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Boston Sports fandom: 1st annual ‘Chowdie’ awards

By Adam Bradford

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 11: Former New England Patriots player Ty Law, former Boston Bruins player Bobby Orr, former Boston Celtics player Bill Russell, and David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox walk off the field after throwing a ceremonial first pitch during the home opener against the Baltimore Orioles on April 11, 2016 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts . (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 11: Former New England Patriots player Ty Law, former Boston Bruins player Bobby Orr, former Boston Celtics player Bill Russell, and David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox walk off the field after throwing a ceremonial first pitch during the home opener against the Baltimore Orioles on April 11, 2016 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts . (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /
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Boston sports, Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum
Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

A look at who stood out in Boston sports in 2020.

It’s fairly safe to say that 2020 wasn’t exactly a banner year for the world. And unfortunately, it wasn’t exactly a banner year for Boston sports, either.

For the first time since 2016, we went an entire calendar year without a Boston team celebrating a championship. Not only that, but the city lost many of its biggest sports icons, including Tom Brady, Mookie Betts, Rob Gronkowski, David Price, Gordon Hayward, Torey Krug, and, most recently, Zdeno Chara.

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Despite all of the negatives, however, there were still plenty of good things to happen in Boston sports in 2020. With the year winding down to a close, let’s celebrate those players, coaches, teams, moments, and more with the First Annual ‘Chowdies:’ our 2020 Boston sports awards.

Most Valuable Player: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

By far the best thing about being a Boston sports fan in 2020 was getting to watch Jayson Tatum develop into a superstar in front of our own eyes. Tatum’s game took a massive leap in 2020, as he went from averaging 15.7 points per game the year before to 23.4. In addition, Tatum’s rebounds per game increased from 6.0 to 7.0, and his assists per game improved from 2.1 to 3.0.

As a reward for his increase in production in 2020, Tatum earned his first all-star selection. While Tatum still has plenty to improve on heading into 2021, he was definitely Boston’s most valuable athlete in 2020.

Honorable Mention: David Pasternak, Boston Bruins

Rookie of the Year: Michael Owenu, New England Patriots

Twenty years ago, the Patriots struck gold on a sixth round draft pick out of Michigan. Twenty years later, they seem to have done it again in Michael Owenu. Just how good is Owenu? Through Week 14, Pro Football Focus rated him as their second-highest graded rookie, behind only Pro Bowl wide receiver Justin Jefferson. That’s not too bad for a guy who was drafted 182nd overall.

Honorable Mention: Tanner Houck, Boston Red Sox.

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