Boston has a rich history in sports today as we know it. This page is not a historical recount of all of the accomplishments from each team. However, there are brief historical snippets for each team. This page is merely paying homage to the legacy that is Boston sports! From one of the first baseball teams, the 5 time World Series champion Boston Red Sox, to the many championship banners waving for the 5 time Stanley Cup winning Boston Bruins, thru the DYNASTY that is the Boston Celtics with their 16 NBA Championships, the most in NBA history. The New England Patriots do not have a world championship yet, although, they have been to the Super Bowl. They are looking very promising, it's only a matter of time.

Are you a serious sports fan, or just a local sports team fan? If you're a real sports fan, then you know that sports history would not be as full without a Boston sports team!

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The sports teams of Boston and surrounding New England areas are in order of thier inception, and they are:

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Boston Red Sox

red sox logoBabe Ruth, Ted williams, and Cy Young, have all MADE history with the Boston Red Sox...

Pedro Martinez, Nomar Garciapara & Troy O'Leary are all MAKING history with the Boston Red Sox.

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Snippets:

The Boston Red Sox were founded in 1901. They went thru a few different name changes before settling on their current name:
  • 1901-02: Boston Somersets
  • 1903-04: Boston Pilgrams
  • 1905-06: Boston Puritans
  • 1907-Present: Boston Red Sox

The team colors were decided to be: Red, White, Navy Blue & Scarlet; Grey (Road)
Derivative: Held the name of the Somersets in the early 1900s in honor of their owner, Charles Somers. However, they switched their stockings from red to white and took the name Red Sox.

Once they became the Red Sox, they needed a home. So, then there was Fenway Park.
Opened: April 20, 1912
First Official Game: April 20, 1912, 7-6 win over New York Highlanders
Stadium Capacity: 33,871
Surface: Natural Grass

Dimensions:
* Home to Left Field - 315 Feet
* Home to Left-Center Field - 379 Feet
* Home to Center Field - 390 Feet
* Home to Center-Field Corner - 420 Feet
* Home to Right-Center Field - 380 Feet
* Home to Right Field - 302 Feet
* Height of Outfield Walls - 23 Feet (Left Field with screen)
37 Feet (Left Field wall)
17 Feet (Center Field)
5 Feet (Bullpens)
3-5 Feet (Right Field Fence)

There are 5 retired Red Sox numbers:
1 - Bobby Doerr
4 - Joe Cronin
8 - Carl Yastrzemski
9 - Ted Williams
27 - Carlton Fisk
There are 36 Red Sox in the Hall of Fame, here are just a few:
1936 - Babe Ruth
1937 - Cy Young
1966 - Ted Williams
1989 - Carl Yastrzemski


Breakdown of the many accmplishments over the years:
World Series Titles: (5) 1903 1912 1915 1916 1918
American League Pennants: (10) 1903 1904 1912 1915 1916 1918 1946 1967 1976 1986
Division Titles: (4) 1975 1986 1988 1990

  • 1901:
    • Denton True "Cy" Young -- More commonly known as "Cy," the big right hander spent nearly 20 years in the big leagues and set the pitching standard for all of baseball to follow. He was the only pitcher in baseball's first 100 years to win 500 games, including three no-hit shutouts and a perfect game on May 5, 1904.
  • 1912:
    • Fenway Park Opens. Built on his own land in the Fenway section of Boston, John Taylor, moved his Boston Red Sox from the Huntington Avenue Grounds, which they leased, to Fenway Park in 1912. The new stadium was built specifically for the Red Sox.
    • One writer called it "Louis and Dempsey in spiked shoes." Walter Johnson was the champion and "Smokey" Joe Wood was the challenger in one of the most hyped pitching matchups in baseball history.
  • 1914:
    • Babe Ruth -- You'll rarely find a name in baseball recognized by so many people. From his portly physique to his legendary swing, to his affection for fans, George Herman "Babe" Ruth has often been called the best baseball player of all time.
  • 1933:
    • Tom Yawkey -- Tom Yawkey took over a struggling Boston franchise in 1933 and spent the following four decades building a successful ballclub that mirrored the passion of its owner.
  • 1939:
    • Ted Williams -- Considered by many to be the greatest hitter to ever play the game of baseball, Ted Williams is a true personification of the Red Sox mystique. He amassed 521 home runs, including a dramatic farewell homer on his last at bat in 1960.
  • 1942:
    • Johnny Pesky -- If anyone can say he eats, sleeps and breathes Red Sox baseball it is Johnny Pesky. Pesky started his Red Sox career in 1942 and with a few years off here and there, it has never ended.
  • 1953:
    • A Record Breaking Day. Giving new meaning to the term 7th inning stretch, the Red Sox scored 17 runs in one inning against the Detroit Tigers.
  • 1955:
    • Frank Malzone -- Not since the World War I days of Larry Gardner (19083917) had the Red Sox seen so reliable a third baseman as they had in Frank Malzone.
  • 1960:
    • Carl Yastremski -- In 1961, a highly touted rookie from Long Island, NY stepped into the hallowed shadow of Fenway's left field wall to guard an area just vacated by a legend.
    • A "Parting Shot" -- Never has an athlete finished in such style. In his last at bat of a Hall of Fame career, Ted Williams sent 10,454 fans into a frenzy when he launched a 13 pitch from Baltimore Orioles' pitcher Jack Fisher high into the damp gray sky and into the Red Sox bullpen for a home run.
  • 1963:
    • Rico Petrocelli -- Rico Petrocelli joined the Boston Red Sox in 1965 as a shortstop that would develop a powerful stroke at the plate. His bat guided him into numerous categories of the club's record books but it was his family that guided him as a person.
  • 1964:
    • Tony Conigliaro -- He was a hometown hero with a home-run swing and a Hollywood-handsome face. "Tony C," as he became known to fans, burst onto the baseball scene in Fenway Park in 1964, taking 24 homers over the "Green Monster" in 111 games while batting .290.
  • 1967:
    • Yaz and "The Impossible Dream." Has there ever been a better example of the cream rising to the top? With the Sox fighting for their first pennant in 21 years, Carl Yastrzemski picked up his team, placed it squarely on his back and carried them to "The Impossible Dream", that was 1967.
  • 1969:
    • Carlton Fisk -- Carlton Fisk was in control from the start. He was a big, rugged, powerful presence both behind the plate and over it, in a Red Sox career that lasted a decade.
  • 1972:
    • Dwight Evans -- Dwight Evans patrolled the spacious right field of Fenway Park with a special combination of grit and hustle mixed with a rifle of an arm. He was a confident outfielder who loved to hit the ball.
  • 1974:
    • Fred Lynn -- In 1975, a rookie from USC made baseball history while carving out a place in the hearts of Red Sox fans. Fred Lynn's classic swing and spectacular center field play earned him both the 1975 Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player Awards, an accomplishment that had neither been done before nor done since.
    • Jim Rice -- In the amazing fraternity that is left field at Fenway Park, it was only fitting that Jim Rice would continue the saga started by Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski before the famed green wall.
  • 1975:
    • Carlton Fisk Makes History. If there was ever a game to use as a measuring stick for which future World Series games will be compared, it is Game 6 of the 1975 World Series. Stellar defense, clutch hitting, extra inning theatrics and World Series pressure, all underscored by the nostalgic backdrop of Fenway Park, set the stage for a game that will never be forgotten.
  • 1979:
    • Yaz Hits Number 3,000. A soft ground ball made a path through the infield, out of the reach of defender's gloves and into the plush green grass of Fenway. It was a defining moment of the game, a quiet single that reminded us of how simple baseball could be and a monumental statistic that told the story of a ballplayer for the ages.
  • 1983:
    • Carl Yastrzemski's Last Game -- Yaz Day. "New England," he said. " I love you." Carl Yastrzemski was ready to play the last game of an amazing Red Sox career. It was "Yaz Day" at Fenway Park. A late summer afternoon where the hard-working left fielder would stand before the shadow of the "Green Monster" for the last time.
  • 1986:
    • Roger Clemens Fans 20. Red Sox manager John McNamara said it was the most awesome display of pitching he had ever seen. Roger Clemens warmed up a cannon before a Tuesday night game in April of 1986 and shot down 20 Seattle Mariners by night's end to break the Major League record for strikeouts in a nine inning game.

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Boston Bruins

bruins logoBobby Orr, Gerry Cheevers, Phil Espisito, these names are all known as "HOCKEY LEGENDS"...

Ray Bourque, Jason Allison, Sergei Samsonov, these names are rapidly on their way to becoming "LEGENDS"...

If you would like to link to the Official homepage of the team that made it to the playoffs for over 20 years in a row,
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Snippets:

As the first of the origional six teams, the Boston Bruins are one of the most storied franchises in the history of the National Hockey League and many of the League's most legendary players have worn a Bruins uniform. The Bruins became the first American NHL franchise when they entered the League in 1924-25 and won the first of their five Stanley Cups in 1929.

After Charles F. Adams acquired the NHL franchise for Boston and hired Art Ross as the first General Manager and Coach, it became necessary to acquire an appropriate name for the new entry into the hockey wars.

Ground rules for the selection of a name laid down by Adams at that time were:
  1. The team's basic colors should be brown with yellow trim. This color scheme was selected primarily because Adams was then president of Brookside Stores and all said stores had a color combination of brown with a yellow trim. The name chosen should preferably relate to an untamed animal whose name was synonymous with size, strength, agility, ferocity and cunning, and in the color brown category.
  2. Dozens of names were submitted from various sources like news media, sportsmen and fans, none of which were entirely satisfactory. It remained for the secretary to Ross - he ran a sporting goods store part time in Montreal - to submit the name "Bruins" which was ultimately selected.

Much has transpired in the years since 1924. While the Bruins play this season, we look confidently to the future and we also remember our past.
  • 1924-25:
    • In their first home game as an NHL franchise, the Boston Bruins come away with a victory at Boston Arena against the Montreal Maroons, 2-1.
  • 1926-27:
    • In their third season, the Bruins not only made it to the playoffs for the first time but made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.
  • 1928-29:
    • The Bruins 5th season is an eventful one at their new home, the Boston Garden.
    • The Bruins once again capture the Prince of Wales Trophy for first place in the American Division.
    • In the first Stanley Cup Final between two American teams, the B's bring home the first Cup in franchise history on March 29, 1929.
  • 1929-30:
    • The Bruins go on a tear the entire season, winning 38 of 44 games played. They enjoy a 14-game winning streak from Dec. 1 to Jan. 12 and never lose consecutive games during the regular season.
  • 1930-31:
    • The Bruins continue their dominance of the American Division, winning the Prince of Wales Trophy for the fourth consecutive year.
  • 1931-32:
    • Goaltender Tiny Thompson finally takes a game off, but just one. He has started every game for the previous three seasons.
    • With a Dec. 8 loss to the New York Americans, the Bruins suffer their first home loss in more than a year.
  • 1932-33:
    • The Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs play the longest overtime in league history: 104 minutes and 46 seconds.
    • The Bruins once again top the American Division.
  • 1934-35:
    • The penalty shot is first introduced into NHL games.
    • The team places first in the American Division.
    • Eddie Shore wins the Hart Trophy for the second year in a row.
  • 1935-36:
    • Tiny Thompson notches 10 shutouts on his way to winning the Dufresne Trophy.
    • On March 17 Thompson becomes the first goaltender to record an assist with his first of two on the season.
  • 1936-37:
    • The Bruins reach a second place finish behind the eventual Cup winners, the Detroit Red Wings.
  • 1937-38:
    • The "Kraut Line" of Milt Schmidt, Bobby Bauer and Woody Dumart makes its debut.
    • Tiny Thompson wins the Vezina trophy.
    • Behind Thompson and Hart Trophy-winner Eddie Shore, the Bruins finish in first place in the American Division.
  • 1938-39:
    • The NHL switches to a single division, and the Bruins finish atop that division.
    • The Bruins sell long-time goaltender Tiny Thompson, and rookie Frankie Brimsek takes over in net. His ten shutouts and 1.58 goals against average earn him the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year and the Vezina trophy as the NHL's top goalie.
    • In the opening round of the playoffs against the New York Rangers, Mel "Sudden Death" Hill scores three overtime goals.
    • The Bruins capture their second Stanley Cup by defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4 games to 1.
  • 1939-40:
    • The Bruins have the top four scorers in the league with Milt Schmidt, Woody Dumart, Bobby Bauer, and Bill Cowley.
    • Bobby Bauer brings home the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly play.
    • The Bruins once again finish atop the league.
  • 1940-41:
    • In the months of January, February and March, the B's lose only one game.
    • Bobby Bauer wins the Lady Byng Trophy for the second year in a row.
    • Bill Cowley leads the league in scoring and takes home the Hart Trophy.
    • The Bruins sweep the Detroit Red Wings to win their third Stanley Cup.
  • 1941-42:
    • World War II begins, and the Bruins lose numerous players to the war, including the famous Kraut Line of Milt Schmidt, Bobby Bauer and Woody Dumart.
    • The Bruins finish third in the league.
  • 1942-43:
    • They are eventually swept in the Stanley Cup finals.
  • 1943-44:
    • The Bruins finish with a 19-26-5 record for fifth place in the league, missing the playoffs for the first time in ten years.
  • 1944-45:
    • The Bruins score a team record 14 goals in a Jan. 21st game against the New York Rangers.
    • Dit Clapper becomes the first player to skate in the NHL for 18 seasons.
    • They lose in seven games in the first round of the playoffs.
  • 1945-46:
    • The Bruins finish five points behind league-leading Montreal, who they eventually lose to in the finals.
  • 1946-47:
    • The regular season is increased from 50 to 60 games.
    • Dit Clapper retires on Feb. 12th and becomes the first living player inducted into the International Hockey Hall of Fame.
    • His #5 jersey is retired in March.
    • At the end of the season, Eddie Shore's #2 is retired by the Bruins, and he is admitted into the Hall of Fame.
    • Bobby Bauer wins his third Lady Byng Trophy.
    • The Bruins finish in third place in the league but are knocked out of the playoffs in five games.
  • 1947-48:
    • The first-annual all-star game is held on Oct. 13th in Toronto, with the proceeds going to the player's fund.
    • Bobby Bauer retires.
    • The B's lose in the first-round of the playoffs.
  • 1948-49:
    • In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Boston Bruins, the spoked "B" makes its first appearance on the Bruins' uniform.
    • On Nov. 10th, the game against the Detroit Red Wings is postponed until the following night after ten minutes of play because of fog inside Boston Garden due to warm weather.
    • For the second year in a row, the Bruins lose in the first round of the playoffs.
  • 1949-50:
    • The schedule is upped from 60 games to 70.
    • Rookie Jack Gelineau takes over between the pipes and earns the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.
    • The Bruins finish in fifth place, out of the playoffs for the first time in six years.
  • 1950-51:
    • Milt Schmidt leads the team in scoring with 61 points and brings home the Hart Trophy as the league MVP.
    • The Bruins face Toronto in the first round of the playoffs. The March 31st playoff game at Toronto ends in a 1-1 tie because of Toronto curfew laws, and the Bruins end up losing the series in six games.
  • 1951-52:
    • The third member of the Kraut line, Bobby Bauer, comes out of retirement for the March 18th game to help Milt Schmidt achieve his 200th goal.
    • The Bruins finish in fourth place for the second year in a row and are eliminated in seven games in the first round of the playoffs.
  • 1952-53:
    • The first NHL game is televised from coast to coast on the CBC on Nov. 1st between the Bruins and the Maple Leafs in Toronto.
    • The Bruins finish in third place in the standings. After losing two blowouts to Detroit during the regular season, 10-1 and 10-2, the B's knock the Red Wings out of the playoffs in the first round.
  • 1953-54:
    • The Bruins post three consecutive shutouts on Boston Garden ice.
    • The B's are swept in the opening round of the playoffs.
  • 1954-55:
    • The Bruins finish in fourth place with a losing record and are eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
  • 1955-56:
    • Willie O'Ree was the first black player in the NHL.
  • 1956-57:
    • CBS broadcasts an NHL game for the first time on Jan. 5th.
    • The Bruins' first game televised on CBS is a Boston Garden game against the Rangers on Jan. 26th.
    • The Bruins finish in third place and make it to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost in five games.
  • 1957-58:
    • After defeating the Rangers in six games in the first round, the Bruins lose in six.
  • 1958-59:
    • The Bruins finish in second place in the league but lose in seven games in the first round of the playoffs.
  • 1959-60:
    • In a Jan. 10th game against Toronto, Don Simmons becomes the first Bruins goaltender, and only the second in the league, to wear a mask.
    • Don McKenney wins the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.
    • The Bruins miss the playoffs by three.
  • 1960-61:
    • In a game on Oct. 29th, B's coach Milt Schmidt becomes the first coach to remove a goaltender for an extra attacker on a delayed penalty.
    • The Bruins finish out of the playoffs for the second straight year.
  • 1961-62:
    • The Bruins sign 14-year-old Bobby Orr to a player development contract.
    • The Bruins finish last place in the league, and miss the playoffs for the third year in a row.
  • 1962-63:
    • They finish in last place and do not qualify for the playoffs.
  • 1963-64:
    • The Bruins once again finish in last place, out of the playoffs.
  • 1964-65:
    • The Bruins post 21 wins, the most in more than five years, but still finish in last place in the league.
  • 1965-66:
    • Gerry Cheevers makes his debut in a Bruins uniform.
    • The Bruins manage to escape the cellar for the first time in five years, but it is still not good enough to make the playoffs.
  • 1966-67:
    • Bobby Orr makes his debut in a Boston uniform.
    • On defense, Orr finishes third in scoring for the Bruins and earns the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.
  • 1967-68:
    • The NHL expands to include 12 teams, the first change seen in the composition of the league in 25 years.
    • Derek Sanderson scores 24 goals and adds 25 assists on his way to winning the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie.
    • In just his second season, Bobby Orr brings home the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman.
    • The Bruins acquire Phil Esposito.
    • The Bruins finish in third place in the new Eastern Division, reaching the playoffs for the first time in eight years. They lose four straight in the first round of the playoffs.
  • 1968-69:
    • The NHL schedule extends to 74 games.
    • Phil Esposito wins Hart Trophy as the league's MVP and the Ross Trophy as the league's top scorer. He also becomes the first player in the NHL to score 100 points.
    • Bobby Orr sets the record for points and goals in a season by a defenseman on his way to winning his second Norris Trophy in a row.
    • They sweep the Maple Leafs in the first round for their first playoff series win since 1958, but are eliminated in the semi-finals.
  • 1969-70:
    • The Bruins tie Chicago for the most points in the league with 99.
    • The Bruins defeat the New York Rangers in six games in the first round of the playoffs and then sweep the next two series to win their first Stanley Cup in 29 years.
    • Phil Esposito sets the Stanley Cup record for goals with 13 and assists with 14.
    • Bobby Orr collects the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the Cup finals, as well as the Hart Trophy as the league MVP, the Ross Trophy as the league's top scorer, and the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman.
  • 1970-71:
    • The NHL schedule is increased to 78 games.
    • The B's score 25 short-handed goals.
    • The Bruins set 37 individual and team NHL records.
    • The Bruins enjoy a 13-game winning streak on the way to a first-place finish.
    • Bobby Orr earns his second straight Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player and his fourth straight Norris Trophy as the top defenseman in the league.
    • John Bucyk wins the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for gentlemanly play, and Phil Esposito takes home the Ross Trophy as leading scorer in the league.
    • The Bruins lose in the first round of the playoffs in seven games.
  • 1971-72:
    • The Bruins finish atop the league for the second year in a row.
    • Phil Esposito wins his second consecutive Ross Trophy.
    • Eddie Johnston collects four assists to break the record of most assists in a season by a goaltender.
    • Orr becomes the first player to win the Conn Smythe trophy twice.
    • Orr also wins his third consecutive Hart Trophy and his fifth consecutive Norris Trophy.
    • The Bruins defeat Toronto and St. Louis on the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, where Bobby Orr scored the Cup-winning goal for the second time in his career, beating the New York Rangers in six games.
  • 1972-73:
    • For the third year in a row, Phil Esposito takes home the Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer.
    • Bobby Orr is the Bruins second leading scorer behind Esposito with 101 points and earns the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman for the sixth straight year.
    • The Bruins finish in second place in the Eastern Division.
    • They are unable to defend the Stanley Cup, suffering a first-round loss.
  • 1973-74:
    • Bobby Orr is named the league's best defenseman for the seventh year in a row.
    • Phil Esposito compiles wins the Ross Trophy for the fourth consecutive year, and takes his second career Hart Trophy as the league MVP.
    • In the last year of the East-West format, the Bruins finish for the best record in the league.
    • They sweep Toronto and then eliminate Chicago in six games to return to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they lose in six games.
  • 1974-75:
    • The NHL schedule is increased to 80 games.
    • Bobby Orr wins the Ross Trophy for his offensive work and also wins his eighth consecutive Norris Trophy for his defensive work.
    • The Bruins finish in second place in the new Adams Division with the fifth best point-total in the league.
    • They lose in the preliminary round of the playoffs in a three-game series.
  • 1975-76:
    • Bobby Orr is limited to just ten games, including his last in a Bruins uniform.
    • In one of the biggest trades in NHL history, the Bruins obtain Brad Park, Jean Ratelle and Joe Zanussi for Phil Esposito and Carol Vadnais. After the trade, the Bruins lose only 10 of their final 68 games to finish with 113 points and first place in the Adams Division.
    • The B's defeat the L.A. Kings in seven games in the first round but are eliminated in the semi-finals.
  • 1976-77:
    • The Bruins obtain Rick Middleton in exchange for Ken Hodge.
    • Johnny Bucyk is co-winner of the Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the United States.
    • The Bruins finish in first place in the Adams Division for the second year in a row.
    • The B's eliminate L.A. in six games in the first round of the playoffs.
    • They sweep Philadelphia in the second round but are swept in the Finals.
  • 1977-78:
    • Terry O'Reilly finishes in the top ten in scoring, as he leads the Bruins with 90 points.
    • The Bruins maintain a shutout streak of 233 minutes and 45 seconds from 1:34 of the third period on Nov. 19th against Toronto until 5:19 of the first period on Nov. 26th against the Rangers, including shutouts against Chicago, Buffalo, and Washington.
    • The Bruins enjoy an 11-game home winning streak on the way to their third consecutive first-place finish in the Adams Division.
    • They sweep Chicago in the first round of the playoffs and defeat Philadelphia in five games in the second round but lose in the Stanley Cup Finals.
  • 1978-79:
    • The Bruins are not shut out the entire season.
    • The Bruins have five of the top 17 leaders in shooting accuracy in the league with Rick Middleton, 25%, Terry O'Reilly, 22%, John Wensink, 21%, Wayne Cashman, 20%, and Al Secord, 20%.
    • Bobby Orr's #4 is retired before the Jan. 9th exhibition game between the Bruins and the Soviet Wings.
    • The Bruins sweep the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs.
    • In game seven of the second round, the game is sent into overtime when the Canadiens score on a third-period too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty. The Bruins are then eliminated in overtime.
  • 1979-80:
    • A new rule takes effect requiring players who sign a contract after June 1, 1979, to wear protective head gear.
    • The Bruins select Ray Bourque as the #1 pick in the 1979 Amateur Draft.
    • He sets the NHL record for most points by a rookie defenseman with 65.
    • The Bruins retire Johnny Bucyk's #9 on March 13.
    • The Bruins take second place in the Adams Division. They defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round for the second consecutive year, but lose in the second round.
  • 1980-81:
    • Rick Middleton leads the team in scoring for the third year in a row, amassing 103 points.
    • The Bruins end up in second place in the Adams Division for the second year in a row.
    • Peter McNab takes the first penalty shot by a Bruin in the playoffs.
    • They are ousted from the playoffs in a first-round sweep.
  • 1981-82:
    • Terry O'Reilly plays in his 700th career game, and Wayne Cashman in his 900th.
    • Rick Middleton scores 51 goals on the season, the first Bruin to tally 50 goals since Phil Esposito.
    • Last year's #1 pick in the draft, Barry Pederson, breaks the rookie goal-scoring record.
    • For the third consecutive year, the Bruins take second place in the Adams Division. The Bruins eliminate the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the playoffs but are eliminated in seven games in the second round.
  • 1982-83:
    • The Bruins lead the league with eight shutouts and are not shut out all season.
    • The Bruins finish with the best overall record in the NHL with a 50-20-10 record. The Bruins make it past the Quebec Nordiques and the Buffalo Sabres in the first two rounds of the playoffs but lose in the Wales Conference Finals.
  • 1983-84:
    • The NHL reinstates overtime for the first time since the 1941-42 season.
    • Five Bruins compete in the NHL All-Star game: Ray Bourque, Mike O'Connell, Pete Peeters, Rick Middleton, and Barry Pederson.
    • Bourque becomes only the sixth defenseman in history to score 30 goals.
    • The Bruins finish tied for the second-best record in the league.
  • 1984-85:
    • The Bruins score more than 300 goals for the 15th consecutive season.
    • They exit the playoffs early after a first-round loss.
  • 1985-86:
    • Rick Middleton tallies his 400th goal.
    • The Bruins finish in third place in the Adams Division. They are eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
  • 1986-87:
    • In his first season in a Bruins uniform, Cam Neely finishes second behind Ray Bourque in team scoring, collecting his first career hat trick.
    • Bourque wins the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman and scores his 600th career point.
    • Boston finishes in the third slot in the Adams Division for the second year in a row and are swept in the first round for the second consecutive year.
  • 1987-88:
    • Steve Kasper plays in his 500th career game.
    • Dec. 3rd is Phil Esposito night, when Ray Bourque changes his number from 7 to 77.
    • The Bruins finish second in the Wales Conference.
    • After defeating the Buffalo Sabres in the first round, the Bruins eliminate Montreal for the first time in 45 years. They then defeat the New Jersey Devils to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 16 years. Game Four of the Finals ends in a tie because of a power failure in Boston Garden. The Bruins fail to win a game in the series.
  • 1988-89:
    • Bourque scores his 200th goal and 700th point.
    • For the 22nd year in a row, the Bruins compile a winning record and qualify for the playoffs.
    • Their record places them second in the Adams Division. The Bruins beat the Sabres in the first round but are eliminated in five games in the Division finals.
  • 1989-90:
    • Reggie Lemelin and Andy Moog share the duties in net almost equally, with Moog playing just one more game than Lemelin. The two win the Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the league with 232, and Moog sets a new playoff record for the B's by playing 1,196 minutes between the pipes.
    • The Bruins take the top spot in the league.
    • Ray Bourque takes home the Norris Trophy, and Gord Kluzak, who plays in only 8 games, takes home the Masterson Trophy.
    • The Bruins go to the Stanley Cup Finals.
    • In Game One, the Oilers score the game-winner 15 minutes and 13 seconds into the third overtime period, ending the longest Finals game in Stanley Cup history. The Edmonton Oilers beat them in five games to win the Stanley Cup.
  • 1990-91:
    • Ray Bourque leads the team in scoring for the fourth time in his career on his way to winning the Norris Trophy for the second year in a row.
    • The Bruins lead the Wales Conference. They defeat Hartford in six games and then the Canadiens in seven before being eliminated in six.
  • 1991-92:
    • Ray Bourque scores his 1,000th point, becoming only the third defenseman in NHL history to do so.
    • The Bruins need seven games to defeat the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the playoffs but need only four to take the series against the Montreal Canadiens for the first Bruins playoff sweep of the Habs in more than 60 years. They are then swept in the next round.
  • 1992-93:
    • Ray Bourque plays in his 1,000th career game and becomes the career assists leader for the Bruins.
    • The B's finish the season on their way to the Adams Division title, but they are swept by the Sabres in the first round of the playoffs.
  • 1993-94:
    • Cam Neely is limited to 49 games but scores 50 goals in his first 44 games, winning the 7th Player Award and the NHL's Masterson Trophy.
    • Ray Bourque notches his 1,100th career point, plays in his 1,100th game, and wins his fifth Norris Trophy.
    • The Bruins finish the season good enough for second place in the new Northeast Division. The B's beat the Canadiens in seven games but are ousted from the playoffs in the second round.
  • 1994-95:
    • A three-and-a-half-month NHL lockout forces the schedule to be reduced to 48 games and limit play to within conferences only.
    • The B's lose in the Conference quarter-finals.
  • 1995-96:
    • The Bruins open the season in their new home, the FleetCenter, in which Cam Neely scores a hat trick.
    • The Bruins reach the playoffs for a record 29th year in a row but lose in five games in the opening round of the playoffs.
  • 1996-97:
    • Ray Bourque records his 1,000th assist, becoming the fifth player in NHL history to do so and the first player to do it with one team. He also becomes the Bruins all-time leading point scorer.
    • The Bruins finish with a losing record and miss the playoffs for the first time since 1966-67.
  • 1997-98:
    • In an off-season trade, the Bruins goaltender Byron Dafoe.
    • The 1997 #1 pick, Joe Thornton, makes his NHL debut, but it is the 8th pick, Sergei Samsonov, who finishes with 47 points and earns the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie.
    • Pat Burns replaces a fired Steve Kasper behind the bench, bringing them back to the playoffs and earning the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's best coach. The B's lose in six games in the first round of the playoffs.

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Boston Celtics

red sox logoO.K., this is where sports history really starts. When you say "basketball", the first team that comes to mind in anyones head that follows the greats of basketball is the BOSTON CELTICS! If I named every Celtic great, there would be no room left on this page for anyone else. They deserve their own page, but, because this page is titled BOSTON SPORTS, I will just drop the names of the most recent legends that even the youngest of fans know.

Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, and on and on and on...

Those are sports "ICONS"!

Now we have such names as Antoine Walker, Dana Barros, and even another history making coach, Rick Pitino. All names that will be recognized from now til forever, because of the skills they will aquire being affiliated with the Boston Celtics organization.

If you would like to see the Official homepage of the team that started it all, and then kept it going to this day,
then click on the logo.

Snippets:

Quite simply, the Boston Celtics are "the Franchise," Celtics Green is "the Color," and the winking leprechaun that serves as the team's logo symbolizes five decades of NBA tradition. A charter member of the Basketball Association of America (which evolved into the NBA), Boston flies more title banners from the rafters of its home arena than any other franchise.

Although the Celtics have known some tough years, no other professional sports franchise can match the team for its record of success. Certainly no other team has ever dominated a league the way Boston did from 1957 to 1969, when the club won 11 NBA Championships. For those 13 years, the team was "the Dynasty."

28 Hall of Famers. 16 NBA Championships. One legacy. Take a look back at the league's most successful franchise.

NBA Titles: 1956-57 1958-59 1959-60 1960-61 1961-62 1962-63 1963-64 1964-65
1965-66 1967-68 1968-69 1973-74 1975-76 1980-81 1983-84 1985-86

Retired Numbers:
(00) Robert Parrish (1) Walter Brown
(2) Arnold "Red" Auerbach (3) Dennis "DJ" Johnson
(6) Bill Russell (10) Jo Jo White
(14) Bob Cousy (15) Tom Heinsohn
(16) Tom "Satch" Sanders (17) John Havlicek
(18) Dave Cowens (19) Don Nelson
(21) Bill Sharman (22) Ed Macauley
(23) Frank Ramsey (24) Sam Jones
(25) K.C. Jones (32) Kevin McHale
33 Larry Bird (35) Reggie Lewis
(Loscy) * Jim Loscutoff (Microphone) Johnny Most
*Loscutoff's jersey was retired, but number 18 was kept active for Dave Cowens

  • 1946-Birth Of The Celtics:
    • The Celtics came into being on June 6, 1946. On that day 11 men met to discuss the formation of a new professional basketball league. They christened the new league the Basketball Association of America.
    • A driving force behind the BAA was Celtics owner Walter Brown, who ran the Boston Garden and was part of the NHL's Boston Bruins organization. Brown hired John "Honey" Russell as his first coach, and the Celtics' maiden home game was played on November 5, 1946. The contest began an hour behind schedule because Boston's Chuck Connors (later the star of television's The Rifleman) splintered a wooden backboard with a practice dunk before the game. Boston lost to the Chicago Stags, 57-55, but the 4,329 fans in attendance not only got to see the Celtics' first-ever home game but also witnessed the first broken backboard in professional basketball history.
  • 1946-50:
    • The inaugural campaign yielded a last-place tie in the BAA's Eastern Division.
    • The team fared slightly better the following year, making the playoffs. Their first postseason contest, the Celtics lost Game 1. They came back to claim the franchise's first-ever playoff win. Their playoff hopes were short-lived, as they were eliminated two nights later.
    • For the 1948-49 campaign, the results were pretty much the same. The club finished out of the playoffs.
    • The BAA merged with the rival National Basketball League prior to the 1949-50 season. The new league, christened the National Basketball Association.
    • The Celtics once again finished out of the playoffs.
  • 1950-51:
    • The NBA underwent a reorganization that reduced the league to 11 teams.
    • Boston hit the jackpot not once but twice. Boston acquired promising young center Ed Macauley. The second key acquisition was rookie Bob Cousy.
    • Red Auerbach took over as head coach.
    • The Boston Celtics drafted Duquesne star Charles Cooper, the first black player ever selected by an NBA team.
    • No one had ever seen anything like the behind-the-back dribbling and no-look passes that Cousy brought to the game. In his debut season he finished fourth in the league in assists.
    • The team led the league in assists in 1950-51 and ranked near the top in points per game. But Boston was upset in the first round of the playoffs as they were swept in a the best-of-three series.
  • 1951-54:
    • Boston improved in 1951-52, one game behind first-place in the Eastern Division.
    • Bob Cousy raised his points and assists per game, third and second in the NBA.
    • The postseason began with a rematch of the previous season's series. The teams split the first two games before Bston was eliminated in Game 3.
    • The 1952-53 season saw Boston battle for the top spot in the Eastern Division.
    • Behind Cousy, Macauley, and Sharman, Boston employed an offense that paced the NBA in both points and assists.
    • Boston won Game 1 of the Eastern Division Semifinals. Game 2 was a four-overtime classic.
    • The Celtics pulled out a victory to claim the first playoff series win in franchise history. The division finals ended Boston's season, this time in four games.
    • Boston's 1953-54 season, Boston led the league in points per game, with Cousy, Macauley, and Sharman.
    • After surviving a round-robin tournament in the first round of the playoffs, Boston fell in the Eastern Division Finals.
  • 1954-56:
    • In 1954-55 the Celtics became the first team in NBA history to average more than 100 points.
    • The club made more field goals, free throws, and more assists than any other team in the league.
    • The result was an early exit from the playoffs.
    • In the 1955-56 season, Bob Cousy, Ed Macauley, and Bill Sharman were all top-10 scorers, and the team once again led the league in points scored.
    • Boston then fell in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year.
    • Auerbach decided that what he needed was a big man in the middle who could provide the team with defense and rebounding. The ideal player came into the 1956 Draft in the form of Bill Russell.
  • 1956-57:
    • Before the 1956 NBA Draft began, Boston made Tom Heinsohn a territorial pick. The territorial system allowed a team to lay automatic claim to a local college player in exchange for giving up its first-round draft position.
    • Auerbach still had his sights set on Russell. He got his man when Boston dealt Macauley and rookie Cliff Hagan in exchange for Russell.
    • In the second round Auerbach drafted K. C. Jones. Although Jones couldn't join the Celtics for two years because of military service, Auerbach had assembled all the pieces for what was to become the most dominating franchise in the history of American professional sports.
    • Because Russell was busy helping the U.S. Olympic Team to a gold medal, he didn't join the Celtics until late December. The team was ready when Russell played his first NBA game on December 22, 1956.
    • Russell instantly revolutionized the game. His ability to block shots or snare rebounds and then make quick outlet passes to Bob Cousy triggered the Celtics' fast break and turned Boston into an unstoppable force.
    • With a solid rookie season from Heinsohn, plus an enviable backcourt tandem of Cousy and Bill Sharman, Boston became the best team in the league virtually overnight. At season's end, Cousy was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player, and Heinsohn won the league's Rookie of the Year Award.
  • 1957-58:
    • The Celtics reached the 1957 Playoffs.
    • They advanced to the 1957 NBA Finals.
    • Boston lost Game 1 in a double-overtime. The Celtics evened the series the following night, and then the two teams split a pair of games. After four games the series was tied at two apiece. Boston won Game 5, and was poised to take the championship in Game 6 two nights later. But a seventh and deciding game was forced.
    • Game 7 ranks among the most memorable NBA games ever played. The afternoon contest, the first to be seen by a large national television audience, was a closely played affair. The game went into overtime, then another overtime.
    • The Celtics had a win and the franchise's first championship.
    • Boston tore through the league during the 1957-58 season.
    • Boston posted the best record in the league for the second year in a row, with Bob Cousy the NBA's leading assists man and Russell the league's top rebounder.
    • Russell was named NBA Most Valuable Player, the first of five such honors he would receive in his illustrious career.
    • Boston went to the 1958 NBA Finals and were ousted in six, losing the championship.
  • 1958-59:
    • K. C. Jones joined the team after a two-year stint in the Army, and Sam Jones was blossoming into a solid contributor.
    • The Celtics led the NBA in field goals made, rebounds, assists, and points per game.
    • Cousy paced the circuit in assists, and Russell led the league in rebounds.
    • Boston faced a troublesome Eastern Division Finals. The series went the distance before the Celtics prevailed in Game 7.
    • The Celtics faced the upstart Minneapolis Lakers, a young team riding on the heroics of rookie star Elgin Baylor. The Lakers were no match for the Celtics, however, and Boston swept the series to reclaim the championship.
  • 1959-62:
    • The 1959-60 Celtics win the division title by 10 games.
    • The Eastern Division Finals featured a matchup between rookie sensation Wilt Chamberlain and Russell of the Celtics. Chamberlain had turned the league upside down, claiming the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. But a superstar wasn't enough to defeat the Celtics. Boston prevailed in six games.
    • Boston's victory sent them to the Finals for the third time in four years.
    • In the seventh and deciding game at Boston Garden the Celtics pulled out all the stops-Russell snared 35 rebounds, and Boston repeated as champions.
    • The club marched to another Eastern Division crown in the 1960-61 season.
    • That year's playoff run proved to be the Celtics' easiest to date-Boston lost only two games on the way to a third straight championship.
    • In postseason honors, Russell claimed his second NBA Most Valuable Player Award.
    • When the 1961-62 season got underway there was a new professional circuit, the American Basketball League.
    • Bill Sharman ended his career with the Celtics.
    • It was business as usual for "the Team in Green." Bob Cousy averaged 15.7 points and 7.8 assists, while Russell became the league's first repeat MVP.
    • The Celtics became the first team in NBA history to win 60 games in a season.
    • They finished with their sixth consecutive Eastern Division title.
    • The 1962 postseason was like running a gauntlet for the Celtics. Wilt Chamberlain gave the Celtics all they could handle in the Eastern Division Finals. With the series tied at three games apiece. In Game 7, Sam Jones hit a basket with two seconds remaining and the Celtics held on to win.
    • Boston faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. Elgin Baylor had powered Los Angeles during the regular season. The Lakers led the series, three games to two. But the Celtics weren't ready to give up the throne, beating the Lakers in Game 6. In Game 7, Boston pulled ahead in overtime to beat Los Angeles. The Celtics had now won a record four straight championships and five in the previous six seasons.
  • 1962-63:
    • As the 1962-63 campaign began, Bob Cousy, at age 34, announced that the season would be his last.
    • Rookie John Havlicek joined the Celtics as the team's first-round draft pick.
    • Boston won the Eastern Division by 10 games, and Russell won his third straight MVP Award.
    • After a seven-game matchup, Boston moved on to the NBA Finals and dispatched the Lakers in six games.
  • 1963-65:
    • In the 1963-64 campaign, Boston waltzed through postseason play to a sixth straight championship, ousting the Cincinnati Royals in five games and then defeating Wilt Chamberlain and the San Francisco Warriors in the title series.
    • Owner Walter Brown passed away before the 1964-65 season. Brown, one of the founding fathers of modern professional basketball, had owned the Celtics since starting the team in 1946.
    • In the opening round of the playoffs, in Game 7, Boston appeared to have the contest in hand, then Chamberlain scored six quick points to pull the 76ers within one. With five seconds left, Russell inbounded the ball with a pass that hit a wire supporting the basket, and possession went to Philadelphia. But when the Sixers' Hal Greer threw the ball in to Chet Walker, John Havlicek stepped in and snatched the pass, inciting announcer Johnny Most's legendary shouts of "Havlicek stole the ball! Havlicek stole the ball!"
    • Boston's NBA Finals matchup with Los Angeles seemed anticlimactic. Boston won Game 1 and Game 5. In between, the Celtics lost only once as they earned their seventh consecutive championship.
    • Red Auerbach was named NBA Coach of the Year.
  • 1965-66:
    • Tom Heinsohn retired before the 1965-66 campaign.
    • Midway through the year Auerbach announced that it would be his final campaign as the team's head coach.
    • Boston's 10-year reign as the top team in the East ends.
    • The second-place finish meant that the Celtics had to get past the first round of the playoffs in order to face the 76ers in the Eastern Division Finals. Boston lost two of the first three games, then took the final two to advance. The Celtics sliced right through the 76ers in the second round, losing only one game.
    • The 1966 NBA Finals once again pitted Los Angeles against Boston.
    • Auerbach announced that the team would be coached the following year by none other than Bill Russell.
    • The Celtics finished off the Lakers in Game 7.
    • Auerbach stepped down as coach with an unprecedented record of eight consecutive championships.
  • 1966-69:
    • Russell piloted the 1966-67 team to a second-place finish.
    • The Celtics earned a shot at Eastern Division Finals.
    • Defeated, that ended the most impressive championship streak in American sports history. It was the first time in 10 seasons that the Celtics had failed to reach the NBA Finals, and it ended a string of eight straight NBA titles.
    • The 1967-68 season goes to the Eastern Division Finals for the fourth straight season.
    • Once again the Celtics were on their way to the championship round, in which they beat the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. Boston had captured its ninth title in 10 years.
    • The 1968-69 season, Boston turned on the magic during the playoffs, making short work of the 76ers in the division semifinals and then outlasting the Knicks in the Eastern Division Finals.
    • Boston moved on to face Los Angeles in the NBA Finals. It was the sixth time in eight years that the two teams had butted heads for the right to wear the crown, and the Celtics had yet to lose. But the Lakers, featuring Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor, entered the series as the favorites. In Game 7, played at The Forum in Los Angeles, the Celtics built a fourth-quarter lead, then held off a Lakers rally to win the championship.
  • 1969-74:
    • Bill Russell retired after having won 11 championships in 13 years.
    • Sam Jones's retirement was a loss to the team as well.
    • The 1969-70 Celtics, under new head coach Tom Heinsohn, finished out of the playoffs for the first time in 20 years.
    • The Celtics made wholesale changes before the 1970-71 campaign. Their new center was rookie Dave Cowens.
    • The Celtics finished out of the playoffs for the second year in a row.
    • Cowens shared NBA Rookie of the Year honors with Portland's Geoff Petrie, marking the only time two players have tied for the award.
    • In the 1971-72 season, the Celtics climbed back to the top spot in the Atlantic Division. Havlicek finished third in the league in scoring and fifth in assists.
    • Cowens snared 15.2 rebounds per game to rank fifth in the NBA.
    • Boston survived a six-game conference semifinal series, then fell in the conference finals.
    • The 1972-73 Celtics put together a remarkable regular season, while Cowens who emerged as the engine that drove the team, earned NBA Most Valuable Player honors.
    • Boston finished the regular season just one victory shy of the NBA's all-time win mark.
    • The 1973 Playoffs were a repeat of the previous postseason, as Boston got by the conference semifinals before losing in the next round.
    • The 1973-74 season, after placing first in the Atlantic Division, Boston then got past the Eastern Conference Finals.
  • 1974-75:
    • The NBA Finals saw the Celtics face off against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Milwaukee Bucks. It was one of the greatest Finals in NBA history. The teams split the first four games, and after the Celtics won Game 5 in Milwaukee they headed back to Boston leading three games to two, with a chance to claim the title on their home court. But the Bucks won Game 6 when Abdul-Jabbar nestled in a hook shot with three seconds left in the game's second overtime, and the series returned to Milwaukee. Cowens was the hero in Game 7, scoring 28 points as the Celtics brought the title back to Boston for the first time in five years.
    • The Celtics used the same formula in the 1974-75 season to claim another Atlantic Division crown.
    • In the playoffs, however, Boston was ousted in the Eastern Conference Finals.
  • 1975-76:
    • In the 1975-76 season, the Celtics finished in first place in their division.
    • Boston earned a shot at another NBA title by defeating Buffalo and then the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs.
    • Boston's opponents in the NBA Finals were the Phoenix Suns. The Celtics took the first two games, but the Suns came back to win Games 3 and 4. Game 5 ranks among the all-time thrillers in NBA history. The longest game in NBA Finals history finally ended, after three extra periods, with the Celtics winning. Two days later Boston captured yet another NBA championship, the 13th in franchise history.
  • 1976-78:
    • After owning the top spot in the Atlantic Division for five years running, the Celtics entered a short period of decline with the 1976-77 season.
    • After bouncing San Antonio with a two-game sweep in a first-round series, Boston was eliminated in a seven-game conference semifinal matchup.
    • The 1977-78 campaign was a total failure. Ultimately, Boston won only 32 games, the team's lowest total since the 1949-50 season.
  • 1978-79:
    • Prior to the 1978-79 campaign the Celtics were involved in an unusual deal that saw owner Irv Levin, a California businessman who was very unpopular in Boston, trade franchises with John Y. Brown, owner of the struggling Buffalo Braves. Levin was anxious to own a club that played in his home state, and the NBA let him take the Braves to San Diego, where they became the Clippers.
    • The deal included a complicated seven-player trade in which Boston acquired Nate Archibald, Billy Knight, Marvin Barnes, and two future draft choices and San Diego received Freeman Williams (who was the Celtics' first-round selection in the 1978 NBA Draft), backup center Kevin Kunnert, and power forwards Kermit Washington and Sidney Wicks. Most importantly, Boston retained the draft rights to Larry Bird, although he didn't join the Celtics until the following year.
    • John Havlicek retires.
    • The Celtics finished in the Atlantic Division cellar.
  • 1979-80:
    • Boston went from worst to first the following season. The catalyst for the turnaround was Bird. Red Auerbach had waited patiently while Bird returned to Indiana State for the 1978-79 season to lead the Sycamores to the NCAA title game, which they lost to Michigan State and Earvin "Magic" Johnson. When Bird and Johnson entered the league together for the 1979-80 season (Johnson with the Los Angeles Lakers), it marked the beginning of an era of unprecedented popularity for the NBA.
    • Although Johnson came away with an NBA championship in his first pro season, Bird earned NBA Rookie of the Year honors after putting up stellar first-year numbers: 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. Out of the ashes of the previous two seasons, the Celtics emerged with a solid core of players. Third-year veteran Cedric Maxwell teamed up with Bird in the frontcourt, and Cowens continued to patrol the middle. The guards were Chris Ford, who had come to the Celtics the season before from Detroit, and Nate "Tiny" Archibald, who shook off injuries that had slowed him the previous three years to finish second in the league in assists with 8.4 per game.
    • After winning only 29 games the season before, the Celtics roared back in 1979-80. The new coach Bill Fitch was named NBA Coach of the Year. Back in the playoffs after a two-year hiatus, Boston swept Houston in the conference semifinals before losing in the Eastern Conference Finals.
  • 1980-81:
    • The prelude to the 1980-81 season: The Celtics owned the No. 1 pick in the 1980 NBA Draft, which they sent with the No. 13 pick to the Golden State Warriors for Robert Parish and the No. 3 selection. Boston then used the No. 3 pick to select Kevin McHale.
    • Dave Cowens stunned the club by announcing his retirement.
    • Boston and Philadelphia battled all season for the top spot in the Atlantic Division, and the Celtics' win over the 76ers on the final day gave them the title.
    • In the Eastern Conference Finals Bird nailed a jump shot late in Game 7 to give the Celtics a victory and a trip to the Finals.
    • Boston Celtics came away with yet another championship banner.
  • 1981-84:
    • During the 1981-82 season, they lost the chance to repeat as champions when they were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals.
    • The next year saw them slip to second place in the Atlantic Division and then stumble out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
    • Red Auerbach brought in K. C. Jones to stabilize the club for the 1983-84 season. Jones left the frontcourt of Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell, and Robert Parish intact, but he remade the backcourt, bringing over Dennis Johnson from Phoenix. Kevin McHale provided instant offense off the bench.
    • Bird won the first of three consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, and McHale won the first of two straight NBA Sixth Man Awards.
    • With the first-round bye privilege eliminated from the playoffs, Boston downed Washington, New York, and Milwaukee to earn the right to play the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1984 NBA Finals.
    • The Celtics had never lost a seventh game in the NBA Finals, and Los Angeles was unable to break the string. Boston triumphed in Game 7.
  • 1984-85:
    • K. C. Jones did some tinkering installing Danny Ainge in the starting lineup.
    • Bird continued to get better, winning a second straight MVP Award.
    • McHale won the Sixth Man Award, also for the second consecutive year.
    • The Boston-Los Angeles matchup in the NBA Finals marked the ninth time that the two teams had squared off in the championship round, each of the eight previous encounters the Celtics had come away winners. Los Angeles fought behind the awesome play of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to finally wrest the crown away from the Celtics.
  • 1985-86:
    • If there was any doubt that Larry Bird deserved to be ranked among the greatest players in basketball history, he dispelled it with a masterful 1985-86 season. Bird did everything that year, finishing fourth in the league in points, seventh in rebounds, and ninth in steals. He led the league in free throw percentage and finished fourth in three-point field goal percentage. He also led his team in assists. Bird's stellar numbers earned him a third consecutive MVP Award. Only two other players had claimed Most Valuable Player honors three years running: Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.
    • Bill Walton earned the NBA Sixth Man Award.
    • Boston lost only one game in the first three rounds of the playoffs.
    • The Celtics found themselves in the 1986 NBA Finals.
    • Boston took the series in six games. It was the club's 16th NBA title.
  • 1986-88:
    • Boston owned the No. 2 pick in the 1986 NBA Draft and took forward Len Bias, a promising young player from Maryland. Two days later Bias died from a cocaine overdose.
    • In the 1986-87 playoffs, Larry Bird provided one of the greatest moments in playoff history in the conference finals against Detroit. The Pistons had a one-point lead and possession of the ball with five seconds left in the pivotal Game 5 at Boston Garden. Bird stole an inbounds pass from Isiah Thomas and fed Dennis Johnson for a layup and a shocking victory.
    • The Celtics prevailed in Game 7 to advance.
    • Boston faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals for the third time in four seasons. Los Angeles took the series in six games.
    • The Celtics team that took the floor for the 1987-88 season had victories over Washington and New York in the Atlantic Division, but the Celtics were no match in the Eastern Conference Finals, and they bowed out after a hard-fought six-game series.
  • 1988-92:
    • The 1988-89 hopes of a good season slipped away when, after only six games, Bird opted for surgery to remove painful bone spurs from his feet.
    • The Celtics were swept in the first round of the playoffs.
    • The one bright spot for Boston was the emergence of second-year forward Reggie Lewis. In his second season Lewis filled in admirably for the missing Bird.
    • Bird was back and healthy for the 1989-90 season.
    • The club finished second in the Atlantic Division.
    • In the first round of the playoffs, Boston was eliminated.
    • Chris Ford took over the coaching reins prior to the 1990-91 season.
    • The Celtics advanced, but they fell in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
    • Ford somehow coaxed a first-place finish out of his 1991-92 team. Lewis emerged as the team's leader.
    • Boston claimed the division title.
    • The Celtics swept the opening round of the postseason but were bounced in the conference semifinals.
  • 1992:
    • After playing for the United States Dream Team at the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, Larry Bird finally succumbed to his back problems and retired just before the 1992-93 season. One of the greatest careers in NBA history had come to a close. In his 13 seasons, Bird had scored 21,791 points and had earned three Most Valuable Player Awards, three NBA championships, 12 All-Star selections, nine All-NBA First Team selections, and the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
    • More importantly, Bird had fanned the flames of a cross-country rivalry between the Lakers and the Celtics that boosted the NBA's popularity. The three NBA Finals battles between Bird's Celtics and Magic Johnson's Lakers will be remembered as among the greatest championship series ever played. Bird's all-around talents, clutch play, and ability to inspire the players around him were considered by many to be unsurpassed in NBA history.
  • 1992-93:
    • The playoffs were a disappointment. The Celtics made the playoffs, and were eliminated in four games.
    • In Game 1 of the series Reggie Lewis collapsed on the court. He was later diagnosed with arrhythmia (an irregular heartbeat), a condition that brought tragic results in the offseason. On July 27, 1993, while shooting baskets at Brandeis University in Boston, the 27-year-old Lewis collapsed again. He was found by paramedics in complete cardiac arrest and died shortly thereafter.
  • 1993-94:
    • Reggie Lewis's death and the retirement of Kevin McHale led to the Celtics' worst season since 1978-79. The 1993-94 Celtics finished 32-50 and out of the playoffs.
    • Rookie Dino Radja, the 6-11 forward from Croatia earned a berth on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. He became the sixth rookie in Celtics history to amass 1,000 points, joining Bird, Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, Dave Cowens, and John Havlicek.
    • Sherman Douglas ranked seventh in the league in assists.
    • The offseason brought the end of an era when Robert Parish left the team.
    • Boston did some maneuvering, naming former Celtics player M. L. Carr as general manager and signing free agents Dominique Wilkins and Pervis Ellison prior to the 1994-95 season.
  • 1995-96:
    • In their final season at Boston Garden, the Celtics went on to grab the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Boston eventually lost in four games in the first round of the playoffs.
    • First-round draft choice Eric Montross acquitted himself well, earning a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
    • At season's end the Celtics relieved Chris Ford of his coaching duties.
  • 1995-96:
    • The Celtics started 1995-96 with a new coach (former player M.L. Carr) and a new home (the brand new FleetCenter).
    • The Celtics compiled their third straight losing season. It marked the first time since 1946-50 that the Celtics had suffered as many as three consecutive losing seasons.
    • NBA record by guard Dana Barros, sank at least one three-point field goal in 89 straight games.
    • Eric Williams, showed promise in his rookie season, earning a berth in the Rookie Game at All-Star Weekend.
  • 1996-97:
    • The 1996-97 Boston Celtics made history in their 50th NBA season.
    • Rookie Antoine Walker's scoring average was third among all NBA rookies. He became only the seventh Celtics rookie to score 1,000 points.
    • Rick Fox and David Wesley finished among the top 10 in steals, and Fox set a team single season steals record with 167, surpassing the 166 snared by Larry Bird during the 1995-96 season.
    • Rick Pitino was installed as the Celtics' head coach and president.
    • With the luxury of the third and sixth overall picks in the 1997 draft, Pitino tabbed point guard Chauncey Billups and forward Ron Mercer (who played for Pitino at Kentucky) to lead the team into the new era.

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New Englands Patriots

patriots logoNick Buoniconti is in the pro football Hall of Fame, along side other patriots. Steve Grogan, Gino Cappellitti, and more are in the Patriots Hall of Fame...

Drew Bledsoe, Terry Glenn, Chris Slade, these names are on their way to the hall of fame.

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Since their induction into the AFL in 1959, the Patriots have achieved many noteworthy accomplishments.

From the "Snow Plow Game" in 1982, to the Patriots "squishing the fish" in Miami to advance to Super Bowl XX and Robert Kraft’s purchase of the Patriots on Jan. 21, 1994, take a trip down memory lane.

  • 1959:
    • Clemson QB Harvey White becomes the first player to sign a Boston Patriots contract.
  • 1960:
    • As the result of a public contest, the team nickname of Patriots is chosen.
    • The Patriots also announce that the team colors will be red, white and blue.
    • Patriots become first pro team in history to issue public stock.
    • Uniformed Patriot centering football is adopted as team logo.
  • 1963:
    • Patriots play their first game in Fenway Park and beat Oakland 20-14.
    • Gino Cappelletti became the first player in AFL history to score more than 1,000 points in his career. He reached the milestone on a 19-yard touchdown reception from Tom Sherman.
    • With a 26-8 victory over Buffalo, the Patriots win the AFL’s Eastern Division title in the league’s only season-ending tie-breaker game.
  • 1964:
    • Gino Cappelletti finished the season with 155 total points, which still ranks third in NFL history.
  • 1967:
    • Patriots played the Baltimore Colts of the NFL in a preseason game. It was the first time the Patriots had played an NFL team.
  • 1970:
    • The American and National Football League's announced their merger, forming a common league with 26 teams, 13 in the American Football Conference and 13 in the National Football Conference.
    • Foxboro, Mass. selected as the new playing site for the Patriots.
  • 1971:
    • The Boston Patriots are renamed the New England Patriots.
  • 1976:
    • Patriots defeat New Orleans 27-6 at Foxboro to qualify for their first NFL playoff appearance and their first playoff appearance since the 1963 AFL Championship game.
  • 1978:
    • Patriots clinch their first outright divisional championship in the club’s history with a last minute 26-24 victory over Buffalo at home.
  • 1985:
    • The Patriots defeated the New York Jets, 26-14, at The Meadowlands in the AFC wild-card game. With the victory the Patriots won their first NFL playoff game.
  • 1986:
    • The Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins, 31-14, thus winning their first AFC Championship in team history. In doing so, the Patriots ended an 18-game losing streak at the Orange Bowl which started following their last win in 1966.
    • The Patriots play in Super Bowl XX, going against the Chicago Bears in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. The game, shown on NBC-TV, was the third-highest rated Super Bowl in history with a 48.3 rating and a 70 share (one rating point represents 859,000 TV households; a share is the percentage of sets in use). Only the 1982 and 1983 Super Bowls had higher ratings. It was the most widely watched TV show ever with 127 million viewers (topping the previous high of 121,600,000 who watched the final MASH show of February 28, 1983). The previous high Super Bowl in terms of viewers was Super Bowl XIX between the 49ers and the Dolphins (115,880,000). Also, 300 million people in China watched the game on tape delay.
    • AFC Championship banner is raised at Sullivan Stadium in pregame ceremony prior to the season opener vs. Indianapolis.
    • QB Tony Eason throws for a then team record 414 yards. Eason was 26 of 45 with three TDs and no interceptions.
  • 1989:
    • K-Korp, a company co-owned by Robert Kraft, purchases Sullivan Stadium.
  • 1991:
    • Former Patriots’ offensive guard John Hannah is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
  • 1994:
    • Robert K. Kraft becomes the Patriots fourth owner in the club's 35-year history with an agreement to purchase the team from James Orthwein.
  • 1996:
    • Owner Robert Kraft signs QB Drew Bledsoe to a seven-year contract extension.
    • The Patriots clinch their second playoff berth in two years by defeating the N.Y. Jets 34-10.
    • The Patriots clinch their first AFC Division title since 1986.
    • The Patriots score 23 unanswered second half points and defeat the N.Y. Giants 23-22 to secure a first-round playoff bye and first home playoff game since 1978. WR Terry Glenn finished the 1996 season with 90 receptions, setting a new league reception record (83 by Earl Cooper - 1980).
  • 1997:
    • The Patriots win their first home playoff game in team history by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-3 in Foxboro Stadium.
    • Otis Smith’s 47-yard fumble return for a touchdown with 2:36 remaining enabled the Patriots to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-6 and earn their second AFC Championship and a trip to Super Bowl XXXI.
    • The Patriots lose played the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI. The two teams set a Super Bowl record for most points scored by both teams in the first quarter with 24. The game was the fourth most-watched program in television history.
    • Former Patriot CB Mike Haynes is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
    • The Patriots clinched their second consecutive AFC East Division Championship with a 14-12 victory over the Miami Dolphins. It was their first back-to-back Division Championship in franchise history and their third playoff appearance in four years. With their victory over the Dolphins, the Patriots finished the 1997 season 7-1 against their division opponents, which tied a franchise record set in 1986.

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last update: 3.10.97

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