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Schoolchildren probably don’t want to hear this, but autumn is just around the corner and I, for one, can’t wait for it to get here. The season that brings us the Fall Classic is shaping up as a classic fall for area sports lovers. Consider:
Major League Baseball’s post-season will descend upon us around the same time the leaf peepers do. When it does, our beloved Red Sox will be odd-on favorites to capture a second World Series title in four years. Led by a trio of pitchers on the front side of the staff (Beckett, Dice-K and Schilling) and an even more dominant threesome on the back side (Papelbon, Gagne and Okajima), Boston’s Boys of Summer are well-positioned for the time of year when pitching, pitching and more pitching determines the legends of the fall.
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Did I mention New England also plays host to the Super Bowl favorites this fall? While most Sunday tourists focus on the foliage come September, these eyes will turn to Foxboro, where Tom Brady is surrounded by more talent than Hugh Hefner…and his Patriots teammates aren’t too shabby, either.
(Let’s leave the Bruins out of this conversation. The Black and Gold have become more irrelevant and pathetic than Fredo in Godfather II…isn’t it about time someone takes them fishing on Lake Winnipesauke?)
Even if we didn’t live less than 30-miles from The Hub of the sports universe, this still shapes up as a mighty interesting season for those of us in the Merrimack Valley. The drama that was the Lowell High football coaching derby finally plays out on the gridiron when the Friday night lights turn on a month from now. If enthusiasm and love of the program translate into winning, Al Pare’s boys notch plenty of marks in the “W” column. However, the MVC is loaded in 2007, so matching the 8-3 record of the 2006 edition will be tough. (By the way, keep an eye out on LowellSun.com for details of our Fall Football Extravaganza special on SunTalk Live)
The Lowell Devils return to action soon for what may be their final season in the Mill City. Management is staying silent (wisely so) on plans beyond ‘07-‘08, but it doesn’t appear Lowell’s AHL entry can co-exist with the city’s state university. The fan in me hopes Tsongas Arena can indeed support two hockey tenants. The realist in me doubts that’s the case. The political winds are blowing in UMass-Lowell’s favor. Expect River Hawks attendance to soar while the Devils numbers fall off the face of the earth.
I could go on listing other marquee happenings for September, October and November, but I think you get the idea. If you need any pleasant thoughts to get you through the dog days of August, just look ahead to the fantastic fall in store.
Those are my thoughts...what are yours? Is the ultimate pessimist being too optimistic here? What about the local sports scene? Which team will win the MVC football crown? Have you bought Devils or River Hawks season tickets? We want to hear from you!!!
Comments (12)
Well, I took half of my season tix dollars to the Devils to see the river hawks this year. I can't in good conscience fork over $450 to a team that won't be around next year.
Posted by MalockFan | August 6, 2007 4:10 PM
Posted on August 6, 2007 16:10
As an overall New England Sports Fan I'm not sure if I can recall a time when I have been more excited. The RedSox have a legitimate chance of Winning the World Series for the second time in four years. The Patriots look maybe better than ever and will be the odds on favorite to win their 4th Super Bowl in seven years and Most Notably for the first time since the Glory days of the 80's with the One and ONLY Big Three the Celtics WILL Contend for a Championchip. The next six months will be one hell of a ride for the Home Town Teams!!!!!
Go RedSox GO Pats and yes Go Celts....
Posted by Shappy | August 6, 2007 11:19 PM
Posted on August 6, 2007 23:19
Welcome to "The Big Three" Call it like it is. Get over it Teddy. It's been a hundred years since the last Big Three. I believe the Statute of limitations would apply here. "The Big Three" will take us to the promised land.
Posted by Louis Cypher | August 6, 2007 11:31 PM
Posted on August 6, 2007 23:31
Yes, they could very well lead us back to the Promised Land, but they cannot be called The Big Three. No way! No how!
First, it's not original (there was only Dream Team...one Four Horseman...one Steel Curtain...one Impossible Dream) Secondly, one sure Hall of Famer and two possibles simply don't measure up to 3-HOF's, including the greatest forward to ever play the game.
You're pretty creative there Mr. Cypher...I'm sure you can come up with something more fitting and original.
Posted by Teddy P. | August 7, 2007 12:58 PM
Posted on August 7, 2007 12:58
I wonder how many more people like you are out there, LockFan? My hunch is, a lot, though I guess that's relative, since neither team really has much of a season ticket base at this point.
Posted by Teddy P. | August 7, 2007 5:07 PM
Posted on August 7, 2007 17:07
Sadly, with the poor offense the Sox are putting on the field and the lead down to 5 games...I think (really fear) the Yankees will win the East and the Sox will be lucky to get the Wild Card...
Posted by ALP | August 8, 2007 9:41 AM
Posted on August 8, 2007 09:41
Interesting to see whether all the public appearances by Devil Dawg pay off at the gate.
I'll be getting flex passes for the Devils and the River Hawks, same as last year.
So... how much coverage are the Sun and the advertisers going to give the LOCAL teams? Will they be stuffed in the back of the sports page to make room for the big league fluff that's already covered to death everywhere else? Or will the home town give the home teams a little attention?
Posted by Terri | August 8, 2007 10:13 AM
Posted on August 8, 2007 10:13
Terri, not sure which edition of the Sun you're receiving, but the one I get almost always has the Spinner, Devils and River Hawks hockey on the front of the sports page. Only on rare occassions are they not on there the day after a game, and even on those days, it's because of a major feature on a local school or athlete.
I don't want to sound like a Sun apologist here, and I know it's fashionable to bash the paper, but we're very, very fortunate to have such a politically active paper in the area. You may not agree with their political views, but when it comes to a project that's beneficial to the area, the Sun ALWAYS leads the way.
If it weren't for the paper's leadership, there would be no Tsongas Arena or LeLacheur Park for us to discuss which teams are or aren't financially viable in the first place.
Posted by Teddy P. | August 8, 2007 1:15 PM
Posted on August 8, 2007 13:15
Teddy, of course it's the local news that keeps readers coming. Especially the schools and young athletes. And UML.
And, like it or not, the local professional teams.
Thanks for covering the Riptide, especially!
I don't care about fashion and I'm not casually bashing the paper. I remember vividly the stories in the Sun prior to May 29th. There was a decidedly anti-Devils tone to the news and it certainly didn't improve the public's perception of the team. I assume the expectation was that, once the paper and the city council posted the "Devils Go Away" sign, the team would pack up and leave. Now that it didn't happen, I seriously wonder what to expect. So I ask you: are you going to bash the Devils all season long?
Posted by Terri | August 8, 2007 2:39 PM
Posted on August 8, 2007 14:39
Well, I believe I've only "bashed" the Devils once (for their lack of creativity and effort to promote their business). Saying that their attendance is awful and that they won't be around much longer isn't bashing...merely stating fact and opinion. We can't ignore the elephant in the room, just because we don't want it to be so.
Go back through the history of this blog, and you'll see that I encouraged people to buy season tickets when news broke that a new ownership group with professional hockey experience was moving in. In fact, I put my money (or should I say my family's business money) where my mouth was by purchasing a pair of season tickets. And all through the political process in the spring, I implored city leaders to back off the rhetoric and not be seen as driving the team out.
But I'll ask now, as I asked back then...what is Devils ownership doing to trumpet their cause and desire to stay in Lowell beyond 2008? Is their silence not deafening?
Posted by Teddy P. | August 8, 2007 3:24 PM
Posted on August 8, 2007 15:24
And I think we can also now say that 13 home wednesday night games i.e attendance killer (and a new league record) is certainly a big nail in this coffin.
Posted by MalockFan | August 9, 2007 2:27 PM
Posted on August 9, 2007 14:27
For the last few years there really has Only been Baseaball and Football in New England, But with Garnett and Ray Allen the C's are relevant in Boston once again. So the only Big Three to me is the RedSox, the Pats and now the Celts. It is a Great time to be a New England Sports fan!!!
Posted by Shappy | August 9, 2007 3:16 PM
Posted on August 9, 2007 15:16