December 11, 2012
Channel changes for this week's games!
The networks are at it again, having decided at the last minute
to put Friday's game against Houston on ESPN and Saturday's game
against San Antonio on NBAtv.
December 8, 2012
Next week's games, December 9-15 2012
Wednesday, December 12, 8:00pm vs. Dallas Mavericks (ESPN)
Friday, December 14, 8:00pm @ Houston Rockets
Saturday, December 15, 8:30pm @ San Antonio Spurs
December 1,2012
Next week's games, December 2-8 2012
Wednesday, December 05 7:30pm vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Friday, December 07 7:00pm @ Philadelphia 76ers (ESPN)
Saturday,
December 08 7:30pm vs. Philadelphia 76ers
November 30 2012
Welcome Back, Kris!
Despite the circumstances, it's good to see Kris Joseph back
from the D League for tonight's game!
Whose team is it, anyway?
As mentioned below, San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich did
something he's done several times over the last few seasons, sending
Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, Tony
Parker, and Danny Green home on a commercial flight to rest up for
Saturday's game, instead of having them play last night's nationally
televised game in Miami. In addition, the Spurs were without
Stephen
Jackson and Kawhi Leonard due to injuries. So they had nine
players on their fourth game in five nights against a fully stocked and
rested Miami team. The Heat only won thanks to a last-minute shot
by Ray Allen.
"King David I" warned there would be sanctions forthcoming--presumably
egged on by network television executives who didn't care about the
other 81 regular season games, or the possibilty of the Playoffs.
Today, the NBA hit the Spurs with a $250,000.00 fine.
David Stern, trying to sound righteous, released a statement that read,
"The
result here is dictated by the totality of the facts in this case. The
Spurs decided to make four of their top players unavailable for an
early-season game that was the team's only regular-season visit to
Miami. The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media, or
the league office in a timely way. Under these circumstances, I have
concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans.
"
But King David's decree was WRONG.
David Stern is the NBA Commissioner. He runs the NBA.
David Stern does not own the
San Antonio Spurs, Peter Holt does.
David Stern is not the
General Manager of the Spurs, R.C Buford is.
Most importantly, David Stern is not
the Head Coach of the San Antonio Spurs.
Gregg Popovich is, and has been since 1996.
He's been named Coach of the Year. He's taken the Spurs to the
Playoffs EVERY SEASON except his first, when he took over midseason
from former Head Coach Bob Hill. He's gotten the team to the
Finals four times, winning each of those times. They've been to
the Western Conference five times beyond that. That means nine
out of the last fifteen seasons, they've gotten at least as far as the
Western Conference Finals, taking the NBA Championship just under 50%
of those trips. There's teams that haven't done that in their
entire existence.
This means that Popovich decides who plays and when. The only two
people who can overturn that decision are Peter Holt and R. C.
Buford. Given Popovich's record, they have wisely shut up and let
him do his thing. I suspect, despite the steepness of this
idiotic fine, their first thought might well be, "Screw it, we'll pay
the fine, we're going to make more with repeated trips to the Playoffs
than the fine will ever cost."
I urge them NOT to pay this or any other fine, or accept any punishment
whatsoever.
Either the TEAM--meaning the Owners, GM, and Head Coach--decides who
plays and when, or they don't. If they don't, then let's everyone
meekly submit to whatever King David, soon to vacate his throne, orders.
Commissioner Stern, you are wrong. You once told how Red Auerbach
used to begin his phone calls with you by saying, "You idiot, what have
you done NOW?"
Well, you idiot, what HAVE you done now?
I'll tell you. You've overstepped your boundaries because some
bottom line greedy fool complained about the national TV
broadcast. For someone who is known to stand your ground even
when rational thinking clearly decrees otherwise, you've routinely let
the television networks run roughshod over you and the League.
Gregg Popovich does not give a damn about the ratings on tv, national
or otherwise. He does not care if you're offended because his
bench nearly took down the media darling Miami Heat. He is doing
what he has ALWAYS done, his JOB.
That job is to make the best decisions to give his team the best chance
of winning another Championship.
He doesn't need your advice or your help, and he sure as hell doesn't
need your grandstanding and interference.
So, withdraw the fine, make it clear that it is NOT the place of the
Commissioner's office to tell Coaches how, if, or when to utilize their
players, and sit down, shut up, and enjoy the games.
Your damn 82 game schedule is behind this. Stop trying to blame
someone else for your mistake. The season is too long, and there
are too many teams. The mounting list of serious player injuries
proves this, along with reliable scientific proof to back it up.
But you want more teams and more games.
If you want all that, then let the Coaches decide how to make that
happen without crippling the players in the process.
Today, you're fining the Spurs. Next week, you might whimsically
decide that Kevin Garnett needs to play more, and fine the Celtics if
they don't follow your unique brand of idiocy.
You are not a Coach, GM or Owner. You are an Attorney made
Commissioner whose job is to run the LEAGUE, not the TEAMS.
So DO your job and let the Owners, GM's and Coaches do THEIRS.
Is it too much?
Last season's abbreviated schedule included some
back-to-back-to-back games that left some coaches trying to decide
which of the relatively fewer and more meaningful games were the most
vital for players who couldn't go three nights in a row anymore.
We've seen a plethora of injuries to players the last three seasons,
and this season,in addition to limiting the minutes of Kevin Garnett,
Boston has made the initial movements to do the same with Paul Pierce.
For the entire time of his tenure as coach of the Celtics, Doc Rivers
has made no secret of the fact that he considers preseason games as no
more than a chance to scrimmage against another team, playing with
lineups that frequently had nothing to do with his starters. The C's
are 29-29 in the last eight seasons of preseason games, but went only
3-5 this year, including a 32 point preseason loss to Philadelphia.
This in a season where the Celtics had supposedly recovered from a vast
array of player injuries, several of which ended careers.
But last night something happened in Miami that has gathered the
legendary wrath of Commissioner David Stern. The San Antonio
Spurs, playing their 11th road game in November, the sixth game of the
current road trip, and the fourth game in five nights, were tired, and
would have to travel Friday to play the Memphis Grizzlies on
Saturday. So Coach Gregg Popovich rolled the dice--as he has done
three times last season alone--and sent Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, Tony
Parker, and Danny Green home on a commercial flight to rest up for
Saturday's game. In addition, the Spurs were without Stephen
Jackson and Kawhi Leonard due to injuries.
This left the Spurs with nine players against the well-rested Miami
Heat. Even playing thin, San Antonio nearly won, if not for a three
point shot by Ray Allen going in (the only time that happened last
night) with 22.3 seconds left in the game, with the Heat ultimately
winning 105-100.
As I mentioned, Popovich has done this before. In the lockout
season (and referring specifically to that season), NBA Deputy
Commissioner (and Heir Apparent to King David I) Adam Silver said, "The
strategic resting of particular players on particular nights is within
the discretion of the teams. And Gregg Popovich is probably the
last coach that I could second-guess."
But there are two problems now. First, is the overwhelmingly
obvious cases of cheating pervasive in the minds of fans, particularly
the two Badminton teams tossed from this year's Olympics for trying to
throw matches to get seeding against lesser teams in the later
rounds. They tried SO hard, anyone with a functioning brain cell
could see the obvious. There were other such cases, in and out of
the Olympics.
The second problem is one of "dynamic pricing", which basically means
you pay more to see good teams come to town that the crappy ones.
Let's face it, nobody is going to shell out the same money for the
Wizards as for the Celtics. But that means, to an extent, you are
paying to see some of the best players.
When Popovich sent his starting lineup home, some people felt he was
cheating the customers. He acknowledged that he was aware of this
but his chief concern was the team itself, and presumably having an
overall winning season. Keep in mind that Miami is an Eastern
Conference team, while Memphis is in the same Division as the
Spurs. Like it or not, the Memphis game is more important to win
by comparison, to the Spurs.
And we're not talking about tanking games, which is cheating. The
coaches, more and more, are managing minutes instead of coaching
games. The end result sometimes comes down to, do you keep your
main guy in to try to win a close but relatively less important game,
or have him ready for the next game with the Division rival?
Because more often of late, you can't do both.
Popovich has made his position clear. Doc Rivers hasn't quite
done this, but the logical conclusion is there, and frankly, that
conclusion is a lot closer than anyone wants to think.
David Stern may well be upset at this, but there's frankly nothing in
the rules that says coaches can't do this, so long as the games stay
competitive. The fact that the Heat needed a last minute three
point shot by Ray Allen, the NBA leader in such shots, to win, tells me
the game was more than competitive. The Heat, on paper, should
have crushed the undermanned Spurs, but were nearly beaten. So
Popovich obviously has a deep enough team to do this, at least once in
a while.
But the main problem is more insidious and more difficult to
resolve. There are simply too many teams and too many
games. The NBA bent over happily to let the woeful New Jersey
Nets be reinvented in Brooklyn, but the owner is pouring oceans of
money into the team and basically saying to hell with the salary
cap. Most owners can't do that anymore, not under the new CBA so
acrimoniously put into place last year.
The League needs fewer teams and/or fewer games. Stern has always
been proud of the 82 game regular season schedule that lets every team
visit every other team at least once. This is too much anymore,
not with playoffs taking months to complete, and preseason games that
start a month before the regular season starts. Teams are even
going to other countries now. FIBA recently changed it's entire
Olympic qualifying process to accommodate the overlong NBA season so
that those players could compete.
It's too much. If the League won't cut teams, then cut
games. Nobody needs to play the same teams four times every
year. Cut it to two or three. This would open up the
schedule, and allow players to either actually practice--or
rest--between games. The League makes billions of the teams.
Slicing a minute fraction off will hurt nobody. Fill the open
arena dates with other events so the vendors don't lose money, and you
even get a better variety of things happening all across the
country. Everyone wins, and there will be no need for resting
players during games, since there will be time in between them.
Otherwise, this will continue to happen, and if you don't think the
Spurs will happily pay a fine to keep doing what they're doing, think
again. They'll make more by winning games and playoff series than
they'll EVER lose to fines.
November 29, 2012
The League gives Rondo a pass.
To my utter amazement--and, I'm sure, the howls of everyone on
the Brooklyn Nets--Rajon Rondo received word this afternoon of his
punishment for fighting: a two game suspension, to be served in this
weekend's games vs. Portland and Milwaukee. Kevin Garnett was
fined $25,000.00 for "escalating the altercation".
To say that he was fortunate is understating it. Nets GM Billy
King has already made it clear he disagrees with the decision, though
perhaps he was simply opposed to the $35,000 fine for Gerald
Wallace. But Rondo has to know he is very lucky not to have been
given a much harsher punishment. Danny Ainge has already
commented that he thinks it unlikely that Rondo will appeal. I
agree. Take the relatively light punishment and be glad it wasn't
a lot more.
For the moment, Rondo has the public support of Ainge, Coach Doc
Rivers, and his teammates for his passion, even if they wish it was
better focused on the court. But Rondo also has the attention of
the League office now, and he has to step VERY carefully. Another
such transgression will make a major punishment unavoidable. He
needs to publicly show he's learned his lesson.
Fighting the wrong fight.
Last night, as the Celtics were in the process of losing to the
Brooklyn Nets, a fight broke out just before Halftime. Kevin
Garnett was going up with the ball to score when Kris Humphries decided
it was a good idea to take KG down in midair, sending Garnett into the
press row underneath the basket, as Humphries stood just inbounds,
ignoring what he'd done.
Rajon Rondo, standing a few feet away, moved forward, and with both
arms extended, pushed Humphries out of bounds and off the court.
Humphries grabbed Rondo's jersey as he went back, and both of them
ended up in a tangle, pushing at each other in the third row.
Gerald Wallace was running toward the group, only to be thrown aside by
Garnett, who had (fortunately) quickly recovered from the (in my
opinion flagrant) hard foul. They grappled as others, including
security guards, tried to separate them.
It took a less than a minute for order to be restored, but the damage
was done.
The C's were having a frustrating night, and let things get to
them. Rondo and Humphries were automatoically ejected because the
fight went into the stands, even though no punches were thrown.
Gerald Wallace was ejected because it was his second Technical foul of
the night. Garnett avoided the same fate only because he had no
Technical fouls prior to that.
While part of me appreciates that Rondo stood up for his teammate, he
went too far. Literally. After the public relations
disaster following the fight between the Pacers and Pistons a few years
back, the NBA has come down with both feet on any major physical
altercation that goes into the stands.
The referee Crew Chief at the game, James Capers, further stated after
the game that, "Rondo initiated everything that proceeded after the
foul." That means that as far as the officials are concerned,
Rondo escalated matters when he walked over and gave Humphries that two
handed shove.
The thing is, they're right. Rondo DID escalate it, but it's
going to be costly to him and the team. In addition to his
automatic ejection--which while it didn't doom the C's chances of
winning the game, certainly hurt the team signifigantly--he will
definitely be fined, that's a foregone conclusion, the only question
being how much, and that will be determined by how long his suspension
will be.
And without question, he will be suspended. Rondo's occasional
inability to control his temper has gotten him in trouble before, and
at this stage of his career, the NBA is likely disinclined to be
softhearted. I think the C's and Rondo will be lucky if there
isn't a whopper of a suspension, 10 games or more. The League
really doesn't play around with this sort of thing, not anymore.
If Rondo is made to sit 5 games or less, he should be grateful and sit
the games out quietly.
But whatever happens, he has to realize that his actions, while perhaps
personally appreciated by his teammates, need to be tempered so they
don't hurt the team. He's the starting Point Guard, and Leandro
Barbosa is not equipped to take his place for extended periods.
Therefore, Rondo HAS to be in the game--in mind as well as body.
He can't afford to let his passions overrule his common sense.
But now, instead of practicing and planning for the back to back games
Friday and Saturday, the team has to make contingency plans for a
prolonged absence for Rondo, which almost certainly means calling up a
man or two from the "D" League, and probably means Paul Pierce will
have to help out Barbosa at the point. Pierce can do it--has has,
on many occasions, but he's older now, and Doc Rivers is starting to
limit his minutes as he does for Garnett. That's
counterproductive if he's having to cover Rondo's expected absence.
So let's hope the lesson is well-learned and not too expensive.
The team needs Rondo, but ONLY if he can keep his emotions in
check. The next time he wants to retaliate for something, do it
by winning the game, not getting thrown out of it. I think his
teammates will appreciate that more.
November 25, 2012
Condolences to Kevin McHale and his family.
Kevin Mchale's daughter, 23 year old Alexandra "Sasha" McHale,
died yesterday, having battled Lupus, and had been recently
hospitalized with a related condition.
We hope that all basketball fans will join in sending thought, prayers
and condolences to the McHale family.
November 23, 2012
Next week's games - November 25-December 01
Sunday, November 25 6:00pm @ Orlando Magic
Wednesday, November 28 7:30pm vs. Brooklyn Nets (NBAtv)
Friday, November 30 7:30pm vs. Portland Trailblazers
Saturday, December 01 8:30pm @ Milwaukee Bucks
November 21, 2012
Gone Darko
Darko
Milicic has been granted his request to be waived by the Celtics, so he
can care for his ill mother. The fact is, the C's weren't really
playing him anyway, so the roster spot can now be filled with someone
that can help the C's now, instead of some nebulous point in the future.
Doc Rivers hasn't yet talked to Danny Ainge about if or when the spot
will be filled, and not even a wild guess, much less a formal
announcement, about a potential replacement has been made.
As for Darko, hopefully, his mother's illness will soon abate, and
things will be better for him and his family.
November 17, 2012
Next week's games
Sunday,
November 18 7:30pm @ Detroit Pistons
Wednesday, November 21 7:30pm vs. San Antonio Spurs
Friday, November 23 7:30pm vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (NBAtv)
November 10, 2012
Next week's games
Monday, November 12 8:00pm @ Chicago Bulls
Wednesday, November 14 7:30pm vs Utah Jazz
Thursday, November 15 8:00pm @ Brooklyn Nets (TNT)
Saturday, November 17 12:30pm vs Toronto Raptors
November 7, 2012
This time for SURE!
As of tonight's game, the Predictions list is FULLY
closed. For those who complained about the extension, there were
NO "late" predictions, so the list now is EXACTLY as it was on Opening
night.
November 4, 2012
This week's games:
Wednesday, November 07 7:30pm vs. Washington Wizards
Friday, November 09 7:30pm vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Saturday, November 10 8:30pm @ Milwaukee Bucks
October 30, 2012
As of now, the CBW 2012-13 Predictions list is CLOSED.
The ONLY exception to this is for people unable to make a prediction
due to the storm. They will have until 7:30pm Eastern Time
November 7 to make a prediciton and it must be based on the team
circumstances prior to tonight's game.
A few people have complained about my doing this. I'm not talking
about extending it for people who forgot, or didn't bother, but who got
stranded by the extraordinary conditions. There are people out
there with no electricity, no water, no communications, no means of
getting out of wherever they are due to floodwaters, or snowfall
measured in FEET overnight. I'm giving them a break.
They're fellow fans who might be in a very tough situation.
I hope everyone is OK, and nobody will need the extension.
YAY! It's time for the first game of the season!
YAHOOOOOOOIE!
Yeah, I've been waiting for
this.
GO CELTICS!
Predictions deadline clarification
After some further thought--and some input from other
people--I'm clarifying the extended deadline for predictions. If
you have already made a prediction, the original deadline of 8:00pm
tonight stands to make any changes.
If you have NOT made a prediction due to weather-related matters, you
have until November 7 to make it, BUT the prediction MUST be reasonably
based on the conditions prior to tonight's game--that is, should, God
forbid, a player or players go down with serious injury, you cannot
revise your prediction downward. Likewise, if they wipe the floor
with the Heat, you can't increase your prediction.
I'm counting on people to be honorable and do the right thing. We
have a good group of people, and I'm willing to bet in their favor in
this. In any case, this is likely to only affect a handful of
people at most.
Thanks to everyone who participates, we'll have a great time, and
hopefully, a great season as well.
October 29, 2012
CBW Predictions deadline is postponed.
After reading of the likely extent of damage from Hurricane Sandy, and
realizing some people like to traditionally wait until the last minute
to make a prediction, I've decided they shouldn't be penalized if they
lose power, or are stuck away from their computers due to the
widespread planetary delays created by the storm.
Therefore, I've pushed back the CBW
Predictions deadline to Wednesday November 7, at 7:30pm. This is the date of the
Celtics' 4th regular season game vs. the Washington Wizards. You have until the tip-off of that
game to make predictions.
I hope all of you remain safe
before, during, and after the storm.
This
Week's Games
Tuesday, October 30 8:00pm @ Miami Heat (TNT broadcast)
Friday, November 02 7:30pm vs. Milwaukee Bucks (Home Opener)
Saturday, November 03 7:00pm @ Washington Wizards
October 26, 2012
Waive Good-bye
Micah
Downs and Rob Kurz have officially been released by the Celtics today,
ending a week of absolutely no speculation whatsoever. Still, we
wish them well.
October 25, 2012
Beagle Day
Today is my birthday, which I'm proud to share with Snoopy
(October 2), Paul Simon and Paul Pierce (October 13).
October 21, 2012
Let the games begin!
The Good Guys ended their preseason with a loss to the
Philadelphia 76ers in Albany, New York. No, I have no idea why we
had to to go New York to play Philly. But then, I have no idea
about much of the NBA schedule.
We have a leisurely nine days before opening night. Time to take
a deep breath and get ready for the real thing.
October 18, 2012
CBW Editorial: WADA you taking with your
protein shake?
WADA thinks the NBA should let them conduct drug testing THEIR
way. Why?
Tonight's game is on TNT!
Tonight's preseason matchup against the recently transplanted
Brooklyn Nets will be broadcast on TNT.
October 17, 2012
Leandro Barbosa joins the Celtics.
Today, the Celtics signed Leandro Barbosa to a one year
contract. I've updated the roster to include him, but since the
Celtics own site hasn't made an update, I have no idea what his player
number will be with Boston, though he wore # 20 with the Pacers last
season.
Are you ready yet?
In a demonstration that someone in the NBA really has too much free
time on their hands, the League today instituted a 90 second time limit
for the various pregame rituals players (and some coaches) undergo
before each game. Apparently some people feel that taking a few
minutes to shake hands with your opponents, or your teammates makes the
game run too long, so 90 seconds after player introductions, if they're
not ready for tip-off, a delay of game warning will be issued.
Personally, I wonder if they can do that if the game hasn't even started yet.
Additionally, if they REALLY want to speed up the game, let's kill off
the plethora of commercials. The "TV timeout", especially in
nationally broadcast games, is stupid and pointless.
October 16, 2012
Roster changed!
I should have
known. The day I finally get the roster updated and uploaded, the
Celtics cut Jamar Smith and Dionte Christmas from the team.
There's no word on whether the Celtics will immediately name
replacements.
It's been a long, long time.
I've had kind of a
rough year. On top of other things happening totally unrelated to
this site, a major problem killed most of the updates I'd made last
season, along with the backup here on my computer. Then, circumstances
conspired to keep me from fixing things a lot sooner. I've been
rebuilding things and started updating stuff in the last couple of
weeks.
Of immediate importance is the new schedule and the Predictions list,
which is now open.
As this week progresses, I'll clean up the roster and some other things.
Thanks to everyone for being patient.
January 1, 2012
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
The Good Guys rang in the new year with a decisive win over the
Washington Wizards, whom they will face again tomorrow night!
Let's make oit two for tweo!
December 28, 2011
CHANNEL CHANGE
Tonight's game vs. New Orleans is no longer on NBAtv.
It's on the regular League Pass, same start time.
Can you network guys PLEASE stop making these last second changes while
people are trying to adjust to this wacked out schedule?
December 26, 2011
ROSTERS IN PENCIL
With changes literally taking place a few days before the start
of the season, I waited until now to
update the Celtics roster--and they STILL haven't assigned a number to
the newest guy yet--and he might be playing tomorrow night!
December 25, 2011
WAAH!
Game one was a tough
loss. Had the Good Guys played a little tougher in the first
quarter they would likely have won this, no matter HOW screwy Joey
Crawford's officiating got.
Predictions
list closed!
Accompanying the shortest season in over a decade was the shortest
Predictions list in the sme amount of time. Thanks to all who did
participate, and to the rest, I hope to see you next season!
December 19, 2011
THE 2011-2012 PREDICTIONS LIST IS OPEN!
Congratulations to:
Jonathan Branin, Rick Daley,
Karl Dillinger, Douglas342, Michael Gooen, R Howe, John Lyell, and
Dwain Williams
the winners of the 2009-10
predictions!
December 14, 2011
NBA LEAGUE PASS NOW AVAILABLE
While the NBA's own site has no information beyond that fact as
yet--they say there will be more detail tomorrow (Thursday, December
15)--by way of various sources, is the following information:
The normal "Whole NBA" pass will be $169, with a free preview lasting
through either January 3 or 8, depending on who you talk to. I'm
told the broadband/phone app thingys will be added for free. never mind
the cost.
I have no info about whether there will even BE a half season pass this
year,
There will--supposedly--be a discounted version on nba.com/roku where
you can stream games from your choice of five teams for $109. I
know almost nothing about it's viability or quality. I'd love to
hear from someone who's actually used this service.
Nothing about this is at all certain. Enough credible sources are
giving this info that I think it's solid.
I went to the website for my own cable company at 10:11pm Wednesday
night and there's no new information at all.
Given all this, I urge anyone interested to please contact their
provider directly tomorrow for more accurate details. As soon as
I know something more certain, I'll mention it here.
December 12, 2011
The new schedule is up
I've also included national broadcasts in Canada, at least as
regards the Toronto Raptors vs the Celtics.
Well, we DID say they needed their heads examined...
The NBA has instituted a new policy regarding concussions, as reported
by ESPN.com:
"Before the opening of preseason games,
each player will undergo baseline testing, which aids in the diagnosis
of potential concussions. Players and coaches will take part in annual
training and will have to sign acknowledgment forms that they
understand the importance of reporting symptoms.
"Dr.
Jeffrey Kutcher, an associate professor of neurology at the University
of Michigan, will serve as director of the NBA's concussion program. He
is instructing team medical personnel on the tests to conduct if a
player is suspected of having a concussion. The players must be
examined in a quiet location free of distractions.
"If
a player is diagnosed with a concussion, he will have to complete a
series of steps to confirm that he's healthy enough for competition.
Once he is free of symptoms, the player must make it through increasing
stages of exertion -- from a stationary bike, to jogging, to agility
work, to non-contact team drills -- while ensuring the symptoms don't
return after each one. Then the neurologist hired to lead the NBA's
concussion program needs to be consulted before the player is cleared.
The
process will likely take at least several days, if not weeks."
After
what happened to Brian Scalabrine, I'm glad the NBA is at last
formalizing this for all teams, instead of each team dealing with this
differently--or not at all. Moreover after some of the horror
stories we've heard from the NFL, this sounds like a REALLY good idea.
November 14,2011
The answer is NO.
The Players Association has rejected the Owner's list of demands
disguised as a contract offer, and has begun the process of disbanding
the Union as a prelude to beginning antitrust lawsuits
against the NBA.
While I personally
want to see Basketball games resume, I've never believed in "peace at
any cost", be it here or anywhere.
For those of you who, like me, hold the Owners responsible for this
situation, I give you the Telephone Number for NBA Headquarters:
212 407-8000
Please let all your family and friends know, so they can call,
as I already have, to let them know just how badly they screwed up.
And a side note to the Hardline Owners like Michael Jordan...I hope
they kick your collective asses in court.
November
7, 2011
The Celtics Beagle Lockout Tour
December
26 Update--since the League came sonewhat to it's senses, the tour was
cut short.
November
4, 2011
A
Conversation with Mom
Two years ago last Christmas, my mom was diagnosed with Cancer.
At the time, they gave her a few weeks to live. But they didn't
know her very well. She was the one who taught me to be a Celtics
fan.
She'd turn on the radio and we'd listen to Johnny Most while she
explained all the rules of the game to me. She told me who the
players were, and most importantly, that Lakers were a Bad Thing.
She talked Dad into putting up a hoop and backboard, even though we
lived in a neighborhood where Baseball was unquestionably the most
popular sport, with Hockey a close second. I was the only kid on
my block who really cared about the Celtics. Mom was always
willing to talk about the games.
As years went on, and the excitement of the early 1980's gave way to
the thoroughly depressing years with Rick Pitino, who told us who
wasn't walking through that door--as mom and I wished Pitino WOULD go
though it and not let it slam him in the ass on the way out--to the
slow, faltering attempt to rebuild, we would call each other and
inevitably talk about the Celtics.
When Bob Cousy--her favorite player--was doing a book signing near her,
I let her know so she could get a copy and have him sign it. A
week later, the book I thought she had at home arrived in the
mail--autographed to both of
us.
Then came the turnaround season and a roaring run to the Championship,
which mom and I celebrated together by phone as each game was
played. When the Celtics destroyed the Despised Lakers, we
celebrated from the center court with Garnett and Bill Russell, and
laughed at Brian Scalabrine's impromptu press conference. We
watched the parade, me on the internet, Mom in person.
Then, Mom got the diagnosis, in the midst of other medical problems,
which made a dire situiation even tougher. When she called with
the news, I tried not to make it any harder on her. Other friends
and relatives had been through this, we both knew what lay ahead.
We knew that some people used music or comedy to get through it.
But the answer was as clear as a Bob Cousy free throw.
By mutual agreement, beyond a basic "how are you doing" we didn't talk
about her illness unless she had specific news. Our calls were about
our team, how they were doing, and what we wished they did more
of. She was the kind of person who agreed wholeheartedly with 99%
of everything Tom Heinsohn said during a broadcast and was known to
throw things at the tv if the C's didn't play well enough.
But finally, this past season, she was too sick to stay home, and moved
into a hospice. The calls were less frequent, as she was less
able to have long conversations about anything. Last May, as the
Celtics were making one last Playoff run, her season came to an end.
I know that she'd be as annoyed as I am about the lockout. She'd
be grousing that they should stop talking the business of Basketball
and get back to playing the actual game of Basketball. She would
grumble that if Red were still around, he'd knock some sense into both
sides, and wonder why they didn't just let Tommy Heinsohn decide the
best way for all sides to go. I know that because that's what
happened during the last lockout.
Anyway, people say that when someone dies, that it's occasionally a
good thing to write them a letter. Well, we knew how we felt
about each other, and we got to say our good-byes. So what else
to write about?
What else?
Mom, the Celtics are very vocal on both sides of the Lockout. Wyc
is a relative moderate among owners, and Pierce and Garnett have been
shaking things up on the player's side. God knows why they put a
$&&^^%*%*^# Laker in charge of the players, the fools.
King David Stern the First is throwing new tantrums each week as his
legacy becomes one of cancelled games. Billy Hunter still thinks
this is a personal grudge match in revenge for the last lockout, and
Delonte West is working at Home Depot.
Doc and Danny will have a LOT of work ahead of them trying to bring the
team together again--whenever that happens. I'm still hoping
there'll be an NBA season this year, but some doomsayers are already
wondering how many of NEXT season's games will be cancelled.
The good news is, I saved a bunch of money not having to get the NBA
League Pass yet. In the meantime, I'm watching old games on tape,
and a few more on DVD, and enjoying the Good Old Days.
I figure you're with Red, waiting once more for Bill Russell, so you
can put together a team to win Championships in Heaven. I'll let
you know when the season gets started and who ends up on the team when
the dust settles. Meanwhile, have fun, have chocolate. And don't
play HORSE with Red. He cheats.
November 1, 2011
An open letter to ALL
participants on the NBA Contract Negotiations
Locked Away
This is an open letter to both
Players and Owners. I hope someone reads
this to both sides during a meeting, as a reminder of what’s REALLY at
stake here.
Today is November 1, 2011.
For the fans, this is the day
the lockout became all too real. After
hearing and reading about missed deadlines, lines in the sand, lines of
credit, and lines about how sorry everyone supposedly is, I decided to
write a few lines of my own.
When the Owners decided to shut
down the NBA, you didn’t lock out the Players.
You locked out the FANS.
When the Players stormed out of
a potential deal, you also walked out on the FANS.
After all, in the end, it’s not
the Owners who pay the Players, it’s us. WE
pay for you to play. Moreover,
it’s not the TV networks, etc that generate so-called
“Basketball-Related Income”, WE generate
that, when we subscribe to the League Pass, or buy tickets to games, or
purchase various things at the stores.
WE make it possible for Owners
to make money, and for Players to make a living playing Basketball. Believe me, we fans would love to have a deal
like you guys have. WE live on a lot less
income, with no leverage to increase it by ANY decently measurable
amount, much less numbers like you’ve been arguing about.
You can’t decide on a split
between 50-53%?
Fine. Give
it back to us. Return some of the cost of
season tickets to those who paid up faithfully, and institute a serious
price cut for the League Pass for the rest of us. Remember
guys, the NFL GAVE their League pass to fans in return for their
foolishness. I doubt you guys will be so
generous, since you’ve all been clinging to every dollar like you have
no idea hot to pay for your next trip to the grocery store.
I’m a second generation Celtics
fan. Around the world, there are more like me, as well as fans of other
teams. WE really don’t CARE who started it.
WE want it STOPPED.
Stop behaving like three year
olds throwing a temper tantrum open the doors and play the game. Because we’re rapidly getting tired of being
locked out and are discovering equally fulfilling things to do with our
time, and our money.
And
time, as you keep saying without truly realizing, is running out.
October 24, 2010
Wheeze, pant, cough...
OK, I'm having to rebuild things that
I thought had been successfully updated some time ago. And that's
going to take some time, since I ALSO have to do the latest updates for
the new season.
I need a minion, damnit.
December
05 2009
The Celtics were luckier than they knew three years ago.
As we enjoy the current success of the
Celtics, I want to take you back for a moment to three years ago.
It's late June, and the Celtics, after a horrible season lowlighted by
Paul Pierce suffering a serious injury that saw an extended losing
streak unfold, fans had been looking forward to the idea of perhaps
getting some payback from the Tim Duncan lottery blowup by having a
choice between Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, had just learned that the
Celtics would be drafting 5th in a two man dream draft.
Danny Ainge took that pick, and (against my specific opinion at the
time, not that he ever read that) traded the draft rights to Jeff
Green--along with players Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West--to get Ray
Allen and Glen Davis.
This trade was followed in short order by the trade that brought Kevin
Garnett to the Celtics, and one year later, Banner 17 came home.
Greg Oden, meantime, went to the Portland Trailblazers, who had netted
a top pick for the second year running.
But Greg's rookie season was a disaster. Microfracture surgery on
his right knee sidelined him the whole season. His next season
was slightly better, as he only missed 20 games with two different
injuries, one to his foot, and the other a bone chip in his left knee.
This year, his third season is now likely ended after he fractured his
left patella during a game against the Houston Rockets.
Back in 2007, along with oodles of other Celtics fans, I thought the
Good Guys had been very unlucky not to get the chance to draft Oden.
Tonight, as we seem to be having another outstanding season despite our
share of injuries, I think maybe we were luckier than we knew.
And that's the view from the doghouse.
November 08, 2009
Net Gain
After a dismal loss to the Phoenix
Suns, the Good Guys returned to their winning ways, beating a New
Jersey Nets team that was barely able to field the League Minimum eight
players between injury and illness. A combination of
fatigue--eight games in 12 days--and some really sloppy play kept the
Nets in the game until the 4th quarter, when the C's were able to pull
just far enough away for the defense to keep the Nets scoreless for the
final three minutes of the game.
October 24, 2009
Starting again...
A new season is upon us, and with it,
hopefully a fresh start for the CBW. The new Predictions list is
opened and updated as of today.
The 2009-10 schedule is up, and for the first time, includes Canadian
television broadcasts.
There'll be more changes and upgrades as we go. They would have
been done already, but somebody hacked into this site and some cleaning
up needed to be done.
I'll get more done this weekend, after taking some time to celebrate my
birthday tomorrow.
Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach
Basketball Legend
September 20, 1917 - October 28, 2006
"And
the
day
will come when,
Stooped
with
Age
and Steeped with Life,
I
must bring my days to an end.
Let
me
not
weep over times of sadness,
Nor
curse
the
battles lost,
Nor
mourn
the
tasks unfinished.
Rather,
let
me
dance joyful in happiness,
Roar
my
celebration
in Victory,
Revel
in
the
work well done.
Should
you
ask,
"Would you do this again?"
Let
me
not
vacillate, picking and choosing portions.
I
will dare to do it all, live my whole life, again.
For
the
most
crushing agonies of life's defeats
Was
my strength's source to achieve life's victories."
--Mike
Buckley,
2006
used with permisssion of the author
Measure Once,
Cut Twice, or, NBA Division Math
It's a good idea to remind everyone--myself included--about the
NBA's current Divisional alignment and Playoff seeding. Here's
how the divisions go now, with the official explanation following:
Eastern
Conference
Atlantic
Division: Boston Celtics,
Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors
Central
Division: Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana
Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks
Southeast
Division: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic,
Washington Wizards
Western
Conference
Southwest
Division: Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, New
Orleans Hornets, San Antonio Spurs
Northwest Division: Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland
Trailblazers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Utah Jazz
Pacific
Division: Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles
Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings
Under
this
plan,
teams will play divisional opponents four times each (two home
games/two road games), conference opponents outside the division three
or four times each and opponents outside the conference two times each
(one home game/one road game).
The three regular season divisional winners in each conference
will earn a playoff berth and one of the conference’s top three playoff
seeds based on regular season record. The remaining five playoff berths
for each conference will be based on regular season records with no
regard to divisional alignment.
Home court advantage throughout the NBA playoffs will be based solely
on regular season record, not playoff seeding, thus a divisional
winner that has a higher playoff seed than an opponent will not
necessarily have home court advantage in the playoff series.
What changed? Not much, as far as the regular season
goes. The teams still play 82 regular season games. Boston
is even still in it's original division. The C's will still play
WC teams twice a year, home and away. Some of the teams outside
the division we might see only three times a year instead of
four--it'll depend on the schedule.
The big change comes in the
playoffs. There are now three
potential Divisions to win instead of two, with each Division winner guaranteed a playoff berth and one
of the top three conference playoff seedings. The remaining five
spots are based on regular season records, as they are now.
A word about game reviews
As
is obvious to one and all, I've fallen far behind. The problem is
one of health--and stamina. I record the games--and zap
commercials in the process. Then, I have to watch the games again
to review them--this in order to replay crucial possessions, get a
better look at who did what, and so on. Then I start typing up
and posting the review. From start to finish, that takes 5-6
hours per game (including needed breaks). Right now, I'm doing
well to watch the initial game before falling over.
I WILL be reviewing all the games AND putting them up
here--but it's going to take some time. People have been
phenomanally patient about this and I wanted to let everyone know I
appreciate it. I have already decided that the major offseason
project will be catching up on any reviews not done, with the goal of
having everything caught up before the start of next season. The good
news is, once they're up, they'll STAY up, and you can compare games
from different seasons, etc., to your heart's content.
Celtics
Season Series team by team:
This not-for-profit page is intended for Celtics fans to enjoy. This
site was created by me and is maintained by me.
Anything not a statistical fact is individual opinion.
Snoopy & the round-headed kid--er, Charlie Brown--were created by
Charles M. Schulz,
and are copyrighted by United Features Syndicate, Inc. Please
visit The
Official Peanuts Website!
The Boston Celtics and all other team names, logos, etc., are
copyrighted by the NBA.
Please visit the Official site
of the Boston Celtics!
The Celtics list on IGTC.com was created and is maintained on by Paul
Moriarty. Please visit the Official
IGTC.com site!
The Celtic Stuff list at Yahoo was created and is maintained
by Jim Metz. Please visit the Official
Celtics Stuff site!
The names of those on the predictions list have not
relinquished their right to privacy. Do NOT send unsolicited
e-mail!
Extra
Special Thanks to Mrs. Celtics
Beagle for putting up with the funny looking kid with the big nose.
Special Thanks to Kim Malo
for her help and patience in making this site "A Better Place To Be".
Special Thanks to Paul
Moriarty for creating the Celtics list on IGTC and not giving up.
Special Thanks to Bob
Chin for his permission to use several of the cool pics used
here on the site.
Thanks to the following people, places, and things ("nouns" seems too
impersonal...) for various reasons:
Mom & Dad, without whom I wouldn't be here, and you'd have a
heck of a time getting to this page.
My sister, who is smarter than she ever gives herself credit for.
Harry Chapin
for teaching me to Do Something.
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel for "Bridge Over
Troubled Water".
Charles M. Schulz for being exactly like I hoped a cartoonist would
be.
Kent G. Orlando (Cheeks the Toy Wonder), who proved that websites
can be a form of Art and Free Speech--and still fun.
Boston Radio Station WUMB for
introducing me to the music of Stan
Rogers, Christine Lavin,
Cindy Kallett and John Gorka.
Walter Brown for betting everything he had on the Boston Celtics.
Red Auerbach for putting up with the neck-deep sh---er,
stuff---from subsequent owners.
Johnny Most for all those great moments.
Bob Cousy for being my mom's favorite player.
Dave Campiti for keeping the magic in comic books alive.
Please visit his Glass
House Graphics website.
Finally, to Bill Cooper for those incredible game reviews of
seasons past.
