This Day in Black Sports History: February 22, 2007

This day in black sports history marks the fourth anniversary of the sudden and tragic passing of a man Larry Bird called “best I ever played with” and whom Earvin 'Magic’ Johnson lauded as “the best backcourt defender of all-time.”

These poignant words represent a mere microcosm of how respected Dennis Wayne Johnson was, and still is, throughout the National Basketball Association.

Born the eighth of sixteen children on Sept. 18, 1954 in Compton, Johnson, who lacked the size and talent to compete with his peers in high school, excelled on the street basketball circuit while working several odd jobs upon his graduation.

Johnson’s defensive skills and “rocket launcher legs”, which enabled him to snare rebounds against taller competition, garnered notice from the head coach at Los Angeles Harbor College (LAHC), who encouraged Johnson to enroll at the public community college.

Johnson promptly quit his jobs and matriculated at LAHC, where he developed into a promising young guard, averaging 18.3 points and 12.0 rebounds per game as he led the team to a junior college state title.

At the end of his career at LAHC, Johnson accepted a scholarship offer to play at Pepperdine University, developing a reputation for tough defense and averaging 15.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in his only year in college.

Despite disciplinary issues at LAHC, where he got kicked off the team three times in two years, and with only one year of college basketball under his belt, Johnson was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 29th overall pick in the 1976 NBA Draft.

After one season as a back-up shooting guard, Hall of Fame head coach Lenny Wilkens inserted Johnson into the starting rotation to play alongside Gus Williams, and the duo became a major part of the reason the SuperSonics would play in two consecutive NBA Finals against the Washington Bullets.

The Sonics wound up on the short end of the stick of a seven-game thriller in 1978, in which Johnson set the record for most blocks in Finals history for a guard (7).

However, redemption would come the following season as Seattle defeated the Bullets in five games. Johnson was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, averaging 22.6 points, six rebounds and six assists per game.

During his four-year stint with the Sonics, Johnson established himself as one of the best guards in the league, earning two of his five All-Star selections and two All-Defensive First Team honors.

Before the 1980-81 season, Johnson was traded to the Phoenix Suns, where he became a more versatile scorer while remaining a backcourt defensive stalwart.

In his three years as a Sun, Johnson averaged 17.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists, while leading Phoenix to the Western Conference Semifinals in two consecutive seasons as the team’s main scorer. This span would also see Johnson play in two more All-Star Games while being voted on to three consecutive All-Defensive First Teams.

Johnson’s next seven seasons were spent with the Boston Celtics, which he described as “a dream come true”.

As a playmaking point guard this time, Johnson was the engineer of a Celtics team that featured Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, and won two NBA Championships in three seasons (1984, 1986).

At the time of his retirement in 1990, Johnson played in 1,100 of a possible 1,148 games during his 14-year NBA career, and was only the 11th player in league history to amass more than 15,000 points and 5,000 assists.

On December 13, 1991, the Celtics franchise retired Johnson’s No. 3 jersey at the old Boston Garden.

However, Johnson would not live to receive the ultimate honor of being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, suffering a fatal heart attack on February 22, 2007. Johnson’s death was met with shock throughout the entire league.

Three years later though, Johnson would be posthumously elected into the Hall of Fame.

Among others, current Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge called him one of "the most underrated players of all time [...] and one of the greatest Celtics acquisitions", and one-time rival Bill Laimbeer called him "a great player on a great ballclub".

Click here to read the original article at Examiner.com.

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This Day in Black Sports History: February 15, 2011

When it comes to the game of basketball, William Felton Russell is arguably the greatest winner in the sport’s history.

Prior to the start of his professional career, Russell led the University of San Francisco (USF) men’s basketball team to two consecutive NCAA Championships (1955, 1956) and won a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics as captain of the United States National Team.

After the Boston Celtics acquired him in a draft-day trade with the St. Louis Hawks, Russell became the centerpiece of a team that won 11 NBA Championships in thirteen seasons, including an unprecedented eight consecutive titles between 1959 and 1966.

During this dominating, dynastic run, Russell also served a three-season stint as player-coach for the Celtics, becoming first African-American head coach in NBA history.

Russell retired from the game in 1969 with career averages of 15.1 points and 22.5 rebounds per game, as well as five Most Valuable Player Awards and 12 All-Star appearances to his credit.

But despite his myriad of accomplishments, Russell’s life was marked by an uphill battle against racism, beginning in his childhood when he was forced to witness his parents become such victims of bigotry and racial abuse that they had to move into housing projects for an escape.

In his memoir, Go Up for Glory, Russell poignantly recalled his feelings on the racism and segregation that pervaded his existence, even as a standout amateur basketball player at USF and a superstar for the Celtics.

It stood out, a wall which understanding cannot penetrate. You are a Negro. You are less. It covered every area. A living, smarting, hurting, smelling, greasy substance which covered you. A morass to fight from.

As a consequence, Russell became a passionate and unyielding crusader for civil rights, which also resulted in a bitter relationship with the city of Boston due to his programmed hypersensitivity to racial prejudice in all its forms.

Russell’s bad rapport with fans and journalists, stemming from his refusal to respond to acclaim or friendship, caused him to be characterized as egotistical, hypocritical and paranoid.

In addition, seeing himself as a victim of the media, Russell was neither present for the retirement of his Number 6 jersey at the Boston Garden in 1972 nor his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975.

However, with the re-retirement of Russell’s jersey at the TD Garden in 1995 and the receipt of a ‘We Are Boston’ Leadership Award in 2008, ceremonies which Russell did attend, a small measure of reconciliation was achieved, but, to some extent, the wounds from a long history of racial strife remained fresh.

Therefore, it was fitting that Barack Obama, the first African-American president in United States history, endorsed an idea that many view as a way for Boston to put a difficult past, with one of its greatest sports heroes, completely behind them.

Obama’s remarks came during a ceremony in which Russell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the country, for his legacy as a civil rights activist.

Russell is the seventh African-American sports figure, and first basketball player, to receive the award. The Monroe, La. native was among 14 recipients to be honored, including George H.W. Bush, poet Maya Angelou, investor Warren Buffet and Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Stan Musial.

Below is the official White House transcript of Obama's remarks about Russell:

When Bill Russell was in junior high, he was cut from his basketball team. (Laughter.) He got better after that. (Laughter.) He led the University of San Francisco to two championships. In 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, he won 11 championships -- a record unmatched in any sport. Won two while also serving as the team’s coach. And so happens, he also was the first African American ever to hold such a position as a coach in a Major League sports team of any sort. More than any athlete of his era, Bill Russell came to define the word "winner."

And yet, whenever someone looks up at all 6 feet 9 inches of Bill Russell -- I just did -- (laughter) -- I always feel small next to him -- and asks, "Are you a basketball player?" -- surprisingly, he gets this more than you think, this question -- (laughter) -- he says, "No." He says, "That’s what I do, that’s not what I am. I'm not a basketball player. I am a man who plays basketball."

Bill Russell, the man, is someone who stood up for the rights and dignity of all men. He marched with King; he stood by Ali. When a restaurant refused to serve the black Celtics, he refused to play in the scheduled game. He endured insults and vandalism, but he kept on focusing on making the teammates who he loved better players, and made possible the success of so many who would follow. And I hope that one day, in the streets of Boston, children will look up at a statue built not only to Bill Russell the player, but Bill Russell the man.

Click here to read the original article at Examiner.com.

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This Day in Black Sports History: February 7, 1991

In an era dominated by big men such as Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a 6’1” point guard from New York, proved there would always be room in the National Basketball Association for creative, intelligent and quick small men.

Born and raised in the South Bronx’s Patterson housing projects, one of America’s most ravaged neighborhoods, Nathaniel Archibald became a playground legend, while resisting the temptations of the street that destroyed the aspirations, dreams and lives of many of his peers.

Instead, Archibald, nicknamed "Big Tiny" after his father, turned to basketball when his father left the family’s two-bedroom apartment, leaving “Tiny,” the oldest of seven children, as the head of the household at the age of 14.

As a sophomore at Dewitt Clinton High School, Archibald was cut from the varsity squad and briefly entertained thoughts of dropping out of school altogether.

But Floyd Lane, a community sports director and mentor to Archibald, convinced the Dewitt Clinton head coach to take another look at the small, painfully shy teenager who lacked confidence on the court.

After his reinstatement, Archibald blossomed into a star, becoming team captain and earning an All-City selection in 1966.

However, a major college scholarship would not be in the offing due to his poor grades. So, for the first time in his life, Archibald left New York to attend Arizona Western Community College, in the hopes of improving his chances of playing major college basketball.

Only one year later, Archibald accepted a scholarship to the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), where he averaged 20.0 points per game over three seasons.

Archibald was selected in the second round of the 1970 Draft by the Cincinnati Royals and, after taking a couple of seasons to establish himself as a competent floor leader, “Tiny” proved himself to be one of the best second-round picks in NBA history.

Although Archibald earned All-NBA Second Team honors in his second season, which saw him average 28.2 points per game, a snub for the Eastern Conference All-Star Team fueled Archibald’s fire leading into the 1972-73 season.

During that year, Archibald led the league in scoring and assists, becoming the only player in NBA history to accomplish the feat. His scoring average of 34.0 points per game broke the NBA record for a guard, and his 910 assist total (11.4 assists per game), also a record at the time, broke a mark held by Guy Rodgers since 1967.

Not surprisingly, Archibald was named to his first of six Eastern Conference All-Star Teams, his first of three All-NBA First Teams and won the Sporting News Most Valuable Player Award.

Following brilliant campaigns in two out of his next three seasons, averaging 26.5 ppg and 6.8 apg in 1974-75 and 24.8 ppg and 7.9 apg in 1975-76 (an Achilles' tendon injury cut short his season in 1973-74), Archibald was traded to the New York Nets, which marked the beginning of three of the most tumultuous years of his career.

A severe foot injury would limit “Tiny” to only 34 games in the 1976-77 season, and a ruptured Achilles' tendon would completely wipe out Archibald’s 1977-78 season after he was traded from the Nets to the Buffalo Braves.

Prior to the 1978-79 campaign, Archibald was traded to the Boston Celtics, where showed up 20 pounds overweight, his play left much to be desired and he became a locker room malcontent.

Yet, while rumors of his demise continued to be greatly exaggerated, Archibald remained committed to returning to the South Bronx each summer to help and counsel troubled youngsters, which also became an unlikely source of inspiration toward resurrecting his career.

"Here I was," Archibald recalled, "coming off the most frustrating year of my career, and it was the kids who were counseling me. They kept saying, 'Don't worry, Tiny. Don't get down. You can do it. The Celtics need you.' I'll never forget them for that."

With the arrival of Larry Bird for the 1979-80 season, Archibald made the seamless transition from a scoring point guard into a playmaking floor general.

From 1980-1982, Archibald ranked among the league leaders in assists and helped guide the Celtics to the NBA’s best record for three consecutive years.

Along the way, Archibald garnered three additional All-Star selections, captured the All-Star Game MVP Award in 1981 and won the first and only NBA Championship of his career to culminate the 1980-81 season.

Archibald’s numbers declined in the 1982-83 season, averaging only 27.4 minutes and 6.2 assists per game. Subsequently, Archibald signed with the Milwaukee Bucks as a free agent and retired the next year after playing only 46 games for the team.

“Tiny” left the game as a giant, finishing with career averages of 18.8 ppg, 7.4 apg and 2.3 rpg.

On February 7, 1991, Archibald’s contributions were rewarded when he was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

And although his NBA assist totals became frozen in time, Archibald would continue dishing out assists off the court upon his retirement.

After his brief stint with the Bucks, Archibald returned to New York City to run basketball schools for underprivileged kids and to work as athletic director at the Harlem Armory homeless shelter until it closed in 1991.

Archibald was honored for his work with the city's youth by former New York City Mayor David Dinkins in 1993.

Click here to read the original article at Examiner.com.

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Sporadic Era-tic: The Death of the Superfriends

Blowing in the Wind, originally uploaded by awonderfulsplash.

Worry not, dear friends! The Superfriends meme is not dead. It just falls to this lonely spore to wind the clock of change and paradigm. Someone has to declare something dead after all this talk of viral this video and viral that, hashtag trending moments in the blistering web-spun online sun. Our eyes can only be hosts to these ghosts of existence for so long.

So, existence versus non-existence tonight. I declare death to the Superfriends not because they do not exist and/or will not soon come to proliferate. I only offer that such a means to overcoming the mean streets of mediocrity must at some point come to be judged as either viable or f(l)ailing. I recognize it's early in the NBA season, but a verdict must be passed such that all other verdicts may be measured, consciously or collective-subconsciously, upon its wavily inconsistent metaphorical shores.

Sorry, a little rusty here. I offer, in return for your patience and persistence and co-pre-cognizance with me, an alternative.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh: These are the new figureheads of the Superfriends mold. Amar'e, CP3, 'Melo: These are the leaders of the new, if new be someday told. Right now, the verdict is out on the ledge like hot pie charts waiting for sticky fingered nerds to reach out and grasp at the pretense of truth. And who's the early boy playing Worms: Battle Islands? I'll give you a hint: it's not the eight-and-six Heat. Rather, I suggest you take a look at the twelve-and-eleven Spurs.

That's right, the wily vets, the geriatric section, divorcee's row, the leaders of the old, the Spurs currently hold the best win percentage in the league. How are they doing it? Not with an injection of new legs, because Tiago Splitter ain't doing diddly past six points and three pulls, and DaJuan Blair is the opposite of new legs. They're doing it with the same old system based around Tim Duncan and trickling down to the aforementioned soon-to-be divorcee Tony Parker, the finally healthy Manu Ginobli, and the revitalized Richard Jefferson.

So the Spurs are twelve-and-one. What's new, Nagamatsu? Why write about the difference in paradigms now? Because LeBron James affords us a unique perspective on the efficacy of Superfriends vs. San Antonio as models for building successful basketball teams. In Cleveland, King James was privy to a build similar to that of the Spurs, as was much bruited about when the two teams faced in the finals of '07. Under the careful build of Popovich acolytes Danny Ferry and Mike Brown, LeBron James saw a solid string of successful seasons. Now, having left the patronage of such system, he enters into something more akin to the 80's Laker Showtime teams under Pat Riley's baleful, pomaded watch.

Obviously, the Showtime teams weren't quite a Superfriends model. Perhaps I'm just saying that because they were successful and such a model would ruin my paradigm study. Still, those squads lacked the mercenary feel of such teams as the post-championship Rockets featuring Olajuwon, Drexler, and Barkley and/or Pippen, as I mentioned in my last epocrypha. What other unsuccessful Superfriends squads can we point to? Barkley's 76ers with Dr. J and Moses Malone, as well as Pippen's stint with the Jail Blazers both fit the bill. Dallas' multiple attempts at paving their way to super teams with the Mark Cuban's Benjamins failed, as did the '04 Lakers. (And I'm sure I'm forgetting a whole host of 'em)

Batmanuel, Captain Liberty, The Tick and Arthur, originally uploaded by Walkabout Wolf.

Which brings us to the anomalies, the outliers as Malcolm Gladwell would put it. Sure, the '04 Lakers failed with Gary Payton and Karl Malone in tow, but realistically they should have won. Statistically, they should have won. Only Malone's injury kept them from dominating that series. And then Shaq left, and who knows. But what about the current, contemporary version of the Lakers? Isn't that a four-headed beast with Kobe, Pau, Lamar, and Artest? In short, yes. This current iteration is what one might term a "Superfriends" squad. However, what separates them is the system. Phil Jackson's "trust your players to fall or fly when they most need your trust" system is one of a kind. As a Lakers fan, I am petrified at the thought of trying to get that seventh in my watching career without the Zen Master. Here's the other thing: Until recently, this system was not one that played nice with the Superfriends mold. In the first three-peat, the team swallowed stars whole and left them barely shells of role players. Glen Rice, Mitch Richmond, Isaiah Rider. All three were eaten up and spit out by the '00-'02 Lakers.

The other outlier? The '08 Boston Celtics. There's a team that fit the Superfriends mold to a T. What sets them apart is Ubuntu. They had an identity from the start. Furthermore, the team's looking more and more like a Spurs team built around Rondo. But that's a side note. San Antonio is not the only team prospering under the Popovich Spurs paradigm. The 10-2 New Orleans Hornets (3rd highest win percentage in the league right now) are newly adapting themselves to the model under Popovich pupil Monty Williams. Similarly, the 10-4 Oklahoma City Thunder have followed Sam Presti in making Durant their Duncan and building down from there.

Pencil Vs Camera - 19, originally uploaded by Ben Heine.

What tic should you take away from all this? What should you allow to syphon blood from your Superfriend-like excessive thoughts? Let's just say the Lakers have Zen, the Celts have Ubuntu, what do the Heat have?

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How the NY Knicks helped the Boston Celtics get to the NBA Finals

It’s been a season of memorable highs and forgettable lows for one Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson.

After enjoying his best season in 2008-09, where he averaged 17.2 points and 4.1 assists per game and won his second Sprite Slam Dunk Championship, Robinson re-signed with the New York Knicks for one year and his star appeared to be on the rise.

But on December 1, 2009, Robinson’s world took a drastic turn for the worse when he became persona non grata in Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni’s playing rotation. The 25-year-old Robinson would not see a single minute of action for 14 consecutive games due to irreconcilable personality differences between player and coach.

When he made his return on New Year’s Day 2010, Robinson helped snap the Knicks out of a funk, in which they lost 3 of 4, by coming off the bench to score 41 points, dish out 8 assists, and snare 6 rebounds in a 112-108 overtime victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Robinson, the 21st overall selection in the 2005 NBA Draft, would lead the Knicks in scoring four more times in the month prior to 2010 All-Star Weekend, in which one of the highlights was Robinson winning a record third Sprite Slam Dunk Championship.

However, just five days later, Robinson’s 4-year tenure in New York would come to an end, largely due to the organization’s effort to clear salary cap space for this summer, when President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh traded Robinson and Marcus Landry to the Boston Celtics for Bill Walker, Eddie House and J.R. Giddens.

And in an average of 14.7 minutes of spot duty over the final 26 games of the regular season, Robinson averaged 6.5 points and 2.0 assists per game.

In the playoffs, Robinson saw his minutes drop by more than half, along with his scoring average, as he and the rest of the country watched Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo blossom into a superstar.

But with Boston in desperate need of closing out the Orlando Magic in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics got an unexpected spark from Robinson who, in only 13 minutes of action coming off the bench, mostly in the second quarter, scored 13 points and electrified the TD Garden doing exactly what made him a crowd favorite at Madison Square Garden.

Robinson hit two 3-pointers in a span of 90 seconds to lift Boston to a 15-point lead over the Magic and completely turn the tide of the game and the series in the Celtics’ favor.

So, in barely over 10 minutes, the Knicks’ garbage, figuratively speaking, became the Celtics’ treasure and Nate Robinson went from the outhouse to the penthouse.

In addition, this week, while New York comes up with new and innovative ways to grovel at the feet of LeBron James, Robinson will be playing in the NBA Finals.

Shake and Bake!

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes a visual look back at Nate Robinson's inspiring Game 6 performance off the bench in the Eastern Conference Finals.

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Let's go Celtics!

Game 3 starts in about an hour. Enjoy Senor Fresh's remix to Whatever We Like before the game and let's hope Kevin dominates the paint, Paul gets to the line, Ray pops threes, and Rondo triple dubs the Celtics to a 3-0 series lead.

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Marquis Daniels’ Stepfather Tased During Game 2

The stepfather of Boston Celtics guard Marquis Daniels was arrested and subdued with a stun gun during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Orlando Magic.

The Orlando police report shows 55-year-old Willie L. Buie was charged with resisting arrest with violence during Tuesday night's game. Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss confirmed it was Daniels' stepfather.

Officers responded to a disturbance in a lower-level section during the second half. Police say they tried to escort Buie from his seat, but he refused, using expletives at officers and swinging his arms free. He eventually was escorted out near a security office but kept his hands under his body to avoid handcuffs. That's when police say an officer used a stun gun on Buie's back for about 5 seconds.

Marquis Daniels’ stepfather caused a little disturbance at the Celtics game the other night. Probably had a few too many beers. So what? At least Daniels’ stepfather wasn’t sleeping with Kevin Garnett’s wife or something like that, because that would pretty much be the equivalent of what’s going on in Cleveland with Delonte West and LeBron’s mom, right? And we all saw the good karma that was floating around the Cavaliers after that alleged incident. Yea, that karma presented itself in the form of a giant green leprechaun stomping on the collective manhood of the entire city of Cleveland. You think LeBron’s hanging around Cleveland with one of his teammates banging his mother? Ah, hell no.

In other news, who knew tasers would become such a fad at sporting events so quickly?

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When NBA Fans Get Angry, Play Catch With Them!

During game two of last night's Eastern Conference Finals between the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics, NBA referee Joe DeRosa got into a confrontation with an angry fan before the start of halftime.

Normally, what Joe DeRosa is supposed to do is hand the ball to the scorer's table and walk off.

Well, Joe got an earful from an angry fan and decided that he should "catch" what's coming to him.



The fan who started the confrontation was Wyndham Vacations CEO Franz Hanning. After the incident, Hanning was moved to another seat in Amway Arena without any further incidents.

At this point, the NBA has not made a ruling on whether DeRosa crossed the line by throwing the ball at the fan or whether he will be refereeing any subsequent playoff games.

UPDATE: The NBA has suspended referee Joe Derosa for one game regarding this incident.

(Courtesy of With Leather , No Guts, No Glory and That NBA Lottery Pick)

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Breaking News: Al Qaeda Recruiting Vince Carter

I'm not sure what conclusions to draw from this other than Al Queda is in full force in Orlando, blatantly working to recruit some 'Vinsanity" onto their squad.  Although Vince is pretending to show some resistance, we all are now exposed to his off-season "hobbies".  A replacement for Bin Laden...any takers?

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Daily Douche: John Cena

First off, I was going to assume John Cena was a Celtics fan until I hit up my friend Mr. Google.  For some reason my eye caught a glimpse as Cena during the Celt's/Magic game tonight, sitting next to some slam pig a few rows back.  Regardless, I did some research and found out Cena is not only a Celtics fan, but also a Magic and Lakers fan.  Reward: Instant delegation to Daily Douche.  

Second off, is John Cena really that huge or is that mini-me usher standing/sitting in the isle really that small?

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Game 2 Preview: Where Duuuwight Tries Alternative Methods Of "Jamming"

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This is not embarrassing.  You are no Shaq.  You never will be Shaq.  You Can't dominate like Shaq once did. But best of all, you Can't rap! (don't even try to tell me Shaq can't rap)  Keep jammin' with 14-year old Nicki Minaj wanna be's Duuuuuwight while you continue to get manhandled in the post by the Celtics KrypTRIonite (Perk, Sheed, Baby). 

Celtics still +7.5....Joke?..."AWWWWWW YEEEEEEAHHHHAAAAAA"!!!!

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Bill Simmons Is A Twitter Genius

Bill Simmons, being the sports/life wiz that he is, has decided to take advantage of Celtics tweeters by creating a "Celtics Chants" twitter account.  The objective behind this idea is to get all fans on the same page with obnoxiously catchy chants.  Fans will be able to submit ideas by mentioning @CelticsChants in their tweets, and then the best will be chosen and retweeted by Simmons. With the explosion of twitter on mobile devices, fans will know exactly what to chant at what time.  It's pure genius.  I'm not sure if Simmons is the first to do this, but he damn sure if the right dude to take action, and for that he deserves at least a HJ from every Celtics dancer.  By the looks of it, fans are quickly jumping on board, compiling over 6,000 followers in a matter of days.  Now let's ream out 'Bron 'Bron and sink the Cavs ship yet again. Hey Lebron, how about...#Boo-kies-pissed-off

Follow @CelticsChants Here

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Ladies and Gentlemen, Mayor Thomas Menino

BOSTON -- Mayor Tom Menino was at it again today in the middle of honoring Bruins legend Bobby Orr with the statue unveiling of "The Goal" outside TD Garden near the West Entrance.

The mayor said the statue captured an "ionic" moment, and also asserted that Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek was the field-goal kicker who pushed the New England Patriots to their first Super Bowl victory:

"Boston has an amazing set of remarkable athletes whose actions in the moment have become (sic) ionic in sports. Havlicek stole the ball. Fisk waved the ball fair. Flutie launched the Hail Mary pass. Varitek split the uprights. Today we honor one of the most brilliant moments: Bobby Orr flying through the air. Who could forget that play against St. Louis as the Bruins beat the Blues to bring a Stanley Cup to Boston?"

*Audio clip to be added shortly.

Time and time again Boston Mayor, Thomas Menino makes himself look a total clown and time and time again the people living in Massachusetts continue to elect this guy as mayor of a city he knows absolutely nothing about. I flat out don't can't believe this shit. Varitek splits the uprights? Ionic in sports? WTF is he talking about. He is butchering, potentially the most important moments in the history of Boston sports, hell Boston for that matter.

Menino is an absolute babbling bastard who needs to go take some basic English and reading classes, learn how not to mumble then go watch a fucking Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, and Celtics game before the whole city of Boston loses it.

You know Thomas Menino is kind of like that girlfriend who doesn't know shit about sports and every time she tries to talk about spor-- I mean speak, she makes your ears bleed and your stomach feel like you're going to puke.

What a pathetic piece of shit.

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New Nickname for LeBron: Queen James… as in Drama Queen

Is anybody falling for this bullshit about how LeBron’s right elbow hurts? Michael had the flu, Kobe’s got the broken finger, and now LeBron is saying, “Hey, look at me. I’m banged up too.” Does he really need anymore attention? Knock it off with the wincing after every shot, and the lefty free throws. You’re fine. We all know you’re the MVP, give it a rest. As a result of the LeBron media frenzy, now we’ll have to listen to countless sideline updates from Craig Sager and Erin Andrews during the Celtics-Cavs series about how LeBron’s elbow is holding up. In all seriousness, what’s the over/under on the number of sideline reports on LeBron’s elbow during this series: 17? 18? 342?

Here’s a thought. If your elbow is really bothering you, why don’t you quit all the theatrics, the dancing, the flexing, etc? There’s no need to put all that added stress on your tender joints.

Look, nobody is falling for all your crap. We all know you’re going to average 35 points a game against the Celtics. But hey, at least now you have a built in excuse when you lose.

Quit the drama queen act. Just shut up and play ball, Queen James.

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Garnett Earns Suspension, Noah Calls Him "Dirty"

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"I'm going to say it: He's a dirty player," Noah said after he and his Chicago teammates practiced at Quicken Loans Arena in preparation for Monday's Game 2 against the Cavaliers. "He's always swinging elbows, man. I'm hurting right now because of an elbow he threw. It's unbelievable. He's a dirty player. It's one thing to be competitive and compete and all that.

"But don't be a dirty player, man. He's a dirty player."

Personally I consider Joakim Noah as the dirtiest player in the NBA.  Large in part due to the fact he looks like a goddamn cracked out Italian Greyhound/Black Poodle mutt.  Aside from being the ugliest piece of shit in the League, he is the biggest pussy, literally.  6' 11" and you're crying about taking a love tap to the chest from KG?  Don't be mad KG is an accomplished vet, and you're struggling to make it out of the first round once again.  Here's an idea, worry about the Cav's and stop worrying about the Celtics(for now at least).  Clearly you're still bitter about last years series, but soon enough Lebron and the Cav's will be drowning your tears with champagne yet again.  Go suck off Q-Rich you pusswhip.  

Celtics forward Kevin Garnett has been suspended for Game 2 of Boston's first-round playoff series against the Heat for landing an elbow to the face of Miami's Quentin Richardson in a fourth-quarter fracas during Saturday's Game 1.

The announcement was made Sunday by Stu Jackson, NBA executive vice president, basketball operations.

Richardson was fined $25,000 for his role in the altercation.

"I have no beef with Q, I know him personally. I thought what he did was a bit disrespectful, standing over a guy hurt, you know, and talking nonsense. Before you knew it, it all just broke out. I gotta use my head, but all I saw was Paul hurt and that's all I cared about at that time."

It's not like anyone wasn't expecting this, but commissioner David Stern confirmed KG's 1-game suspension for game 2 earlier this evening.  Yes, he jocked a bow, but did he really have a choice when he was corned by Q-Rich tha Bitch?   Oh well, it will make a game 2 victory just that much sweeter.  

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FUCK YOU Q-RICH

Quentin Richardson is a little bitch. Keep giving your head daps dude, get at me when you win something.

Fucking pussy.

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Should we believe in Kevin Garnett and the Celtics?

Cries and whispers about Kevin Garnett

You could hear them if you walked around the city long enough. Concerned whispers. Almost like cries for help.

But Rivers knows the whispers are out there, not only about Garnett but about the rest of the team, too.

Doc puts it this way: "Do [the players] hear it? They have to hear it. As long as they don't believe it. We are old. We are an old basketball team. We're not a very athletic basketball team. But we are a skilled basketball team, a smart basketball team."

When I ask him how the players react to the talk, Rivers' response sums up why anyone should think twice before giving up on this team: "They don't give a shit."

Read the entire article here

Great article by Scoop Jackson on Kevin Garnett. Gave me a little bit more hope for the Celtics heading into the playoffs -- whether or not it's false hope remains to be seen. But hey, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!

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Doc Rivers may leave Celtics in off-season

Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers is leaning toward leaving the team after this season, sources told the Boston Herald, but he told the newspaper Tuesday that no final decision had been made about his future.

There had been rumors in seasons past about the 48-year-old Rivers stepping down, and once again it's the tug of his family life -- not another NBA coaching opportunity -- that may pull him away.

Family first. You know at first when I look at this article I said to myself it makes perfect sense for Doc to leave the Celtics after this season. He has three seniors, one in college and two in high school. One of his sons is one of the best high school basketball players and will be starting his college career. He doesn't want to miss this time in his son's life. He needs to be there for his son. To help his son and watch his son achieve success. Then, you know I actually sat down and thought about it for a minute. Family first. That phrase is used all the time in this situation, but what about the Celtic family?

Back when the Celtics signed Doc to a contract to coach the team I thought it was a horrible decision. I did not think Doc was the right man for a job. He was fired from the Orlando Magic for his inability to create a winner. There was no denying Doc could coach the young guys and develop them, but he was not a proven winner. Secondly he was not a Celtic. Doc was an Atlanta Hawk, he had been through the battles through out the 80s against the Celtics and should have hated them. Why would a Hawk be a good fit for the Celtics? There was so many ex-Celtics out there dying for a job, why didn't Danny give one of them a shot. Instead, he chose an Atlanta Hawk to bring back the Celtic pride? Give me a fucking break, right?

Then Doc went on to lead the Celtics to a championship with the aid of Danny Ainge trading for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. There was some Doc supporters who said Doc deserved praise for taking a bunch of players who had never played together and turn them into a championship winning team. There was also a flip side who said the team didn't even need a coach. They were so talented they were going to win the championship no matter what. Especially since Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce wanted it so badly.

I was on neither side. I was 50/50. I thought Doc did what he always did. Didn't lose a game for the Celtics that year, but most certainly didn't win a game. He does a solid job year in and year out. You get exactly what you want from Doc. Exactly what the team should do.

So it this brings me back to my original point. Family first. Doc River is choosing his family first. The Rivers family. That's why Danny should have hired a Celtic. If he had done that, family would never be a reason because the coach's family would have been the Celtics. Just before the ship sinks and the Celtics become even older than they look today, Rivers is going to bolt and claim he needs to be there for his kids.

And that my friends proves, Celtic tradition was not brought back with Banner 17. There is no Celtic Pride anymore. The team has shown that this season and now the coach will show it this off-season.

So Danny, do what is right for the Celtics and not for Doc. Don't let Doc sit around all off-season and try to decide. We don't need a Brett Favre saga here. When you get bumped out of the first or second round, tell Doc to go be with his kids like he wants to be. Get someone in here that will restore Celtic Pride. Someone that will infuse energy into the big 3. Someone that will tell Rasheed Wallace to stop shooting threes and get down low. Someone who will call out Kendrick Perkins. Get someone in here with a vision. Someone who can win games when we least expect. Someone who will restore Celtic Pride.

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Daily Dumbass: Raaaaa-Sheed Wallace

"Ball don't lie, huh Sheed?"

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Kevin Garnett Dropping The F- Bomb

Listen as Kevin Garnett drops the f-bomb when he is speaking of Kevin Durant and his frequent trips to the free throw line.

Video is NSFW

courtesy of (RedsArmy)

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