In the perpetual pressure cooker of Boston sports, standout soundbites have flowed almost as plentifully as championships over the decades.
Whether it was Bill Belichick’s surly repetition, Ted Williams’s ageless ambition, or David Ortiz’s unexpectedly poignant f-bomb, New England has enjoyed (or been subjected to) more than its share of memorable quotes in the press.
With that in mind, the topic of this year’s annual Boston.com March Madness-themed bracket is a simple question: What is the best soundbite in Boston sports history?
As always, defining what “best” means is subjective, particularly when judging soundbites. We leave that choice to you, our readers.
In terms of what defines a “soundbite,” forgive us for also including a few older quotes that might not have technically been said in front of a microphone. They nonetheless became defining words in their own time. And in one case (Jaylen Brown), there’s an entry that was initially a social media post, but one which became a repeated soundbite as the Celtics built to a championship.
We’ve also omitted media soundbites — “Havlicek stole the ball,” for example — that would otherwise be included here, as that could be a bracket of its own (perhaps in 2027).
To decide which soundbite wins, readers will vote in each matchup, proceeding round-by-round until a champion is crowned on March 25. Don’t forget to check back in as the bracket advances, and feel free to sign up for email updates to receive notification of the latest round changeover.
— Hayden Bird
