Welcome Back to the City of Champions

The sabbatical has run its course. The last time I blogged about a story in the Boston sports world, it was a full week before the B's hoisted their first Stanley Cup in 39 years. It was a hateful post directed toward the grossly aggravating hockey team based out of Vancouver. It may have even been a bit of a worrisome post, given that the Bruins trailed the series 2-1 and faced a huge hole had they failed to emerge victorious from the game that night. Of course, it all ended up working out for the best. I'll get back to that in just a moment.

The point is, it has been a long time. It has been two and a half months. You may have thought I retired. You may have thought Ultimate Boston was headed down the drain. Well, to be honest, I can't guarantee that won't happen at some point. But it isn't happening now. Not today. We're back for the time being, and it's time to recap what we've missed in the past two months.

Back to the B's. As you can see, I made a pretty permanent decision when I got this tattoo inked onto my back between my shoulder blades. I said I would get tatted up if the B's won the Cup, and I'm a man of my word. A simple tattoo, though, can't explain how much the Cup finally meant to myself, my family, my friends who are diehard fans, and all of the Bruins faithful who have tuned in for every game since the days of Orr, Neely, Bourque, and all the way up through Zdeno Chara and Tim Thomas. To all of the people mentioned, it truly meant the world. And to see Chara hoist the cup above his shoulders, it sent a feeling of goosebumps through every fan's body. Well, at least the fans who have endured through the ugliest days of the past 20 years.

My memory hardly spans through all of those years, and that was only half the period of agony. Still, this year's Stanley Cup victory helped put to rest so many of the demons that have haunted the Bruins in my own lifetime. Failing to get Ray Bourque the Cup. Tim Taylor's toe in the crease. The days of standout goaltender Byron Dafoe, never amounting to the grand prize. The relatively failed project that was Joe Thornton. The days when tickets were so easy to come by and games weren't selling out. The nights when Dave Shea broadcasted road games on UPN 38 and Dale Arnold did the home games on NESN. The crushing Game 7 losses against Montreal and then against Carolina the following season. All leading up to the moment -- unquestionably the most heart-wrenching moment in our recent memory -- in which the B's blew a 3-0 lead and let the Flyers soar past them to the conference finals in a season that had seemed destined to finally work out for the black and gold.

It was all erased on June 15th, 2011. Personally, I'll never forget the date. It was the single greatest moment of my life, when it comes to the Boston sports scene. The Pats championships, the Sox titles, the Celtics victory -- they were all amazing. But none of them truly measured up to the sentimental value that the Bruins accomplishment did this June. For me, it was the pinnacle of all the titles in title town. Now, of course, I'm greedy. I want more of them.

Fortunately, we're in Boston. Some of you may now refer to it as the City of Champions. Having garnered titles in each of the four major sports within the last 7 years, it is by no means unreasonable to expect more in the near future. Hell, even the Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse took home a championship this weekend. Things really are starting to look like we're the best at everything we do.

The Red Sox continue to edge the Yankees in the AL East with a huge series against the arch rivals looming. Despite their share of injuries to the pitching staff, the Sox look poised once again to contend for their third championship in seven years. It has been four years since their last glory days. Oh, the horror!

Meanwhile, the Patriots (despite a 34-10 shellacking from the Detroit Lions this weekend) look sharp and ready to dominate the NFL as usual. With an impressive set of receivers, a newly revamped defensive line, an improving secondary, and -- of course -- Tom Brady, the team with the longest drought in this city may be ready to finally end this heart-wrenching seven-year drought.

Yup. It goes for you too. We're all greedy and spoiled here in Boston in the 21st century. A seven-year drought? That's the longest active drought in our city? Tell that to the Cubs fans who are approaching the 100-year mark in their drought. Mention it to Buffalo (who knows when they last won). Mention it to Philadelphia, who has a fantastic sports city, but still hasn't seen their Flyers win the Cup in nearly 40 years. The Eagles have never won the Super Bowl. And it has been 28 years since the 76ers brought home the NBA title.

We have it made here in Boston. That's all there is to it. I'm not guaranteeing another championship for the Sox or the Pats this season. I'm not saying the Bruins have undoubtedly kicked off a dynasty at the Garden. I'm not saying the Celtics will compete yet again if the NBA even has a season. Truth be told, all of our teams could drop into 100-year slumps starting today. We may be miserable sports fans for the rest of our lives, reliving the heartache of the Red Sox, Bruins, and Patriots days of old. Reliving the Celtics days just before the Big Three. Maybe that is what destiny has prepared for us. Even still, it won't change the golden age of sports we have experienced. If you're reading this right now, you have lived during an amazing era. Whether or not another parade goes rolling through Beantown in the coming months, years, or decades, the name is irrefutable for this moment. Enjoy it. Remember it. Because right now, Boston is unquestionably the City of Champions.

Where Does This Leave the C's?

In the blink of an eye, the Celtics had their season ended by the last team you would have ever wanted to end it. Ousted by LeBron James and the Miami Heat in a mere 5 games, Boston boarded their flight home staring a myriad of questions about their future straight in the eye.

What do I think? That's a question that isn't easily answered. I've had my doubts about the NBA for quite some time, but I won't jump ship and attribute this loss to any type of fixed outcome. In fact, these playoffs haven't gone in accordance with the whole conspiracy theory. Lakers swept in four games? Celtics torched in five? That isn't exactly drawing the biggest revenue from two huge basketball markets. As Memphis and Oklahoma City hang around and Dallas the remaining favorite in the West, who said anything about large markets being fixed into the finals? But I digress. This is about the Boston Celtics, not David Stern and the NBA or any type of conspiracy theory.

First off, let me express my thoughts about the season as a whole. I've encountered plenty of people who simply pull the trigger on Danny Ainge, saying the Kendrick Perkins trade failed miserably and brought the downfall of this squad. I understand those accusations, and I simultaneously disagree with them entirely. I will still contend that the Kendrick Perkins trade was not the reason this team lost. The post was not the issue in this series. Boston's lack of energy at the end of games and their lack of depth on the bench is what put the nail in the coffin. Did the Perkins trade fail in regards to the goal it was trying to accomplish? Possibly. Jeff Green may not have been the bench scorer they thought they were getting. Still, Green scored more points in this series than every player on the Miami Heat excluding their "Big Three." Was production the issue? Debatable. What about the fact that Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James dropped a combined 355 points in these 5 games, completely obliterating the 252 scored by Boston's three studs (Pierce, Garnett, and Allen). 103 points was the advantage. Is it the bench's fault for not making up a 103 point difference (over 20 points per game)? If you believe so, I guess. Would Kendrick Perkins have diminished that number at all? Unlikely. I don't understand why we suddenly flip the switch because of the Perkins trade. Throughout the big three era, have we not been victorious when our big three dominates? Have we not always lost when our big three gets outplayed by the oppositions big stars? It has always been the same formula, and the bottom line is that this team doesn't have the backup unit needed to make up for the big three's growing inadequacy to give forty-minute performances of A+ basketball. The burden was too heavy for this reason, and they weren't able to shoulder the load. The younger and more athletic team pulled out every single game in the fourth quarter.

So yes, maybe the Perkins trade failed to give us the bench unit we truly needed. But I contest that had the trade never happened, our situation would have been no better. Subtract Jeff Green from the mix and add Kendrick Perkins. Does that solve the equation? Just look at the facts. Miami rained on us from the perimeter. Joel Anthony's 5 points per game -- was that the difference? Because Perkins would have been guarding anthony. Was Jermaine O'Neal really that bad in the post, averaging 6 points, 4 boards, and over a block per game in 21 minutes per contest? He was enough of a presence down low. Perk wouldn't have won us this series. You can't convince me otherwise. Management may have failed to give us the depth and athleticism we needed to win, but it sure as hell wasn't that particular trade that blew up our chances of winning.

Plain and simply, the Miami Heat were a better team than the Boston Celtics this year. It took them a while to gel, but they finally have. As much as I hate to see it happening, they're making a title run. They're going to be tough to beat. Their big guns are in the primes of their careers, and they are capable of playing just as effectively in the fourth quarter as they are in the first. The reality is that Boston cannot say the same about their own big guns, and their secondary guns aren't polished enough to pick up the rest of the load. Doc Rivers, though, feels that there is still gas in the tank. He will likely return to the Celtics next season, judging by his post-game comments.

"I'm leaning heavily towards coming back," Rivers told reporters after the loss to Miami. "I haven't made that decision. But I can tell you that I probably will. I've kind of come to that over the last couple of weeks. I'm a Celtic and I love our guys."

If there is a bright spot to take out of last night, it has to be these comments. As I've expressed time and time again, this team is an effective second unit away from being a title contender again. If they were able to rest their starters more throughout the game, you wouldn't see them dropping the ball in the fourth quarter. It happened in just about all of the losses in this series. If Ainge can assemble a second unit capable of shouldering that load throughout the game, this team may have another run left in them. Nobody said it would be easy, but at the same time, it is far from an impossibility. And if you trust Doc Rivers' judgement, there may a least be something to look forward to.

"I don't believe this team is done," Rivers concluded.
 

End of an Era for the Green?

In the wake of last night's heartbreaking overtime loss to the hated Miami Heat, Celtics fans and basketball fans alike are left pondering the same question. Has this organization reached the end of an era and entered into a landslide back down to the rebuilding ranks of the NBA?

Of course, Boston fans more than any others know that a series isn't over until the fourth game has been won on either side. See the Red Sox in '04 against the Yankees or in '07 against the Indians. On the flip side, see the Bruins last spring against the Flyers. Even this season, we saw the B's come back from a 2-0 hole. Sure, a 3-1 hole is much different for the Celtics as they fly back down to South Beach for a critical game 5, but who are we to say die just yet? With a win tomorrow night, the series would come back to Boston for game 6 with a chance to force a game 7. That's a situation that plenty of teams have battled through. When you think about it one game at a time -- which this Celtics team has done an exceptional job of in the Big Three era -- the task becomes a little less daunting.

But for the sake of speculation, I take the approach that an unlikely comeback will not surface. If, in fact, the Heat win this series (get my puke bucket ready), have we seen the end of an era in Boston? With a potential NBA lockout looming large and a team full of veterans and hall-of-famers who aren't getting any younger, has the window finally closed on banner 18? It's tough to say. I see Paul Pierce as a guy with plenty of heart left and certainly some more productive years left. I see Ray Allen as the purest shooter the game has ever seen, a guy who has played just as many minutes in the big games over the past few seasons as he has during the rest of his career. I see Kevin Garnett, a player who can't consistently punch through defenses like the Big Ticket he used to be -- still, he's capable of bringing 28 points and 18 boards in big playoff games. Do the C's need more pieces in order to re-establish their dominance? Of course they do. The traditional "Big Three" cannot carry the ship any further by themselves. In that sense, we have reached the end of an era. But with players like Chris Paul and Dwight Howard hitting the market in the near future, you simply cannot count out the possibility that this team finds lightning in a bottle.

If there is a lockout, things look much worse. A full missed season is another year tacked onto all three major veterans for the C's and an increased likelihood of retirement for any of them. With young players like Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green showing promise in the playoffs, anything is possible. But let's be real. It's a star-driven league, and unless the C's find top-notch players to take over for some of the journeymen they have on their squad, the window may be closing harder than we think. Some LA Lakers will be for sale this offseason by all speculation, but those guys are the same type of veterans that the C's will be losing themselves. Young, athletic, energetic stars are the driving force of today's NBA. It's like finding a needle in a haystack these days. It's why the league is so top-heavy and lacks parity each year. The stars take over the games, the stars get the attention and the preference, and the stars win championships. Aside from maybe the Detroit Pistons, how many recent champions have just been a fully well-rounded unit without any studs? It doesn't happen. And when you lose your studs to injury, old age, retirement, whatever it may be -- you usually start the slide back down to the bottom, and you get back in line to climb to the top.

There are ways around that long journey. The best GMs find ways to shorten that transition, even make the transition during the climb in order to stay at the top through it all. That burden falls on Danny Ainge's shoulders. He has plenty of critics to answer and plenty of rebuilding to do within the next few years or less. The journey commences shortly.

It won't commence, however, until Boston says die. Never say die. See you in Miami.
 

Heart of a Champion, Guts of a Warrior

Rajon Rondo has dealt with his fair share of critics this season. After a blazing hot start, Rondo struggled for large portions of the season and, quite frankly, played like a D-Leaguer in games one and two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Miami Heat. But in game three Saturday night, the C's point guard quieted his haters and inspired a team and a city.

The above picture shows it all. After getting pulled to the floor by Dwyane Wade on yet another dirty play by the Heat star, Rondo braced his fall with his left arm and paid the severe consequences. In case you're still trying to decipher that snapshot -- a human arm isn't supposed to bend that way.

Waves of green collectively held their breath. That's a broken arm. Any doubt? He'll clearly miss the rest of the playoffs. Delonte better be ready. But even if he is, can the C's overcome the loss of Rondo to make a whole run through the NBA playoffs to the finals? We're doomed. It's over. So much for 18. Time to rebuild.

And then the morbid sea parted straight down the middle, and a golden ray of light shone through on the horizon. Rondo strolled his way out of the locker room, merely adding a protective sleeve to his left arm, and made his way back onto the court with a dislocated elbow. A point guard playing with a dislocated elbow. He played with one hand. It didn't matter. He made plays. He had a big steal that he finished off with a breakaway lay-in. One handed. You may be sick of the NBA in much the same way that I am. Maybe you have grown tired of the prima donnas like LeBron James who complain at every call and make the television product excruciatingly painful for those who love the gritty, hard-working, gut-wrenching battles. Maybe all of that is true. But no one can deny the glimmer of hope we saw last night. The gutsy players are still out there. Rajon Rondo may have inspired this team just enough to savor the last few drops they have left in the gas tank. The window may be closing on this team's chances, but they won't let it close without a fight. If nothing else, we know that. If these Celts are going to go down, they're going down fighting. And if we continue to see the same heart and dedication that Rondo showed last night, there's a pretty solid chance this series continues to turn around. If we see the same kind of performances from Pierce and Garnett, the same clutch shooting from Ray Allen, the same bench presence from Jeff Green, and the same cohesiveness among this entire squad, we will at least get to see a fun ride. Don't give up on 18 just yet. Let's see where this thing takes us.

PS -- The NBA may not be rigged after all. Why would they sweep the Lakers out in round two? Another glimmer of hope. Maybe we have hope.
 

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

You probably thought Christmas was the most wonderful time of the year, right? I mean, even the songs say it's true. And I guess the B's and Habs play each other around that time of year, as well. So it's a strong argument. But make no mistake about it. If you're a Boston sports fan, there is no better time of year than right now.

The Red Sox play the rubber game of a set with the Yankees tonight. The Celtics battle the Miami Heat for playoff position, all the while preparing for a matchup with what will be either the Sixers or the Knicks in round one. And the Bruins travel to New Jersey for their regular season finale, a meaningless game that serves as their final tune-up before the ever-hyped matchup this week in the opening round against the hated Montreal Canadiens. Now we just need the Patriots to scrimmage the Jets and it would literally a Masshole's fantasy month.

The C's still have a few games left (and the Sox have more than a few left), so I'm focusing on the B's and the Habs right now. Some will say it's the greatest rivalry in sports. Being a hockey fan and a huge Bruins fan, I have a natural bias toward the affirmative on that issue. But what you cannot argue with is the fact that it is absolute insanity when these teams meet -- this season more than any in recent history. In the past three games these teams have played, let me remind you how things went.

On February 9th at the TD Garden, the Bruins topped the Habs in an 8-6 bull fight that featured 182 penalty minutes and all-out brawls. Typical bad blood between the black and gold and bleu blanc rouge. In a carry-over effect on March 8th at the Bell Centre in Montreal, the Habs beat the B's 4-1. More significantly, though, that marked the game during which Zdeno Chara blasted Max Pacioretty into the stanchion and sparking a Montreal police investigation. Police investigation? It was ridiculous. But in the finale of their season series, the B's blasted the Habs back at the Garden by a 7-0 tally on March 24th. It's been the ultimate roller coaster, and it will be the ultimate matchup dropping the puck in just a few days.

It is the most wonderful time of the year. Will we finally see the expectations surpassed?
 

SOC: Hockey Talk, NFL Rule Changes

It's Tuesday, and just like last week, I'm going with the Stream of Consciousness. I couldn't just pick one thing to write about, and I also can't just write about the Bruins all the time. They always seem to be at the top of my list of things I want to discuss, but I couldn't just drop the other teams here. So this SOC works pretty well. We'll start with those B's mainly because they were the topic of discussion when I flicked on Felger & Mazz today.

What the Hell is Going On?
Blatant and simple question, and a valid one at that. What's going on with the Bruins? Seven games ago, the average Boston sports fan would have told you, "this is the year!!! Sayonara 1972!!!" After going 1-3-3 since their previous 7-game win streak, though, Bruins nation has been plagued with an uneasy feeling. A 5-2 shellacking from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night didn't help, either.  This team's power play has had immense struggles since acquiring the supposed answer in Tomas Kaberle. Their goaltending has failed to produce at the same level it has all year, but I'm not about to place any blame on those guys. If you ask me, the goaltending has bailed out this Bruins team on more than their share of occasions. Defensive breakdowns are starting to get magnified now that Thomas isn't standing on his head every minute of every game. It's a big reason to be concerned if you're the Bruins. They'll try to right the ship against a much-improved New Jersey Devils team tonight at the Garden. One bright spot lately has been Tyler Seguin, who is playing with more intensity and doing more of the dirty work. He was Boston's best forward in that ugly loss to Toronto, creating several scoring chances on his own and getting robbed on two occasions by a red-hot goaltender. Look for Seguin to be a continued spark of energy as this team tries to gel back into form.

Eagles Atop the Hockey East World... Again
While the Bruins were getting toasted in Toronto on Saturday night, the Boston College Eagles took home their 10th Hockey East Championship by defeating the Merrimack Warriors, 5-3. Merrimack was a great story this season and had beaten the Eagles twice in three previous meetings, but their mojo couldn't last long enough. The teams were tied in the third period, but Cam Atkinson blasted home a one-timer to take the lead for good with less than half a period to go. It was Atkinson's second goal of the third period and his league-leading 30th of the season, helping him earn MVP honors and earn Boston College yet another trophy. Led by one of the very best lines in the nation (Atkinson, J. Whitney, Gibbons), you can look for the Eagles to make a major splash in the NCAA tournament. They square off against Colorado College on Friday night, March 25th, at 9 PM. The game is at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

NFL Kickers? Shorter Distance to Boot.
The NFL made some rule changes today. I find it funny how successfully we can just ignore the fact that there's a significant work stoppage going on. Regardless, kickers will now kick-off from the 35 yard line instead of the 30, and touchbacks will continue to be placed at the 20. I'm not really sure that I care about this rule change at all -- kickers are just going to get more touchbacks than they already do. There are already some kickers who consistently boot it out of the back of the end zone. They're just going to kick it through the uprights now. Whatever. Just start every possession at the 20 by default if that's what you're trying to get at. Secondly, though, they made a good rule change. All scoring plays will be reviewed by the booth if necessary. Just like in the last two minutes. Didn't you ever think it was a little bit stupid that a team could just be blatantly robbed of a score simply because they had no challenges left? Fortunately for the teams that were hurt by cases like that, the NFL has made a simple yet effective rule change in that department. As for the other one, though, I'm not so sure.

I'm not going to devote a section to them just yet, because I gotta run. But the Celtics got a huge win last night and helped to show people they have it in them when it comes down to crunch time. So I'm not panicking like others are. The C's are fine -- all they need is for Doc to tell them they're soft. That will get KG & company fired up.
 

SOC: Sox Help Japan, B's Seek Win

As you may have noticed, I've been slacking lately. I haven't been posting regularly, but by the same token, the Boston sports world is at one of its calmest points of the calendar year. No playoffs, no football, and no big time college sports in this area (except for college hockey, which no one besides myself seems to care about). Things will heat up soon, but until then, I'm starting up a new segment to help myself spark some topics. SOC -- Stream of Consciousness. This post isn't about one team or one story. Just a sheet of notes that are on my mind this week in the sports world -- specifically Boston, but as usual, I'll range outside of the regional circle if the story is big enough. Shall we?

- Start on a serious note. The Red Sox have done their part in helping the crisis over in Japan over the past few days. Well-known pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima both hail from different parts of Japan, and the Sox have several other players and staff members within the organization with ties to the affected areas. They have all done their part in donating to the cause, and the Red Sox Foundation is giving its fans the chance to help as well. It's always nice to see organizations showing their human side and proving they aren't merely transaction machines that punch out game after game into the record books.

- And then there were the Bruins. Now that the Red Sox have broken their everlasting curse this century, are there any fans in Boston that suffer more heartbreak year in and year out than those in the hub of hockey? 1972 is the last time the B's won the cup. Just a few weeks ago, they kicked off what would amount to a 7-game win streak, including a 6-game sweep of a road trip. Last time Boston swept a road trip like that? 1972. This team looked like the legitimate cup contender we have been waiting for. And then we found the good old Bruins again. Losers of four straight (although they have salvaged two points via overtime affairs), it's time for the B's to pull themselves out of their slump and get back on track tonight against Columbus. Steven Kampfer is back in action, which will definitely be an upgrade over Bartkowski -- who, in my opinion, was incapable of shouldering the load he was given. The top forward line of Lucic, Krejci, and Horton has solidified itself as the Bruins' best line. Will Tyler Seguin ever see significant ice time this year? Will he get himself out of Claude Julien's dog house and earn the ice time that will help him progress? The way Boston is handling him is an argument for another day, but that will continue to be one of the main question marks heading into the home stretch.

- The great thing about this time of year in Boston is that we are still getting to watch championship contenders on the ice as well as on the court. You wouldn't know it lately, though, would you? The Celtics have dropped three of their last four games, and their rotations look a bit alarming with all the new faces. Don't get me wrong -- I think Jeff Green has the tools to be a great player in this league. I think Carlos Arroyo is the best floor general for the second unit that we've had in years. Nenad Kristic is doing a more than acceptable job at center. But the new faces are all offensive-minded guys, and they aren't exactly gelling the way we would have liked to see them gel. I'm not worried -- if we learned anything from the Celtics last season, it's to essentially disregard the regular season and rejoin the conversation in the playoffs. So I guess that's what I'll do, but I can't do it without at least a little bit of concern -- after all, it's not really fatigue or injury (aside from the O'Neals) that is bringing the squad down right now. That's the one red flag, but I'll brush it aside for the time being.

- Dammit. Talking about those other sports almost made me forget that there's no football anymore, as of right now. Over the weekend, I was talking about this with some friends. And a non-football fan actually thought we were joking when we said there wouldn't be a season next year. Of course, there still might be -- but it just goes to show how self-centered and egotistical the owners are. Both sides are, of course, guilty of some greediness. But I'm placing the blame in an 85-15 proportion on the owners. Get your heads out of your asses and fix your mistakes before you go down as the bad guys who destroyed America for one autumn season.

- Another note on the labor situation in the NFL, but this one from a player I've never really liked. It's a funny story, actually. Adrian Peterson. Those of you who know me know that I've never been a fan of his -- greatly due to the fact that he's the most overrated back in the league. But Yahoo Sports featured Peterson in a recent article, and since its publication, they have removed a few quotes from AP. Want to hear what Peterson said about the whole lockout situation? "It's modern-day slavery, you know?" Amazingly, I didn't make that up. So you really decided to go there, Adrian? To call this modern-day slavery? I guess I agree. Poor you. They make you play football? For millions of dollars? I cannot express in words my empathy for you. It's like you're a modern-day slave with these conditions. How will you ever survive? Here's a thought -- take a taste of reality, sir. Have some gratitude for the fact that you get to play the sport that you love and make silly, stupid amounts of money doing so. I know more than a few people who were dealt a worse hand than yourself.

- As a final note in my stream of consciousness, who are you all taking in the NCAA tourney? You make your brackets? If I was more advanced in computer science, I would make a database for Ultimate Boston readers to have a bracket tourney. If anyone wants to actually do that, go for it. I'll join. Just leave a comment or shoot an email and let me know, and I'll join. But anyway, I always pick my brackets boldly. You have to, right? You can't just pick the favorites... it never works that way. I found myself having chosen an all Big East final four. Crazy, right? But for the record, here it is. Among all of my other picks, coming down to the big games, my final four consists of Louisville, UConn, Syracuse, and Pittsburgh. My national championship game is between UConn and Louisville. A 3 and a 4 seed -- crazy, right? Gotta be bold. Give me Kemba Walker and his UConn Huskies for all the marbles.
 

Arroyo Ready to Join Celtics Pursuit

After last night, I'm in no mood to talk about the Boston Bruins. Isn't that the great thing about Boston sports, though? There is always a promising front to discuss. Today, it's the new-look Celtics who may have finally constituted their roster completely for the pursuit of Banner 18.

Eight days ago, Carlos Arroyo was released by the Miami Heat to make room for Mike Bibby, the point guard they felt most confident with moving forward. Since Arroyo last stepped on the court for the South Beach Superstars, the team has lost 6 of its last 7 games and looks to be in complete free fall. Meanwhile, Danny Ainge picked up his phone and took a shot at the recently available Arroyo. For the point guard, it was a no-brainer to come to Boston.

He handled his interview like a true professional on Tuesday, showing no hostility toward the Heat and no desire for revenge. He expressed a desire for one thing and one thing only -- winning a championship. Didn't take him long to buy into the Celtic way, huh?

From the team's standpoint, the signing of Arroyo might be the last piece to the puzzle. Looking at Boston's newly constituted roster, 5 of the 15 players were recently acquired in the past few weeks. Of the remaining 10 players, virtually none of them seem to be on their way out of town. So this is the roster that Danny Ainge and the Celtics feel comfortable with moving forward. The question is -- is it championship caliber?

To me, I say yes. Everyone was ripping apart Danny Ainge for trading away Kendrick Perkins a few weeks ago, but here we are today with a Boston squad that looks more equipped than ever to win a title. Jeff Green has looked more and more like the player we thought we were getting, pouring in 21 points in a winning effort last week. Nenad Krstic has certainly held his own down low, and the return of Shaq and Jermaine will do great measures in further bolstering that post game. Troy Murphy will be called upon to make contributions -- not be the centerpiece. For a guy who was once a walking double-double, Murphy can definitely be a factor in building an all-around team. And with the acquisition of Carlos Arroyo, Boston has secured themselves a true back-up point guard. Arroyo is a guy who can run a team on his own, a guy who isn't any type of liability on the court. Nate Robinson was Boston's late-season acquisition last year, and he provided some great spark -- but he was a bit of a liability when it came to running an entire unit as the point guard. Doc Rivers and the rest of the staff expect that problem to be solved with the arrival of Arroyo in the backcourt.

The newcomers are all excited about this team. Guys like Jermaine O'Neal -- the first person Arroyo called once becoming a member of the Celtics -- have proclaimed that this is by far the best team they have ever played on. Players are buying into the system, and they're forming the Celtic family both on and off the court. You have to love the enthusiasm and the chemistry going on in that locker room, on the bench, and on the court. I cannot say whether this team is good enough to make another title run, but I can surely tell you that each and every guy in that room believes they are fully capable.
 

Bruins, Celtics Earn West Coast Wins

The Bruins and Celtics were both in action last night, but the hometown fans needed to stay awake into the later hours in order to catch the games. The B's were on the western coast of Canada visiting the NHL-leading Vancouver Canucks, while the Boston Celtics were a little bit further south, across the border, taking on the Los Angeles Clippers. In the end, it was a good night for both squads.

The B's, according to most fans and experts, have turned into an actual Cup contender with their recent acquisitions. Last night could have been a pretty large measuring stick, facing a Canucks team with a superstar goaltender, two of the top scorers in the NHL, and the best win-loss record in the entire league. Thanks to production from their big names, the black and gold left Milan Lucic's hometown with two points.

Lucic assisted on Boston's first tally of the game, which was a second-chance effort by Nathan Horton that found its way into the net to tie the score at one. Late in the third period, Lucic buried the rebound from a Dennis Seidenberg shot for his team-leading 27th goal of the season, giving Boston the lead for good. Patrice Bergeron added to his team-leading point total (21-29-50) with an empty net goal to seal the deal for Boston. Tim Thomas made 28 big saves between the pipes, earning his 28th win of the season.

We might see Tuukka Rask between the pipes against the NHL's worst team, the Edmonton Oilers. It's a huge game for the Bruins, and they can't fall into the false idea that Edmonton will be a cakewalk. There is no such thing in the NHL. The action will start at 8:00 ET tonight, and it will feature the long-awaited matchup between Taylor and Tyler -- rookies Taylor Hall of the Oilers and Tyler Seguin of the Bruins, who were selected first and second overall, respectively, in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Back in the United States, though, the Celtics were tipping off against Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers. The game marked the Celtics debuts of newly acquired players Nenad Krstic and Jeff Green, and both players made impacts in what ultimately amounted to a 99-92 Celtics win.

Krstic got the start at center for Boston, and he was fairly impressive overall. The big guy was in a little bit of foul trouble, but he pulled down a game-high 6 offensive rebounds and dropped in 9 points. Defensively, he was able to hold Clippers starting center DeAndre Jordan to just 4 points.

Jeff Green didn't see quite as many minutes as Krstic did, but he contributed 7 points on 2-for-5 shooting from the field. Green will be a work in progress for the C's, but the underlying consensus is that he will become a great player for Boston down the road. We can only hope that didn't come at the expense of a 2011 title shot -- which, for the record, I don't believe it did.

The story of the game were the big names for the Celtics, though. Paul Pierce poured in a team-high 24 points, Ray Allen dropped 22, and Kevin Garnett pitched in 16 to go with 11 rebounds. Rajon Rondo dished out 11 assists and grabbed 7 boards of his own, and Glen Davis continued to play a fantastic sixth-man role with 10 points off the bench. It may have been a little too close -- the Clippers led by 7 at halftime -- but in the end, a win is a win.

It was a good night to be a Boston sports fan, and we don't have to wait very long to see each of these teams back in action again. I mentioned that the Bruins hit the ice tonight at 8, and tomorrow night, the Celtics visit the Utah Jazz. Tip-off for that one is set for 9:00 PM ET. We know all too well here in Boston that the regular season isn't something to get overly excited about, but it sure feels good knowing that you have legitimate title contenders in -- well, just about every sport.
  

Midseason Trade Review

As you can all probably tell, the staff at UB has been pretty busy with their daily lives. We'll all post when we can, but forgive us if you don't see posts about certain events right away. We might be attempting to do well at out $35,000-$50,000 education.

So the Celtics made a couple trades this week, eh? Let's make a pros and cons list. Generally works for Michael Scott.

Pros:
This makes the Celtics more versatile offensively. Jeff Green can definitely score, although his shot selection is questionable at times. He can also play both forward positions. And on a number of teams, he would be a starter (he's started 261 of his 289 games with OK City Franchise).

This might have us match up better against Miami and New York. But we also beat Miami 3 times without Green., so that's not really a factor at all in my mind.

On a lesser extent, this makes the trade for Ray Allen a complete success. Ray was acquired for Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, and our draft pick in the 2007 draft, Green. Currently, we have 3 of those players, and Wally has been out of the league for a few years.

Cons:
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. We did need some sort of help; some type of scoring punch to back-up at forward. And yes, we did live without Perk for much of this season. But how much do we really trust Shaq and Jermaine to be healthy? Can they defend Dwight, Bynum, and Pau? Granted, the road to the finals may not include Orlando this year, and the Finals might not be against the Lakers.

Secondly, the other trades made. Yes, you could make a case for why or why not the Perk trade is beneficial. But what is the reasoning for trading 3 players, including two rookies, for two 2nd round draft picks. There are sources saying that they expect the likes of Troy Murphy, Rip Hamilton, and Jason Kapono to hit the waiver wire. Great, but what if they don't? We can definitely get by without them; when healthy, the C's will have 12 players on the active roster. But health has been a major issue not only this season, but the past 3 years with this aging group.

I'm not upset about losing Harangody, Semih, or Daniels (or Nate really). Ultimately, they can be replaced. Hopefully, Danny has a plan in place to replace them and to piece this team together.
   

Colossal Matinee Matchups for Beantown

The Boston sports scene is hopping this afternoon, featuring a pair of exciting matchups between elite teams in their respective conferences. At 12:30, the Bruins will get their chance at redemption against the Detroit Red Wings. A half-hour later, the C's will look to take back Eastern Conference supremacy at the Garden against the surging Miami Heat.

Starting with the more hyped matchup, the Celtics and Heat will be out for blood tonight. I know I wrote an article saying regular season games are insignificant, and I still do believe that for the most part. But if I had to pick a few that meant something, this one definitely would be included. It could have major ramifications on playoff seeding, and equally important to note is the concept of the "measuring stick." Right now, the Heat are unsure if they are able to beat Boston. Boston is confident they can handle the Heat. Things change with a Miami victory this afternoon. They would have the confidence and the mental advantage moving forward to the next time the two teams play. To be honest, I've grown a bit weary of their developments. The Heat are pretty damn good now that they have found their rhythm. It will come down to defense as usual for Boston -- if their help defense can click and contain James and Wade, they'll be in good shape. Hopefully the green can come out on top from arguably the biggest game of the regular season.

Meanwhile, the Bruins will be facing off in the Motor City in an effort to redeem their pitiful loss to the Wings on Friday night. The B's 6-1 demolition was their worst defeat of the season, and they will be looking to prove that they aren't the sloppy, sluggish team that showed up on Friday evening. Tuukka Rask did have a weak game as his struggles continued, so Tim Thomas will be back between the pipes this afternoon when the Bruins look to even the scale. As we head for the homestretch of the season, it's time for the B's to get their act together and start playing a playoff brand of hockey.

And on a side note -- pitchers and catchers report tomorrow. Spring is just around the corner, New Englanders.
 

Panic? Furthest Thing From it for C's

After last night's disappointing 92-86 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics are no longer the undisputed best team in the NBA. Of course they are still up there with the best, and they may even still be better than the Lakers. But in the wake of this loss, some people are actually suggesting the panic meter is in sight. Really? Honestly?

An ESPN article this morning explains why it isn't time to panic if you're the Boston Celtics. Thanks for enlightening me, but does anyone actually think it's close to panic time? In my opinion, it couldn't be further from it. We're talking about the NBA here, folks. Regular season wins don't matter. Period. Bold statement, yes. Irrational, maybe slightly. But true, in my opinion. I've grown less and less interested with the regular season endeavors of the Boston Celtics because I have grown aware of how meaningless those endeavors are in today's NBA. There is, for all intents and purposes, a 0% chance the Celtics don't make the playoffs, and arguably the same percentage they don't finish in the top 4 seeds. They showed last year that home court advantage is rather overrated (which I've always believed it is in the sport of basketball). They finished fourth last season and had mighty struggles most of the regular season. Why, then, would anyone panic after a 6-point loss to the Lakers and a rough little skid this past week? Did we learn nothing from last year? Are we blind to the way the NBA is constituted? If you love the game more than anything else and you love watching it night in and night out, maybe you disagree. But I'm just shooting out the facts. The regular season in the NBA is a mere warm-up. We know what's going to happen, to quite an extent, in the postseason (let's not even get into the rigged conspiracy theories; I'm just basing that statement on sheer talent). It's not like hockey, football, or baseball where you might have a stud arise from the minors and put the team on his back or a team of relative no-names bond together as a unit and shock the world. Sorry folks, but it doesn't happen in the NBA. It's a star-driven league, and in the end, there are maybe five teams that will compete for the title. The Celtics and Lakers are two of those five teams. Last night's loss was as significant to Boston's season as the brand of cereal I ate for breakfast this morning.

Maybe it's a cynical approach, but I've felt this way about the NBA for the past few years. I personally don't like the direction it is headed in. I like the regular season to mean something. I like the uncertainty that comes with the NHL or the NFL, leagues where you truly cannot know if your team will even make the postseason. Now we're talking about sending Carmelo to Hollywood? Whatever. I know it's all about the money and the ratings, but as a fan of integrity and parity, I like having a little uncertainty when it comes to crowning a champion in the preseason.
 

Get Ready for History, Boston

Tonight will, in all likelihood, be a very historic night at Boston's TD Garden. In what amounts to one of the most incredible weeks of the year for the building as a whole, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers will tip off tonight with one Celtic looking to etch his spot in professional basketball history.

On Monday night, the Boston College Eagles and Boston University Terriers battled an instant classic in the opening round of the Beanpot at the Garden. Then, last night, the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens bruised their way to an incredible 14-goal, 182 penalty minute bloodbath that the B's won, 8-6. Tonight, rivalry week continues with the C's and Lakers.

Ray Allen needs just one three-pointer to tie Reggie Miller's all-time mark (2,560) for three-point field goals made in a career. Allen will break the record with the second longball he drains tonight -- assuming he isn't ice cold -- and the Garden will erupt. There will likely be a stoppage and a memo on the jumbotron to honor such a phenomenal achievement. Four years ago, we may not have even cared one bit that Ray Allen might someday break the record. After all, most of those threes came with the now non-existent Seattle Supersonics. Today, though, we cherish Allen as one of our own. When the moment comes, every Celtics fan can do nothing but tip his or her cap to the greatest of all-time from downtown.
 

The Reigning Versus The Greatest

The circumstance that Paul Pierce suggested last month will present itself at this year's NBA All-Star festivities. The reigning champ of the 3-Point Shootout will face far stiffer competition this time around, when his fellow Celtic sharpshooter Ray Allen joins the pool. We've got the reigning champ against -- soon to be, anyway -- the best 3-point shooter in the history of this league.

It's a good move by the league and everyone involved. Ed B discussed the issue last month, and I completely agree with his notion -- All-Star weekend has begun to lose its spark. It has become a bit mundane. A storyline like this one with some teammate competition might just give it the boost it needs. Speaking of teammate competition -- do you think the NBA would ever consider following in the footsteps of the NHL?

It sounds totally insane and an idea to scoff at. The NBA? Following the NHL? Never in a million years. But let's face it. The NHL made a great move. In a league where the players are so much more distinct and well-known, with a game that features so much more isolation and individual showcasing, wouldn't it be a must-see event? To watch Rondo cross up Ray Allen at the top of the key, drive to the lane, get contested by KG, but dish it off to ... Kobe? For three? I think it would be a lot more interesting. It might serve the NBA best to swallow their pride and follow the hockey guys on this one. Because after all -- there's an extremely small chance that I watch the actual all-star game this season. It just doesn't interest me one bit.

Irrelevant contests aside, Ray Allen will look to become the NBA's all-time leader in career 3-point field goals made tomorrow night. What better a stage than the Celtics versus the Lakers at the Garden? Ray-Ray planned it just right. It's all shaping up to be an unforgettable night, hopefully featuring an energized and rowdy crowd celebrating a milestone achievement by a star and a statement victory over a rival.
 

Jermaine O'Neal Out. Again

ESPNBOSTON.com- Boston Celtics reserve center Jermaine O'Neal underwent a left knee arthroscopy Friday and the team optimistically set a recovery window of six to eight weeks, according to president of basketball operations Danny Ainge.

Jermaine O'Neal is out again? No biggie I say.

After already missing 32 games this season, I think the Cetlics will be okay without the "other" O'Neal, for a couple of reasons. The first is that Kendrick Perkins is back and getting better on the court after missing 7 months due to his own injury. This will make up for O'Neal's injury.

Plus, the Celtics have one of the best rotations of big men. Kevin Garnett, Shaq (IF he gets healthier over the next couple of weeks), Big Baby, Semih Erden, and Perkins can easily make up the time given up because of O'Neal's injury. They've been doing it all season, so this won't be too much of a culture shock for the Celtics' big men.

Six to eight weeks is a long time to be out, and on another team this could be a crippling injury not only for the player but for the team. However, with the bench the Celtics have put together, there is no doubt in my mind that the Celtics can continue playing elite basketball without (one of) the back-up centers for some weeks.
  

Big Four Voted in as Reserves

NBA.com - Eastern Conference coaches voted Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo as four of the seven All-Star reserves named Thursday. They will be joined by Al Horford and Joe Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks and Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat on the bench at Staples Center.


That is awesome. I remember watching the '06 Pistons all go on the floor at once. Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace and old friend (or foe) 'Sheed taking the floor. And who went out with them? Paul Pierce. Must be sweet for Paul to get to do the same with his teammates.

The roster seems logical in the East. Only the top 6 teams in the league are represented. Rightfully so, as no other team in the conference has a winning record. There's probably a case to be made for Danny Granger, who is averaging 21 points a contest. While Ray is only getting 17 per game, however, he is shooting 9% better than Granger. So that would be my rebuttal to that argument. KG doesn't have huge numbers this year, but come on; do the fans want to see Brook Lopez and Andrea Bargnani? If anyone got snubbed, though, it was Josh Smith, who is probably having a career year. But all-in-all, good choices. Biased? Probably..

I'm slightly confused on the Western Reserves. I guess if we are making the case for Garnett, then Tim Duncan should absolutely be included. Unfortunately, LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Love should be on this team. They are most certainly playing better basketball than Tim Duncan on the scorecard. Then again, Duncan's contributions don't always reflect in his statistics. I consider Steve Nash to be a snub. He is having a typical Steve Nash year numbers wise. However, it's impossible to argue with Paul, Williams, and Westbrook being chosen, all of whom are playing for contenders at the same position.

There will be at least one other roster spot opening, as Yao will not be participating. Early reports say that Steve Nash will take that spot. Ultimately, that can't go wrong with who they choose (well, I guess they can), but if the West is going to lose a big man, he should probably be replaced with another big man.

Are there other snubs? Most likely. But I like both teams. Kudos, coaches.

Interesting to note. The West roster has 4 players who, before playing for the NBA, played overseas. The East? Zero. Significance? None, really. Just caught my eye.

Maybe we can win 3 of Saturday Night's festivities. Rondo in the skills, Paul (or Ray) in the 3s, and Nate in the dunk contest. THAT would be cool.
  

Celtics Notes

What can I say? The Celtics are looking better than ever now. They are looking like the 2008 team, if not better than the championship team. They're still going strong coming into the final stretch before the all-star break. Everything (for the most part) is clicking for the men in green. I couldn't be any happier about it.

Last night, the Celtics eked out a victory over the Kings, with a ton of contribution from the starting five. The Celtics went 3-1 on this past road trip, and beat the defending champion Lakers in the process. The Celtics are looking to be one of the best, if not the best teams in the league right now; they are getting great contribution from every position, every rotation. Though there are still many games left in the season, it can't hurt to be ecstatic with the team's progress.

Also in this game, Ray Allen pulled much closer to tying (and surpassing) Reggie Miller's record for three-pointers in an NBA career. Allen is now just nine three-pointers away from tying the legendary Pacer. It would be phenomenal to see Allen break the record, and, barring any unusual circumstances, he most likely will.

It feels great to be a Celtics fan right now, but we'll see what the second half of the season has to offer for the C's. Many still question if the Celtics will go back to the old habit of falling apart post-All-Star game, but that remains to be seen. But for right now, I'm basking in the winning ways of the NBA's proudest franchise.
  

Pierce vs. Allen: Who Wins?

ESPNBoston.com-Celtics captain Paul Pierce (42.3 percent) and Ray Allen (45.4 percent) are both shooting career-highs from 3-point nation this season, and Pierce, the NBA's reigning 3-point champion, thinks he and Allen should square off in the event to be held on Saturday, Feb. 19 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, site of the NBA's 60th annual All-Star game.

I love this idea, and not just as a Celtics fan, but as an NBA fan. The all-star festivities have been getting kind of mundane over the years, especially with the dunk-contests getting more rudimentary. But this could bring some more interest into the event.

Why? Having two good buddies (and teammates) who are some of the elite in three-point shooters in the league facing off to see who really is better at pure three-point shooting. As far as I'm concerned, this could definitely bring some excitement to another stale NBA All-Star weekend competition.

So, as I often do, I'm reaching out to the UB Faithful to pick who they think will win. Does the reigning champ Pierce have the tools to retain his title and thwart the attempts of Allen? Or is Ray Allen too good of a pure shooter to lose to his friend? Let us know your thoughts.

As for me, I'd put my money on Allen. Pierce is great beyond the arc, but Allen is phenomenal, and may be the best pure shooter the NBA has ever seen.
  

C's Deliver Message to Defending Champs

In their first matchup of 2011, the Celtics and Lakers had little on the line in regards to their season standing as a whole. What was on the line, though, was a big statement from Boston telling L.A. that they wouldn't be bullied around once again.

The last time the C's stepped into the Staples Center, it was for the agonizing 4-point defeat in Game 7 of last year's NBA finals. And while that bitter taste will remain for the green right up until the day they raise the eighteenth banner, they were able to take a step toward alleviating that pain with a convincing 109-96 victory over Kobe Bryant and the Lakers on Sunday afternoon. It's imperative to avoid taking too much stock in this game, but from the small sample size we've been given, I'm led to believe Boston's offseason adjustments have put them over the hump when it comes to besting their rival Lakers.

The added depth up front that the Celtics have added was the biggest difference in my mind. Game 7 was, quite arguably, lost at least partially due to the absence of Kendrick Perkins. Having Perkins back healthy as well as the contributions from Shaq and Semih Erden have enabled the Celtics to dominate post matchups. Kevin Garnett's knee is seemingly back to its old form, and he looks as good as he has since the green's championship days. The Lakers big men were totally shut down and uninspired on Sunday. With their abysmal shooting from a few guys, including Ron Artest (1-for-10), L.A. was forced to totally rely on the isolation game with Kobe Bryant. Rajon Rondo had 6 more assists than the entire Lakers team had. Team basketball? More like Kobe basketball. And even though Bryant dropped 41, it was a hard-fought 41 that didn't come easily at the hands of the Boston defense. The Celtics do a phenomenal job of playing as a five-man unit and making each and every shot that Kobe Bryant takes as hard as possible. When they're clicking the way they were last night, they're unstoppable. And despite what Mark Jackson believes, I'll still follow the old adage -- defense wins championships.

But it's only one game. The Celtics trail the Spurs by 4 games for the best record in the NBA, and the Lakers are 3.5 games behind the C's in that category. This game may have helped Boston in the department of earning a potential home court advantage over the Lakers in the finals (if the matchup presented itself), but I'm not thinking too far ahead. The biggest value of this win was the emotional lift that the green got. It's not quite as bitter walking into that Staples Center locker room as it was before; but like I said, the bitterness will never completely vanish until banner #18 is hanging from the rafters at the TD Garden.
 

Average Joe's NBA Midseason Review

If you recall, I made my projections for the NBA playoffs in October. Let's see how I did.

Predicted:
Eastern Conference: 1)Miami vs 8)Washington. 2)Boston vs 7)New York. 3) Orlando vs 6) Milwaukee. 4) Chicago vs 5) Atlanta. Bubble teams: Cleveland, Indiana, Philadelphia

Western Conference: 1) Los Angeles vs 8) Phoenix. 2) Dallas vs 7) San Antonio. 3) OK City vs 6) Denver. 4) Utah vs. 5) Portland. Bubble Teams: Houston, New Orleans, Memphis

Currently:
Eastern Conference: 1)Boston vs 8)Charlotte. 2)Miami vs 7)Philadelphia. 3)Chicago vs 6)New York. 4)Atlanta vs 5)Orlando. First 3 out: Indiana, Milwaukee, Detroit

Western Conference: 1)San Antonio vs 8)Portland. 2)Los Angeles vs 7)Utah. 3)Dallas vs 6) Denver. 4)OK City vs 5) New Orleans. First 3 out: Memphis, Phoenix, Houston

Currently, only Denver is seeded at the same position they were predicted as. But regardless, I didn't do too shabby (in my opinion, anyway). In the East, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, and New York each jumped up one spot, while Miami dropped one and Orlando dropped 2. I didn't even consider Charlotte at the beginning, largely due to the way they got swept right out of the 2010 playoffs. And Philadelphia's youth is performing better than I expected, and are currently set up to challenge Miami in round 1.