1) Bruins win the Stanley Cup — 2011
-They did it. They actually did it. The Bruins won their first Stanley Cup since 1972 by going into Vancouver and winning Game 7. Images of Tim Thomas, Patrice Bergeron, and Zdeno Chara hoisting la Coupe Stanley in that white road Bruins jersey will be remembered forever. This is No. 1 for me because the Stanley Cup is the greatest trophy in sports. It’s also the most difficult trophy to win. The B’s had two more chances to win the Cup in this decade, but lost to Chicago in 2013 and St. Louis earlier this year. When will the Bruins win it again? Who knows. That’s why 2011 was so special. I miss that team. It might be my favorite team of all time, in any sport. And it feels like yesterday.
2) Malcom Butler’s interception against Seattle wins Super Bowl XLIX for Patriots — 2015
-Marshawn Lynch is still shaking his head at Pete Carroll’s decision to throw the football on 2nd-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Instead of running, Russell Wilson threw the ball, and Butler made arguably the greatest play in the history of sports. Even if Butler just batted the ball down, Seattle would’ve had two more tries to get into the end zone and probably would’ve still won the Super Bowl. The only way the Patriots could’ve won is if Butler intercepted that pass, and literally ripped the Lombardi Trophy out of the Seahawks’ hands, which he did. I’ve never screamed louder or jumped higher than I did in that moment. Unreal.
3) Patriots overcome 28-3 second-half deficit to beat Atlanta in Super Bowl LI – 2017
-Imagine this not even being the best Super Bowl win in franchise history? That’s how good the Patriots have been over the last two decades. The Pats were down 28-3 with under three minutes left in the third quarter, and they still won the game in overtime. I think I’m still shocked by it.
4) Red Sox win World Series in Game 6 at Fenway – 2013
-I was at Fenway for this one, as a fan, watching Koji Uehara get one last swing-and-miss on his nasty splitter that gave the Red Sox their third World Series championship in 10 years, and their first at Fenway since 1918. Fenway has never been louder than it was when Shane Victorino cleared the bases with a liner off the Green Monster to give the Red Sox a 3-0 lead in the third inning. There was just a special buzz in the ballpark that night. I honestly can’t explain it in words.
5) Red Sox finish off historic season by winning the World Series in Game 5 in Los Angeles – 2018
-The 2018 Red Sox didn’t just win it all. They steamrolled the competition. Boston won 108 games in the regular season, the most in franchise history. Then they went 11-3 in the postseason, never losing more than one game in a series. Pure domination. And they deserve their place in history.
6) Bruins’ dramatic comeback win over Toronto in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals – 2013
-This was nuts. I was covering the Bruins as a reporter, and my story had to be completely re-written after the B’s finished off a comeback and beat the Maple Leafs 5-4 in overtime at the TD Garden. Toronto led 4-1 with less than 10 minutes to play in the game. But goals by Nathan Horton, Milan Lucic, and Bergeron tied the game at 4-4 and sent it to overtime, where Bergeron buried a rebound to win the series.
7) Isaiah Thomas scores 53 points in Celtics’ OT playoff win over Washington on his late sister’s birthday – 2017
-Thomas’ 53-point night in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals wasn’t only special because it was the second-most points in Celtics postseason history behind John Havlicek’s 54. It was also special because Thomas did it on his sister Chyna’s birthday, just weeks after she was killed in a car accident.
8) Patriots defeat Rams in Super Bowl LIII for their 3rd Super Bowl in five years – 2019
-It’s crazy to think that I almost didn’t even put this in the Top 10. Imagine? That’s how spoiled we are in this town, that a Super Bowl win might not even crack the best 10 moments of the decade. At the end of the day, a Super Bowl win is a Super Bowl win, even if it ends up being a 13-3 game with not much offense and punters getting MVP consideration.
9) Celtics retire Paul Pierce’s No. 34 – 2018
-The Truth had his number raised to the TD Garden rafters, and deservedly so. It was a moment that also sparked the conversation: Who’s next? Should the Celtics retire Kevin Garnett’s No. 5? Or how about Ray Allen’s No. 20?
10) David Ortiz proclaims, “This is our [bleep]ing city!” – 2013
-Just days after the Marathon bombing, Big Papi grabbed the mic before the Red Sox’ next home game, and sent an emotional message to the fans at Fenway, yelling, “This is out [expletive] city. And nobody gonna dictate our freedom. Stay strong!”
Listen to “The Danny Picard Show” on iTunes and Spotify, and anywhere else podcasts are available. Watch Danny at YouTube.com/dannypicard. Follow him on Twitter @DannyPicard. Check out all his work at dannypicard.com.
