Where the Win Ranks

On my way into work I'm listening to a local sports station and they're talking about where this year's Red Sox World Series win ranks in the recent history of local sports. I was surprised with how those guys ranked this win, putting it above 2004 and 2007. Perhaps it was the immediacy of the event, but I don't see how that's possible. To me it's fairly straightforward.

• '01 Patriots
• '04 Red Sox
• '11 Bruins
• '08 Celtics
• '13 Red Sox

2001 Patriots

This is tops and it's not even close. Aftermath of 9/11 and the symbolism of Patriots, first team to come out of the tunnel as a team and not be named individually (starting a trend that continues to this day), a team that wasn't supposed to have a chance against "The Greatest Show on Turf." Tom Brady leading them on the game-winning drive right after John Madden famously claimed they should run out the clock and play for OT. Oh, and it was the first championship in team history.

2004 Red Sox

After losing game three of the ALCS to the Yankees by a score of 19-8, trailing by one run and down to their final 3 outs in game 4, the Sox became the first team in MLB history to come back and win 4 straight games to win the series. That series was so emotional and the momentum was so heavily in the Red Sox favor it wouldn't have mattered who they played in the World Series but they went on to sweep the Cardinals to win their first World Series in 86 years, breaking "The Curse."

2011 Bruins

After getting bounced by losing 3 straight to the Flyers in the previous year's playoffs, this was another season in which expectations weren't tremendously high. They were supposed to be a decent team and expected to make the playoffs, but it was a franchise that hadn't gotten to the conference finals since 1992 and hadn't won Lord Stanley's Cup in almost 40 years, so there weren't championship expectations. But the playoffs were phenomenal. Other than a sweep of revenge in the Semi-finals over the Flyers, each series went 7 games and most of the games were very close.

2008 Celtics

The first year of the "Big 3" of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. A regular season win improvement of 42 from 2007, the largest in NBA history. And despite playing the most games post-season games of any team in history they were able to capture their first Championship since 1986.

2013 Red Sox

This was supposed to be a bridge/rebuilding year. After the "beer and fried chicken" of 2012 and all the losing and the roster and management shakeups, expectations were relatively low. The team was supposed to be more competitive, but even making the postseason would have been seen as an achievement. To win the World Series this year as a worst-to-first was very special.