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Introduction

In my humble opinion there are currently three truly major sports leagues in America: Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and the National Baseball Association. Other organizations like the National Hockey League and NASCAR are certainly popular but they can't lay claim on the prestige of those three.

Winning the championship in any of those three leagues is a point of pride for the city and region whose team does so. Usually, cities have to wait years even decades for one of their teams to capture the ultimate prize. Every once in a great while two teams from the same region will win their respective league's title.

This year, rather, season of 2007-2008 there is unique chance that three teams from the same town will be crowned world chances. The town is, of course, Boston and the teams are the Red Sox (MLB), the Patriots (NFL), and the Celtics (NBA).

Boston Red Sox

In 2004 the Red Sox were truly a miracle team. They came from a 3-0 deficit against the Yankees in the American League Championship Series to win the World Series. Now, a few seasons later they are the favorite to win another World Series. 

The Colorado Rockies were on a roll coming into this series. They had won 21 of 22 games including a one game playoff against the San Diego Padres and consecutive sweeps of the Phillies and the Diamondbacks. Then they ran into the jugornaut that is the Boston Red Sox.

The chances of the Red Sox winning the series look good. They won Game 1 handily behind excellent pitching by Josh Becket and a high powered offense. The Red Sox scored a total of 13 runs after a lead off homer by Dustin Pedroia. 

In game two the Rockies put up a serious fight. They scored first and held the Sox offense in check. However, Curt Schilling did his job and the early score was the only Rockies score of the game. The Red Sox won again by a score of 2-1.

Now, the series shifts to Colorado where the Rockies have excelled. The Red Sox are dominant and seem to simply be too overpowering for the upstart Rockies. However, there are plenty of obstacles still standing in the Sox way of victory.

First, Dice-K has been a rather shaky pitcher. Some games he pitches the way the Sox expected when they shelled out his massive contract. Other games, he appears no better than an average pitcher. If Dice-K pitches the way he's capable of then the Red Sox could win easily. However, if he doesn't pitch at the top of his game then the Rockies will quickly regain the momentum.

Second, who is their guy for game 4? Jonathan Lester? Does that name really inspire confidence? Sure he's a great story, and yes he was 4-0 this season, but is he seasoned enough to face a World Series caliber team? I have my doubts.

The Red Sox could easily lose the next two games behind weak pitching. Not that the Rockies pitching will be that much better (Josh Fogg, Aaron Cook) but they're playing in Denver and they're offense can heat up at home. Also, their team defense is excellent and if they can keep the ball in the park they will have a great chance to win.

So, as favored as the Red Sox are and as good as they've been playing they are in no way guaranteed to win. Even with a 2-0 lead there is a long way to go before the Red Sox win their second World Series title in 4 years.

New England Patriots

The Patriots have emerged from the controversy of "Spygate" to become one of the best offensive teams in history. Last season the Pats tried to win another ttle using their theory that any player would excel in their system. With no legitimate wide receiving threat the Patriots were dismissed from the playoffs by the eventual Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts.

This past off season they decided not to make that mistake again. They traded for Wes Walker (one of the must under rated, till now, players in the game), signed Donte Stallworth (Philadelphia's number one receiver last season), and traded for Randy Moss.

These three pieces have melded beautifully for the Patriots and given their offense a spark unlike any other team in history. Tom Brady is having a historic season with a 137.9 passer rating and has thrown for 27 touchdowns and 2 picks.

The Patriots are lighting up the score board (and maybe running up the score) by averaging 39.9 points per game. They are currently 7-0 and appear unstoppable. However, they too have plenty of road blocks in their way.

First, they must play the Indianapolis Colts. In a unique role reversal the Patriots have been the toast of the town, crushing opponents and looking like an offensive power house. Meanwhile, the Colts have been quietly winning games and playing efficiently. Their defense has silently become the best against the pass in the league and third best overall.

These two collide on November 4th but I almost guarantee his won't be their only meeting this year. Regardless of who wins November 4th there's a good chance they will play again in the AFC Championship game and the Colts could easily win that. As overpowering as the Patriots have been, we learned from those old Patriots-Colts games  that a great defense can contain an explosive offense. That leaves it up to the Patriot's defense to stop the Colts offense and, unlike in years past, I'm not convinced they're up to the task. 

Besides the Colts, they also face the Pittsburgh Steelers who have also been putting together a nice season. They are currently 4-2, scoring 26.7 points per game and have the top rated defense in the league. They are known for creating unique blitz packages and are fully capable of getting to Tom Brady. Again, I believe the Pittsburgh defense is capable of slowing down the tide of the Patriots' offense but am unsure if the Patriots' defense can do the same to the Steelers.

While there are discussions of the Patriots going 16-0 and winning the title that is easier said than done. As good as they've looked the Patriots have a long way to go before they bring home another Lombardi trophy (their 4th in 6 years). While I wouldn't bet against them I'm again not quite ready to crown them (though every week makes that tougher).

Boston Celtics

This is the team we know the least about. For twenty some years the Celtics haven't had a title and haven't made a serious run for several seasons. Then, this past offseason, the Celts traded for sharp shooter Ray Allen and power forward Kevin Garnett. This has lead to a feeling of a return to prominence despite the regular season not yet starting.

Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett certainly look formidable on paper but we won't really know how good they are until they play the game. They added a few other pieces here and there but there remains serious questions about this team.

Even though the East is weak and a one man show in Cleveland made it all the way to the Finals last year, the Boston Celtics have a hard season ahead. Rajon Rondo must be an efficient point guard and play within himself this season. The Celtics also don't have a true center with Scot Pollard backing up Kendrick Perkins. Recent history has shown that shoring up those two positions may be the keys to post-season success.

If the Celtics escape the East, and with the new "Big Three" it's almost certain they will, there are major questions of how they would matchup against the Western Conference Champion.

The Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, and San Antonio Spurs are all easily better than the Celtics (again, on paper). Teams like the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, and Utah Jazz could surprise everybody and get themselves in the Finals. Once there, a case could be made that they too are better than the Boston Celtics.

Of all the Boston teams, the Celtics have the longest road to victory. Not only because the season has yet to begin, but also because they have the most equal competition. We shall see if the Celtics play as good as they appear on paper and I have the hardest time believing they will win it all.

Conclusion

I am far from convinced the Boston teams will sweep the Big Three Leagues. But I could easily see the Red Sox and Patriots winning their titles. That, in and of itself, would be a feat and something that Boston fans would revel in for years to come. If the Celtics won too, the city of Boston would have bragging rights it might never lose.

Whatever the case, I feel Boston has a unique opportunity this "season" and may be hence forth known as "Title Town."