Sunday, May 31, 2009

Celtics earn solid Pat on back

Interesting story in this morning's Herald on how Celt's front office tried to keep everyone guessing about status of Ticket's injury: Celtics earn solid Pat on back

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Saturday, May 30, 2009

Mr Tibs still with Boston...

The Philadelphia 76ers hired Eddie Jordan as their new head coach yesterday. Celtics assistant and defensive whiz Tom Thibodeau interviewed for the job, but was not hired. He is however still being mentioned as a top candidate for the Sacramento Kings head coaching job. It is a tough time of year to be a Celtics fan. With the Finals ready to start this week, I can't help but think that we would've been getting ready for a rematch with the Lakers if not for some key injuries. If you're looking for something to keep you excited and fired-up for next season, hopefully this clip helps...

Monday, May 25, 2009

T.R.O.Y.

Classic hip-hop at it's best. On this Memorial Day 2009, this goes out to all those brave men and women who died protecting our freedom....

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Greek League craziness...

If you think Lakers vs Celtics is heated, this is footage from the Greek League finals played the other night. It is Olympiakos vs Panathinaikos. The fans absolutely hate each other too. The Olmypiakos fans, about 200 strong, tried to rush the locker room and interview area to get to the Panathinaikos players. Josh Childress, who left the NBA to play in the Greek league, says that this incident will definitely weigh in his decision to stick around the Greek league or not. Notice a flare is tossed at about :10. It hit and injured one of the official score-keepers.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Sam I Am..


What's up C's fans..May and June without the Green sucks. At least the conference finals have been entertaining so far. Anyhow, in Celtics news (somewhat) old friend Sam Cassell officially retired today and joined the coaching staff of the Washington Wizards. Read the whole story at Yahoo's NBA page: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AkLaBw0MR3I1kzHAuutEBDC8vLYF?slug=ap-wizards-assistants&prov=ap&type=lgns

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

End of the line..




So the Boston Celtics 2008-09 season ends. I was at Game 7 the other night, and just didn't have a great feeling going into it. This team certainly had alot of heart, and gave it their all, but at the end, they ran out of steam. The Magic were simply a younger, healthier team. A better team? No-not in my opinion. I'm not going to go the "if we had a healthy KG" route. I think we matched up well with the Magic, but could've used another long body to cover Rashard Lewis. After the game, I had a chance to wish some of the team, including Clifford Ray, Paul Pierce and Kendrick Perkins, a good summer. Perk seemed pretty upbeat and Pierce seemed quite frankly, exhausted. The fans at the Garden have just been great all year. I have to say that we Boston Celtics fans are an intense, relentless bunch. There was a point in Game 7 with about 10 minutes left in the 4th, that the fans "saluted" the Celtics. It was becoming clear that the game was slipping away, but during a timeout, the Garden crowd rose as one, chanting "Let's go Celtics!" It was awesome and gave me chills. The cameramen all focused on different parts of the arena, and the jumbotron operator showed shot after shot of fans screaming, clapping, yelling and generally showing the Celtics that they have been, and always will be behind them. It was truly amazing. There are of course some offseason questions for the C's. Will Stephon Marbury, Leon Powe and Eddie House be around next year..? Will assistant coach and defensive genius Tom Thibodeau take a head-coaching job in Philly..? Will the Celts make any moves regarding this summer's draft? (our 1st round belongs to Minnesota as part of the KG deal, but Danny Ainge has expressed interest in perhaps making moves to get another pick) How will the Big Ticket rebound (no pun intended) from off season surgery..? These questions and more will be answered in the coming months. So now it's time to get a bit more interested in the Red Sox and figure out just who I want to see win the O'Brien trophy. I'm leaning towards Cleveland, but with the Celts out of the mix, I really cannot get too excited about the NBA right now. As a basketball fan, I'll certainly watch the Finals, but it obviously just won't be the same. Here are a few pics I took of the last game of the 2008-09 Boston Celtics' season...

Monday, May 18, 2009

No Banner 18 this year...

Celtics just ran out of gas tonight. This team fought until the end. It wasn't enough tonight, and they fall to the Magic 101-82 to end the 2008-09 campaign. I will post more tomorrow, as I have alot to say. The players I encountered tonight seemed pretty tired, but overall not "crushed". Paul Pierce seemed very exhausted/disappointed as I told him "have a good summer P" on his way out of the Garden. Here's a clip of Rondo and family leaving the Garden tonight. More to come....

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Aztec Gino...



Last year at Game 7 of the Eastern Semis, I met an interesting character at the C's game. He is a very jovial, friendly fellow who dresses in a "Gladiator" type get up and waves a flag and dances around to get the crowd fired-up. I'm sure by now everyone is familiar with "Gino", who is the main character in a clip the C's show of people dancing in the 70's. The clip is played at, or near the end of each Celtic's home victory. I decided to call this guy "Aztec Gino", as his get-up reminded me of an Aztec warrior. Well, he liked it, and got a t-shirt bearing the name "Aztec Gino", and the rest is history. He has now exploded onto the scene with YouTube clips, and even being acknowledged by the C's tv broadcasters. Aztec Gino is a devoted fan who is at seemingly every home game. Keep an eye out for him.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Rest In Peace Wayman...

Wayman Tisdale, NBA and NCAA legend passed away today after a battle with cancer. Tisdale, who was 44, played for the Oklahoma Sooners in college, and still holds the school's record for most points scored by a player through freshman & sophomore seasons. Wayman played for the Suns, Kings and Pacers over his 12 seasons in the league. He also won a gold medal on the 1984 USA Men's bball team that was coached by Bobby Knight. Wayman retired from the league in 1997 to focus on his musical career. He was a very talented gospel musician and released 8 albums from 1995-2008. Wayman was famous for his great smile. Those who knew him personally say he brought life and energy into everything he did. I recently saw a piece ESPN did on how he was adjusting to life as an amputee-Wayman lost part of his right leg in August of 2008 due to bone cancer. Wayman kept a smile on his face through it all, and never stopped fighting. Thoughts and prayers to the Tisdale family. The aforementioned piece in included in this post.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

WTF...?!



God Damn! Another Game 7...

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Comeback..

Huge comeback at the Garden tonight powered by Starbury, Big Baby, Ray, Perk and more. 92-88 Celtics. Just got home from the game and some postgame activities. Here are a few pics and a clip of Paul Pierce leaving the Garden tonight. Have to get up for work in 4 hours. Thanks Corey for taking me to a great game! Goodnite C's fans....

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Pivotal Game 5...


Just found out a friend of mine has tickets for tonight and I'm fortunate enough to be able to attend. I feel this is a pivotal game, and tonight's winner will take this series. Brian Scalabrine is questionable tonight after missing this morning's shootaround with a flu-like bug.Kendrick Perkins has a sore shoulder, but is going to play. Not sure where my seats are tonight, but I hope to post some pics and video late tonight or tomorrow morning. GO GREEN!!!!!!!!!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Big BAAAABY!




3..2..1...BLAAAA! Big Baby Davis was not the number one option on Doc Rivers' last play tonight, but he certainly got the job done when neither Pierce or Ray Allen were open. Davis hit a jumper with no time left on the clock to propel the Celtics to a 95-94 win tonight in Orlando. This game was a see-saw affair that saw the C's hot and cold at different points in the contest. Notably, the cold moments seemed to come when the C's bench players were in-they combined for a humbling 2 points..yes that's right, 2 total points from our bench. But the starters picked up the slack with Pierce going for 27 and Rondo and Davis both dropping in 21 each. Perk continued to play well with another double/double. He finished with 12 points and 13 boards. But Davis was clearly the hero and had a great 2nd half culminating with the winning shot as regulation ended. What a pick-me up for a surely exhausted Celtics squad, and fan-base. Next up, a pivotal Game 5 back on our home floor. Tip-off is at 8pm. I am going to try and get to the game if a friend scores some tickets. Have a great night Celtics fans all over the world.....

Killing time...

Killing time until tonight's 8pm Celtics-Magic tip...

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Amazing..

Speaking of Chuck Daly. Something along those lines. Another great commercial via NBA/YouTube. Don't worry-this one doesn't have that awful "Amazin'" song in it....

Not good..


Those are the kindest words I can think of right now. The Magic got to the hoop early and often, exploiting the C's lack of interior defense and going on to win 117-96 last night in Orlando. The Magic now lead the best of 7 series 2-1. The first quarter set the tone for this game, with Orlando scoring on dunk after dunk and layup after layup. ESPN's Jon Barry made an obvious point that without KG, our interior defense will be suspect if Perk, Baby and company don't come to play. Paul Pierce seemed to be back on track leading the C's with 27 points. Rashard Lewis led all scorers with 28 as the Magic shot the lights out: .591% on field goals and .500% on 3's. Ray Allen couldn't get it going and finished with 8 points on a dismal 3 of 13 shooting night. On a better note, Eddie House continued his torrid shooting, going 6-7 on fg's and 3-4 from behind the arc. He dropped 15 off the bench. The C's now face a must-win (in my opinion) on Sunday in Orlando. I have a hard time believing this C's team could win 3 in a row if they drop another one tomorrow night. Tip-off is at 8pm at the Amway Arena. On a somber note, former Pistons head coach and NBA legend Chuck Daly passed away this morning in Florida. The 78 year old Daly had been battling pancreatic cancer. Daly led the Pistons to 2 NBA titles, and also led the USA men's basketball team to a gold medal in 1992. Daly led the Detroit Pistons into many a battle with the Celtics in the "glory days." Daly had the opportunity to coach and coach against some of the greatest players the NBA, and the world for that matter, ever saw. Thoughts and prayers go out to the Daly family...

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

HOUSE!




What's up C's fans...!? Not much time to post tonight. Back from the game just now and have to get up early for work. What a performance from Eddie House as he ties his career-high with 31 points off the bench. Also, tonight saw great performances by Perk who had 16 points and 9 boards and Rondo who had a couple of dunks that got the Garden crowd off their feet, and a triple-double (again). Rondo's line tonight: 15 points, 18 assists and 11 boards. Alot of athletes/celebs in the house tonight. I saw McLovin' again, who has been at the last few C's playoff games, former Patriot Ty Law, Bill Russell and quite a few others. Next game is Friday night in Orlando. Tip-off is at 7pm. Goodnite Celtics fans....

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Baseball....

This is a hoops blog mainly, but tonight I had the opportunity to see the new Yankee Stadium. I have to say alot of it is impressive, but the enjoyment of watching a baseball game is not much better. The most impressive things we saw were the "Great Hall"- a massive "room" with giant hanging tapestries and a 36' x 24' tv screen. But by far what really grabs you is the center field HD Jumbotron. The picture is just so crisp, bright and real, it takes your breath away. I will be getting on an Amtrak tomorrow afternoon after grabbing lunch with a friend in NYC. Then, I'll be at the Garden for Game 2 of Celtics-Magic. Let's hope the Green are running a tighter ship tomorrow night. Goodnite Celtics fans, and enjoy some pics of my trip from today...

Tri-State area


I arrived in NYC around Noontime today. I am spending the night at my Dad's in New Jersey, and will be going to the new Yankee Stadium tonight. Let's hope the rain doesn't spoil the Sox beating the Yankees again. I will be heading back to Boston tomorrow and attending Game 2 of Celtics-Magic playoff series. Here is a pic I snapped of "The Mecca"-Madison Square Garden. Should have some pics of the Stadium up late tonight...

Monday, May 4, 2009

Turnovers..



Frustrating one tonight. The Magic handed us this game many times. We handed it right back. Rondo, who is usually money, turned it over 7 times, and during some crucial moments. Ray Allen was also cold tonight, going 2 for 12 with 9 pts. The C's just looked sluggish tonight, and were dominated in the paint, 42-22 by the Magic. The final 95-90 Orlando. I am off to NYC and Jersey early tomorrow to see some family and friends and see the new Yankee Stadium while the Sox are there for a 2-game series. I'll be at Game 2 Wednesday night. Hopefully the C's pull it together. Hope to have some pics and video for you. Goodnite Celtics fans all over the universe....

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Celebrity sightings: Game 7 Celtics and Bulls




A few celebs were in the building last night at the Garden. Christopher Minntz-Plasse, better known as McLovin' from Superbad was there cheering on the C's, Bill Murray, who has been an avid follower of his Chicago teams was sitting behind my friend Corey and as usual Donnie Wahlberg was in his regular courtside seat. Here are a couple pics-thanks Corey: My friend Corey and McLovin', Perk, Lil' Perk, (who seems mesmerized by McLovin') and Mr. Superbad, and Bill Murray sporting quite the hair-do'. Enjoy your Sunday Celtics fans. Tickets for round 2 go on sale at 11am today at Celtics.com....

Eddie comes through...

It wasn't as thrilling as some of the other games, but tonight the Boston Celtics finally put away the Chicago Bulls. I had a great seat to a Game 7 of a classic series. Eddie House absolutely shot the lights out tonight, going 5-5 from the field, 2 of 2 from the charity stripe and 4-4 from beyond the arc. Kendrick Perkins quietly finished his big series with another double-double, dropping in 14 and pulling down 13 rebounds. Ben Gordon only hit 7 of his 23 shots tonight, but hit all of his 15 free-throws. Amazing-15 free throws and not one miss. Gordon's special play was one of the many things that made this series memorable. Tonight the Celts started to pull away in the 2nd quarter behind the bench play of Scalabrine and the shooting of Ray Allen, but Chicago, as expected, made a run in the 4th quarter. The Celts held on though to win 109-99. Next up, the Orlando Magic. The Celts were 2-2 against the Magic this season. Game 1 is Monday night at the Garden, with an 8pm tip-off. I am off to see some family and friends in New Jersey and NYC, and a trip to see the Sox at the new Yankee Stadium. I'll be at Game 2 of the C's and Magic on Wednesday night. The highlights of tonight: a high-five from McLovin', screaming and yelling directly behind the Bulls' broadcast team, and watching Noah and Miller both foul out. Goodnite Celtics fans. Enjoy some pics I took tonight, and a clip I shot right before tip-off....

Friday, May 1, 2009

Why would Lebron want to leave this...?

Thanks to RedsArmy.com and YouTube for this beauty..

Epic Battle..



The Celtics just could not put away the Bulls last night which means we will have a Game 7 tomorrow night at the Garden. Ray Allen had an absolutely SuperHuman night scoring a playoff career-high 51 points in a 128-127 loss to the Bulls last night at the United Center. This was the most amazing game I personally have ever watched. It looked for a moment the Celtics were going to eliminate the Bulls in regulation, but some missed shots by the C's and some clutch shooting by the Bulls ended those chances. That and a critical decision by referee Joey Crawford to rule a Ray Allen shot a 2 pointer instead of a 3. Multiple replays from different angles showed that it was just too close to call, but it did appear from one angle that Ray's toe was just barely across the line. There was no love lost between the two teams as Rondo and Kirk Heinrich got tangled up early on, Rondo receiving a flagrant 1 and Heinrich a technical. The Bulls seemed at one point to be hitting every shot they took, with John Salmons' 35 leading them. I could not stay seated during the overtimes. I paced, yelled, knelt, it was so tense. This series will go down as one of the best in NBA history. I am fortunate enough to be going tomorrow night. I will be screaming at the Bulls with everything I have. It's all or nothing baby. I will post some pictures and video here tomorrow after the game. That's if I have any energy left-tomorrow night will be a good one. Have a good day Celtics fans all over the world....