Wednesday, October 29, 2008

A Quick Thanks to the Captain

Gratitude is something that is often lost on us sports fans. Super Bowls meld quickly into March Madness which meld into Nba Finals and before we know it the leaves are falling and it is time for another World Series. With this seemingly never ending process of championships followed by parades, Sports Illustrated covers, and eventually ring and banner ceremonies it is easy to under estimate the importance that each title might have on a player, its fans, and its city.

Gratitude for a singular accomplishment has become even more difficult to put into context for us Boston fans when six championships, won in three separate sports, have been one in the past seven calendar years. This accomplishment is a remarkable one and when you stop to think that Philadelphia fans tonight are hoping to win their first professional crown in a quarter century in this evening’s World Series game 5, it is even more illuminating.

This brings us to last night at the TD Banknorth Garden where just for a moment the sports world stopped its fever-pitched, non-stop, forward motion for a few moments and we got to see the realization of a life long dream. Paul Pierce came into Boston with high expectations. A first round pick from a highly regarded Kansas program, Pierce seemed to fit nicely in the Celtic tradition of bringing in players with winning pedigrees. But while Pierce showed flashes of brilliance over his Celtic career, it wasn’t until the team finally made its mind to build around Pierce with the addition of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen that we saw a fully happy Pierce who seemed to be for the first time in his NBA career comfortable in his role as leader of the Celtics.

Last night, we saw the ultimate sign of that comfort when Pierce, visibly overcome with tears moments earlier, made the decision to ask for the microphone and stand at midcourt and address the Garden crowd. And while the speech will never be confused with Lou Gehrig’s “Luckiest man” speech or even confused with an above average high school graduation speech—it was undoubtedly heartfelt and spilling over with gratitude. And because it for a minute forced all of us to think about what we once dreamed of, or perhaps still do dream of, for all of those who saw it, it was something we all can be thankful for.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Celtics Second Act Begins Tonight at the Garden

With a straight and vertical trajectory, the Celtics banner will take mere moments to find its way tonight from ground level to the ceiling. It was all most that quick in which the team’s fortune rose from that of an NBA lottery constant, to a playoff certainty, and finally to a champion.

But now as the Celtics embark on their second consecutive season of play back at the top of the NBA hierarchy, after over twenty years of being consistently removed from it, fans must recognize that much like the way in which cool fall temperatures are forcing us to close ours, the window of potential championship contention for the Celtics is not limitless and narrows more and more each season.
In fact, a poll of NBA general managers that came out this week may indicate that word around the league is that the Lakers, with the return of a healthy Andrew Bynum, have edged ahead of the Celtics in the race for the 2008 – 2009 crown. The same poll put the Celtics as favorites to come out of the east but trailing considerably in votes for the title behind Kobe’s squad.

What does all of this mean? Well nothing for certain accept that time moves on and with it past glories become just that, things in the past. So after a long awaited and well deserved ceremony takes place tonight on the Garden parquet around 7:38 PM the role of the Celtics turns from champions to defenders. The opportunity to defend is an awesome one and brings with it 82 unique and separate opportunities to prove that the Celtics are still a championship quality outfit while trying to fight off a nightly attempt by their opponent to knock the defending champion down a notch or two.

Rocker Warren Zevon once instructed us to “enjoy every sandwich.” Likewise, the Celtics and their fans should realize the fleeting nature of championship quality teams and enjoy each game that the C’s play at this level and try hard not too look too far ahead. Because as Patriots fans learned the hard way early last month, each team, no matter how dominant, is only one play away from having the script of their season thrown out and forced to be rewritten.