Drinking the Cool-Aid

The other day I was having a discussion with a friend about Pedro Martinez. I think he's flat out one of the all-time greats but my friend isn't completely convinced. In my friend's words - he "hasn't drunk the Cool-Aid for Pedro yet."

This got me thinking about the phrase "drinking the Cool-Aid" - which of course references the Reverend Jim Jones and the mass suicide of his followers at Jamestown - a mass suicide made possible by the followers drinking cyanide laced Cool-Aid. How strange that a phrase that has its roots in such grotesque circumstances is now pretty much accepted in everyday conversations.

This past week - I must have heard the phrase "drink the Cool-Aid" at least a half dozen times. Strange.

The other thing that has made me think of the phrase "drinking the Cool-Aid" is the Boston Bruins.

Last night they lost to the Montreal Canadiens and now their best of seven series is tied - three games a piece. Game seven is Monday and the Bruins badly need a victory. The Bruins need is more dire than the Canadiens because the Bruins have been losing their core fans during the course of the past few years. Whether is was the perceived cheapness of ownership that continually drove the best talent out of town, whether it was the team management refusing to pull the trigger on a major late season trade or whether it is the fact that the Bruins have had more late season fades these past few years than the Seattle Mariners - most Bruins fans have refused to "drink the Cool-Aid" for this team.

Many fans (myself included) are close to being converted back into the fold. The team has some real talent (Thorton, Samsonov and Murray), some hot rookies (Bergeron and Raycroft) and the management added some late season firepower (Gonchar and Nylander). This seemed like The Year. The Bruins were hot down the stretch and then they opened the playoff by gaining a 3-1 advantage.

Now the series is tied 3-3. Now all the good is in danger of being lost.

If you are not from Boston and are reading this - then chances are you won't understand. Boston fans take these things personally. If the Bruins lose on Monday - the mindset will be that the fans were "tricked again" into rooting for this one and out team. Harry Sinden did this to them intentionally as a cruel trick. I'm serious.

However, I am just as convinced that if the Bruins win on Monday - then the fans will drink the Cool-Aid for this team. Lose and the fans will turn the channel on the Bruins like they were being subjected to a poor, stuttering televangelist with a toupe.