Allen: A 10-year journey to Titletown

It was just over seven years ago — on Oct. 18, 2000, to be exact — Gerry Callahan dubbed Boston “Loserville.” Little did Callahan (or any of the rest of us) know that many of the seeds that would transform Boston into Titletown were already planted, and even beginning to sprout.

The genesis of this golden age in can realistically be traced to July 31, 1997, when Sox GM Dan Duquette traded his closer, Heathcliff Slocumb (31 saves the year before) to Seattle for prospects Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe. That November, Duquette traded for National League Cy Young winner Pedro Martinez. Martinez, along with Tim Wakefield, Varitek and Lowe, would form the nucleus of the pitching staff that would lead the Red Sox to the World Series victory in 2004. (Outfielder Trot Nixon, a 1993 draftee, was the only other player from that era that would be part of the 2004 championship.) While Wakefield and Nixon were in the Sox organization prior to the deadline deal for Lowe and Varitek, the trade of Slocumb — a pitcher who gave Red Sox fans nightmares each time he took the mound that season — for a pair of prospects that had huge roles in bringing a World Series title to Boston can truly be marked as a key turning point for the franchise.

The Patriots, in the midst of a 5-11 season, prompted the columnist to refer to the “Hempstead Hex,” noting even Bob Kraft’s bold move to grab Bill Belichick wasn’t enough to shake the Jets’ superiority over the Patriots since Bill Parcells had deserted New England for Long Island a few years prior. However, as we now know, the move to grab Belichick was one of the greatest decisions in franchise history, right up there with drafting a player that year on the Patriots roster no one was paying any attention to. In fact, perhaps the only time sixth-round pick Tom Brady got any attention that season was when Belichick made the decision to carry four quarterbacks for the entire season. This was an unorthodox decision that had some scratching their heads — the Patriots had their franchise quarterback in Drew Beldsoe and a veteran backup in John Friesz. Michael Bishop appeared to be their “project” guy and was already a fan favorite in some circles. So why use up a roster spot on Brady? Couldn’t he just have been put on the practice squad? Apparently, the coaching staff saw enough in Brady to protect him on the roster for the whole season.

In addition to Belichick and Brady, Scott Pioli and Charlie Weis had already joined the Patriots, and each of them would play a large role in the three Super Bowl championships that were to come. On the Patriots roster that season were guys like Tedy Bruschi, Troy Brown, Ty Law, Willie McGinest and Kevin Faulk — players who are viewed much differently now then they were in October 2000.

So even while we were wallowing in the shame of “Loserville,” things were already in motion that would lead to perhaps the greatest era of Boston sports. Just a reminder of how quickly things can turn around.


Bruce Allen is the creator of Boston Sports Media Watch.