Top 5/Bottom 5: The Best and Worst of a Memorable Decade

Do you feel that Boston? That is the sour ending to a rather bright decade for our Sports Teams. 1 NBA Title in 2 appearances; 3 NFL Championships in 4 appearances; 2 MLB titles in 2 appearances..but for every crowning moment..there is an equal AND opposite heartbreaker.

BOTTOM 5:
5. MLB 2008 ALCS: This was a toss-up, because the sweep of the Sox in the ALDS last year hurt. But remember when we were once again down and out and then the Sox started winning games again? Down 3-1 in the series, they went on to win the next two and you really thought that magic was still there. And then Jason Varitek reminded us that the team was just a tad too old to go the distance against the much younger and more talented Rays. And having a fighting chance with men on in the 9th did not help.

4. 2009-2010 NBA Finals Game 7: People will be talking about this one for a while. It's hard to say that Kobe WAS the Laker's in this series, especially since he wasn't that big of a scoring factor for the Lakers in Game 7. It WILL be easy for people to argue that the refs were extremely one sided. This one is rough because no one believed in the Celtics until they made us believe, and then they lost a very close game on the toughest court and on Basketballs biggest stage...to the rival team. Furthermore, this was probably the last game with the Big 3 and perhaps the Doc. Really would have been nice to go out big, like they came in.

3. 2009-2010 NHL Eastern Conference Semifinals: It wasn't all that deep in to the playoffs, but what makes this one hurts for die-hard hockey fans is the 0-3 hole that the Flyers overcame to defeat the Bruins. The pain was eased because the Celtics were making their playoff run and looking good and most people aren't that in to hockey to begin with. Make no mistake, this was an embarrassment for Boston. We just have to be lucky this didn't happen in baseball or basketball or else no one would EVER hear the end of it. What sucks even more is the 3-0 score in that Game 7. Flyers came back to score 4 and win the series 4-3 and the game 4-3.

2. 2003 ALCS Game 7: the 11th inning homerun off of Time Wakefield cut deep. The Yanks had to score 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th to tie it, and it took an extra couple of frames to stick the dagger in the hearts of millions. Red Sox nation was hopeless. Thank heavens for Tito and Papi, or else 2004 may have gone down in similar fashion.

1. Superbowl 42: Not only the biggest letdown for New England, but the biggest letdown for everyone out there who thought that perfection could exist; that the impossible was possible. After winning 18 straight games, the best team ever (the 2007 New England Patriots) lost a nail biter to the Giants. Not just any Giants though, the NEW YORK Giants. Why couldn't it be the South Dakota Giants or something? No one has a beef with them. This was the ultimate tear-jerker of the decade and it ended a dynasty.

TOP 5:
5. 2009-2010 Boston Celtics: I know, this is in both lists. The reason for this is I think once the pain dulls down a little, people will see how amazing this team was. To make it to Game 7 of the Finals was something no one expected. No one thought they would get to a game 5 of the first series against the Heat! They got to the end of the road and couldn't finish, but that's okay. Because this team beat some of the best in the world, and if they had ten more games they may win 5, or 8, or 10. Because they were an amazing team, capable of doing whatever they believed they could do. And we, as fans, believed as well. And they made some amazing things happen.

4. 2007 Boston Red Sox: It was expected that they would win this one. But they still had to come back from down 3-1 against the Indians in that ALCS, and they did so in commanding fashion.

3. 2007-2008 Boston Celtics: Few remember the trip to Rome that the entire team went on before the season. It brought them together and bonded them. They went on to have the best record in all of basketball and beat the rival Lakers for the 17th championship victory.

2. The New England Patriot Dynasty: Victories in 2001, 2003, 2004 and an undefeated regular season in 2007 helped make the Patriots the team of the decade in the NFL. Every once in a while I get butterflies thinking about the field goals that good ol' Adam put through to win us those championships. Who could forget that snowy game against Oakland and the tuck rule? Who could forget the field goal against the Rams that gave them the unlikely number 1, and the feeling after Tom Brady threw a bomb to Randy Moss to break TD records for a receiver and a quarterback in a regular season?

1. 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox: The most unlikely comeback in the history of sports. Nothing will ever come close to the feeling of snapping the 86 year curse for Boston fans. Coming back from down 3 games in the ALCS and winning that series, ending the Yankees '04 season: that was the real victory. The WS win was just routine.

I think Boston has been the best. And when we weren't the best, we were a close second. Fingers crossed for the next decade to be as victorious as the last.