So on Sunday I watched the Red Sox sweep the Rockies at my pad with Tallman, K. & E. After the clinching strikeout there were a couple high-fives and then my bleary-eyed guests departed. Not at all like 2004 when I was embracing strangers at the Hairy Monk and dancing into the wee hours of the morning. The next day a woman who lives on my floor, whom I invited to my little get-together but hadn’t made it, slipped a note under my door.
“I’ll guess that you’re a RED SOX fan and deliriously happy with the outcome of the game,” the note read.” Congratulations on the sweep.”
Hmm. Was I? Deliriously happy? Honestly, in some ways the next day I felt… kinda hollow. Maybe it was just that the games had been so one-sided; the outcome was so anti-climactic. It was like the Rockies hadn’t even put up a fight. It was fine, I’ll take it of course, but also … I dunno.
Anyway, I say we let Schilling walk and re-sign Wakefield, assuming he’s healthy, as well as a couple back-up options. Keep Lugo and Drew. And trade Coco for a good catching prospect…
ALSO: The Sox have won the World Series, and we know that the Patriots have at least a 50-50 chance of winning the Superbowl. And the Celtics look pretty great too, although of course it’s a long season and who knows what role injuries could play.
But still… what about it? One city winning all three major sports championships?
I figure this situation deserves a name. And lo, I have come up with one: the trifecta. Defined as when one metro area wins the World Series, Superbowl and NBA Finals within a one-year period. (Not necessarily a calendar year, as obv. the Pats and Celtics won’t be doing that in 2007).
The closest city has come to achieving a trifecta is New York, in 1969-’70. The Jets won Superbowl III on Jan 12, 1969; the Mets won the World Series in October 1969 and the Knicks won the NBA Championship in May 1970. However, that’s 16 months… the Knicks would have had to have won in 1969 for it to qualify.
Also in 2002 the Los Angeles Lakers, Sparks (WNBA) and Galaxy (MLS) all won championships. However we are not concerning ourselves with minor sports here, just the professional baseball, football and basketball. (I’m not a hockey fan).
However as inventor of the term I will say that a trifecta where a city also wins a championship in a minor sport (say, MLB, NBA, NFL +MLS) qualifies as a trifecta with laurels.
Then there is the college sports. As many of my readers know Boston College is 8-0. A city that achieves a trifecta and a college national championship –well, I believe that would be known as the golden trifecta.
Yup, it’s never been done — but who says it can’t be?
um, the neighbor is flirting with you. be happy about that! 😉
posssssibly although i think if she was particularly interested she would have stopped by to the party. In any case I don’t know what apartment she’s in (I just see her on my floor) so the note has gone unreturned.