Sports
A Year in Review: Boston Sports
Sports
A Year in Review: Boston Sports
By Anna Russo
Boston has recently went viral online after being ranked the #1 sports city in the entirety of the United States by WalletHub, a personal finance company. While this has been quite the controversial decision, was Boston the right choice? What do we have to show for it since Boston hasn’t won a championship since 2024 with the Celtics. Regardless of a missing victory this year, Boston has remained notorious for our competitive nature and passionately driven fans.
Red Sox at Fenway Park after a game against the New York Yankees. Photo from Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images.
Red Sox Make the Postseason
This year the Red Sox surprised many fans as it was the first time since 2021 that they qualified for a playoff spot. The Boston Red Sox season ended with an 89-73 record, placing them 3rd in the AL East, eligible to play in the AL Wild Card Series. Unfortunately, this excitement was short-lived when they became the first team in MLB history to win the first wildcard game, but proceeded to lose the overall series (2-1). Even worse to Red Sox fans, they lost to the Yankees, their rival. Despite the disappointing post season outcome, the Red Sox held league rankings such as the pitcher with the most strikeouts in a season–Garrett Crochet with 255– and 1st place in hits for doubles (getting to second base on one hit). The Boston Red Sox attempt at success in the post season shows fans that the rookies who make up our team are dedicated and for the first time in 4 years, it has begun to pay off.
Boston Bruins during a game against the Maple Leafs at the Garden. Photo from Boston Herald.
Bruins Chase the Season They Need
The 2024-25 Bruins season left many with frustration because they didn’t qualify for the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season, as well as bringing an end to their 17-year streak of winning seasons since 2007-08. This current season however, the Bruins are ranked 2nd in the Atlantic division with a record of 15-13. This past offseason brought in a new head coach, Marco Sturm, who brought with him an interesting strategy; no singular captain for the season, but rather naming Pastrnak, McAvoy, and Lindholm alternate captains. There has been an effort to rebuild the team and reestablish its identity after a dispiriting ending to last season.
Celtics during a game against the New York Knicks at TD Garden. Photo from David Butler II-Imagn Images.
Celtics Aim to be Top Contenders
While the Celtics’ current record–13-9–is not the strongest, it is way too early into the regular season to make assumptions about their outcome. Although, they are ranking 9th-11th in the Eastern Conference currently, it is a lot higher than the previous years where they have been regular top contenders. As shown last year when the Celtics had a triumphant 2024-25 season, going 61-21 and getting placed first in their division and 2nd in their conference. Last season the Celtics also tied the NBA record for most 3-pointers in a game on opening night. This season however, has shown more resilience through adaptation while missing a star player such as Jayson Tatum. While the team hasn’t proven to have any dominant performances as of late, there is room and time for development.
Patriots during a game against the New York Giants at Gillette Stadium. Photo by Maddie Meyer.
The Patriots Get Their Act Together
The Patriots are another prime example of shocking New Englanders by their performance this season. Currently (beginning of December), the Patriots hold the best record in the league, 11-2 which also guarantees a top contender spot in the playoffs. This has been major for the team who has gone 4-13 two years straight. New England has also found a new quarterback to take front and center stage. The Patriots, Tom Brady, and Belichick have gone hand-in-hand for quite some time now, but with Drake Maye, the rookie quarterback, and new head coach Mike Vrabel, the Patriots have seen strong changes and improvements from their poor outcomes the past few years.
Boston Harbor and Skyline. Photo by Gray Malin.
Victory Longevity For Boston In Sight?
As mentioned earlier, Boston being labeled the #1 sports city in the United States puts a lot of attention on the city’s performances this year. While we have no championships yet to support this decision, an outstanding performance for the New England Patriots and competitive playing from both the Celtics and Bruins positions us for change in that aspect. We have also seen major developments in new coaching and rookie potential which most Boston sports fans hope entail dominance in the nearby future as we continue to fight to keep our position as the best ranked sports city in the country.