Fix It! Time for a Celtic Reign
As ugly as things have been for the Boston Celtics so far this season, the stars are aligning for the NBA's most successful franchise to return to prominence and all they need are a few breaks. (David Stern we're looking in your direction...)
Despite all the complaints in the history of sports that "The Fix is In" it's never really true (save for the 1919 Black Sox, the 1951 CCNY basketball team, the 1982 Boston College basketball team, professional Boxing, Olympic figure skating and Pete Rose). Well maybe this time it should be. It would make all the sense in the world for the NBA to give the Celtics some weighed ping-pong balls for the upcoming draft, provided their able to tank the rest of the season and end up with the worst record.
Entering the All Star break the Celtics are competing with Memphis and Philadelphia for the worst record in the NBA. Memphis??? Does the NBA really want Memphis, Tennessee to land Greg Oden or Kevin Durant, two players who have been compared to Bill Russell and Michael Jordan respectively? Wouldn't it make more sense for them to land in Boston and Philadelphia, rekindling a rivalry that has featured matchups like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird and Dr. J? Memphis is the country's 44th Media Market, while Boston is #6 and Philly is #4. If nothing else it would just help add some balance to the light Eastern Conference.
The league is currently plagued with stars who have either avoided rape charges or who don't speak the English language. Meaning that the entry and success of Oden and Durant is important, if not vital, to the league's growth.
For all of the problems over the last 20 years, "Celtic Nation" is truly a national following as previously front-running fans across the country still turn out for Celtic away games. Would a resurrection of the famed "Celtic Pride" not benefit the league as a whole?
Well at least the Celtics will do their part, right? Green 17 right? We can only hope that Danny Ainge realizes his career in could ride on the June 28th Draft. The right ping-pong ball and a franchise player could move him closer to Auerbach, while the wrong ball can put him on the short bus with Rick Pitino.
Danny knows from experience that to win in this leauge you need to have 1. Arguably the best player in the league, 2. A very good supporting cast. The Celtics have neither. He must know that there are NO UNDERDOGS in the NBA. The closest thing you'll find is the 2004 Detroit Pistons, but they won on great team defense. What the Celtics have right now is a manageable budget and a group of kids with potential that could one day support a superstar.
Don't worry Wyc (Grousbeck), the fans will watch the new dance team while the game is going on. Just get it done. Lose, lose, lose until you can't lose no more. Set the league record for most consecutive losses if you must.
The time is right in Boston. Celtics talk has invaded sports radio, overtaking discussions of NFL free agents and Dice K-mania. At the TD Banknorth Garden, attendance is up significantly from last season, even though the team has a much worse record and Paul Pierce has been out of the line up. It's a young crowd, filled with families and couples dating (and not in the upcoming Fenway Elim-a-date style either). Everyone is hoping to get in on the ground floor. Old fans who have been tuning in for years with thoughts of "Why am I still watching?" are making secret pledges to invest in season tickets, if only the ping pong balls hit that big prize as if they were a "Plinko" chip on The Price is Right.
Perhaps the NBA will take into consideration that the Celtics have finally caved to the demands of a Dance Team and have been in talks regarding their own arena. Perhaps the league will break out the old photo album and recall the efforts of Mr. Walter Brown to ensure a successful league over a successful Celtics team that helped the NBA through the early years. Or perhaps Red, watching from the heavens, will be able to pull a Joe Barry Carroll over on fate and return the Celtics to their perch among sports immortal franchises.
Lets go David Stern, Celtics management and fate, get us back in the game. And if it doesn't work out, at least send ML Carr to the lottery event again so we can see that uncomfortable smile.
The history of the Celtics can be broken down into thirds:
• 1947-1966 (9 Titles, 10 Finals)
In their first 20 years the Celtics enter the new league with little success, but won 9 titles and made 10 NBA Finals between 57-66. The godfather of the NBA Red Auerbach joins the team in 1951 and retires after an 8th straight title in ‘66. Hall of Famers Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Sam Jones and Tommy Heinsohn lead the way.
• 1967-1986 (7 Titles, 9 Finals)
Russell, now head coach, leads the team to NBA titles in ‘68 and ‘69, followed by Heinsohn’s 9 years as head man leading the team to titles in ‘74 and ‘76. After a woeful dip, Auerbach’s master stroke of Larry Bird-Kevin McHale-and-Robert Parish results in 3 more rings in ‘81, ‘84 and ‘86. The Cs are once again full of Hall of Famers with John Havlicek, Dave Cowens, Jo Jo White, and The Big Three.
• 1987-2006 (0 Titles, 0 Finals)
After the death of Len Bias following the 1986 NBA draft, it’s all down hill for the Celtics. The deterioration of the Big Three followed by poor drafts, poor trades and bad luck (Reggie Lewis) drop the Cs into their lowest levels since entering the league. Rosters formally stocked with legends are replaced with the likes of Dino Radja, Kevin Gamble, Sherman Douglas, Pervis Ellison, Travis Knight and the ghost of Vin Baker. The highlight of futility comes in 1997 when the ping pong balls don’t fall for new coach Rick Pitino and he loses the Tim Duncan sweepstakes. Bright spots, few and far between, were found by the play of Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker.