It’s Dec. 26, so you know what that means: It’s the day to return all your unwanted gifts from Christmas. Unfortunately, Boston sports fans got some unwanted “gifts” this year as well.
The year started out with a heartbreaking Super Bowl loss from the Patriots. As the team was driving down the field with four minutes left, Tom Brady threw a pass — slightly high — to an uncovered Wes Welker, and the ball clanged off his hands. Down by two at the time, the Patriots couldn’t get a first down on 3rd-and-11 and they were forced to punt.
Welker’s drop has become the most well-known and talked-about play of the Super Bowl for New England fans. The play is filled with “what ifs” and “who’s to blames.” Surely, any Patriots fan would want to return that unwanted play.
Another one of the biggest stories of the year was Tim Thomas skipping the meet-and-greet with President Barack Obama after the Bruins won the Stanley Cup. Thomas was the only active player to skip the event, and it created great controversy around the region.
On Nov. 28, Rajon Rondo‘s double-digit assist streak came to an end. It was a fun story to follow while the Celtics got off to a struggling start, and it ended controversially after the star point guard was ejected for shoving Nets forward Kris Humphries. The streak ended at 37 games, good enough to tie John Stockton for second all-time, but not good enough to pass Magic Johnson‘s NBA record of 46 straight games with 10 or more dimes.
Finally, a moment that all Boston fans would likely take back — Bobby Valentine calling out Kevin Youkilis for lack of effort. While it may not have sparked the entire disappointing 2012 Red Sox season, it certainly didn’t help matters, especially within the clubhouse. The remarks eventually led to Youkilis leaving town, with Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez and Nick Punto later following suit. And now, Valentine is gone and Youkilis is a New York Yankee. My, how things change during the course of a year.
So which was your most unwanted gift this season from Boston sports? Was it Welker’s drop that led to a Super Bowl loss, Thomas sparking controversy over snubbing the President, Rondo ending his streak over a push to Kim Kardashian‘s ex or Valentine calling out Youk?
