10 Things the Garden Needs
Well it happened. Not at all like we planned, but the Boston Celtics have become good again and tickets are selling like the days of the original Big Three of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen have been handed the keys to the family car. Sure, a lot has changed since the boys in green last won a title in 1986, but the East is ripe for the taking and a chance at a title may not be far away. Celtics fans are itching to get that championship feeling back and the organization is doing everything it can to help. One thing that would go a long way to meeting that end would be to bring the feeling of the old Boston Garden back. Since it was replaced by the Fleet Center, er, TD Banknorth Garden there has been little to cheer about. It’s often been a stale venue with stale teams. Here’s what needs to be brought back:
10. The Rats
We all recall seeing them or recall hearing about them. They were in the toilets, running around the halls, in pop corn bags and above the court in the rafters. The rats spent more time in the cheap seats than Jack Nicholson. How can we have the return of the dark-stanky-urine smelling Garden without them?
9. The Heat
Remember how hot it used to get in there? When Summer-time hit, the air condition would break, without fail. Celtics fans can recall Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the bench with an oxygen mask over his face from the 1984 Finals just as clearly as they can recall McHale clotheslining Kurt Rambis.
8. The Organ
You can thank the Chicago Bulls for starting the trend of turning off the lights and starting the techno music to introduce the team. Rap stars can be heard throughout the building during time outs and even during portions of the games. Do they even have an organist or an organ anymore? Time to pull the guy out of retirement and get the baby tuned and polished…
7. The NBA on CBS Intros
How hard would it really be to get Brent Musburger his old job at CBS back? Or maybe we could just convince ABC and ESPN to bring back that catchy tune with the 80s graphics of the score board, the floor and the bouncing ball that turned into the CBS Eye after going through the hoop.
6. The 76ers
I’d ask for the Lakers, but to be honest they’ve gotten uncomfortably close to the Celtics record 16 NBA titles. So much so that I have to keep reminding myself that 5 of their titles were actually won by the Minneapolis Lakers (Minneapolis Lakes, huh that makes more since than Lakes in LA). So how about the next best thing: The Philadelphia 76ers! Those games were white knuckle brawls from Bird’s first days up to the 1984 Finals, when we finally got to go head to head against Magic.
5. The Deadspots
They were so much a part of the old parquet floor that I actually spent a portion of a childhood birthday party at the Garden dribbling all over the floor to try and hit a dead spot. Many a fast break was broken up when an opposing guard looked down, waiting for his dribble to return to his hand, only to learn it was in the first row.
4. The Chants
“BEAT L.A., BEAT L.A.”
“LARRY, LARRY, LARRY!”
Remember when the rafters would shake with these chants? Well what can we come up with that will bring that feeling back?
“K.G., K.G.!”
“LET’S GO RAY, LET’S GO RAY!”
Um…Can’t think of anything for Paul Pierce… “M.V.P.” would be nice.
3. The Leprechaun
He used to live on the rim and knock away opponent shots and help knock in a few of ours. He had a hand in the Hondo steal as well as the Larry larceny. He had a chuckle when Johnny Most dropped his cigarette and lit himself on fire in the broadcast booth and shed a tear when Reggie Lewis died. And don’t forget that trade he pulled off, getting McHale and Parish for Joe Barry Carol…Oh wait, that was Red. Maybe, I’d just like to have Red back…
2. The Bruins
Remember the Bruins? They used to be the Hockey team in town. No? Well actually I’m not really sure where they went either. I think they moved to Colorado. I kind of recall them bringing the Stanley Cup for a visit after the move…Anyway it would be nice to get them back, or at least another hockey team. Expansion would be fine. To get involved, log on to Bring-a-hockey-team-to-Boston.com and ask the NHL to get involved.
1. The Championship Banners
I remember thinking as a kid how cool it was that the Celtics only put up world championship banners, while the Bruins had banners for every little title they won, from division titles to world titles and everything in between. No more retired numbers, no more honorary banners. It’s time for a new one…Green 17.