THOUGHTS FROM THE WEEK THAT WAS/QUOTES OF NOTE

Hello to one and all, wherever you may be. It has been quite a week indeed in Boston, with the Boston Celtics sending us into the OFFICIAL START OF SUMMER with an NBA Finals victory, giving us our second championship in Boston in the last 8 months. At the risk of sounding greedy, I can't help but think that if the Patriots had prevailed in Superbowl XLII, that would have given us THREE MAJOR SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS IN A ROW. These are incredible times indeed to be a Boston sports fan, and ones that I will cherish for years to come. Having lived and died with our professional sports teams my entire life, I remember what it was like around here until the Patriots broke the championship drought in February of 2002. With that experience comes the knowledge of how quickly things can change in professional sports. I realize that things will not always be as they are now, and eventually this incredible run of championships will come to an end. That is what makes moments such as last Tuesday so special in their own unique way.

Speaking of championships, there has been much talk and debate locally and nationally about whether seeing our teams have this type of success ever "gets old", and if all these championships have made us "spoiled", or "greedy". As to whether it ever gets old, I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt... NO!! As far as the the Celtics are concerned, the journey was too long and painful (as I pointed out in my last blog entry)from June of 1986, to June of 2008. Anyone that does no know of what I speak, either has not been paying attention, or is not very knowledgeable about NBA history over the last 22 years.

As for the second point, about whether we are too "greedy", "spoiled", or have become a "Mini-New York" in turns of a pompous, entitled attitude, I will say two things: Number one, most of the things I have read about our "attitude" is coming from commentators, etc. from New York, who have NO RIGHT TO CALL ANY OTHER CITY POMPOUS OR ENTITLED. I read in the Boston Globe about one New York sports talk radio host, talking about the "bad attitude" that we have, while bragging about the Giants Superbowl victory, and further boasting about how "things will soon change, and The Yankees will add to their 26 World Series titles". Of course, he convientley forgets how the Yankees chose Game Four of last year's World Series (as the Red Sox were clinching their championship), to air the next installment of the STUPID, boring soap opera between Yankees management and Alex Fraudriguez. Who was acting pompous then?

I will sum up the whole thing by saying this: I hope every fan in every city with four sports teams, that has suffered through mediocre seasons, bad front office decisions, etc. can experience what we have seen over the last six-plus years in Boston, and that includes you SMOKIN STEVE, if you are reading this. I have been saying for a long time, that things will eventually change (as they always do in sports), and cities like Philadelphia will have its day. If it happened in Boston, it can happen anywhere.

QUOTES OF NOTE

" Anything is possible!!!!"
- Kevin Garnett after the Celtics won their 17th NBA Championship on Tuesday night

" I have to thank my teammates, the organization, and the city of Boston for sticking with me...It was tough, and we had some bad teams, but I am glad that we could bring this home for you."
Celtics captain Paul Pierce, upon accepting the NBA Finals MVP trophy

"These events are not easy to plan, bet we sure have gotten alot of practice lately."
- Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis at the press conference announcing the Celtics Championship Parade

"I would like to welcome everyone to the latest meeting of the Book of the Month Club" - Rep. Lamar Smith, on day two of Scott McClelland's Judiciary Committee hearings