Last Sunday a man that has been a figure in Boston sports passed away. Thomas Menino never played for the Patriots, Celtics, Bruins, or Red Sox. Yet, over the past decade of unrelenting success in Boston sports, he was as much an icon as Tom Brady or David Ortiz. As the mayor of Boston since 1993 Mayor Menino saw Boston sports teams reach the championship game or series thirteen times and win eight of them. As the political face of Boston, Mayor Menino made the traditional overtures to other political leaders in competing cities in sports. Sometimes this turned out well sometimes this turned out poorly.
Mayor Menino gained notoriety in sports however for his mispronunciations of player names. Referring in the past to players like Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo as K. J. and Hondo, is but one of the fond memories Bostonians will have of the late Mayor. For a politician, Menino was a rarity, a civic leader who really seemed to care about the local teams (especially the Red Sox). He was a regular at Fenway and could always be counted on for a comment on how the local teams were doing.
At a time when many elections are won by single digits, Mayor Menino won every election by double figures. Much like the Boston sports teams during his time in office dominated their leagues Menino dominated the Boston political landscape. He was instrumental in renovating Fenway and a friend to the team. Menino was not without his flaws but with his open support of the Boston sports landscape he was able to connect with his city, a city that will miss him next spring at Fenway.