Man in the Box” blaring on my walkman and/or discman at any given time.

Sure they were dark and not exactly cheery but that was grunge. Alice In Chains led by the screeching sounds of guitarist Jerry Cantrell and the haunting vocals of Layne Staley were going to be a band that would stay relevant for years to come.

However, Layne Staley had demons and addictions. He ended up losing his battle with drugs especially heroin and crack. Layne passed away on April 5, 2002.

So what of the future of Alice In Chains?

Jerry Cantrell, the heart and soul of AIC, went on to a successful solo career. His albums “Boggy Depot” and “Degradation Trip” were very Alice In Chains influenced but still had a sound of its own.

I was a huge fan of Jerry’s work and was luck to get tickets for him when he opened up for Nickleback in 2002. I never heard the Alice in Chains songs live and when I did, I was out of my mind. Jerry and his band, which included unknown William Duvall, were doing complete justice to every Cantrell and Alice in Chains song they played.

I hoped that perhaps Jerry and the rest of AIC would get back together, but who would sing?

Little did we know that he was with the band the whole time.

Could William Duvall be AIC’s Brian Johnson?

Johnson replaced the deceased Bon Scott and AC/DC didn’t miss a beat.

When AIC reformed and released “Black Gives Away to Blue”, I was finally going to have the opportunity to see one of the bands that helped shape my love for music especially hard rock.

Their new album was superb. It was a great mix with skull crushing hits like “Check My Brain” but also included eerie tunes like “Your Decision”. You could picture Layne singing some of these songs but not all of them. William Duvall was putting his own stamp on the band.

I missed out on their gig at the Paradise in September 2009 due to a pre-planned trip to Atlanta. I wasn’t going to miss out on them again!

I bought tickets for their show at the Orpheum on March 14^th and the countdown was on.

Alice in Chains training was in full swing.

Training you ask?

I do a music listening marathon of the artist I am going to see.

My friend Anthony, who is part two of the concert going duo of Chazz and Rocko, was on board and pumped to see AIC for the first time in almost 15 years.

March 14^th was in the middle of a monsoon that hit Boston. Blinding rain and gusting winds gripped the Commonwealth. However, washed out roads were not going to thwart us in seeing one of our favorite bands.

On the way to the show, we discussed what songs that AIC would have a hard time pulling off without Layne and his distinct vocals. The song that stuck out was “Nut Shell”. We thought there was no way William DuVall could do this song justice.

After we settled into our miniscule seats at the historic Orpheum (which was built in 1852), Alice In Chains especially Mr. DuVall proved us very wrong.

Sean Kinney, Mike Inez, Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall were as tight as a band could be. It was like they have been playing together since the late 80’s.

Every AIC fan was satisfied with the set list. They played songs off their new album like the thunderous “A Looking In View” and the aforementioned hit “Your Decision”. But, they spent most of the night playing the historic hits.

Man In The Box.

Would?

Got Me Wrong.

Them Bones.

Damn the River.

Rooster.

They played almost the whole “Dirt” album which arguably could be their best. No one could tell that they haven’t played these songs since the damn of the new millennium.

William DuVall hit the ball of the park. His singing complimented the rest of the band to a T. The transition to William from Layne was almost seamless. The songs that were Layne staples such as “Man In The Box” and “Nutshell”, William was incredible. He didn’t let us forget Layne but he didn’t try to replace Layne Staley either.

Alice in Chains passed all the tests and there is no reason they won’t be as successful with William behind the mic. Jerry Cantrell found his vocal heir apparent and I am looking forward to seeing AIC be a force in the music scene again!

You all did Layne proud!

McHale scored 56 against Detroit but only enjoyed the record for 9 days.

On March 3, 1985, Kevin McHale one of the Celtics’ famed “Big Three” had the game of his life versus the Detroit Pistons. McHale left the game with 1:25 remaining with 56 points, 16 rebounds, three blocks, and four assists. The Celtics crushed the Pistons 138-129 at the Garden.

Kevin McHale broke the Boston Celtics’ record for most points in a single game which was held by Larry Bird. Bird scored 53 two years earlier.

Larry praised McHale’s performance by saying, “There aren’t too many times you have an opportunity to score that many points. Kevin will probably not score that many again. Today he was awesome; he deserved it.”

Bird added, “He should have gone for 60.”

Indeed, McHale should have gone for 60. No record is safe with Larry Joe Bird on your team.

The Celtics would travel to New Orleans to face the Atlanta Hawks on March 12, 1985.

New Orleans is known as the “Big Easy” and Larry Bird made it look very easy on this night.

The 10,079 people who crammed into the tiny University of New Orleans arena had no idea what they were about to witness.

Just nine short days after McHale broke his team record for scoring, Larry Bird put on a shooting performance for the ages.

It was an offensive clinic and Bird was the teacher.

Jump shot.

Fade away.

Lay up.

Free throw.

Three point bomb.

McHale should have gone for 60 because no record is safe with Larry Bird.

Bird had 23 points at the half as Boston held a 65-58 lead. However, he was just heating up. The Hawks had nothing in their defensive repertoire to stop him. This was Larry Bird’s game.
The second half was when Bird took his game to another level, if that is actually possible. The Celtics sniper scored 19 points in the third quarter bringing his game total to 42 points.

Boston had an 11 point advantage entering the final frame. Bird needed 14 points to tie McHale’s record. The record was within his grasp.

The crowd and Hawks players knew something special was happening. It was inevitable that Bird was going to break the record.

He just couldn’t miss.

Bucket after bucket.

The Hawks players were falling off their chairs in disbelief as Bird drained impossible shot after impossible shot.

The crowd mostly dominated by Celtics fans was in frenzy. They wanted Larry Bird to break the record and his teammates did as well. Even the current record holder, Kevin McHale, continued to feed Bird the rock.

He was hitting ridiculous off balance shots with Atlanta players fouling him.

His performance can be summed up with one word, awesome.

Bird broke McHale’s record on a free throw late in the fourth quarter. Who was the first person to congratulate him? Of course it was Kevin McHale.

Nine days earlier, Bird told McHale he should have gone for 60.

Bird took his own advice.

Dennis Johnson fed him a pass at the top of the key and Bird drained a jumper for his 59th and 60th points at the buzzer.

Bird was then mobbed by his teammates.

He scored 18 points in the fourth. He was 22 for 36 from the field. He made 15 out of 16 free throws.

Bird recaptured the record for most points in a game by a Boston Celtic. A record held by his teammate, Kevin McHale for just nine short days.

“Sixty points is awful tough to get and you can’t do it without the help of your teammates”, Bird said in a post game interview.

This wasn’t just Bird’s record. It was Kevin McHale’s. Dennis Johnson’s, Robert Parrish’s, and Danny Ainge’s. The Boston Celtics were an unselfish team that played for one another.

No individual can achieve greatness without the support of his team.

Hugh Duffy was the first Boston Triple Crown Winner.

Believe it or not, it has been 43 years since a major league baseball player captured the Triple Crown. The jewels in this elusive crown are batting average, home runs, and runs batted in.

Only a blessed few are in this elite class. Sixteen men, yes only sixteen men in the history of major league baseball have achieved such an incredible individual feat.

The first ball player to wear the Triple Crown was Paul Hines of the Providence Grays in 1878. The center fielder had 4 home runs, 50 RBI, and a .358 average. These numbers are far from eye popping due to fewer games and lack of statistical upkeep.

The first player from a Boston based club could say he was the top offensive player in baseball. His name was Hugh Duffy who played center field for the Boston Beaneaters. The Rhode Island native clouted 18 homers drove in 145 RBI and had an incredible .440 batting average.

The next Boston slugger to dominate the offensive stat sheet was you guessed it, The Splendid Splinter. Ted Williams has two Triple Crowns in his trophy case. Teddy Ballgame won his first in 1942 before going into the service. He batted .356 with 36 round trippers and 137 RBI.

Ironically, Ted Williams did not win the Triple Crown in 1941 when he eclipsed the .400 BA mark by hitting an astonishing .406. He is the last player to achieve such a milestone

Even a world war couldn’t even tarnish Williams’ offensive dominance. His second year back on the diamond, Williams hit .343 with 32 home runs and knocked in 114 runs. The Splendid Splinter terrorized opposing pitching to be the king of the batter’s box yet again.

The last player to win the Triple Crown ironically was the man who replaced Williams in left field.

Yaz and the Sox had an "Impossible Dream" year in 1967.

Carl Michael Yastrzemski became the heir apparent to patrol the grass in the shadows of the Green Monster. Yaz, as he was nicknamed, had very productive years since his rookie season of 1961. Captain Carl would average 16 home runs, 77 RBI and a .94 average in his first six years in the league with the Red Sox.

Yaz had been a three time all star.

He had gold gloves.

He had a batting title on his resume as well, but the post season had eluded him and his team.

However, 1967 would prove to be a special year for Yaz, the Red Sox, and the city of Boston. The Red Sox just came off a dismal season in 1966, finishing ninth out of ten teams in the American League. Only the New York Yankees had a worse record than Boston (those were the days).

The drought between pennants now reached 20 seasons.

Carl Yastrzemski was poised for greatness and 1967 would be his stage.

The Red Sox was a in a dogfight most of the season. They were in battle royal with the Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago White Sox to be king of the hill of the American League.

Yaz came through in the clutch as he did through the Impossible Dream year. Boston had no room for error in the last week of the season. One prolonged losing streak may knock them out of playoff contention yet again.

Boston trailed the league leading Twins by one game going into the final series of the season. Yaz went 3 for 4 with a homerun and four runs batted in to help the Sox to a 6-4 victory.

The top of the American League hill could only have one king and Yaz was ready to dash Minnesota’s playoff hopes in a cloud of dust.

Both teams stood at 91-70 on October 1, 1967.

Yastrzemski was poised for yet another heroic performance.

In front of 35,770 Fenway faithful and trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth, the Red Sox put a five spot on the board.

And of course Yaz was right in the middle of it.

The Sox would go on to win the season finale 5-3, ignited by Captain Carl’s 4 for 4 showing and his two RBI.

Yaz heard the bell and in a very big way when the pressure was on. In the final six games of the 1967 season, Yastrzemski hit a mind boggling .619 in 21 at bats.

Great players grasp greatness and don’t let go.

And Yaz wouldn’t let go.

The Red Sox won the pennant for the first time since 1946 and would face the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

Yaz almost carried the Sox to a title in '67.

Yastrzemski would yet again thrive in the spotlight. He batted .400 with three homeruns and five RBI, but it wasn’t enough.

The Sox would fall short in another grueling seven game World Series loss to the Cards.

The World Championship drought was now at 49 years.

The Impossible Dream team brought excitement back to the hallowed ground of Fenway Park and had Boston in baseball frenzy.

Number Eight had his best career season in 1967 and it was no coincidence that he was the sparkplug that made the Red Sox motor hum.

Carl Michael Yastrzemski finished the season first (tied) in home runs with 44, first in RBI with 121, and first in batting with a .326 average.

He is the last player to capture the now elusive Batting Triple Crown title.

And no one is more deserving.

A teammate who put team always before himself.

Bird and Person battled in an epic and deciding Game Five in the '91 NBA Playoffs.

In the ’90-’91 season, the Celtics were still one of the top teams in the NBA. They finished with a 56-26 record under head coach Chris Ford and won the Atlantic division. However, everything wasn’t rosy for the Celtics especially with Larry Bird.

Age and injuries were catching up with the “Big Three”. Kevin McHale only played 68 games, Robert Parrish miraculously stayed healthy and only missed one game, and Larry Bird missed 22 games to due to a compressed nerve in his back. This would be the injury that would cause Larry Legend to retire after the following season.

Bird, at age 34, would still have a productive season. He averaged 38 minutes per game, 19.4 points (which led the team), 7.2 assists, and 7.6 boards. However, he was a far cry from the Larry Bird of old.

The Celtics faced the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs that season. Boston would split the first two games at the Garden before traveling to Indiana for Games 3 and 4. The Celtics would take Game 3 112-105, but they couldn’t close out the scrappy Pacers in Game 4. The series was tied 2-2 and set up a winner take all Game 5 back in Boston.

Larry Bird spent the night of May 4, 1991 in the hospital in traction due to his insufferable back pain. No one really thought Bird would be able to play in the deciding Game Five versus the upstart Pacers.

However, as people learned throughout Bird’s whole career, never count him out.

Larry Bird made the start to everyone’s disbelief.

Chuck Person and Reggie Miller gave the Celtics everything they could handle. Bird and the Celtics did everything in their power to stay close in the first half.

Then it happened.

Larry scrambled for a loose ball and fell awkwardly.

His head made a horrific THUD off the parquet floor that could be heard throughout the Boston Garden.

Bird's incredible return to the game after slamming his head, is what legends are made of.

He left the court and the Garden faithful were stunned. Boston was barely hanging on with Bird.

How could they win without him?

The second half started and there was no Bird. The Pacers, especially Chuck Person, took advantage of the opportunity at hand. Indiana grabbed the momentum and almost ran away with the game.

The operative word here is almost.

Almost everyone thought Larry Bird was done for the night.

Almost everyone but Larry Legend himself.

Bird came out of the Celtics locker room and onto the court in true Hollywood fashion. The crowd began to go ballistic. Momentum returned for Boston and he had #33 on his back.

Bird knew no one was going to feel bad for him, so why should he. There was a playoff game to win!

Bird re-energized his team with his spirited and incredible play. What welt on his head? What possible concussion? What bad back?

Coach Chris Ford said, “The Savior was back.”

The Indiana Pacers looked like they saw a ghost. That ghost was of Larry Bird past. Bird looked like he was back in his prime.

He terrorized and tortured Indiana. He drained three point shots over them. He drove in the lane with reckless abandon. He rebounded the ball away from them.

The Pacers were stunned. They had no answers to stop him. Indiana just had to sit back and marvel this historic performance by one, Larry Joe Bird.

The Celtics would ride the emotions and momentum of Bird’s return to secure the victory, 124-121. In 33 minutes played, Bird put up eye popping numbers by scoring 32 points, adding 9 boards and 7 assists. He matched Chuck Person’s 32 points in 10 less minutes played and with a parquet floor inflicted headache.

Larry Bird and the Celtics would lose to the Detroit Pistons in the second round, 4 games to 2. Bird would miss Game One of the series and prove to be ineffective for the remainder of the series due to his back pain which limited him significantly.

However, performances like the one on May 5, 1991 is why Larry Bird became known as “Larry Legend”.