SoSH readers then contributed there own stories -- of grandfathers, brothers, friends -- who were life-long Red Sox fans and who, in many cases, were not living at the time the Sox appeared to be ready to win the long-awaited title. (Former Sox players, like Johnny Pesky, still alive then and now, and Ted Williams, not, were also featured.)
The SoSH thread was then turned into a book that was published to modest acclaim.
With the Celtics firmly in command in the second half last night, thoughts turned to a "Win It For..." thread for old Celts.
Red Auerbach would be featured prominently in any such thread; the new-look Celts, with hard-nosed defense and an unselfish core group of KG, Ray-Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce, would have been appreciated by Red even in today's NBA.
...Johnny Most.
...Reggie Lewis and ...Easy Ed Macauley (the only Celtics with their numbers retired without a World Championship ring; Macauley was traded in 1956 for Bill Russell.)
The wags had some fun with some other memories of Celtics past:
...Acie Earl.
...Todd Day.
...Dino Radja.
...Xavier McDaniel.
But perhaps the most compelling "Win It For..." would be a young man, who 22 years ago tonight, flew back from Boston to his dorm at the University of Maryland, having just been selected as the 'heir apparent' by the then-World Champion Boston Celtics.
Before 9:00am the next morning, Len Bias' dream was gone.
And it took the franchise until last night to get back on top.
Hat tip: AH
