Sparse crowd figured it could catch both games
During the time Bruins left wing Peter Schaefer was playing for the Ottawa Senators, he couldn't go to the grocery store without being recognized. The hockey team was considered the prime attraction of the community and the players enjoyed the rock star status.
Last night at Boston Garden, the Bruins were hosting Chicago, an Original Six franchise, but it was clear from the paltry turnout - an official 10,290 - and the Red Sox-adorned fans who did show up that the Black and Gold had taken a back seat to Red.
With the Red Sox playing Game 2 of the World Series against the Colorado Rockies at Fenway Park, the region's pro hockey franchise proved a tough draw.
For many of the faithful who did make the trek, there was definitely a strategy involved. In a nutshell, because of the 7 p.m. start of the Bruins, the 8:30 start of the Series, and the number of commercial breaks during the baseball broadcast, most believed they could see the hockey game without really missing much of the baseball game.
"I bought a 10-game package," said Chris Nearhos of Hyannis. "It's the Original Six package. So I'll see most of the Sox game because this one will be over at 9:30. And since they have so many commercials during the World Series, it will probably be only the second inning, so I'll probably see plenty of it."
Last year, Nearhos was so disgusted with the state of the Bruins that he put black hockey tape over the "B" on his hat to express his dismay. Because he's optimistic this year, he took it off.
"They're looking good this year," he said. "When they came back about .500 from the road trip, I was pleasantly surprised. I looked at the roster and they made some good acquisitions and I thought they were going to be hitting more and there would be more hitting going on [league-wide]. That's why the league stunk last year. It is a contact sport."
Tricia Scolly from Everett came to the game because she won tickets through the realty company where she works.
"Otherwise, I'd be at home watching the Sox," she said with a laugh. When asked if she tried to sell them or even give them away, she said no.
"I didn't have the heart to do that," she said. "I felt bad, but we'll probably be catching the game. [The World Series] is so late, I'm having a hard time staying up for the darned thing."
If some fans were waiting for the Bruins' Jumbotron to give them updates on the early part of the Sox game, others came prepared with cellphones to access the Internet.
"We're hoping the Bruins will be kind enough to post the score," said Dave Gravelle of Plymouth. "But also my cellphone, I can get all the scores on the Internet. But the second period will be over before the Red Sox really get going, so you're only missing maybe the first two innings. The bottom line is you don't miss much."
He said it was hard not to notice the absence of fans in the arena.
"It's empty in here," he said. "There aren't many people here. The last time I remember it like this was during a major blizzard about three years ago."
Gravelle has season tickets and he did try to unload his for last night's game. He said not everyone believed in trying to get a double dose of Boston sports.
"I have six tickets and there are only two of us here," said Gravelle. "I was successful selling two. Two I had to keep because I wasn't able to sell them. I called a guy today who is a diehard Bruins fan who buys tickets from me all the time. I said, 'Hey Mike, I've got tickets for tonight's game.' He said, 'Are you kidding me? There's no way I'm going!' He pretty much hung up on me. That was it."
