Underrated Sports Franchise: Boston Bruins

I think it's fitting to choose the Bruins to kick off this blog, since they're probably the most criminally underrated thing going right now in the city of Boston.

Here we are, a week before the Stanley Cup playoffs, our hometown team having clinched their conference for the first time in centuries years - and the big story is the Red Sox postponing opening day (over a little water, no less - when's the last time you heard of a hockey game being rained out?).

It's true that a lot has changed since the Bruins of the 70s brought home a pair of Cups. And a lot has changed since the B's of the 80s made it to two Stanley Cup Finals (at least one of which they should have won, but that's a whole other story...). Heck, a lot has changed since an overachieving Bruins team led by a wuss named Joe broke all our hearts by blowing it in the first round of the playoffs after entering the post-season as heavy favorites. That and the lockout shortly thereafter probably helps explain how this team got to where they are now, battling it out with the Revolution - just a notch or two above the Blazers and Militia (our lacrosse and women's football teams, respectively) - for sports relevance.

Still, has Boston really become a two-sport town? Before last year, I'd have said yes - but even the Celtics, coming off one of the most horrible seasons of their storied history, captured most of the city's imagination last spring when they made some trades, put together some wins and capped it all off with their first championship since Harvard Square was worth hanging out in. Where's the love for our beloved boys of winter?

What makes the lack of respect given to our Bruins even more frustrating is that they have arguably the most dedicated fan-base of any of our teams. There's not many fair-weather fans in the balcony at any home game, and that wast just as true during the awful seasons a few years back as it is today. You may still find the occasionally pink-jersey, but not nearly as bad as the Red Sox, Pats and even Celtics fans who can't even name current players, much less show any knowledge of franchise history. There's so much pink at Fenway lately that you'd think Sanrio was a corporate sponsor (note to Mr. Henry: I don't think you've sold the rights for "Official Colorful Japanese Plush Toy of the Boston Red Sox" yet, so consider my commission when you no doubt tap this revenue stream).

The year's Bruins team show by far the most promise of any squad we've had going into the playoffs since at least the late 80s (if that doesn't seem that long to you, consider MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice were getting significant, non-ironic airplay back then). They've combined the winningness of the late 60s/early 70s B's with the character and grit of the late 70s/early 80s incarnation and night-in and night-out they put in an effort worth paying for.

Milan Lucic or Tim Thomas themselves could get a future post for most underrated athlete (though it's a tough call between them and Tricia Yergeau of the Militia), but for the time being why don't you at least try and catch a game on NESN and see why local hockey lovers are in a tizzy over this year's Boston Bruins and with any luck, we can help grow that group of die-hard fans just as the team needs it most - during the NHL's "second season." Do you really want to live in a town where the MLS team gets more print than the hockey team? That's not America - that's not even Mexico!

Boston Bruins
TD Banknorth Garden
100 Legends Way
Boston, MA 02114
(617) 624-BEAR