Herman Veal Chops

Bridesmaids no longer. Their year has arrived.

In the wake of Boston's miraculous comeback victory against the Yankees last night, I think it's time to point out a trend in sports that has been brewing all year long. Teams that have historically been bridesmaids/also rans have been defeating their historic arch-rivals. The examples are growing.

Let's begin with my beloved Terps. This past March, the Terps performed a feat similar to the Red Sox recent performance. In a span of three days, the Terps beat Wake, NC State, and arch-nemesis Duke on the way to the ACC Championship. In the Duke game, Maryland came back from an 11 point deficit in the final three minutes. Sounds similar to coming back from being down three games to zero to me. I do not have to tell you that the Blue Devils have by and large been getting the best of the Terps for last 10+ years. The Terps were bridesmaids no longer.

Let's stay with Basketball. In the NBA, the Lakers had been running roughshod over the rest of the NBA since 2000. The Lakers were everyone else's collective "daddy". Cue the Pistons. A collection of former Bullets/Wizards that many pundits expected to get swept by the exceedingly more-talented Lakers. As we all know, it was the Pistons that swept thus erasing the Lakers status as the Yankees of the NBA.

So what are the implications for the rest of the year? With the NFL in full swing, I think we should start to look for any potential de-throneings on the horizon. It's clear that the rest of the NFL has been having their way with New York Jets since 1969. Not only that, but one of the J-E-T-S' biggest rivals, the New England (read: Boston) Patriots, have experienced an unprecedented level of success. I think I see some similarities. New York v. Boston; Have v. Have Not; Historic Loser rises to defeat historic more successful rival? It may not happen next week (The Jets go to Foxboro on Sunday), but I am predicting a Jets victory in the AFC Championship Game. The Year of the Bridesmaid will continue.