The Sports Culture of the Old Boston Garden

The Old Garden

Thanks to the construction of the Boston Garden, professional sports

were woven into the Bostonian fabric of life. The building served a variety of

different uses in the early 20th century, such as hosting religious meetings

and speeches by various political heads of state. Despite this original

cornucopia of use that the Garden served, as time progressed to the mid to

late 20th century the identity of the Garden shifted. Rather the identity of the

Garden was cemented as a signature icon that represented Bostons rich

sports culture.

As previously mentioned, the Boston Garden was originally constructed

as an arena to sponsor and house many events that would take place in the

city. Its legacy as a sporting venue stretches back to its first day of operation.

Opening day of the newly established venue took place on the 17th of

November, 1928. The first event to take place in the Garden was a boxing

match that saw a greater Boston resident, Dick Honeyboy Finnegan, take

on Andre Routis. The Honeyboy won the contest in a unanimous decision

after the two contestants fought for ten rounds.1

The Bruins and Celtics Homecoming

Shortly after the inaugural boxing match, the Boston Bruins took to

the ice losing to the Montreal Canadiens in their first hockey match.2 Despite

the lackluster start to the organizations lifespan, the Bruins would continue

on to have an illustrious career. This

solidification of the Garden as a sports symbol was further cemented with

the adoption of the
1
Johnson, D., & Stout, G. (2000). A century of Boston sports. Boston:
Northeastern University Press.
2
McNulty, E. (1999). Boston then & now. San Diego, CA: Thunder Bay Press.

National Basketball Associations team, the Boston Celtics. On November 5th,

1946 the Celtics were officially Bostons newest sports team as they played

their debut game at home in the Boston Garden. In similar fashion as the

Bruins in their first game, the Celtics lost their home opener to the Chicago

Stags in a close game.3

Apart from the equally disappointing starts to the two resident teams

of the Boston Garden, each team would go on to be synonymous with

athletic power and prestige. By 1964, nearly forty years after the opening of

the garden, the Bruins had won three national championships in the National

Hockey League and the Celtics had won seven championships.4 Both teams

were well on their way to establishing a dominant position in their respective

leagues. The visible athletic and managerial talent of these teams gave

Boston a grand appeal to hockey and basketball players around the world.

This appeal would lead to the acquirement

of several superstars in both franchises, leading to an even greater on the

influence the Garden would have in fostering a citywide sports culture.

The Bruins Inspire Hockey Mania in the Garden

On behalf of the Bruins, the acquisition of Bobby Orr in 1966 was an

enormous leap in developing Bostons image as a sports town. Orr, who is

still a much beloved figurehead of Boston sports today, came onto the Bruins

roster and was a vital part in leading the Bruins to

two Stanley Cup championships.5 Orr was such a powerhouse on the ice, he
received many

3
Johnson, R. A., Johnson, D., & Codagnone, B. (2003). The Boston Garden.
Charleston, SC:
Arcadia.
4
Johnson, D., & Stout, G. (2000). A century of Boston sports. Boston:
Northeastern University Press.
5
Roberts, R. (2005). The rock, the curse, and the hub: a random history of
Boston sports. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

accolades and honors from the NHL as well as an early induction into the

leagues hall of fame.6 Bostonians of all ages were enamored by not only his

phenomenal performance on the ice, but equally by how he composed

himself outside of the Garden. Amidst the height of Orr Fever in the early

70s, adults and children all across New England discovered a love for hockey

as new hockey rinks sprouted all across the suburbs in response to his

mesmerizing` feats on the ice.7

It was the 1968 season when Orr became the man in charge on the ice,

amongst a team filled with promising players.8 Over the next two years, the

team would have great seasons making it to the playoffs. It was not until the

season of 1970 that the team led by Bobby Orr would finally capture a

Stanley Cup title. In an exhilarating game, Orr finally fulfilled his potential as

a true Bruin legend when he scored the winning goal of the Stanley Cup

finals in
6
Hohler, B. (2013, September 29). At 65, Number 4, Bobby Orr, is still
Number 1 - The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 27, 2017, from
https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2013/09/28/number-bobby-orr-still-
number/2QgHMeTyFcjwgoIKj2mlJL/story.html
7
Hohler, B. (2013, September 29). At 65, Number 4, Bobby Orr, is still
Number 1
8
Johnson, D., & Stout, G. (2000). A century of Boston sports. Boston:
Northeastern University Press.
9
Johnson, D., & Stout, G. (2000).
ever have been captured. That same season, Orr led the league in scoring as

well as winning the Norris Trophy presented to the most outstanding

defensive player in the league.10 Orr was at the top of his game, and

continued to inspire success in his team leading them to yet another Stanley

Cup title in 1972.11 Thanks to Orr, the Bruins franchise managed to

reinvigorate an entire regions love for a sport that was being overlooked in

recent years. People who came to the Garden to watch the Bruins play

during this era were mesmerized, and the power of the team to inspire such

a portion of the population to fall in love with a sport speaks volumes for

sports culture that was cultivated thanks to the Boston Garden.

Decades of Dynasties in Boston Basketball

 One might ask why would the region need to have a reinvigorated love

for hockey? This can again be attributed to the massive influence of sports

culture fostered by the Boston Garden in respect to the Boston Celtics. In the

decade before Orr leading the hockey revolution in Boston, the Celtics were

an indomitable dynasty. Through the tough coaching and smart draft

selections of Celtics coach Red Auerbach from 1950 onward, the team went

from a franchise on the brink of destruction to one consistently making the

playoffs. Auerbach coached Celtic legends Bob Cousey and Bill Russell, and

drafted the first ever African American,

Chuck Cooper, into the NBA.12 Together Auerbach and the Celtics went on to

win six NBA championships, establishing a dominant foothold in the world of

American basketball.

Much like Bobby Orr was the figurehead of Bruin hockey, Bill Russell was the

keystone of Celtics basketball in the 50s. Russell was the ideal combination

of athletic ability and

10
Johnson, D., & Stout, G. (2000). A century of Boston sports. Boston:
Northeastern University Press.
11
Johnson, D., & Stout, G. (2000).
12
Johnson, D., & Stout, G. (2000).
intelligence, able to out compete most other players of that generation

physically and mentally. Russell was known for his leaping ability, allowing

him to dunk and shoot over nearly any other player that would get in his

way.13 The only other basketball player of Russells generation that could

offer a respective competition was another legend of the game, Wilt

Chamberlain. Whenever the two monstrously tall athletes would meet on the
court, it was sure to be an exciting night for the crowd in attendance at the

Garden.14 The friendly rivalry that developed between the two titans created

an equally great rivalry between the teams Russell and Chamberlain played

for, the Celtics and Lakers respectively. While the 50s was an era of

complete basketball superiority, spearheaded by the unprecedented skillset

of Russell, the continuation of the rivalry between the Celtics and Lakers

introduced a new generation of players that would continue to produce

incredible sports memories for the Boston sports fans in the Garden. At the

end of the 1969 season, the Celtics retired Russell after having garnered 11

NBA championships in the past 13 years leaving quite the legacy for the next

string of Celtics teams.15

The new generation of players that would start to live up to the

winning Celtic legacy was actualized in the 1979-1980 season when rookie

Larry Bird joined the team. Spurred on by the competition presented by the

rival teams Magic Johnson, Bird merged into the roster

looking to make a splash. An instant impact player, Bird came onto the Celtic

team leading

13
Johnson, D., & Stout, G. (2000). A century of Boston sports. Boston:
Northeastern University Press.
14
Roberts, R. (2005). The rock, the curse, and the hub: a random history of
Boston sports. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
15
Johnson, D., & Stout, G. (2000).
them deep into the playoffs during his first year while simultaneously

winning the rookie of the year for that season.16 The new Celtics star was

quickly deemed a fan favorite by those that

would frequent the Garden. The fresh leadership of Larry Bird inspired the

Celtics to win three more NBA championships, further boosting the love of

basketball for the citizens of Boston as they visited their Cathedral of

Basketball during Birds reign until the 1992 season.17

The Boston Garden: Home of Boston Sports Culture

In Boston there is a rich pride and fidelity in the realm of sports culture

largely contributed to the several generations of championship teams that

the old Boston Garden housed. Within the arenas confines Boston fans

witnessed decades of dominance, mountains of MVPs, and collections of

championships that all delineated the final image of the Boston Garden.

Despite its ambiguous original place within Boston, in the hearts of Boston

fans, the old Boston Garden will always be synonymous with sports culture

and all the memories of greatness that come within that rich culture.
16
Johnson, R. A., Johnson, D., & Codagnone, B. (2003). The Boston Garden.
Charleston, SC:
Arcadia.
17
Johnson, D., & Stout, G. (2000). A century of Boston sports. Boston:
Northeastern University Press.

The Old Boston Garden18

18
McNulty, E. (1999). Boston then & now. San Diego, CA: Thunder Bay Press.
The Old Boston Garden renovated for modern use19
19
McNulty, E. (1999). Boston then & now. San Diego, CA: Thunder Bay Press.