A Loss Not Pertaining to the Celts

This blog is beginning to look like one that focuses soley on basketball. That is not my intention, and it is just coincidence that I have had an awfully lot to say on the matter of late.

Incidentally, something else annoyed me tonight. In between studying for finals, I decided to go out, grab some coffee and enjoy a fine cigar at a lounge I had discovered at the beginning of the year. I voyaged off campus to the local starbucks, grabbed whatever the house brew was and went on my merry way in anticipation of a relaxing hour of expensive carcinogens. After finally finding parking, I exited my vehicle onto the rain splattered streets of Staten Island, only to find that the lounge in question had gone out of business. Now, there could be several reasons for this, however I will focus on the one that I find most infuriating.

Smoking laws in this country are getting out of hand. The business was likely unable to turn enough profit to negate the taxes placed on it by the state of New York. Yes, tobacco is ultimately harmful, and there are risks in its consumption, but let us consider honestly how many of life's pleasures carry no risks. Food? Well unless you REALLY like broccoli, you're going to run into obesity problems there. Alcohol? Liver problems anyone? Television? Well I'm told if you get too close its bad for your eyes, plus, shouldn't you be spending your time more wisely?

Come on people...stop letting the government decide what is good for you. Interpret the information for yourself, or you risk sliding down a slippery slope. I know that tobacco smoke poses health risks to all those who are exposed to it, even those who don't desire to be, but how many non-smokers are entering a cigar bar without accepting the risk that they may be exposed to harmful smoke? I am sick of the attitude that government should decide for the people based on principles of the "greater good". If a store owner wants to allow smoking, so be it. His competitor can go the other way and appeal to a different customer base. That is the way the free market works, and I'm sick of stupid, frivolous regulation of the system that has made the United States so prosperous.

Ah well, such is life...and I predict its only to get worse after the elections are decided.

Doc Rivers Nominated For Most Overrated Coach of the Year!!

That's what the headlines should have read when he received the real award. It seems that he coaches properly when this club is at home, but completely forgets how he did so each and every time the team goes down to Atlanta. The big 3 are playing way too many minutes. Sam Cassell is a HUUUGE disappointment and should not be allowed to play. Ever.

Not to mention the fact that when given the chance to tie the game, he decides brilliantly to set up a 3-point opportunity for the ice cold Ray Allen. This team is living and dying from three point land and it needs to stop. Now. He should have set up Kevin Garnett on the block, tied the game and put in Tony Allen to defend (remember him? yeah he plays defense well). This game could have been won several times. I am not at all concerned about winning game 7 (it is in Boston), but I am very concerned that this might be the only series the Celtics win this year.

Doc Rivers needs to realize (and fast, the Cavs are actually a marginally good team) that his team won 66 games in the regular season by balanced bench and star play. Not by exhausting the big three (although early in the season, they did log too many minutes). He needs to realize that overtime is a better alternative than game 7, and he needs to realize that the coach of the year award does not really mean anything.

I'm frustrated. I'm frustrated because the Hawks look like the veteran team.

And I'm done. I can't think about this anymore...I don't care that we'll probably win on Sunday. I care that we could have ended this series in 5 games.

Abysmal.

Disgusted

So, back to back losses to the Hawks. This is beginning to look bad. I have little else to say on the matter. I would however, if given the chance, ask Doc Rivers the following questions:

1) Why the hell did you take Rondo out after his solid performance in the third that was pivitol in building the 10 point lead the C's took into the fourth.
2) Why the hell did you not make a matchup switch after the FIFTH straight time Joe Johnson burned Ray Allen?
3) Why the hell did you keep a struggling Leon Powe in the game?

This was, in my opinion, a loss to be attributed to mediocre coaching (at best...coach of the year? yeah right...) and being outplayed by an inferior team who just wanted it more.

And so we'll bring it home and HOPEFULLY shift momentum back to green. If not...well this will be an upset...and I will continue to watch my favorite team gasp for air after establishing themselves as the best in the league.

Welcome

Well, ladies and gentlemen, hello and welcome. You, who decide to read this, will have gained an interesting perspective into the many thoughts that comprise my dementia. It's been awhile since I've been on the blog scene, but there are a lot of important things happening right now. The electoral process is well under way, the economy is tanking, and perhaps most importantly, my Boston Celtics are actually a viable playoff team.

Yes, in this year's election we have the rare luxury of fantastic, viable candidates on both sides of the bipartisan line. On the democratic side, we have a woman who could possibly give Nicole Bass a run for her money in this year's manliest woman competition and an African American male with strong financial ties to a deranged member of the clergy. On the republican side, we have a crispy war veteran that may or may not experience a heart attack during or before his inauguration. Unfortunately, I don't think that any of these, albeit very admirable individuals, possess the attributes America needs to avert a roman empire-like fall.

Yeah, the economy sucks, but mass hysteria makes it worse! Keep piling on the credit card debt, middle class America...After all, as a semi-famous British rock band once said, "don't you know it's gonna be alright?". Okay, sarcasm aside, it's true. Faithlessness in the economy makes recessions infinitely worse.

In other, far more important news, the Celtics are up 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs against the abysmal Atlanta Hawks. If they are so atrocious, why then did the C's lose on Saturday? Honestly, I'm not too worried about it. It's clear that the Hawks have to shoot 10/18 from three point land and execute near perfectly to beat this year's number 1 team by a barely convincing 9 points. With this loss aside, and Paul Pierce fired up in response to being taunted by one of the young Hawks, I don't think you will see another game come within Atlanta's reach. Look for a win margin of 15+ points in the remaining 2 games of this series. It is so nice to have something to cheer for again. By and large, Boston fans are loyal despite the shortcomings of their favorite teams. This is why Mike Bibby's comment regarding the Garden being filled with "fairweather fans" was a slap in the face. Well, Michael, at least our team fills its arena...Even when your pathetic ball club makes it to the playoffs, there are plenty of empty seats to be had. Oh well, I digress.

This should be a fun ride...Tune in next time for a less fragmented, more focused post.