One of Boston’s biggest hits was “Don’t Look Back.”
There’s ironic genius and ease in Tom Scholz’s signature anthem.
His band was named in honor of a Hub entrenched in historical past.
Past revolutions. Past glories. Past heroes.
There’s been an excessive amount of trying again as of late in and round Boston.
Why not?
It can damage to take a look at the current.
Tom Brady delivered his victory speech at Gillette Stadium final Sunday at halftime. After the
Patriots trailed 16-0 within the first quarter.
It was as if Luke Skywalker got here “home,” claimed his NFL birthright, and declared closing victory
over the Evil Empire/former coach.
Yoda accredited. The Patriots performed simply effectively sufficient to lose.
Brady, at 46, is now essentially the most wished man in Gotham City since Bane because of the four-snap-
and-out departure of Aaron Rodgers.
Gang Green is affected by tens of millions who would fortunately commerce their first born (pet or individual) in
trade for Brady becoming a member of the Jets.
Red Sox and Yankees followers – the few who confirmed up at Fenway Park this week – had no selection
however to embrace the previous as these former titans of the diamond fought for final place.
The Red Sox and Yankees as soon as actually slugged it out for playoff berths and pennants. The price
of tickets that could possibly be had at Fenway Park typically flirted with 4 figures.
The get-in worth this week bottomed out at $1, in accordance with Boston Herald baseball muse
Gabrielle Starr.
Inflation drove that determine to $3 by Wednesday. Freebies proliferated on social media.
When Chaim Bloom was put out of our distress, the identify Theo Epstein instantly proliferated
throughout speak radio and social media.
Sam Kennedy informed us, sadly, that Theo isn’t strolling by means of that door on Jersey Street.
The Celtics flaunt their dependancy to the previous. It’s an all-purpose crutch each time somebody
mentions they’ve added only one banner since “Crocodile Dundee.”
The Bruins, nonetheless, are poised to win the “About Face” prize this fall.
This is the Bruins Centennial.
Every seat at TD Garden comes with its personal rear-view mirror.
The 2023-24 season will probably be Boston’s a centesimal within the NHL. Given the Bruins’ catastrophic exit from
the playoffs final spring, and the unceremonious gutting of the roster this offseason, 1924 seems to be
much more interesting than 2024.
The Bruins loaded the 2023-24 calendar with banner occasions all through their milestone season.
None embody one other Stanley Cup banner being raised to the rafters.
The Cup was busy crisscrossing the Bay State this summer season, because of Las Vegas coach Bruce
Cassidy and heart Jack Eichel.
The Bruins unveiled their “Historic 100” Tuesday. This, by the way in which, is only a precursor to the All-
Centennial Team. You’re going to have to attend for the Centennial Gala on Oct. 12 for these
names to be unveiled.
Any record of 100 something is spectacular. This one was the product of an professional panel of which I
was not a member.
There had been pockets of feigned outrage over some obscure omissions. Not right here.
Beyond the expertise of the gamers honored, what made this record distinctive was the style in
which the Bruins selected to current it.
Fitting a listing spanning the previous 100 years, the Bruins opted to go old-fashioned.
Each participant chosen to the “Historic 100” was hand drawn and illustrated by Winchester artist
and TD Garden usher Dave Olsen.
There had been no computer systems in 1924. And there have been no computer systems utilized in creating the pictures of
the “Historic 100” in 2023.
“Pen, ink. Watercolor markers,” Olsen informed me when requested for his instruments of selection.
Olsen started sketching hockey gamers for the Woburn Daily Times in 1977 whereas he was nonetheless in
highschool. His work appeared in a number of newspapers over the following years.
He drew the covers of a number of Bruins media guides. He’s been an usher at TD Garden for 10
years and took the job, partly, to get his work in entrance of the precise individuals within the Bruins entrance
workplace.
Olsen was tasked to attract the gamers on the “Historic 100” by Bruins Creative Services Director
Mark Majewski.
The Bruins had almost a century to create this record. Olsen solely had about two months to individually
draw every of the 100 gamers honored.
On his busiest days, Olsen was in a position to knock out 5 gamers: “I started drawing at 9 a.m. and
went until midnight.”
He realized this wasn’t an insane or unimaginable activity concerning the time he completed his fiftieth drawing.
When he started drawing within the spring, he didn’t have the whole record.
He knocked off the plain decisions first.
Bobby Orr. Phil Esposito. Patrice Bergeron. Ray Bourque. Derek Sanderson. Stan Jonathan.
The Bruins gave Olsen reference pictures of every participant. But some decisions had been left to the artist.
His picture of Orr incorporates a thick, busy head of brown hair straight out of “The Partridge
Family.”
“I like the years Orr had that look. Orr had a crew cut when he started with the Bruins. I wasn’t
going to draw Orr in a crew cut,” Olsen mentioned.
Heresy averted.
The darkish mane on Sanderson sits above a face that includes the slightest of winks.
Perhaps Turk was headed residence at 5 a.m. after one other night time of “sensational fun” (his phrases,
not mine) at Daisy Buchanan’s.
Of course, there are critics. “Someone posted, ‘Who drew this picture of Bergeron?’ ” Olsen mentioned.
Drawn illustrations aren’t meant to be an ideal likeness, however somewhat the perfect depiction of every
participant in his period.
Olsen scored 33.33 hat methods this time.
“I am putting my artwork out there, for sure. It’s a close representation,” he mentioned. “They are
hockey players. Some of these guys are beat up. They’re not exactly George Clooney’s.”
Bill Speros (@RealOBF and @BillSperos) may be reached at [email protected]
Source: www.bostonherald.com
