Ican remember a time a little over two months ago when I was talking with my friend, an equally rabid Boston sports fan, about the current state of affairs of one of our teams.
Even though we were in the sweltering summer heat, the hot topic of the day was the moves made by our home-state ice hockey team, the Bruins.
We couldn't believe it. Our squad, known for its penny-pinching owner and recent playoff disappointments, was a major mover in the "post-collective bargaining agreement" run of acquisitions.
Before the NHL lockout, the Bruins had many key players that were free agents, and we thought we would soon lose our captain, and one of the league's best players, All-Star center Joe Thornton.
But suddenly, starting on Aug. 3, the pieces began to fall into place.
The Bruins re-signed their leading goal scorer, Glen Murray, to a four-year deal, and added a veteran left-winger in Shawn McEachern, bringing the Waltham, Mass., native home in the process.
A day later, they signed famed defenseman Brian Leetch. At the time of the deal, Leetch was four points short of 1,000 for his career.
On the fifth of August, they signed former Philadelphia Flyer center Alexei Zhamnov for t1hree years, a guy who can fill up the stat sheet, especially with the NHL's new rules that enable a faster-paced, higher-scoring style.
Six days later, the speedy Sergei Samsonov, P.J. Axelsson, and Jonathan Girard returned to the team, agreeing to one-year deals.
Then, on Aug. 12, Joe Thornton agreed to captain the Bruins for at least another three years.
And that's how it felt. One right after the other; and when this week and a half was over, we Boston fans looked at our roster and said, "Damn! We got a shot at the Cup this year!"
Not only that, but there were rumors the Bruins might sign Paul Kariya, the former Mighty Duck who three times in his career put up 99 or more points in a season.
We were talking about how the new offensive-minded veterans would mix with the young guns, goalie Andrew Raycroft and center Patrice Bergeron.
We were talking about how Thornton, oft-criticized for his playoff performances, showed renewed loyalty and excitement about playing for Boston. We realized how good he is and how thankful we were that he was staying for a while longer.
And we were thinking, as college students, about lowered ticket prices, and how we "definitely gotta' check out this team a bunch this year."
We didn't think about the defense or a schedule that calls for over 30 games against tough Northeast Divisional foes, including the Cup-favorite Ottawa Senators. Who can focus on such things after such player signings?
Then it hit me.
This was August, there were nearly two months until the season would even begin, and yet I couldn't help looking forward to the Bruins.
As a Boston sports fan, I realize that such times are wonderful. Back when I had this conversation, the defending champion Red Sox had a lead over the Yankees in the American League East. And last year some nice stuff happened for the Sox, too.
Also at that time, the Patriots were going through training camp and preseason games, and despite some personnel losses, were poised to make a strong run at a third Super Bowl in a row and a fourth in five years.
The curse had been broken and my football team is a dynasty, and yet I was pumped about the Bruins. How could this be?
It's not that I couldn't wait to see how the Sox' and Pats' years would play out, but I learned that something in me loves the inherent hope involved with sports and the possibility of so much in the season that lies ahead.
Even now, after an inconsistent start that saw the Bruins go 3-3 before last night's game, including a good win at Tampa Bay and a bad loss at Ottawa, I have hope for this year. Why shouldn't I? I mean, five of those games were on the road.
Maybe sports fans have a short attention spans. Maybe it's a never-ending cycle of the calendar of events that makes us constantly look towards the future. Maybe that is why NFL analysts create mock drafts for the next year just after the most recent draft has taken place. Maybe that is why we, as fans, wonder who will be the next Shaq or if any young slugger can one day come close to baseball's career home run record.
Some look at this with disdain, preferring to cherish the now. But the fact of the matter is, game clocks run out, seasons come and go, but the commonly-held sports phrase, "there's always next year," will forever be true. It has to be; sports is a business of few winners and many, many losers.
No matter how high the expectations or how bleak the outlook, a new sports season offers the hope of drama, excitement, fun, and glory. Sports in the past have offered underdogs, upsets, and history, and there's no reason to believe this will stop.
Me? I'm just hoping to attend yet another victory parade in downtown Boston, this one sometime in the spring for the Bruins.
