Decade in Review: Ten "We are BC" moments

This is another look back at this momentous decade in BC sports. The following are not necessarily historically important or even real moments per se. What I tried to capture here were 10 moments that were unique to the BC experience and made us laugh, cry, smile, yell or whatever else. The theme is that these are only things a real BC fan can relate to. (This category is wide open so leave your suggestion below.)



1. Mark Herzlich’s battle with cancer
I specifically avoided putting Mark’s battle with cancer in either the best or worst moments. As I said when the news first broke, it was so overwhelming that it couldn’t simply be categorized as bad or worst. His valiant fight back, the people he inspired and the joy he brought to BC cannot be captured by the term “best.” Finally putting Mark on any list seems premature. Thankfully his story is not over and his future is bright.

2. Superfan to kicker (the Steve Aponavicius story)
He’s been around so long and his story has been rehashed so many times that I think we forget how goofy, remarkable and fortunate this whole series of events were. A kid sitting in the stands with body paint and a sombrero stepped out onto the field and eventually became our all-time leading scorer. It is a Disney story, only true. Sure there were plenty of times we could have used a better leg, but Steve worked hard and got better every year. When you think back to this past ten years, Sid Vicious will be one of the first things that comes to mind.



3. Celebrity fan Tim Russert
I don’t know if this happens at every school, but being BC parent can suck you into BC sports within one season. No one served as a better example of that than Tim Russert. He was our highest profile fan and became legendary around campus for his passion, friendliness and sense of humor. The BC portion of Russert’s identity was only a fraction of who he is or what he meant, but I think BC fans will always hold it dear. Because, at the end of the day, it was something we could all relate to and at its roots, was just about a father and son bonding over sports.

4. The Duke scuffles
Despite the first three items on this list, the decade was not all smiles and soft light. We also had some moments of toughness that made me proud. I am not big on moral victories, but two separate incidents with Duke basketball still put a smile on my face. The first happened early in the decade. Duke handed the 2001 team its first loss of the season and late in the game Duke guard Jason Williams taunted us with some ball fakes. Not one to be trifled with, Kenny Walls body checked Williams into the scorer's table. Of course holier than thou Coach K labeled BC players thugs. Fast forward to the 2006 ACC Championship game…BC and Duke are in an epic back and forth, when floor slapper Greg Paulus “inadvertently” threw a punch at Louis Hinnant. Like Walls, Hinnant didn’t take shit from anyone and promptly shoved Paulus back. Both got technicals and Hinnant played the half of his life after that. BC came up short, but I was proud.




5. The BC offensive line destroys UVA after Brad Butler’s cheap shot on Kiwi.
In thinking about this incident, I am amazed this story wasn’t bigger. Think of the press that this year’s punch in the Boise State-Oregon game received. But that is not why it is on the list. After the smoke cleared and Kiwi was hurt and Washington was ejected, and BC buckled down and ran over Virginia. The offensive line in particular played inspired football and won one for Kiwi.



6. BC-Notre Dame on First Take
The rivalry has been rehashed a million times. We know we dominated on the field, but I still smile when thinking about this dominant performance by then BC student Jeff Weinstein on First Take. Jeff handled himself with class and the ND kid looked like an arrogant blowhard.

7. Italics Numbers and the Angry Chicken Logo
This decade saw BC provide a much needed refresh to our logo and uniforms. Instead of a classic look or a new cool design, we got italicized letters and numbers and the Angry Chicken logo. We also got ten different shades of maroon and gold. We are finally moving on from Reebok to Under Armour. Let’s hope we take off the italics so I can tell the difference between a 6 or 5 on a uniform.

8. BC and Texas play the longest college baseball game in history
The only BC baseball those of us outside of New England get to see is the game against the Red Sox in Spring Training. So I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to watch online as the boys take on Texas in the NCAA tournament last spring. Little did I know that I was about to witness the longest game in college baseball history. BC lost, but it was such a unique game and unique experience (there was a whole group of us posting on message boards all through the night), that I will never forget it.

9. BC on Youtube
Online video predates the ‘00s, but Youtube and its competitors made it so easy to post and view that it really changed the dynamic of being a sports fan. There are a million funny and cool BC clips online, but here are some of my favorites.

10. BC-Clemson lovefest
The move to the ACC wasn’t about rivalries. It was about money. But the bond BC and Clemson formed early is one of the more pleasant surprises of our new home. The football series saw four classic games and this year’s bizarre triple rain delay. Every other year the Orange clad Clemson fans invade Boston and seem to enjoy every minute. Every other year more and more BC fans make the trip down to Death Valley to experience real tailgating and their big time game day environment. When Clarence Megwa snapped his leg and was hospitalized with a coma, Tiger fans sent him hundreds of letters wishing him well. We won’t ever replace Notre Dame and South Carolina as true rivals, but I think what we have is better…in a way. It is based on respect and hospitality and fun. Who would have predicted?

Decade in Review: Ten most important people

This is another look back at this momentous decade in BC sports. The following are the men who did more to shape BC sports than any other. (As always feel free to tell me who I overlooked or overrated.)

1. Gene DeFilippo
Gene has many critics. They are quick to point out that much of BC's success the last decade came on the shoulders of coaches he did not hire. Gene also rubbed plenty of fans and alumni the wrong way with his heavy handed practices on Donor Based Seating and tailgating. Yet there was no one who was more influential on Boston College sports in the last 10 years. Gene's micromanaging changed the direction of our fundraising efforts, closely protected the image of the school with the media, and enhanced some of the things BC already did very well (graduate players, etc.). All his good deeds and mistakes are just a drop in the bucket compared to the most important accomplishment of Gene's tenure, which was getting BC in the ACC. Gene's people skills and politicking are the main reason we were involved in the initial ACC talks and stayed involved even when hope was lost. If you want to know what a difference a good AD makes, look at Pitt and Syracuse. If they had someone like Gene on their side, neither would still be stuck in the Big East. Gene is far from perfect, but this was his decade and BC is better for it.

2. Frank Spaziani
During the longest sustained success of BC Football there was one constant -- Frank Spaziani. Spaz's consistent defenses kept BC in countless games when we should have been overmatched. He took on a bunch of "great offensive minds" and came out ahead. He rarely got the attention or recognition he deserved. Most importantly he made the players on the defensive side better with his teaching and with his schemes. Spaz's ultimate legacy will be his record as head coach, but we shouldn't over look how much he helped BC in the '00s.


3. Jerry York
In the past ten years, Jerry York has won four Hockey East Titles and three Beanpots. He led BC to six Frozen Fours. And most importantly brought home two National Championships. If a basketball or football coach had that sort of success at BC, we would probably rename the school after him. York has been the best coach on campus during the past ten years and one of the best guys around. Let's hope we get another ten years from him!

4. Matt Ryan
It is appropriate that BC put Matt in their commercial shortly after his graduation. Ryan embodies everything we want in a BC athlete. The fact that I also could have filled the Top Ten moments list with just his highlight also makes his time at BC important. He's a gentleman, a fierce competitor, a winner, and a good guy. We are fortunate that we got to witness his coming of age this decade and we are also fortunate that he will be a great ambassador for the school over the next ten years.

5. Al Skinner
This week is not ideal to talk about Al Skinner's impact on BC sports over the last ten years. But a few bad losses cannot overshadow Skinner's many accomplishments during the '00s. Skinner is not your stereotypical college hoops coach, but he was the right guy for BC and has provided great performances and exciting basketball.

6. Troy Bell
I felt the need to place Bell right behind Skinner. Skinner deserves most of the credit for BC basketball's success but if not for Bell, Skinner might not still be here. Bell put the team on his shoulders and provided a template on how to win at BC. He rewrote the BC record books and earned numerous individual and team honors. BC was basketball wasteland when Bell arrived. Ten years later, we are a consistent tourney team. Thanks, Troy.

7. Tom O'Brien
TOB's legacy is somewhat diminished by Jags and Spaz's success in the post TOB era. But you cannot overlook all that TOB did in his time at BC. He is the program's winnigest coach and provided much-needed stability during the '00s.

8. Mike Mottau

There are so many BC hockey players that you could point out as critical to the past decade or as representatives of BC sports. I selected Mottau because he was the only star of the past ten years to win the Hobey Baker award. Mottau also served as a success story for York to recruit with. Many of the talented players who came to the Heights were hoping to be the next Mottau. We haven't had a Hobey Baker winner since, but we've had plenty of great hockey.

9. John Swofford
Swofford was the visionary behind the ACC's expansion. When his first attempt fell short of the goal, he stayed focused and got BC into the conference. As I've been mentioning over and over, the move to the ACC was by far the most important event of the past ten year and it all started with Swofford.

10. Father Leahy
Leahy is not hands on when it comes to BC sports. But he picks his moments well (coaching changes, conference changes, etc). BC is coming off a great 10-year run and it was all on Leahy's watch. He deserves credit for not screwing it up and providing the right kind of leadership.

Decade in Review: Ten best moments

This is another look back at this momentous decade in BC sports. The following are the moments where BC came out on top and we were all on cloud nine. (As always feel free to recount your own BC highs in the comments section.)

1. BC joins the ACC
While the move to the ACC doesn't have the defined moment that a victory provides, there was no bigger deal for BC sports than moving to the ACC. The revenue, security and branding the move ensured helped take BC sports to the next level. Father Leahy and Gene deserve credit for getting the ACC back to the table after the first attempt fell apart and for closing the deal when the second chance arose. The fact that BC has been very competitive in the new conference is the cherry on top. In the ever changing world of college athletics, BC now has a permanent place at the table and a world class conference for our athletes and fans.

2. BC's comeback in Blacksburg
It lacks the historical importance of Flutie's Hail Mary, but Ryan's comeback in Blacksburg will remain his defining college moment and the highlight of one of BC's best seasons. It had all the elements you want: a national TV audience, a win despite the clock and the odds, and a total team effort. The magical season did end but for a moment it seemed like it was our turn on top.

3. The 2001 National Championship
When Jerry York took over the hockey program in 1994, many wondered if BC could ever rebuild and return to its former glory. This title was the culmination of that rebuilding effort. After near misses the prior years, this was also proof that BC could win the big one.

4. The 2001 Big East Championship
Much like Jerry York, Al Skinner took over a program in ruins. His first few years were real struggles, but Troy Bell's strong freshman year offered hope. The 2000-01 season started off surprisingly well and never really slowed down. BC won the regular season and then capped it off with a BE Tourney run at MSG.

5. The 2004 Big East Championship
I'll concede that the BC Women's run in the 2004 Big East Tourney has probably been forgotten by many BC fans. That unfortunate because it was a huge accomplishment and the highlight of women's sports in the past ten years. (Plus they beat the UConn women in route to the finals, which is always nice.)

6. The basketball team starts 20-0
Like some of the moments above, it felt like the team could do no wrong. And this wasn't a cream puff, fluky streak. We beat Clemson, UCLA, UConn, West Virginia, Georgetown and a host of other real programs. It also saw the emergence of Jared Dudley as a dominant player. The second half of the season included an early exit from the Big East Tournament and a disappointing showing against UW-Milwaukee but the start of the season will be tough to top.

7. Beating Notre Dame in the green jersey game
The Irish were undefeated and in their latest "return to glory." Handing them their first loss was important but the jerseys were also a statement. Wearing special uniforms for the BC game was acknowledgment that we were a special game and a rival. This was the signature win of the TOB era.

8. The 2008 National Championship
If the 2001 Championship was the culmination of the rebuild, this title showed that BC could do more than just make the Frozen Four. It also relieved the sting of the two tough losses in the 2006 and 2007 Championship game.

9. Winning at Clemson in 2007
Another Ryan comeback and another classic with the Tigers. The difference with this game though was that it clinched the division title and put BC in the ACC Championship game.

10. Beating No. 6 Duke in 2009
There are plenty of other basketball wins that could have made the list, but this game marked a couple of milestones. 1. we finally beat Duke. 2. It legitimized BC's earlier win at North Carolina. 3. It gave BC another resume win. 4. It happened in front of a home crowd. 5. We finally beat Duke.

Decade in Review: Ten worst moments

This is another look back at this momentous decade in BC sports. I will get the pain out of the way with a recap of the lowest of the lows. (As always feel free to recount your own BC horrors in the comments section.)



1. Syracuse 2004
Some readers have told me to let this game go already. I don't think I ever will. Part of me changed as a BC fan that day. In fact, I had so much frustration and emotion after that I decided to start a BC sports blog only a few days later. This loss is the worst in my opinion because the stars will never be as aligned as they were that day. BC was 60 minutes from a BCS bowl game. The supposed ceiling was going to be busted. All we had to do is take care of business against a lame duck Syracuse team at home. You know what happened. The loss stinks. In retrospect trying to win with Matt Ryan is his first start was a daunting task. But what made the day so terrible is that we didn't even show up. We were run over from the very first drive and Syracuse never looked back. It was a gutless performance on what should have been TOB and BC's crowning achievement.

2. The Jags firing
Others might view this as a great moment of the last ten years. I won't and hope that history doesn't get scrubbed or rewritten by the victors (in this case, GDF). You can listen to all the rumors out there regarding Jags, but at the end of the day BC was not better off for firing him when and how they did. He blew it. Gene blew it. And it never had to be that way. Jags' two seasons were exciting and filled with emotion and hope. Would it have burned out or blown up eventually? I don't know. Will Spaz be the better long term solution? I don't know. I do know that I felt pretty low when this happened and I think BC sports suffered because of the pissing match between our current AD and our former coach.

3. "We're up, aren't we?"
BC fans are a forgiving lot. We all wanted to believe that TOB was going to get it one day and bring us beyond the near misses. However, this throw away quip to Erin Andrews during halftime of a BC-Miami game was the final straw for many BC fans. I wrote a lengthy post in response to that game and TOB's comments. We may be guilty of reading too much into what he said. For many though it symbolized TOB's stubbornness, lack of a killer instinct and lack of personality. As for a low moment, most BC fans were finishing their turkey and wondering "how long do I have to put up with this attitude." The answer was not for long.

4. Any time Bob Hohler wrote about BC. [I am using Hohler as an entry to capture two aspects that stink as being a BC fan. 1. The Boston media's relationship with the school. 2. As much as we hate to admit it, sometimes our jocks are not choir boys.] If something bad happened in the last decade off the field with BC sports, you could count on the Globe to send Bob Hohler over to campus for a quick hit piece. The Globe never asked their normal BC beat writer to cover potential scandal. That would have been too risky. If the beat guy pissed off BC, he might lose access. So instead the Globe would send a hatchet man and we'd lose the beat guy's perspective and access. Hohler's accounts always seemed to overstate the wrong doings and often took overly negative takes on the circumstances. I know it was not Hohler's fault when BC athletes got in trouble. But he and the Globe took the bad news of the '00s and added an extra bit of negativity each time.

5. Tom Mutch's inappropriate relationships with his players.
Mutch crossed the ultimate line when you are a coach. It was swept under the rug, but that doesn't make the situation any less shameful. Mutch deserves most of the blame, but BC is also at fault for not uncovering it earlier. If not for sexting, Mutch might still be coaching at BC.

6. Losing to Villanova in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
There are a few different NCAA tourney losses that I could have put in here. The reason I felt this was most painful is because it was probably the best collection of talent BC had in the Skinner era. We played so well at times in that game, yet lost on some bad calls and mental lapses. If we were going to make a run, that was the team that should have done it.

7. Patrick Eaves collision with Joe Exter.
Although he was the scapegoat, this wasn't Eaves fault. As for why it makes my worst moments, I guess because of how dangerous and violent the incident was. We enjoy these sports and forget how much these kids are sacrificing each time they step onto the field or ice. If this had happened in the Youtube era, Eaves would have been national news.

8. Sean Williams getting kicked off the basketball team.
Williams might be the greatest waste of talent to ever come through BC. He blew multiple second chances and let his team and his family down. Sean's love of weed will always leave BC fans wondering what could have been.

9. Getting snubbed by the ACC during their first attempt at expansion.
It all worked out in the end, but the ACC's original expansion to 11 was very scary at the time. BC did everything right yet got left at the alter due to conference politics. When it happened, I thought we were facing a long uncomfortable life as the unwanted team in the second rate Big East.

10. BC getting their bubble burst in 2003.
Every year there is a team that deserves to make the NCAA Tournament that doesn't. In 2003 it was BC. All the talking heads came to our defense, but it didn't matter to the selection committee. It was a shame as Troy Bell's BC career ended in a second round NIT loss to Temple.

[Ed's note. There are many more losses that I could have included, but also wanted to touch on other sports and other issues that were frustrating, maddening or historically bad.]