Boston and its fortunes have changed drastically since Christmas 1994.
Let's see how:
On Christmas Eve 1994 the Patriots defeated the Bears in Chicago for their seventh straight victory, clinching a wild card playoff berth. The next week, on New Year's Day, the Patriots lost 20-13 to the Cleveland Browns, led by a young coach named Bill Belichick.
Today the Patriots are three time world champions, one of the model franchises in the NFL, playing in one of the better facilities in the league, and are led by head coach Bill Belichick.
December 1994 saw Major League Baseball in the midst of a players' strike. The World Series was cancelled and the 1995 season began late. The Red Sox were also 76 years removed from their last World Series championship.
Today the Red Sox are still riding the momentum of two World Series championships in the last seven years. Fenway Park has been transformed, highlighted by seats on top of the Green Monster and fans that know nothing about baseball filling the park.
The 1994-1995 NBA and NHL seasons saw the Celtics and Bruins playing their final seasons in the Boston Garden. The Celtics lost in 4 games to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic, led by young superstar center Shaquille O'Neal. The Bruins lost to the Devils in 5 games in the first round of the playoffs. Both of their seasons ended in the Garden. The Bruins hadn't raised a banner in over two decades, while the Celtics hadn't in nine years.
Today the Celtics are coming off of four straight 50+ win seasons, including 1 NBA championship (in 2008) and 2 Eastern Conference championships. They lost in the second round of the playoffs to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat, and were hindered partly by the fact that their starting center, Shaquille O'Neal, was unable to contribute significantly due to injuries. The Bruins, meanwhile, are the current Stanley Cup champions for the first time in 39 years. Both teams play in the TD Garden, which features a parking lot out front where the Boston Garden used to stand.
On top of all that the central artery is gone, replaced by the Greenway. The raised Green line tracks are gone over Causeway Street, and South Boston has become one of the "in" neighborhoods for twentysomethings.
Boston has changed over the last 17 years in many ways. It can be very overwhelming if you haven't been around in a while.
Oh by the way there's also a new federal court house in South Boston...
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