Category: Boston

Celtics to Retire Paul Pierce’s #34

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The Celtics have retired more numbers than any other team in American sports history. With 21 numbers in the rafters, the Celtics have taken more numbers out of circulation than the New York Yankees. The Yankees will tie the Celtics for most retired numbers when they officially retire number 2 later this month, but the Celtics will retake the lead when they officially take number 34 out of circulation.

Despite the bevy of numbers in the rafters, it’s been a while since the Celtics have retired a number. The last time was December 15, 2003 when they retired Cedric Maxwell’s number 31. Maxwell played for the C’s from 1977 through 1985. The most recent Celtics player to have his number retired is Robert Parish. The Chief last played for the C’s in 1994 and had his number retired January 18, 1998.

Though the Celtics could be accused of retiring the number of any player who stuck around for a few championships, that is not the case here. Paul Pierce started his Celtics career on February 5, 1999 with 19 points and 9 rebounds against the Toronto Raptors at the Fleet Center. It was the first game of the lockout-shortened 1998-1999 NBA season. In 15 seasons with the Celtics, he scored 24,021 points, second only to John Havlicek (26,395) in team history.

Including his time with the Clippers, Nets and Wizards, Pierce retires with 26,397 career points, 15th most NBA history and third among active players. While never one of the top players in the game during his career, he posted solid numbers even while most of spotlight was placed on the likes of Shaq, Kobe, Kevin Garnett and LeBron to name a few. Maybe that’s why it is a bit surprising to realize he’s an all-time top 20 scorer in league history.

The Celtics had some lean times during the ’90s and ’00s. Pierce was good soldier through it all, and teamed up with Garnett and Ray Allen to bring Boston its first championship since the Larry Bird Era in 2008. The 2008 Finals MVP, Pierce will now become the first Celtic since the Larry Bird Era to have his number retired. He is an incredibly worthy recipient of this honor, and now unquestionably the greatest Celtic of the post-Bird Era.

Friday Morning Randomness

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It’s hard to believe that the Celtics haven’t won a playoff series since 2012.

The Celtics look to eliminate the Bulls tonight in Chicago. Brad Stevens looking to win a playoff series for the first time as an NBA head coach, too.

Addison Russell is Using Pokemon Cards to Flip the Autograph Game On Its Head

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ESPN – When Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell asked those two All-Stars — and many others around the league — to autograph the back of his Pokémon cards, he knew he would get some puzzled reactions. And he most certainly did. Yes, Russell is sending clubhouse attendants to opposing locker rooms armed with Pokémon cards for some of Russell’s favorite players to sign.

Did Addison Russell just become my new best friend? Yup. You see it all the time; professional athletes asking other pros to sign balls or even exchanging jerseys, but this, this is something. Busting out Pokemon cards and asking people to sign those instead is so awesome. Thats how you know Russell is a stud. He doesn’t need to front like he’s the baddest guy on the block and pretend Pokemon is only for kids. He loves Pokemon and he owns it.

If you’re in your 20’s and deny liking Pokemon then you are a walking, clinical definition of insecurity. We all loved the Pocket Monsters. Sure, maybe not all of us were illegally playing Pokemon Red emulators on our laptops in class back in college, but theres a reason Pokemon Go is one of the highest earning mobile apps of all time.

Did I spend hours upon hours playing Pokemon Go in traffic so I could snag the special edition Christmas Pikachu with a Santa hat? I mean, I didn’t not do that.

There is a method to his madness. He doesn’t just pick the cards randomly. He’s looking for a card that fits the player’s game or personality. “If there are flame balls on them, I’ll get a closer like Kenley Jansen to sign,” Russell said.

This isn’t just some gag from the 23-year-old, Russell is doing his research. You can’t just have anyone signing holographic or legendary cards. Thats bullshit. That would be stupid and childish. The autograph needs to fit the Pokemon.

So keep doing your thing Addison, hopefully you get Pablo Sandoval to sign that shiny Snorlax card. Get it? Because all he does is sleep and eat! Woof.

PS – Shoutout to my dude Kenley Jansen for dropping the Dragon Ball Z reference.

“I watched Pokémon a little bit. I was more of a Dragon Ball Z type of guy. I was watching more Dragon Ball Z growing up. So I get it,” Jansen said of Russell’s hobby. “Pokémon is his stuff, and everybody has their own unique way.

Now that is a goddamn show and if you’re not a fan, thats fine, but you’re wrong.

Bruins Make the Right Move and Name Bruce Cassidy Head Coach

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In yet another season that could have easily gone down the tubes real quick, the Bruins finally ripped off the band-aid and axed Claude Julien in February. Enter The Boss, Bruce Cassidy. Say what you will about Claude, good coach, awful coach, whatever. One thing was clear, he had lost the ability to jolt the team. Or he just refused to make the necessary changes in style. But if the Bruins stand pat and don’t fire Julien, the Bruins 100% miss the playoffs for the third year in a row. That shit is unacceptable in a city like Boston, especially with the core they have now with Bergeron, Marchand, Pastrnak, Tuuka, Chara and Krug. Too many good players to not at least find your way into a Wild Card berth.

Under Cassidy the Bruins went 18-8-1 and they looked like an entirely different team. Cassidy had the team playing a much more up tempo game, had the defense jumping into plays and helping create offense rather than cycling it around and slowly lugging the puck up the ice as they had under Claude. Obviously guys like Krug thrived under the renewed style that offered them a lot more freedom, which is when you started to see 4 and 5 goal outbursts.

Cassidy was the Providence Bruins head coach for 5 years and acted as Don Sweeney’s go-to guy when Don was Director of Player Development. So Cassidy has worked closely with the young players in the Bruins system and has an intimate knowledge of whats coming through the pipeline and how to best take advantage of these players skill sets. I’m excited to see what he can do with a full offseason of working with Charlie McAvoy because that kid looks like a bonafide stud who will fit Cassidy’s style perfectly.

So the Bruins made the right move in removing the interim tag from Bruce Cassidy’s head coach name tag.

Terry Rozier is a Bad Man

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This is the first time in a long time where I legitimately said to myself, shit maybe this dude can play in the NBA!

I haven’t seen much to get me amped about him until that A+ defense, transition ball and finishing with the HELLACIOUS dunk. So hopefully the 2017 playoffs are a bit of a coming out party for Terry Rozier.

Does Rajon Rondo’s Dominance in the Playoffs Help Redeem His Image Around the NBA?

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Win or lose, if nothing else I hope this Bulls series has helped redeem Rajon Rondo’s name in the eyes of Celtics fans (and around the NBA) and of course the cantankerous Boston media. This is a guy who was a key component of the Celtics first championship in 20+ years and these days the media talks about him like a total bust who sunk the franchise. I swear these people revel in ripping the guy. I mean we all know the stories of how Rondo is a dickhead, smokes little kids in Connect Four, but thats part of what endeared him to Celtics fans and thats part of what makes him a ruthless competitor.

Its also been wild to see the Celtics point guard of yesterday whom they had once planned to build around going head to head with his direct replacement in Isaiah Thomas.

So even if it was short lived, with Rondo busting his thumb, it was fun seeing the old Rondo out there dropping dimes, driving defenses nuts and generally quarterbacking a team as he dismantled the Celtics. I don’t know where that Rondo has been the last couple of years, maybe getting traded to Dallas then getting picked up off the scrap heap from Sacramento had his “Fuck This” attitude firing on all cylinders, but it was fun watching that guy again. (Reports say Rondo may play in Game 5 now)

So is Rondo a mature adult who takes setbacks and more specifically authority and discipline all that well? Nope, the guy is a big kid. Ya know, like half the league. But put him on a decent team, give him the keys to the offense and let him do his thing? Thats the guy I remember dropping triple doubles in the playoffs, the guy slapping the floor begging to guard LeBron, the guy who played with one hand after Dwyane Wade broke his fucking arm. (Still an outrageously dirty play, so yea not exactly shocking that Rondo ripped his new teammate Wade this season.)

It was good to see THIS guy back.

So Felger and Mazz can cut the shit ranting and raving about how Celtics fans pumped up Rondo as some false prophet when in reality he was a bum. Put him on the right team and this guy is a one man show. So hopefully he pops a couple Senzu Beans and we see him again in this series because the Rondo resurgence has been too short lived and I need more of it.

PS – Say what you will, that short sleeve suit was balling. Its called fashion guys, have a little class.

Red Sox-Yankees Games in April Should Be Outlawed

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baseball-rainA spring nor’easter is heading up the east coast this week, with a 100% chance of rain and temperatures in the 40’s in Boston today. Things only look slightly better for tomorrow. Glad the Yankees are in town!

I know there’s no way to please everyone, and I don’t want to ask the league for special treatment, but I am tired of Red Sox-Yankees games in April. The NFL makes sure teams play more divisional games late in the season (the Patriots will only play one non-divisional opponent after Thanksgiving in 2017), why can’t MLB do something similar?

In 2003, the Red Sox didn’t play the Yankees until May 19. Meeting a little bit later in the season allowed each team to get established before squaring off. The anticipation made that first series more compelling. Unbelievably, tickets are still available to tonight’s game through the Red Sox box office. Hell, Bud Deck tables are still available for tonight’s game. How’s that for apathy?

Not meeting until late May also means 19 Red Sox-Yankees games in just over four months. When I went to school in the city during the height of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry in the mid-2000s, classmates would ask why the Red Sox and Yankees play each other every weekend. It was great.

I know the rivalry has cooled off this decade, both teams have been off and on the last few years, but this would seem like an easy fix to generate some buzz. It doesn’t have to be every year, but it would be nice to see the Red Sox and Yankees not meet until Memorial Day occasionally. Let the warm weather rivals own April.

The Bruins are Done

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The Boston Bruins will not win the Stanley Cup this year. The Boston Bruins will not even advance to the second round of the playoffs. Sure, they could win tonight. You could even make the argument that they should be leading this series. But they will not get out of the first round of the playoffs this year.

I have come to accept this fact. Through the five stages of grief, you can join me in accepting this fact. Then we can move on to Chris Sale Red Sox season.

Denial
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Anger
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Bargaining
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Depression
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Acceptance
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PS – The Celtics are screwed too.

This Week Has Sucked

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The past five days have seen tragedy, blowout losses, bad calls and shocking news in the Boston sports pages. I’m not trying to compare and conflate real world tragedies and the ultimately inconsequential outcomes of professional sporting events. But the last five days have not been much fun as a Boston sports fan.

 

Hopefully bluer skies lie ahead for everyone. Though if it’s cloudy in Toronto, they can close the roof at the Sky Dome and Chris Sale can still strike out 20 tomorrow. That would be okay too.

A Lot of Good Things Have Happened on April 16

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We can’t go without mentioning that today is the 17th anniversary of the Patriots drafting Tom Brady. Only two other players drafted in 2000 remain active in the NFL – kicker Sebastian Janikowski and punter Shane Lechler.

The day Tom Brady was drafted was also Bill Belichick’s 48th birthday. That means BB turns 65 today.

And let’s not forget the great pizza toss of 2007. Here is the full “Here comes the pizza” incident a decade later.