Telegraph Sports Reporter Tom KIng.

Ah, it’s that time of year when we reflect on the year that was.

And we all know how bad it was for everyone.

Boston sports-wise, the most suffering has to be done by New England Patriots fans. They woke up the morning of St. Patrick’s Day to find out the luck of any of them who are Irish had run out. Tom Brady announced he was leaving as a free agent after 20 seasons, six of them bringing championships.

That would upset anyone’s world, and it’s no surprise that this has the Patriots in their first non-playoff season since Brady tore up his knee in the 2008 opener. It will probably be the team’s worst regular season record since they were 9-7 in 2002 and 5-11 in 2000. And be sure, if the Patriots don’t straighten out the quarterback position for the long term, 5-11 isn’t far away.

Here are a couple of other groups who are glad that 2020 is about to end:

First, Lowell Spinners fans. After all the efforts to stop the insanity of what Major League Baseball was doing in getting rid of viable minor league franchises, it was announced a couple of weeks ago that the Spinners would no longer be a Red Sox affiliate.

Don’t believe all that lip service from the Red Sox that they’ll try to welcome Lowell back to the fold in 2022. We’re still waiting for the Eastern League to shuffle things around for a Nashua franchise as they said they would in 1986 after the Pirates left town for Harrisburg, Pa., right? Many of you won’t remember, some of you will.

If the Spinners aren’t around in the future – they could be part of an MLB sponsored draft prospects league this summer, maybe – Silver Knights fans should be sad. Why? Well, if there were no Lowell Spinners, there wouldn’t have been any Nashua Silver Knights. Then Spinners owner Drew Weber and his management team of Tim Bawmann and Jon Goode were the ones who wanted to put a summer collegiate wooden bat league team in Holman Stadium. They did it for two reasons: One, they thought it would be a hit, which it’s been; and two, they wanted to control the Holman lease so no other competition would go in there. The two franchises enjoyed a sibling relationship; the Spinners logo was on the roof of the equipment shed at Holman and the two teams would usually play an exhibition game in mid-to-late June at Lowell’s LeLacheur Park.

There were plenty of local fans who enjoyed going to Spinners games. They were a regional institution. Heck, yours truly broadcast a few of their games over the radio airwaves in 2011, filling in for the great Ken Cail.

Yes, things had changed over the years, especially after Weber sold the team.

Yes, we doubt the future looks bright. Let’s see if we’re wrong.

The second group that is glad to see 2020 come to an end? Most small college athletes around New England.

Hardly any of them have played for their respective schools in their respective sports since last March.

Last year’s spring seasons wiped out even after they had started for many. This year’s fall seasons. Now most of their winter seasons. That’s why the Futures League hierarchy felt it was so important to give the college baseball players a season.

There’s hope for the spring college season, and it’s eternal.

Either way, as we enter the final week of 2020, let’s look ahead, not behind.

Tom King can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on twitter @Telegraph _TomK.

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