Random Thoughts

Based on a random sampling of readers' reactions, which is considered highly scientific according to scientists, Celtics fans and exCeltics fans are against this trade. Let's call it 55%- 45% against.

Some of our readers' comments on the deal:

• I just jizzed all over the place. -Ben-T
• Fuck this deal. hes 32 and owed 75 mil over 4 years. Corey brewer would have been just as good in 2 years. Stupid ainge. -Westcyde
• You guys can't be serious. He's 32 years old, and this is the 4th time in the last 3 years that Danny Ainge has changed his strategy. Ray Allen has averaged almost 40 minutes over his career and has missed time 2 of the last 3 years.The Celtics just ensured another 5 years of mediocrity. -PatriotsNation
• Danny Ainge please step in front of the shot gun. click click
  BOOM! Thanks Danny. Red Auerbach will torture you now. Dumbass!- Chip Douglas
• anyone else not like this move? allen is good but he's like 32, and how long is he even signed for? I thought the plan was to go young. what the fuck is ainge doing? -Cloud 9
• They should have just made the pick and wait another 2 years for Al and Green to really develop and this pick would be in his 3rd year whoever it was. And by then they would have traded the Ratliff contract and prolly would have dealt Pierce which means a great nucleaus of young but developed talent. UGH - Spaz522
• RAY ALLEN AND PAUL PIERCE!? This team looks nasty in NBA LIVE 2001 -BobNOMAAMRooney
• Ainge sucks. This just means a few more years of mediocrity. maybe they make the playoffs a few years, but it's early exit every time, and then lousy draft positioning again. At least Danny saved me some time; I'll be watching these guys about the same as I watch the Bruins. let's hope for a long football season...- aero_man
• People fail to realize that this trade will likely bring the first televised brain aneurysm in the history of the league as Tommy H. will surely become overwhelmed trying to differentiate Ray Allen and Allen Ray. So even if the team still sucks, at least we have this to look forward to. -Drew
• I am sorry...this is terrible. This is really, really bad. The only reason I can come up is that this is Doc & Danny's last attempt to save their jobs. And at some point, you have to stop faulting them, because if they are terrible then that is what they are. If they really cant do a better job then you can keep hoping them to do so. At some point you have to fault the owners... -DkBos

So now it's time for the definitive Stoolie ranking of the Ray Allen Trade

...And with the 5th pick of the 2007 NBA Draft, Paul Pierce selects...

Ray Allen. University of Seattle Supersonics.

Consider the following timeline:

• Danny Ainge insists the C's are adamant about keeping the pick.
• There are "rumors" in the press that Pierce is demanding the Celts reverse six year youth movement and once and for all add a veteran for some reason other than his contract is about to expire.
• Ainge floats it out there that there's no truth to The Truth's "disgruntledness", and he and The Truth are on the same page, truthfully.
• The Celts draft a guy only to trade him.

What other logical assumption are we to jump to, other than Pierce guided this move? I'm not saying that's a good thing or a bad thing. Pierce has carried this team on his shoulders to the degree that he's been able, and he's sick of waiting while another kid who still hasn't taken off his high school mortar board is brought in, and, by the way, try to be patient while he works through his Sophomore Jinx...next season.

There's no other way to read this move. If the idea was to get a guy with down-the-road upside, the pick is Yi, who could have at least potentially given them the Al Jefferson-partner they need. If it's to placate the resident star, you get an established guy. Period. Why else would they pick up Allen, whose forte is the outside jumper, which they're already getting from Pierce and Gerald Green?

Anyway, at least we know they're kinda sorta trying to make a run for the near future, without committing the career suicide of giving up Jefferson or Green.

ESPN's Andy Katz is reporting that the Celtics will be making a trade with the Supersonics for former UConn star Ray Allen.

The Celtics will give up Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and #5 pick Georgetown's Jeff Green.

Minus any other major deals, the Celtics would likely open next season with this starting lineup:

PG- Rajon Rondo

SG- Ray Allen

SF- Paul Pierce

PF- Al Jefferson

C- Kendrick Perkins

Certainly good enough to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference and Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green and Tony Allen look solid as backup options. Plus, Theo Ratliff's expiring contract is still around and Danny Ainge may be able to combine Theo and the C's second round selection to move back into the late first round.

That's short-term. Longterm- the Celtics' chances of resigning some of their young "talent" just got a lot less likely.

Also, Danny lies:

"I think [a trade] is unlikely. I'm expecting to make our pick," Ainge, the Celtics executive director of basketball operations, said Wednesday. "I've felt that way from the beginning, that these trades are hard to come by."

Celts trade the #5 pick and Delonte West and Wally Szerbiak for Ray Allen!

Whoa Baby....

Instead of some in depth post about potential Celtic draft picks with only hours to go before the #5 pick, UB has decided to post this classic clip of this dumbass kid wrecking his knee. If nothing else it will give you a chuckle and help you forget that no mater who we get tonight, we're still screwed for years to come. With trade talks all but dead, most experts believe the C's will take Yi Jianlian. He might be the best pick at that position, but something about ESPN's draft prediction page just has UB feeling a little uneasy...

Look at these photos of the top 9 from the page: Do any of these guys not look right? (Cue the Sesame Street jingle "one of these things is not like the others, one of these things just doesn't belong...")

Yeah, so Joakim is also odd looking in this group, but you get UB's point. Yi is the complete unknown. And that's who is supposed to lead our resurgence to greatness?

Well it's off to the liquor store for UB...

Can you feel the excitement in the air?    Tonight is the big night.  Trishelle is going to be at McFadden’s for the Little Black Dress party.  Essentially what this means is chicks who wear black dresses get to cut the line and get in for free.  That’s fine by me.   The more girls the merrier.   But El Pres will be coming for one reason and one reason only.  To get me a picture of myself with Trishelle to add to my ever growing collection of El Pres with MTV stars collection.    The only problem is that we have a Ms. Barstool Sports event tonight at the Joshua Tree in Somerville from 10-12.    So I’m going to have to pull me a “John 3:16” trick and be everywhere all at once.

I can’t wait to report back tomorrow with a ranking on how hot Trishelle is in person.  I’m thinking I’m going to have her at a solid 8.

Here we are with Day 2 of what we hope will culminate with the crowning of a Barstool Sports Ultimate Pro Golf Babe (yesterday's winner Natalie Gulbis advances to the next round). Today's match up pits Paula Creamer vs Anna Rawson.

Paula Creamer:

• The 20-year-old was named 2005 LPGA Rookie of the Year
• Has 3 wins on LPGA tour and 5 total pro wins
• Top 10 ranking from Women's World Golf
• Won 19 amateur national titles, 11 American Junior Golf Association tournaments
• Nicknamed "The Pink Panther"

More Paula here...

Anna Rawson:

• The 26-year-old from Australia is a model and golfer on the Ladies European Tour
• South Australian, Victoria Junior Champion, Jack Newton International Junior Classic winner
• Member of the 1999 Australian National Squad
• Member of the USC NCAA Championship team
• Finalist in the Australian "Dolly" Magazine model cover contest

More Anna here...

Eesh...Tough call here. Paula is the better golfer, while Anna appears to be hotter with the modeling background...1 for Paula, 10 for Anna.

The Red Sox have spent most of June playing teams from west of the Mississippi- Oakland, Arizona, Colorado, San Francisco, San Diego and Seattle- and more or less have gone about the business of sleepwalking into the postseason as AL East Champions. Seattle pulls off a three game sweep and the Sox's lead in the division drops from 10 games to 9- yawn.

But the most startling news from the Sox's recent dalliance with western teams is the discovery by opposing fans and media that Red Sox fans are...assholes.

Some of the West Coast's sharpest knives are on the case-

• Red Sox fans suck.  Badly...I think to myself, where did these people come from?  Surely half of Massachusetts couldn't have moved to San Francisco.  And, how do so many always end up at my beloved Oakland Colisium for A's vs Red Sox games?  And why are they so obnoxious?  And why do they all look the same? (Dollar Wednesdays)
• Contrary to popular belief, the Red Sox fans were quite cordial this past weekend. If by cordial you mean, absolute fucktards, albeit with an apologetic tone after shitting on our town. And to the guy that was from Clairmont, donning his freshly unwrapped McBastard Town jersey, eat shit pal. I couldn't care less if you ignored the Padres growing up for the Red Jerx, there's no excuse for your existence in this town. Quietly pack up your shit and get out. You are useless here. Eat mule balls and put it on youtube. (Super Chargers)
• I don't understand Red Sox fans — the Red Sox Nation, if you will. Red Sox fans think they're God's gift to baseball. Some would say Yankees fans are the same way, and maybe they used to be. But not anymore...They believe it's their right, their privilege, to always be in the pennant race. They've won, what, one World Series? Yet they believe they're the greatest...The Red Sox Nation has taken over as most obnoxious in baseball. The holier-than-thou attitude really bothers me. (Inside Bay Area)

No shit, Sherlock's.

One of the funniest aftereffects of the Red Sox winning the World Series has to watching other baseball fans slowly come to the realization that real Red Sox fans are nothing like Jimmy Fallon's castrated, hopelessly optimistic, love my Sawx to the day I die, good-natured Ben Wrightman from Fever Pitch.

And yeah, some of the assholes in question are no doubt the bandwagon fans that Boston.com's Eric Wilbur is determined to hunt down and exterminate.

But regardless of what color hat they're wearing and despite what the fans and reporters on the West Coast may think, Red Sox fans have always been sorta assholes. It didn't matter that the team hadn't won a World Series since 1918. It didn't matter that the Yankees were the Yankees of yore and actually managed to finish above .500. It didn't matter that every aspect of the organization- ownership, management, facilities, players, etc.- were all second rate. Sox fans were still assholes because that's kinda the way we/they are naturally.

We just embraced our natural ability and went with it. A World Series title didn't suddenly turn Red Sox fans into assholes. It just made us World Champion assholes.

Am I the only one totally addicted to watching The Best Damn Sports Show countdown lists?  They’ve got everything from the best baseball plays, best blowups, best dunks etc.   It seems like these top list shows are on 24/7 and they show the same ones over and over, but I watch them every time.  You got to give credit where credit is due and Best Damn did an awesome job compiling these things.  

Anyway, I was watching “Best Blowups” yesterday for the billionth time (it’s my favorite one) and I felt the need to post my favorite clip of all time.   Of course I’m talking about when Larry Holmes runs across the top of a car and Super Fly Snuka’s Trevor Berbick (RIP)

This clip works on so many levels I don’t even know where to begin.  For starters, I love the fact that Berbick is trying to convince people that Larry Holmes assaulted him.   It’s almost like he is building a case in a court of law and is worried nobody will believe him.  And then all of a sudden you hear a gasp and scream and here comes Larry Holmes resplendent in a white jump suit, sprinting across the top of a car and launching himself at Berbick. Case closed! I believe you Trevor. Clearly you had an altercation of some sort leading to this high risk maneuver. 

I literally will never get tired of this clip.

I got the cops back on this one. First of all I hate skateboarders. I feel like the world would be a better place without them. I cringe every time I drive by a skateboard park and see more kids there than on baseball fields. So I'm all for police brutality against skateboard punks. Having said that what did these kids thing was going to happen when they ran? You can't run from the cops and not expect to get beaten down. Choke them to death is what I say.

Inside Track - New England Patriots[ team stats]QB/QT - and fledgling real estate flipper - Tom Brady[ stats] is under fire by the Plumbers & Gasfitters Union who want their brothers on the job at Brady’s Beacon Street rehab installing all of the bowls - Super or otherwise!

 “We’re not going to any Pats games until he builds union,” said Francis Jensen of Local 12, who with about a half-dozen of his brethren threw up an informational picket line in front of No. 12’s Back Bay condo yesterday. Added union captain Tom Koney: “Here’s a guy who gets paid millions for what he does but he doesn’t believe in paying plumbers a decent wage.”

Metric president Geoffre Karaboolad said he would have been happy to hire union plumbers for the Brady job but none contacted him during the bidding process and “all of the obligations to hire any of the workers are ours, and we did not confer with Tom about who to hire,” he said.

 But the plumbers say that Brady was aware of their pipe gripes because they sent a letter to the two-time Super Bowl MVP’s agents before throwing up the picket line, and they never heard anything back.  “Our members are great Patriots supporters, and we didn’t want to embarrass him,” Cotter said. “But we are disappointed he didn’t respond.” Cotter said Local 12 has a special place in their hearts for No. 12 - natch - and feel that the lack of response was a “slap in the face.”

So let me get this straight.   The plumbers sent Tom Brady a letter and he didn’t respond?    Holy shit!    I guess Brady really is an asshole.   I mean it’s not like he gets a ton of mail or anything like that.  I know when I send a letter to one of the most popular athletes in the world I expect a hand written response within 24 hours of receipt.    

Also let’s call a spade a spade.   Sure Geoffre Karaboolad is trying to bite the bullet for Brady, but you know that Brady hand picked the non union plumbing company himself.  After all what else does he have to do besides fucking Gisele, playing in celebrity golf tournaments and traveling the world?

I’m sure scouring the yellow pages for the cheapest plumbing company to fix his shitter is his top priority in life right now.   I just hope the Pats can withstand the financial ramifications of a 12 man boycott this season.  

Honestly what happened to her? Did she just turn ugly over night? Or was she really never that pretty to begin with? I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that her roles in movies have all but disappeared. You can't put a mug like that on the silver screen. Regardless it's just crazy how far she has fallen. I mean it didn't get any better than Alicia Silverstone during her Aerosmith and Babysitter days. (I always felt dirty watching The Babysitter) But looking back at the photos of her even when she was at the top of her game, I'm not sure how hot she ever really was. Sure she wasn't gross, but maybe we should have seen her downfall coming. How old was she when she was hot? Like 14?

Dan Shaughnessy tackles the Stoneham School Committee's decision to cancel all sports at the high school in today's Globe.

And I agree with everything he has to say. Including this:

A high school without teams is a body without heart, without soul. It's also a recipe for disaster. We need our kids applying their bodies and minds in those hours after the last bell rings. We need them learning the lessons of team-above-self, dedication, and commitment.

Eliminating high school sports in order to address mounting budgetary problems (that almost certainly have nothing to do with JV girls basketball) is the type of short-sighted decision that ruins the high school experience for the hundreds of students (and parents) directly affected. But in the long term, it creates an identity crisis that no municipality wants- we're broke and if you live here and have kids that want to play sports, then prepare to pay for private school. Oh, and we're gonna be jacking up your property taxes every year and if you want us to pick up your trash, that's $200.

What young couple planning to start a family would move to Stoneham now? The bad publicity from the School Committee's decision may be even more damaging to Stoneham's financial future than the $3 million budget shortfall that prompted the elimination of high school sports in the first place. Lower housing prices; a graying population that eats up municipal resources; little public support for educational spending of any kind (which happens when none of the tax payers actually have children in the schools their taxes support); tougher times for local businesses without the local families that buy their subs, milk, newspaper, oil changes, etc.

The only people that benefit from this decision are the coaches of the private schools in the area. Now they get to cherry-pick Stoneham's best athletes for their own teams.

Check out SavetheSpartans.com for more information.

Much more of Rosario here...

Who do you want to Wake Up with? Ub@barstoolsports.com