Here is Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, committing what used to be an impeachable offense in Boston politics:
During the unveiling of a new statue depicting Boston Bruins legend Bobby Orr’s “The Goal” on Causeway Street in front of the TD Garden, Menino managed to steal some of the buzz from Orr by first jumbling his words, then mixing in the wrong name for one of Boston’s greatest sports moments.
[. . .]
“In Boston, we have an amazing set of remarkable athletes whose actions have become ionic (sic) in sports,” Menino said. “Havlicek stole the ball, Fisk waiving the ball fair, Flutie launching the Hail Mary pass, Varitek splitting the uprights.”
What Mayor Menino meant to say was kicker Adam Vinatieri’s name. Vinatieri booted the game-winning 48-yard field goal in 2002 to help the New England Patriots beat the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl, 20-17, as time expired.
Ah yes, nearly as iconic a moment as Larry Bird’s single-handed defeat of the Soviet hockey team at the 1980 Olympics, or Pudge Fisk’s grueling 14th-round TKO of Joe Frazier at the “Thrilla in Manilla.”
Between Martha Coakley and Menino, Boston is seriously losing its sports cred.