Have New England Fans Become Soft?

Pink Hat, check, sleeping fan, check…

Long ago in a galaxy far, far away, I used to wonder what it was like to have my team win a title. The Celtics were in the post-Bird Era and the Patriots were just not that good. I live in New England, and although I am not a Red Sox fan, I had plenty of friends who were and I know they wondered that as well. On February 3, 2002, it all ended, and an absolute avalanche of titles headed to New England. The Patriots won 3 Super Bowls, the Red Sox won 2, and the Celtics most recently got in on the action with banner #17, 22 years after banner 16 (The Bruins make a profit every year, can that be considered title worthy?). As a fan, you always hope your team will get it together and win in your lifetime, many times it does not happen (sorry Cubs fans), but here’s a thought, is winning so many titles at once a BAD thing? Is it like over-indulging on Kit Kats to the point that you can never eat them again? Does it take away a fan’s edge? I wouldn’t have thought so either, but in the last couple of weeks, I have to say the evidence points to a resounding “yes”.

I first noticed this in the beginning of 2005, when the Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles and claimed their 3rd Super Bowl in 4 years. When the final gun sounded and Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, and Bill Belicheck embraced each other for the final time at midfield, I didn’t have that feeling that I did in 2002 when Adam Vinatieri split the uprights and beat the Rams. I had this overwhelming and almost shameful feeling of “been there, done that”. I was disgusted with myself as a person and more importantly as a fan. Don’t get me wrong, I still watched Pats games, and when the Pats were jobbed in Denver the following season I was angry, jaded, and bitter, but not as much as normal. I felt like the rock singer who always screamed “fight the establishment”, then signs a major record deal and ends up on your local Top 40 station after “toning it down a bit” (see the band “Nickleback” for an example). I had become that fan I had always swore I would never be, the complacent fan.

It wasn’t just me. Remember when the Red Sox won in 2004? Of course you do, you cried on your best friend’s arm and forgave Bill Buckner for everything you had ever said about him. The following season the Red Sox made the playoffs and were swept by the eventual champions, the Chicago White Sox. In a crucial play in that series, former Red Sox second baseman Tony Graffanino let a ball go between his legs that led to the eventual winning runs being scored. It was eery that a team once victimized by the same play 19 years earlier had it happen again, but the eeriest part was the next morning on local sports talk radio. Noone said anything bad about Graffanino that I recall. Nothing. He didn’t get any death threats, he wasn’t lambasted in the media or by the fans. It had a “hey, those sort of things happen” feel to it which you saw out of fans in Los Angeles, not fans in New England. Even the 2007 World Series win last year seemed a bit anti-climactic, as the Red Sox came back from a 3-1 deficit in the ALCS and went to win 7 games in a row and win again. The trophy came to Maine, but there were no players like in 20o4 when it came. Once again you could feel that “been there, done that” vibe from this area that would have been unheard of just 7 years earlier.

The Boston Celtics recent title win really drove this point home for me. After the Celtics demolished the Lakers in Game 7 and the post game press conferences were finished, I expected area sports fans to just go back to the Red Sox and carry on like it was any other normal June. Instead, people caught up on their sleep. Even local sports talk radio, which usually is all Red Sox all the time, seemed a little bit lacking. At first I thought this was just the grueling NBA Post Season, as the Celtics set a record for playoff games in a season in which a team wins the title. The games were on late at night, sometimes after 9pm, so I figured everyone was tired from that. Watching the Red Sox playing the St Louis Cardinals a few night’s ago, I perused the stands when the cameras panned out. I saw many a pink hat, I saw people talking on their cell phones and using their Blackberries, but not alot of passion. The Red Sox ended up losing that home series, and I wondered if maybe the fans “bleh” attitude had started to spill onto the field. The Sox finished that homestand 3-3, which normally means a Thursday morning of angry blogs and phone calls, second-guessing manager Terry Francona, and unrealistic trade proposals to “turn around” a team with one of the best records in baseball. There was none of it. Nothing. All I could feel was that dreaded “been there, done that” attitude that New England fans had ribbed and chided other fans bases about for years. It made me wonder, what can we do as fans to get it back? Is there a cure for this disease called “complacency”?

–

I wish I could expound on it and give fans a 12-step program to get their edge back, but there was really nothing I could think of. My advice? Put in that 1986 World Series DVD again and listen to Vin Scully yell “Behind the BAG!!!!”. Watch Super Bowl XX. Read stories about the Rick Pitino era of the Celtics (I believe all video from that era has been destoyed and if not it should be). Remember how things used to be, and how we as fans held onto that little shred of hope that our teams would come through, only to have that hope torn out of our fingers that were numb from hanging on for so long. Think of the night’s you cried when Aaron Boone went yard, Desmond Howard returned that kickoff, and the loss you felt when Len Bias and Reggie Lewis passed away. When you do, remember how that felt and remember, it can all change again with the drop of a hat or a penalty flag. Enjoy this time New England fans, we may NEVER see this again.

Friday’s Free Thoughts

Kevin Love brings his game to Minneapolis

The NBA Draft wrapped up at 1 past midnight this morning as Adam Silver was being greeted with chants of “We want Russ (Granik)”. Classy fans I tell you, classy. Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley went 1 and 2 respectively, there were a couple of trades, and the draft can be recapped here. The biggest deal was made after 2am, when Minnesota, who probably realized that they could have had OJ Mayo teamed up with Al Jefferson and thought “Wow, that would make sense, we better fix this quick” and made a trade with the Grizzlies that sends the draft rights to Mayo, Marko Jaric, Antoine Walker and Greg Buckner to the Grizzlies in return for the draft rights to Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal and Jason Collins. The analysis? this gives the Wolves a great frontcourt anchored by Big Al and Love, a shooter in Miller, and dead weight contracts in Cardinal and Collins. The Grizz get a franchise player in Mayo who could actually put people in the seats, Antoine’s wiggle (which has 3 or 4 more year remaining, yeesh) and not much else. Jaric and Walker have AWFUL contracts, so this one is a head scratcher to me. I do believe that the Wolves won this deal, of course if Mayo becomes Lebron 2.0 it may look ridiculous one day, but I doubt it. Score one for the long-armed GM. By the way did I mention the Grizzlies GM is Chris Wallace?

The Celtics draft highlight was trading for K-St forward Bill Walker. If this kid is healthy, watch out.

In other news the Yankees and Mets are playing a Day/Night doubleheader today at Yankee Stadium and at Shea, which will be the last dual location day/night DH for the two ballparks, as they are due to close down at the end of the year(in case you hadn’t heard). Dan Giese and Sidney Ponson will start for the Yanks, who may be putting Hideki Matsui on the DL with a knee injury. The Mets will counter with Mike Pelfrey in Game One and Pedro Martinez in the night cap.

Why was Erin Andrews not at the NBA Draft last night?

On a show and site note, we had a great time at Chicago Dogs in Scarborough, ME for the NBA Draft last night. You can listen to the show in the Talkshoe Widget at the top of the page, it’s the “NBA Draft Special”, it was a great time on The Sports Vortex last night.

NBA Draft Is Almost Underway

The NBA Draft is coming up very soon, and we already have player movement. Richard Jefferson is head to the land of cheese and kraut, Milwaukee, for Yi “I can post up a chair” Jianlian and Bobby “Don’t call me Bill” Simmons. Oklahoma City and the Clippers have a deal in place if OJ Mayo is selected at 3. If that does not happen, we have no deal. Derrick Rose is a virtual lock to go to Chicago at this point, still no clue what the Heat are going to do with Pick 2. We are live from Chicago Dogs in Scarborough tonight, so if you are in the Portland area, stop by and say hello!

Why It’s Time For Major League Baseball to Expand

Could Youppi return for Montreal baseball?

When interleague play takes over the month of June, the thought always hits me as I watch two National League teams play each other, and that thought is “Why don’t they have the same number of teams in each league?” After a couple of hours of kicking the idea around, at 2 am on Saturday Morning, I created a new 32 team MLB, 8 divisions, 4 in each league. Only one team will switch leagues, and I would add an extra round of playoffs, a very unique three game playoff. Purists will hate it(ie Bob Costas), people who love the trade deadline will hate it, but fans would love it, and MLB Executives would love it because of the money. I also took a little bit of liberty with the two expansion teams to make sure that the geographic regions were close, so Portland, OR gets left out again. Without further ado, here are the two expansion teams.

1. Nashville

Nashville has supported a AAA team for years, and would make for a great geographical rival to Atlanta, Cincinnatti, and St Louis. It’s a tourist attraction on it’s own and does a great job supporting it’s NFL team (I would mention the NHL here, but the NHL does not belong in Nashville, period). This could be a very successful franchise if the right ownership got in there.

2. Montreal

What better way to acknowledge that the MLB screwed the city of Montreal out of their baseball team than giving Montreal another crack at it, only this time making sure a new stadium is starting construction closer to downtown, and this time putting Montreal in the American League and allowing Boston and New York fans a chance to see their teams on the road. That alone would jump the attendance, tourism and everything else. Besides, if they put Montreal and Toronto in the same division, there is another built-in rivalry that would be born. These two franchises would even out the playing field, but Nashville would go the National League, and the NL West would give up the Colorado Rockies to the AL. Here is the division plan.

AL East– Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Montreal, Toronto Blue Jays

AL Central– Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox

AL South– Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals

AL West– Oakland A’s, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies

Colorado should be an American League park, the South would create a world of opportunities for Tampa, and the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry could continue uninterrupted. The AL Central would remain almost unchanged.

NL East– New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates

NL Central– Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, St Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers

NL South– Atlanta Braves, Nashville, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros

NL West– Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Arizona D’Backs

The Pirates move back to the NL East; Mets/Phils, Cards/Cubs, Dodgers/Giants rivalries stay intact; one of the most geographically sensible alignments ever.

The Playoff scenario would be 4 division winners, 4 wild cards in each league, with a total of 16 teams in MLB making it into the playoffs each year. The first round would have a 3 game series, round 2 would be a 5 games series, then the League Championships and World Series would be 7 games a piece. More playoff games equals more revenue, more fan interest because more teams can make the playoffs, and a better chance of a cinderella story. It would also separate teams at the deadline as well and maybe get teams that wouldn’t normall be buyers at the deadline involved. Attendance is at an all time high, it’s time to capitalize. Just remember Bud, expansion means money. You like money. The answer is clear, EXPANSION YES!

The New Class of NBA Bridesmaids

Now that Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and even to an extent PJ Brown, have won that sometimes elusive NBA Title (we could have included you on that list Reggie Miller), I thought it might be interesting to look at who is left in the NBA in terms of NBA bridesmaids(hence the Katherin Heigl picture above). They have to have been an all-star consistently at some point, and have been in the league for more than 5 years. The Brides Maid Hall of Fame includes

Karl Malone
Charles Barkley
Reggie Miller
Patrick Ewing
John Stockton
Adrian Dantley
Dominique Wilkins
Elgin Baylor
Alex English
Bob Lanier

So the winners this year are…

10. Jermaine O’Neal

Although injuries have basically ended any hope of a Hall Of Fame nod, O’Neal was drafted in 1996 and has yet to win a title. Odds are the Pacers will be rebuilding and looking to move him, he may find a fit to take him on a title run, but odds are he will start to become the “expiring of contract of Jermaine O’Neal” any day now.

9. Vince Carter

Another fragile star who was supposed to be the next Jordan, but isn’t. When Jason Kidd was traded it looked like the Nets were ready to head in another direction, and Carter and Jefferson are still in New Jersey, but this is a team that is a long ways from contending for an 8 seed, let alone a title. I also don’t see any title contenders lining up for his expensive services any time soon.

8. Allen Iverson

His crowning moment in Finals history was hitting a game winner to beat the Lakers in Game One of the 2001 Finals. The Lakers went on to win the next 4 and he hasn’t been back since. He has an opt-out clause in his Denver contract, but all indications so far point to him staying in the high altitude, which probably doesn’t help his bridesmaid status as the Nuggets don’t play defense and had to win 50 games this year just to be an 8 seed. Just over a year and half ago the 76ers had a chance to trade Iverson to the Celtics, but took the Nuggets offer instead. I wonder how THAT would have worked out for the Celtics and if Banner 17 would be in their possession today?

7. Baron Davis

Injured often, but still showing enough brilliance at times to make you wonder why he keeps growing that bee’s nest beard of his, Baron will probably be back in Golden State this year. However, Don Nelson is still the coach, and Nelson and Jerry Sloan would be tied for “Maid of Honor” status among NBA Head coaches without a ring, so I don’t see him coming off this list any time soon, either.

6. Dirk Nowitzki

Probably the bridesmaid with the closest shot of bagging the trophy, unfortunately the trophy took off with Dwayne Wade and gave us homo-erotic T-Mobile commercials (sucking on a lollipop while commenting on Charles Barkley in short shorts as “sexy” is just creepy), while Nowitzki went onto win an an MVP, lose in the first round to an 8 seed, and appear on Punk’d. To be honest, I think losing to the Warriors was less humiliating. Dirk is relatively healthy, but will the Mavs be able to retool this team for one last run?

5. Yao Ming/Tracy McGrady

Has yet to make it through a full season healthy, has not made it out of the first round of the playoffs, yet Yao has become the Ichiro of the NBA while McGrady has become the pre-Super Bowl Peyton Manning. As much blame as Tracy McGrady gets for first round failures, Yao should be shouldering the burden as well. On the bright side, Yao will be representing his country in the Olympics, so that should mean he will be in great shape for the NBA season, right? (crickets, hisses and boos from Rockets fans)

4. Steve Nash

One of the most dynamic point guards of his era, and he has never played in the NBA Finals. The Suns are in transition, and draft night could be key into weather Nash can finally get his ring before his body finally breaks down for good, or if he becomes another John Stockton.

3. Grant Hill

Speaking of broken down bodies, Hill managed to resurrect himself form the dead (kudos to the Phoenix medical staff), but he seemed broken down towards the end of the year. If he can be saved for another season and Terry Porter can be the coach to put Phoenix over the hump, he has a shot, but as I mentioned with Nash in the last section, draft night (and the weight of Shaquille O’Neal) will play a big part in what Phoenix does this year.

2. Elton Brand

Being stuck on the post-Jordan era Bulls squads and then getting shipped to the Clippers, this poor guy can’t catch a break. He may be opting out of his deal though, which means he could possible go somewhere that actually has a shot in hell of contending. He may have to take a little less money, but when you get to year 8 in this league and you are coming off an Achilles injury, you take a shot somewhere. Brand is one of the few Duke players I have ever liked, so I certainly hope he gets to play on the big stage before his career goes ka-put.

1. Jason Kidd

Put aside the off-court issues, the mutiny he led to get Byron Scott fired (New Orleans should send Kidd a thank you card every year for the next 10 years for that alone) and the fact his trade to Dallas basically did nothing for the Mavericks except clog up their salary cap, and you have bridesmaid number one. Probably a Hall-of-Famer, he has been to the Finals twice and been outclassed each time. Had a chance to sign with San Antonio and turned them down. Now he is looking at the final season of huge contract, point guards that are quicker than him every night (Chris Paul, Tony Parker, Deron Williams, hell even Steve Blake), and I think the chances of Kidd being fitted for a title ring are about slim to none.

The Crowning Of a Champion

Remember, you heard it here first, the Boston Celtics are going to win the Finals in 6 games, and all will be right with the universe again. This one’s for you Red, Reggie, and DJ, this one’s for you!-Matt Boutwell, June 2, 2008

The Boston Celtics have won their 17th NBA Title, walloping the Lakers 131-92. I predicted a Celtics win in 6, this is awesome, the Big 3 has their title, Paul Pierce is the Finals MVP, Rick Pitino can still kiss my ass. In the words of Kevin Garnett “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!”

Sasha Vujacic Now Complaining To Press

Encountered this interesting tidbit today on Sportingnews.com (which was gleaned from the LA Times) from the mouth of Sasha Vujacic (or as my Sports Vortex co-host Jeff calls him ,Vooya-Bitch), and it looks like Jeff may be right on.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic let the Boston Celtics get to him in Game 5, and he says that’s because they play too rough, the Los Angeles Times reports.
“Phil (Jackson) told me after the game that he thought I was a big emotional. And I think he was right,” Vujacic told the newspaper. “It all started from that poke in the eye (by Celtics guard Sam Cassell). I got a little bit mad because the ref was right there and he didn’t call it.”
Vujacic also thought Cassell should have had a foul called on him when he appeared to slam Vujacic down onto the court while they wrestled for a loose ball. Vujacic said later he thought it was on purpose, though television analysts said they believed Vujacic was acting a bit and made the fall look worse than it was.
Vujacic thinks the Celtics are getting away with too much in the series.
“They foul a lot. They get away with a lot of fouls,” Vujacic said. “When we go back to Boston, we know that they are going to do a lot of moving picks like they do, and they’re probably going to get away with it. But we got to stay smart, stay focused and play with poise.”
Vujacic doesn’t place all the blame on the officials, though. “It’s hard to see,” he told the Times. “They’re doing it so quick that not everybody can see it. You can’t blame anyone.”
In the first five games, the Celtics have been called for 123 fouls and the Lakers for 131. But in Game 5, both teams were called for 28 personal fouls, and both teams had 31 free throw attempts, the Celtics making 24 of them and the Lakers making 23. Derek Fisher, Ray Allen and Vladimir Radmanovic each received a technical foul in Game 5.

I don’t do this much, if ever, but this is called for.

You petty little soft-ass. Andy Dufresne didn’t scream this much when he dealt with the Sistas, and you and your brown suede headband want to piss and moan about NBA Defense? You suck, your attitude sucks, and I hope you go back to Europe where you belong you sorry-ass excuse for a basketball player. Drazen Petrovic is spinning in his grave right now, and even Dirk Nowitzki thinks you’re weak.

Mets Take Page From 1980’s Yankees

If you read the papers or blogs throughout New York this morning, you might think it’s the 1980’s. A New York team has made a managerial change, this time at 3:15 am via e-mail. In the single worst kept secret in baseball, Willie Randolph, pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach (because we all know the first base coach makes a big difference) Tom Nieto were fired this morning and were replaced by Jerry Manuel, Don Warthen, and Ken Oberkfell, respectively. You would think George Steinbrenner was running this team wearing a turtle neck in June. What’s next for the Mets, private investigators following David Wright and Carlos Beltran? Trading Jose Reyes for Richie Sexson? Good lord, this is a sad day to be a Mets fan. If the Mets were going to fire Randolph due to last year’s collapse they should have done it this offseason, not in June after a win on the first game of a West Coast road trip. They have now, instead of containing the damage to one season, let it spill over to season two. What a way to open Citi Field.

Phillies Maul Red Sox, Restore Peace and Order to the Galaxy

When I was a kid, the National League kicked the American League’s ass all over the place. All-Star games, World Series, you name it, they did it. When I look back at the roster for the 1988 LA Dodgers I still cannot fathom how they beat Oakland, and I still cannot understand how the NL won the 1987 All-Star Game. The NL has fallen on hard times in recent years, they haven’t won an all-star game since Bill Clinton was President, and when they lose a World Series, they generally get swept (Colorado, Houston, St Louis). Many baseball people around the country likened the 3 game series in Philadelphia between the Sox and Phils a possible World Series preview, and if what we saw Monday night was any indication, the Phillies have a phighting chance (yes, I know, I know). Cole Hamels outpitched Bartolo Calzone, who left after 4 innings with back spasms (which were likely caused by having to bend over to get more hot wings at the Great American Buffet), Ryan Howard hit two home runs, and JD Drew was treated with the warmth and respect he normally gets in Philadelphia (booing, catcalls and a standing O after a strikeout in the first inning). The Red Sox are banged up right now, Manny Ramirez is hurting, Kevin Youkilis was scratched with back spasms, David Ortiz is still on the DL, but luckily they have enough depth to carry them through (barring a total pitching meltdown) in an American League that, honestly, is pretty weak at this point. Think about it, the two best team in the AL are a Red Sox team that is running on 4 out of 6 cylinders and a Tampa team that could keep on trucking or implode at any minute. In contrast the National Leagues two top dogs are the Cubs and Phillies, and I could certainly see either of those teams beating the AL team they would face in October. If the Phillies can win this series or even sweep it, I think it would be a huge confidence boost for this team as they aim to take it to the next level.

Generation X’s Signature Celtics Game

Historic franchises all have moments that everyone remembers, whether it is a home run from Carlton Fisk, Kirk Gibson, or Rick Monday; a dramatic save from Patrick Roy; a touchdown pass from Joe Montana; or Havlicek stealing the ball. As a Celtics fan since 1986 (I was 8 yrs old), I had always felt a little shafted on my Celtics moments. I don’t remember them winning game 6 against Houston, but I remember them losing to the Lakers in 1987. I remember Larry Bird’s steal against Detroit, his comeback against the Pacers in Game 5 in 1991, and his last hurrah on a Sunday afternoon at home against the Blazers when he scored 49 points in a double OT Celtic win.but no titles, no victory cigars, no “World Champions” t-shirts, just deaths (Len Bias and Reggie Lewis) horrid draft picks (Eric Montross, Joe Forte, Michael Smith, Ron Mercer) and bad trades (Vin Baker, Rodney Rogers). When Red Auerbach passed away, there were so many tributes and talk of the old days, I felt like a fan of those teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have a storied history that is just that, a storied history and nothing recent to show for it (sadly Sid Bream isn’t recent anymore). Although the 2002 Celtics had a memorable comeback against New Jersey, it wasn’t the same because they still lost the series. Thursday night, June 12, 2008 was my generation’s signature Celtics Game.

At the end of the first quarter I was doing my podcast that I do along with the Celtics games because I hate the announcers, the half times and such, and in basketball many times you can talk about other things throughout the first half. When the Celtics were down 35-14 at the end of the 1st quarter, visions of Game 3 against Cleveland were fresh in my mind. They were about to prove the “pundits” right, this series was going to be tied, Phil Jackson was going to break Red’s record (against the Celtics no less), and the polar ice caps might as well have been melting before my eyes. I figured it was over, and I went back to watching the Phillies to relax a little. Jeff, who I do the Vortex with, would keep me updated because he was still watching, and all I needed to hear from him was the groan or sigh to know I had made the right decision. I did not see Jordan Farmar’s half ending three pointer, and if I had I would be in the market for a brand new HDTV today. It was 58-40 at the half, the Celtics looked lost, the Lakers looked dominant, and I just felt like a moron for thinking that the Celtics would actually win number 17 in my lifetime. In fact, halfway through the third, the Lakers still had a big lead at times, in fact they were up by 24 at one point. It was going to be a short night, but it turned out to be one of the longer ones in recent memory.

I was following the game through Jeff and online updates. I couldn’t bring myself to watch for fear I would be the human jinx, and sure enough when I finally gave in at the beginning of the 4th quarter, Kobe Bryant scored right away and I figured I had soiled the whole thing just by changing the channel. I am glad I didn’t turn the dial. It was the single greatest quarter of basketball I have ever seen a Celtics team play. Eddie House, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and James Posey just put on a show for the ages (sorry Jeff) that I will remember until I am on my deathbed. When that final gun sounded, I couldn’t help but think of Johnny Most “fiddling and diddling” and his other famous calls, and realized that finally, I had seen something I would be telling my grandkids about. The Boston Celtics had come back from 24 points down, on the road, in front of the biggest group of fair weather fans ever,against the Lakers, good had triumphed over evil, and Kobe Bryant needed a drink or two. You know what Kobe? I needed a drink too, to celebrate, to toast Celtics memories from the past, and the moments yet to come. Generation X finally got their Celtics moment.