We are about 48 hours past one of the worst events to happen in our lifetime in the city of Boston. There are still many in shock from what happened, whether it is the disbelief that we were caught so off-guard, or unfortunately having a loved one who was involved in the attacks. The entire state feels as if it has a blanket of disbelief and sorrow hanging over its head.
Rightfully, sports have taken a backseat the last two days. Nobody in their right mind woke up Tuesday morning to check the Red Sox box score, nor did they complain or question the refund policy on the Celtics cancelled game as one would normally expect. Everyone accepted the fact that sports were secondary right now. But with the NBA Playoffs rapidly approaching, the Boston Celtics could provide the city of Boston and the state of Massachusetts a welcome distraction from the horrors that have occurred in the last week.
In 2001, much of the country rallied behind the New England Patriots and their Super Bowl run. How symbolic it was for a team of Patriots to win the most cherished title in America after the attacks of 9/11. The Super Bowl made us all temporarily forget what had happened just a few short months prior. While the country may not rally behind the Celtics, it would unquestionably offer the city of Boston an opportunity to rally together and show their resilience.
An empty TD Garden, even a half full TD Garden for Game 1 against the Knicks and the attackers did their job, they made us scared to go about our normal daily lives and forced us to change our lives in fear of what they may do. A sold out TD-Garden that is rocking like 2008, and that would be a magical story that no author would ever be able to pen. The Celtics may very well feed off this, we know they play with their heart on their sleeve come playoff time, but this time its different.
During their elimination game last year, when everyone knew the season was over, the fans not only stayed until the final buzzer, but the chant of “Lets Go Celtics filled the arena for over five minutes, growing louder and louder. The fans stood behind their team even when all hope was lost. Don’t think this went unnoticed or has been forgotten amongst the veterans of this roster. Now it is their time to stand behind their city when all hope has been lost. It is their turn to provide a distraction from the disappointment and despair. That is what made the city of Boston the best sports town in America for a period of time, when their team was down the fans were always there to pick it back up, there was always hope. Now its a rare and unique chance for the teams to give back to their loyal fans. And that is where the rebuilding of Boston will begin.
The Links:
CSNNE: Rivers: ‘I’m really proud to be part of Boston’ | CSNNE: Expect increased security for Celtics playoff games | ESPN Boston: C’s Not interested in underdog label | ESPN Boston: Randolph reflects on ‘shocking’ tragedy | ESPN Boston: Green: ‘We’ve just got to pray for the victims’ | ESPN Boston: Celtics react to Marathon tragedy | ESPN Boston: Doc’s Take: The aftermath of a tragedy | ESPN Boston: Playing today ‘just didn’t feel right’ | Boston Herald: Blasts resonate deeply | Boston Herald: Rivers sees, feels the spirit of Boston | Boston Herald: Players deal with tragic reality | Boston Herald: Rivers recounts drive downtown, steers towards future | NESN: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce Look to Continue to Beat Expectations, Lead Celtics Past Knicks
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