What is different

Treebob (don't ask if you don't know) and a co-worker both have sort of rhetorically asked me, what is different this year. Why is this team nearly leading the league when they rarely led in a game over the last couple of years. This summer they did add Ryder, but essentially this is the same team as last year and largely the year before that as well. I would be remiss to not mention that Bergeron is back this year. And while some people have been lamenting that Ryder is not worth it because he has not been scoring "enough". I think he has shown a solid game so far. But Bergeron and Ryder are not what is making this team tick. I still believe that you need to play together for a while, grow used to each other, before you can hope to really win in the league. So the awful hockey here in Boston, no longer can be blamed on poor players, it can squarely be leveled at ownership for poor lockout planning. I am not the first to say this and I am sure there are better points to be made, but Jacobs really did Mike O no favors with his desire to save a buck during and coming out of the lock-out.

I keep bringing myself back to a question I was asking myself and anyone who would listen (read no one). If your team is going to score goals do you want to spread around the wealth (think Buffalo the last couple years). Or do you want to get your production from just a couple of super star players (perhaps like Pittsburgh with Crosby). I think its clear that this team is building a farm system and a "spread the wealth offense", not centered on a couple of players but a well rounded team. Wether it Jacob's himself or alternativly someone who got his ear and convinced him that this team concept was the way to proceed, either way I am comfortable calling it a wash with the lockout blunder. Now is the time to move on.

So what is left? Well its you. If you read this or you know somebody who should read this. A playoff game or two can be won simply by having a great fan base. We know New England has this base as evidenced by the support the other local pro franchises have been given. But lets face it, Patriots, more championships since Orr scored, than I have legs. The Red Sox, well pencil them in as favorites each year and the epic plague of no championships is now long gone. The Celtics? They just seem like bandwagon jumpers now, do they not? The only true black sheep- black and gold. You got it, your underdog, undera-B-ciated B's. You do not need to "trust" them. Long gone is the excuse that they just keep letting you down year after year. Its time for the faithful to start the ground swell, for the longest drought in local history in now ours to cure. Get behind them before you are the bandwagonier!