Remember the Time Vinatieri Slugged A-Rod With His Glove?

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↵One of the fastest ways a politician can shed the modest, approachable image that they try so hard to cultivate is to flub sports trivia. After all, any purported man of the people would surely know these things by heart, right? Don’t believe me? Just remember the way John Kerry was pilloried during the 2004 presidential race for referring to the Green Bay Packers’ stadium as “Lambert Field”. Can’t say it cost him the presidency, but it made portraying him as an aloof elitist that much easier.↵↵As sports gaffes go, however, that had nothing on the one Boston mayor Thomas Menino made on Monday during the unveiling of a Bobby Orr statue outside the TD Garden, where he tried recounting several iconic (or “ionic” if you want to go by his pronunciation) moments in Boston sports history.↵

↵↵⇥“Havlicek stole the ball, Fisk waving the ball fair, Flutie launching the Hail Mary pass, Varitek splitting the uprights.”↵↵↵Yeah. Not so much on that last one. I believe “Vinatieri” is the name you’re looking for, Mr. Mayor. He being the one of the many postseason clutch field goals and all. Not to take anything away from Jason Varitek’s place in Boston sports lore, but saying he made a Super Bowl winning field goal might just be pushing it a tad.↵

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