The worst weekend in sports

There was a time when faith was all you needed. A time when, as a fan, you were content with seeing your team, your idols, give everything they had. No matter the outcome, win or lose, you could hold your head high and wave your team’s banner with pride. In a fair fight, that’s probably all you could ask for. Two sports, two matches, were held last Sunday. Those were not fair fights.

South Beach. It’s a place known for rest and retirement. Sunday, it was where the Celtics made their last stand. Against youth and an uncertain future. We love the Celtics more than any other team in any other sport. These Celtics: Kevin Garnett, the heart and driving force of the team; Ray Allen, the reliable shooter and professional; and Paul Pierce, the Truth. They have years between them and the years have not been kind. But these Celtics kept pushing. These three would be enough but Rajon Rondo, the Celtics point guard, turned that three into four. Any other day, these Celtics would win it all. It just didn’t happen Sunday.

We woke up way before the opening tip, way before the defeat that would come. We prayed a rosary for the team and for the future of the franchise. We should’ve prayed more. The first half was the best we could’ve hoped for: a Boston Celtics that gave everything it had. Fighting tooth and nail against the power of the Heat. The last hurrah of a team aged with scars and bruises. It was why we were, and forever will be, fans of the Celtics. The second half was a different story. In the second half, youth won against experience. The Heat took control, especially in the fourth. This wasn’t a passing of the torch. This was the Heat storming in and taking what’s theirs. 

The game ended and Miami celebrated. Rondo and Garnett were the first to head to the locker room. The playoff run was because of them, the point guard and the center, the future and the present, working together as if they had nothing left. Because there was nothing left but the game, the victory they knew was theirs. As Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and the rest of the Heat celebrated for another trip to the Finals, the Celtics took their time inside the locker room. What waited for them outside was something they didn’t want to rush into: the end of a great and remarkable run.

Splitsville, NV: A split decision left the boxing world stunned and really angry.

That was the first loss of the day.

Manny Pacquiao felt Boston’s grief. An honorary Celtic, Pacquiao could only watch as his Celtics left the arena broken. If only he could, he would be there for his team, like any fan of Boston would. He would be at their locker room and thank them for what they’ve done for the team and fans. But Pacquiao had other things to worry about. And as Pacquiao left the Celtics to their loss, Timothy Bradley was waiting. Waiting for the biggest match of his life.

It should’ve been an easy fight. Pacquiao was set to regain his credibility as a champion after his controversial win against Marquez. He would prove his worth against Bradley, a B-list fighter at best. The victory parties were all set for Pacquiao. The match was just a formality. This was just something Pacquiao would have to walk through. Now, he has to walk through it again come November. After 12 rounds with Bradley, the bell rang and Pacquiao went to his corner, thinking he had won.

It was a sucker punch of a call, a split-decision in favor of Bradley. The challenger was ecstatic. Many were irate. Manny was speechless. Was he thinking of his Celtics then? Of the loss they now share? Or was he thinking of Bradley, the rematch, and what he has to go through all over again? Pacquiao prayed at the start of the fight, like he always does. Praying for the same result he’s gotten over the last seven years. He should’ve prayed more.

Today, Pacquiao shares the same grief as his Celtics. Both had the chance to win. Both deserved to win. And the world couldn’t accept anything less. It became a day for the young and the judges that scored them. A day that should’ve promised more glory ahead, gave nothing but an uncertain future. This was not the day that faith had promised.

The Celtics and Pacquiao. They were supposed to win it all. They were in the same place back in 2008, but they had better results then. Back then, faith was all you needed when it came to those two. Faith in the Celtics and Pacquiao, that no matter what, they would come out on top, that they would be champions. Who were we kidding?