Adam Vinatieri squares off against Terry Francona in the second round of the Boston’s Biggest Sports Legend tournament.
Big games and pressure situations turned Adam Vinatieri from being a placekicker to a household name. In 10 seasons with the Patriots, Vinatieri played in four Super Bowls, winning three, and becoming the owner of one of the most clutch foots in the history of the NFL. His 45-yard field goal against the Raiders during a blizzard in the 2001 playoffs helped send the game into overtime where he would win it with a 23-yarder. In Super Bowl XXXVI, he lifted the Patriots over the Rams with a 48-yard field goal on the final play of the game, and two years later, he nailed a 41-yarder with four seconds left in Super Bowl XXXVIII to give the Patriots a Super Bowl win over the Panthers. The league leader in scoring in 2004 with 141 points, Vinatieri finished his Patriots career as the team’s all-time leading scorer with 1,158 points.
After Grady Little decided to leave Pedro Martinez in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, it was evident the Red Sox would pursue a new manager prior to the 2004 season. And after 86 years of suffering in Boston, Terry Francona — in his first year at the helm of the franchise — managed the team to its first World Series title since 1918. Francona led the team to another title in 2007, extending the Red Sox’ World Series winning streak to eight straight games with their second sweep of the NL champs in four seasons. Now in his seventh season in Boston, Francona has led the Red Sox to the postseason five times, including once as the AL East division champions. He is just the third manager in Red Sox history to compile 500 wins.
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