Pats keep their streak alive, but fans keep up buzz for Sox
The New England Patriots' nail-biting victory yesterday over the Indianapolis Colts -- capped by a gut-checking goal-line stand with time running out -- was a game for the ages.
The 38-34 triumph confirmed the 10-2 Pats as one of the NFL's elite teams, solidified their playoff hopes, extended their streak to eight, and should have been enough to get any fan bandwagon rolling. But as cheers rang out for Tom Brady and Willie McGinest in sports bars across the Boston area, many patrons seemed to have something else on their minds.
A baseball cleat hasn't touched the Fenway Park infield since mid-October. But like a bad hangover, Red Sox fever appears to be lingering.
At the Phoenix Landing bar in Cambridge, some among the handful of fans watching the game wore Red Sox jerseys. At Aces High Pub in South Boston, several stalwarts were discussing last week's addition of righthander Curt Schilling to the Red Sox pitching rotation, even as the Patriots scored a touchdown.
"Boston is still a baseball town," explained Aces High bartender Jack McGill. "That's why Curt Schilling was plastered all over the news this week. Forget Iraq, forget the Pats; it's the Red Sox."
But in some quarters of this sports-crazed city, there are concerns that the Patriots, who are exceeding preseason expectations despite a series of key injuries, deserve better. That it's time to put aside Red Sox speculation -- what could have been, and what might still be -- and concentrate on football.
"It's over; it's time to move to the next sport," said James Ramos, 37, a Belmont resident who stopped in at Aces High to catch the Patriots game while his wife shopped at Home Depot nearby.
"I was at a bar last weekend, and everyone was talking about how no one would give the Pats the time of day," said Ernie Johnson, 33, of Watertown, who was watching yesterday's game at Dick's Last Resort in the Back Bay. Instead, talk turned to the ouster of Sox manager Grady Little and the Sox' crushing defeat by the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.
"Normally, no one would be talking about the Red Sox by now," said Gabe Nicolella, manager at Dick's, where only a smattering of fans were watching the Pats yesterday. "But everybody is anxious to know what's going to happen next year. People are already excited."
Some fans at Champion's Sports Bar in the Back Bay said the heated rivalry with the Yankees makes the Red Sox more exciting than the Pats, who play in an NFL where parity is rampant. And the Old Towne Team's underdog status serves to intensify the attraction. The Patriots won a Super Bowl in 2002, while the Red Sox haven't won a World Series since 1918.
"Obviously, that's a big part of the allure," said Newton resident Dagan Kasavana. "You've got to be preoccupied with the Sox."
Kasavana's friend Anthony Cucinotta contended that baseball talk will continue to dominate the Boston sports scene as long as Sox general manager Theo Epstein keeps making offseason improvements to the team. Last week's addition of Schilling, the pending announcement of a new manager, and speculation about the addition of closer Keith Foulke or even, possibly, superstar shortstop Alex Rodriguez have helped keep the buzz alive, said Cucinotta, his navy Red Sox cap pulled low over his eyes.
"Those are big, big moves," the 26-year-old Natick resident said. "You've got to keep watching them."
Across the Charles at the Phoenix Landing, 22-year-old Disney Bowen maintained that the Sox, the Pats, the Bruins, and the Celtics all receive equal shares of his love and attention.
"It's just like having kids," the Cambridge resident said. "You've got to love them all equally."
On the other side of the bar, 23-year-old bartender Nicky Poirier said she wished other people felt the same way. Red Sox fans need to get over their obsession and support the Patriots, she said. At least for a few months. So she can pay her rent.
"Stop it with the baseball until spring training," Poirier pleaded. "I think it's time."
Donovan Slack can be reached at dslack@globe.com.
