Despite doubts by political watchdog groups about the logistics of being at two events at the same time, Sen. John Kerry did attend both a political banquet in Boston and Game 6 of the 1986 World Series in New York on the same night 18 years ago, according to the Democratic presidential candidate's senior campaign advisor.
In interviews with ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine, Kerry recalled his sufferings as a Boston Red Sox fan as Bill Buckner failed to field a ground ball hit by Mookie Wilson with two outs in the 10th inning. The Mets rallied to win that game, 6-5, and Game 7 two nights later, extending Boston's World Series drought that followed its title in 1918.
"Do I believe in it?" Kerry said in response to a question about the Red Sox's supposed Curse of the Bambino. "No, but it certainly makes a powerful argument from time to time. I mean, I don't believe in curses, but I do think that we've been under a cloud here and there. I was 30 yards away from Billy Buckner in that famous Shea Stadium game in '86. So I've been there in the heartbreaks. And I was screaming at the television set when Grady [Little] did not pull Pedro [Martinez] out."
Web bloggers point to a Boston Globe article from Oct. 26, 1986, the day after Game 6 of the World Series, in which Kerry was noted to have attended the Massachusetts Latino Democratic Committee banquet the night before at the World Trade Center in South Boston.
"Sen. Kerry attended a public event in [Massachusetts] in the early evening and hopped a shuttle flight from Boston to NYC. [Kerry] got to Shea with the game in progress," Michael Meehan, Kerry's senior campaign advisor, wrote to ESPN.com in an e-mail. "Remember the Sox were up 3-2 so all of Red Sox Nation was planning for a Series win."
Kerry had also claimed to have run in the Boston Marathon in the late 1970s or early '80s, though no records of his finish exist. Meehan said Kerry ran the race unofficially "as a bandit." Running the race without a number was more commonplace 25 years ago than it is today.
Darren Rovell, who covers sports business for ESPN.com, can be reached at Darren.rovell@espn3.com.