When I think of Manchester United I get :
* Eric Cantona with an upturned collar. There's a reason why my daughter's name is Catriona.
* Ryan Giggs slaloming through 5 Arsenal players to score the decisive goal in the epic FA Cup semifinal replay in the 98/99 season
* Steve Bruce's 2 late, late goals against Sheffield Wednesday which helped United to their first Premier League title. And Brian Kidd jumping wildly on the pitch at the final whistle of same game.
* Solskjaer's toe poke goal to win the Champions League final in 98/99
* The Busby Babes and the Munich air crash. And how the club recovered from the ashes of this tragedy.
So as I was watching the Boston Celtics go about winning their first NBA title after 21 years, 4:01 is the number that comes to mind. That's how much time was left in the game when Doc Rivers substituted all 3 of his big stars in the title clinching game against the LA Lakers. The game was well in hand by then and the celebrations had long begun. And now when I think of Banner 17, 4:01 is the number that comes to mind.
In fact, Manchester United and the Boston Celtics are pretty similiar in many ways. Both are clubs with a rich and trophied history and both had suffered through tragedies which set the club back years : United through the Munich air crash and the Celtics through the deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis. And I started supporting them when both clubs were going through a lean spell - a very long lean spell.
That's what makes their victories all the sweeter.
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