Rolling Stone's Year End Lists

Ah, 'tis the season. 'Tis the season where my dumbass school has final exams until Monday the 21st. Yeah. The last day is a Monday. They started last Monday with Western Civ exams for Freshmen and Sophomores, but naturally didn't continue again until Wednesday. What the EFF?! Why in all that is holy would you have students stay over an extra weekend just for one more freaking day of exams? That's so useless. If you simply continued them on that Tuesday instead of having a damn day off, everyone could have an early vacation. Instead, you gotta be an asshole. Merry freakin' Christmas.

Also, 'tis the season for all these year end (and decade end) music lists. Because my favorite band just happens to be U2, and I'm sure they're at least ONE of yours, here's where U2 ranked in Rolling Stone's various lists:

#1 Album of 2009: No Line on the Horizon

A return in some ways to the more experimental side of U2 that came to define them in the 1990s, although in a much less noticeable way, at least at first glance. Key songs to listen to: the title track, Moment of Surrender, White as Snow, & Breathe. And if you're feeling very adventurous, check out the most "out there" song on the album, Fez-Being Born--some great moments there. Here's a 10-minute video showing the stage construction, the band's reactions seeing it for the first time (funny), and highlights of the new songs live from opening night (they take the stage 3 minutes in if you wanna skip to that part).

#1 Song of 2009: Moment of Surrender

They deemed it "The most devastating ballad U2 - or anyone - has delivered since 'One'." I'd say that's pretty high praise. This song, admittedly, took a while to grow on me, but after 3-4 listens, it becomes such a powerful, moving song. I hope you have the patience to sit down and listen to it a few times. Incredible. When (if?) I write my "No Line..." album review on year on in March, I'll explain just how great this song is. It began as kind of a dull, unconventional song for me upon first listen, but has since become my favorite song on the album.

#68 Album of the Decade: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

Actually one of my least favorite of U2's albums. In terms of the concept of an "album" the parts are greater than the sum, which is unfortunate. Still, tracks like Vertigo continue to grow and get stronger and more powerful in a live context. Here is a rough-cut live version from the YouTube broadcast from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The end is ballin'! (I had to embed it because there's no video online, so I had to take the video I downloaded a few months ago, split the track, export it, and put it on here. So ya best appreciate it!)

City of Blinding Lights is a standout song, in which Bono looks back on his childhood, lamenting the loss of innocence (Time won't leave me as I am, but time won't take the boy out of this man). Also, the icy notes of Miracle Drug, the incredibly personal aura of Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own makes this work the most U2-ey of their releases.

#36 Album of the Decade: No Line on the Horizon

#13 Album of the Decade: All That You Can't Leave Behind

This is sort of a refresher album after the experimental '90s period, returning to the "guitar, bass, and drums" that make up a rock and roll band. Songs like Beautiful Day have become live staples, hanging right in there with the big boys like Streets, Sunday Bloody Sunday, and One. Hailed by many as U2's third masterpiece behind The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby (and now perhaps tied with No Line...), the heart of the record perhaps lies in the more unknown songs, like In a Little While, Peace on Earth, and Kite, which is just an amazing piece of work. It begins quietly enough, but with all powerful U2 songs (exemplified with Bad), it builds into an incredible crescendo with Edge's slide guitar and Bono's voice in full force. It's a song about letting go in general, but took on special resonance when Bono's father was dying of cancer as he wrote it. Here's a performance in Dublin just a week or so after his dad died. You can see he almost loses it at the end.

#64 Song of the Decade: Vertigo

As I said before, this was made for a large audience. It's unabashedly stadium rock, pure and simple.

#36 Song of the Decade: Moment of Surrender

I absolutely loved that they picked this song so high. Consider: a) it's a song off of a release that is completely anti-today's album, meaning it's not catchy in many places or songs at all, and doesn't jump on you like the modern day album should to be successful, and b) it's not a single (...yet. It's rumored to be the next one.). Ballsy, but ultimately totally deserving spot on the list.

#9 Song of the Decade: Beautiful Day

Catchy, soaring chorus, immediately recognizable, and exactly what U2 needed to do at that moment in time. (As a side note, how could they put Rehab by Amy Whinehouse one spot ahead? That kinda baffles me...). Anyway, back to Dublin in 2001. 80,000+ people. Crowd goes nuts.

Clearly this list shows that U2 had an incredibly successful year and decade. It doesn't look like the next 10 years will be any different for them either. They're currently in NYC in between legs of their 360º Tour working on some tracks for their next release (tentatively called Songs of Ascent).

Interesting interview I just read that Bono did back in 1988. I especially liked this part:

"I can't understand how people could blame starvation and famine on God. That's to suggest we live in God's world but I don't think that this is the world God created. This is the world we created and sickness is a part of it. I believe that God inspires the minds of men towards medicine and towards advances that can inoculate a whole world. You know, there's enough food in the world to feed everybody -- don't blame God for the fact that we don't share it out. That's something that I got over very early on -- the idea of how could he."

The Referees played against the Boston Celtics tonight at the Garden and once again dominated from horn to horn. Although the Celtics went a stretch without getting any bogus calls against them, the refs were able to regroup and make a huge comeback in the waning moments of the pivotal 4th quarter. Of note was the questionable call on Kendrick Perkins, who was able to box out his defender and grab the rebound. Unfortunately, Perk was unaware that this move is no longer legal. The refs whistles held strong and he was called for an over the back foul. Replays showed that Perkins was nowhere near anyone's back.

Rasheed Wallace was taken out of the game by the refs not because of anything flagrant. Oh, no. He was taken out because he actually had the fortitude to question a call. Owner of the Referees David Stern has somehow managed to take on the role of an absolute ruler in such a way that when anyone happens to confront his team members with criticism, he promptly takes their salary away and keeps it for himself. In fact, his stranglehold over several teams in the league has allowed him to be involved in more NBA Finals than any team in history.

Currently, their record over the Celtics is ambiguous, since wins by the Referees have only been counted after the NBA-ABA merger in the late 1970s. But it is without question that they have at least a .750 winning percentage over the men in green. No doubt their paths will cross again, probably as early as Sunday night, when they play another "double-team extravaganza," this time teaming up with Minnesota to take on the C's. Be sure to tune in and see how many one-sided bullshit calls are made, how many technicals get called on Rasheed for talking during the game, and how many times the momentum is killed because one player happened to touch another. Wait, was there another merger I wasn't aware of? NBA-WNBA?

FUCK YOU.

Oh, and this too...

From the same Bill Simmons article. So damn true. Kinda pisses me off that it is true.


How random are our reactions to celebrity misbehavior? You'd think there would be some general moral principle at work here, but there just isn't. Barry Bonds and Shawne Merriman allegedly did exactly the same thing: took performance-enhancing drugs that gave them a decided advantage over their peers. Bonds became a pariah. Merriman went to the Pro Bowl. Leonard Little left a party, got into his car and hit and killed a young woman. He blew .19 on the Breathalyzer. What happened to him? He did 60 days. Six years later, he was arrested for drunk driving again. He still plays for the Rams. Michael Vick did bad things to dogs and went to jail for two years and become the personification of evil. I mean, I love dogs and I was appalled by Vick's behavior. But in what universe is it a bigger crime to fight pit bulls than it is to get wasted and kill an innocent person? (Let's not even get into Plaxico Burress, whose case proves, I guess, how unexpectedly seriously New York state courts take the crime of stupidity). And now we have Tiger Woods, who fooled around on his wife and hit a fire hydrant. And in the middle of this absurd circus, the reigning King of Kings of the NBA and role model to millions is a man who not that long ago was accused of rape and lucked out of a trial because, by all appearances, he was able to buy off his accuser in a civil settlement. Huh? Maybe with your book royalties, you can endow the Sports Guy Chair of Celebrity Philosophy at Holy Cross to try to work this out.

Right. On.

SIMMONS

My most unlikely celebrity sighting ever: During the horrible Super Bowl week in Jacksonville, I was attending the Maxim party in 50-degree weather that had barely any celebrities attending because, again, they decided to hold the Super Bowl in Jacksonville. At some point during the night, I was next in line to use one of the port-a-johns, which were stacked behind the party in some seedy, dark field. So I'm standing there thinking, "This sucks," and the port-a-john door opens. Who comes out? Katie Holmes. Taller and much more beautiful than I expected. We locked eyes, and she made that cute/crooked Katie Holmes "Some weird dude is staring at me incredulously" smile that she used to flash all the time before Tom Cruise got ahold of her. Then she walked by me and headed back to the party. And I headed into the disgusting port-a-john. Not even a month later, she signed with Cruise. Whoops, I mean, she fell for Cruise. I'm saying that "Katie Holmes + port-a-john + a few weeks before Cruise got ahold of her" was at least a 92 on your scale.

Side Note: I know EXACTLY what kind of smile/look he's describing. Is that sketchy? Whatever, it just comes from years of watching Dawson's Creek. Oh yeah, and I'd completely piss my pants if that happened to me...

Don't Stop Believing

This is pretty sick.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Baby Discipline

The beginning of this is priceless.

Holiday Friendship Bush

Got this forwarded to me in an email today. Makes ya think. Oh yeah, and fuck the Friendship Tree downtown. It's a Christmas tree. Get over it or go live in France and be your annoying politically correct selves.

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God, as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (Regarding Hurricane Katrina). Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Pass it on if you think it has merit.

If not, then just discard it... no one will know you did,, only God! But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and Respectfully,

Ben Stein

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

That Was Lame

Legitimate Reasons Why We Lost.

1) Eddie and 'Sheed are just off and can't score from downtown.

2) 1-18 from three is just awful, but that was clearly a fluke.

3) Them shooting 45% from three isn't a fluke, but going about 60% in the first and third quarters is. Also, shooting (I think) 75% in the first just does not happen. Law of averages. In a seven game series (with a healthy KG), things even out and THEN we'll see who wins.

4) Lack of Rondo. Where was is? His lack of aggression was a major factor in why we lost. Why didn't he take it to a 34-year old Williams? Fear of Howard? B.S. Dish it out then. Not a good night from him.

5) Ultimately, the refs. I hate to call them out because it makes me look extremely biased and is an easy cop-out, but when there's no parity within the game, it kills momentum and the team that's getting the short end of the stick is unable to compete at the level they're able to. The handcheck fouls called when Pierce was guarding Carter were ridiculous. Meanwhile, Pierce is driving to the hoop at almost every possession, getting hammered by Howard, Carter, et. al. and getting nothing. It's completely ridiculous and I would totally approve of going for a 2-ref system like they used to have. Hell, I'll even take the one game where a ref got injured and Dick Bavetta had to referee by himself. Officiating sucks and I'd be surprised if everyone wouldn't say the same thing. Inability to criticize blatant refereeing mistakes is unfair. It's like they're untouchable and anything and everything they say goes. Fuck that and fuck that loss.

A Sort of Homecoming (Daniel Lanois Mix)

Got U2's remastered "The Unforgettable Fire" 25th anniversary edition, etc. etc. over this past weekend and among the great rarities and unreleased songs included this gem. It's a new take on the first track "A Sort of Homecoming," mixed by producer Daniel Lanois and featuring Peter Gabriel's distinct voice on backing vocals. I find it to be a great refreshing take on the song, with a faster, more rhythmic beat. The layering of voices is amazing, and Gabriel adds a sort of ethereal quality to the song that ties in well to the themes of the album as a whole.



For comparison's sake, here's the track as it was originally released on the album:

Possible deal would send Nocioni to Boston

November 17, 2009, 9:02 AM
By: Chris Forsberg

Could the Celtics be in the middle of a three-team swap that would send some of its reserves out of town in return for Andres Nocioni?

That's what ESPN's Marc Stein reports today, noting the Celtics have emerged as potential middle man as the Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings consider a Samuel Dalembert-for-Kenny Thomas swap.

From ESPN's True Hoop blog:

Sources told ESPN.com that the Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings, in considering the feasibility of a Samuel Dalembert-for-Kenny Thomas swap, have discussed expanding that concept with Boston by trying to draw in the Celtics on a potential three-way deal that would land Andres Nocioni with the Celts.
Sources further stressed over the past 48 hours that this should be classified as an ongoing conversation as the teams involved decide how much they like what's on the table.

But the full deal as it stands, if it eventually gets that far, would send Nocioni to Boston, Kenny Thomas, Tony Allen and Brian Scalabrine to Philadelphia and Dalembert and J.R. Giddens to Sacramento.

Later Stein, examines the feasibility of the trade, team by team. Here's his thoughts on the Celtics:

Boston has had interest in Nocioni from the minute Sacramento acquired him in February in the deal that dispatched Brad Miller and John Salmons to Chicago. That said, Boston has also been hesitant since February about acting upon that interest because Nocioni has three years and more than $20 million left on his contract after this season. That's a lot of long-term cash for the Celts to take on -- even if Nocioni turned out to be a James Posey-style Mr. Versatile for them -- after they just signed Rajon Rondo to a lucrative extension and with decisions about the futures of Paul Pierce and Ray Allen looming. So Boston pulling out because of financial concerns likely ranks as the biggest impediment to this deal.
Nocioni, a 6-foot-7 forward in his sixth season, turns 30 later this month. The one-time All-Star is averaging 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in nine games (including five starts) for the Kings this season.

Nocioni helped Argentina win a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens (and bronze in 2008 in Beijing). His original Olympic exploits helped him land a free-agent deal with the Bulls before the 2004 season. Nocioni later signed a 5-year, $38-million contract with the Bulls during the 2007 offseason, but was dealt to the Kings this past February along with Drew Gooden and Cedric Simmons for John Salmons and Brad Miller.

In Too Good of Health

Jon and Wokkus playing some Madden football with their team of created players, including the one and only PJ Brown. Here's just a brief snippet of what went on:

Celtics Show (Yet Again) Defense Wins Ballgames

Back-to-back games can be a killer, especially when it's the first one of the season and the Big 3 haven't yet played 2 games in a row. And more especially when you've got KG who's still working on getting his stamina back. Well last night's game was a big "eff you" to that notion.

Sure, we were playing the Charlotte Bobcats who mysteriously traded Emeka Okafor for a struggling (and I mean struggling) Tyson Chandler. Still, when you hold a team to a franchise-low in points and also a record for fewest points allowed in a season opening game (for the Bobcats), that's something that certainly holds some weight as to how good the team is. After playing a tough buzzer-to-buzzer, heavyweight battle against Cleveland the night before (and not landing in Boston until 2 am), I'm sure I wasn't alone in my fears that this game certainly had the possibility of being a trap game. Those fears quickly went away as we ran out to and early 8-0 lead and didn't look back.

KG and Perk combine to give Boston the best defensive team in the NBA

Garnett put in another very solid performance on his return to Boston, once again showing no ill effects from the knee surgery that everyone and his mother has been worried about. 10 points on 5-9 shooting and 7 boards in 25 minutes. Definitely respectable. Not dominant, but we don't need dominant from really anybody because of the scoring distribution and defense our team has. We had 5 players score in double figures: KG, Ray Allen (18), Pierce (15), Rondo (10), and Shelden Williams (12). Speaking of Williams, I know the guy played basically garbage minutes, but he was pretty damn good. He was scrappy and continued to attack the paint and draw fouls well into the fourth quarter. Not to jinx anything, but he reminds me a little bit of Leon Powe. We'll see how the season goes with him, so we'll be able to get a better sample size. But so far so good.

KG was his usual aggressive self, showing no signs of hesitancy with his knee

Oh, hey. You gotta love Perk, don't you? He's improved so much over these 6 (?) years. The guy is BIG. Not necessarily tall, but freakin' muscular and defensively-minded. I've noticed that he falls for upfakes less and less. How could you not love that play were Raymond Felton drove into the lane and Perk rejected him ("Get that shit outta here!). Felton got the rejection on the baseline and Perk was left to guard him. Felton used his speed advantage to get past him and tried for another layup. Perk (from behind!) swatted another one away. He and Tyson Chandler (really, why did the Bobcats get this guy?) were chippy throughout the game. Perk let his defense speak for itself. Chandler tried a turn around fadeaway at the free throw line, which Perk calmly blocked back in his face. Chandler ended up getting a technical foul for yapping at Perk back up the court. Needless to say, Perk got one also, but only to show Chandler that he was in his territory. Way to be. Those t's are fine with me.

Rondo was busy as hell, too. He scored efficiently (5-6 shooting for 10 points), passed to everyone and everything (11 assists), and used his ginormous hands to make 3 steals. Here's a crazy stat: in the third quarter, Rondo had twice as many assists as the entire Bobcats team. In the THIRD QUARTER. Insane.

KG goes through his ritual pre-game routine in his first game back in Boston

Ray Allen showed some early struggles shooting from the field, but he continued to shoot the ball, and his teammates trusted him enough to keep feeding him. He ended up as the game's high scorer with 18 points (6-17 shooting, but 4-10 from deep). The best thing about tonight's game was that Doc was able to rest all of his starters (although Ray played 38 minutes). KG only played 25, Pierce played 24, Rondo played 29, and Perk played 27. This type of play bodes well in the long run, as it saves our legs for down the road.

The Celtics' solid play allowed the Big 3 to rest for the entire 4th quarter...

One point of contention, not directed at the Celtics play, but at the refs. This happened on more than one occasion, so it's totally worth mentioning and something that should get fixed (I'm talking to you, Mr. Stern). Pierce was often guarding the out-of-control Gerald Wallace and at least 2 times drove his shoulder into Pierce in an attempt to get around him and to the hoop. Both times Pierce guessed correctly which way Wallace would drive, causing him to slam directly into his chest. Each time the ref called a blocking foul. First of all, I don't care what position the defender is in, the offensive player cannot put his head down and drive his shoulder into him. Automatic offensive foul. Second, if the guy runs square into the chest of his defender, who is standing straight up and down, that's a charge. Automatic. Plain and simple. I understand that charges/blocking fouls are among the hardest calls in the game, but in those cases, they are easy.

...while the bench players continued to dominate

In all, it was another great display of defensive prowess and sharing the scoring load (see: 20-0 run to start the 2nd half). As Doc and the players have said so many times, the offense will always be there; the focus has to be on the defense. That's the equation for success and, so far this young season, it's worked to a "t".

Pierce, Bench Secure Opening Game Win for Celtics

Why hello there everyone! It's been a while since we've had a proper Celtics game recap on here. I might be a little rusty, but let's get right into it.

This was a big win. Not only because it was the first game of the NBA season, but because of the quality of play we had going and the team we played against. Aside from the stagnant first quarter, the Celtics got contributions for essentially everyone at the perfect times during the game. The bench carried our offense (and defense) throughout the second quarter, trimming an early 14-point deficit to single digits before halftime. Paul Pierce, quiet throughout most of the game, showed why he's the captain, putting the game out of reach with two daggers at the end of the 4th (as well as a few clutch free throws). Garnett twisted, turned, pivoted, and shot like his old self, including an insanely difficult turnaround-fadeaway bank shot in Shaq's grill. Was the game perfect? Of course not. For a quarter and a half, I sat in silence on the couch pissed off that our offense was nowhere to be found. We made bone-headed plays--ya know, stuff that junior varsity teams often make, which I'll get into shortly.

Hmm, wonder who won this matchup...

Actually, let's start with that bad stuff. Let me start by saying that I love Rondo. Like, I think he'll become one of the top 3 PGs in the league at the rate he's improving. That being said, he can be really dumb--or maybe a more kind word is overexcited. For instance, instead of trying to DUNK the ball on LEBRON JAMES, how about you lay it up off the glass? LeBron blocks it and it's goaltending. You miss, Pierce is right behind to clean up the miss. Instead, Rondo sometimes feels like it's necessary for him to make a humongous play against a more athletic, taller opponent. Sure, if he does dunk on him, it's a momentum changer, but in that specific situation, don't try that again, please. Also, can we communicate in those situations?? When Ray Allen went in for the layup on the fastbreak, I don't think anyone shouted out to him, "Ray. Heads up. LeBron is right behind you." If someone had done that, Ray's wily enough to avoid an embarrassing block, but unfortunately it didn't happen. Another thing that irked me, from both Rondo and the rest of the team, is this whole passing in traffic/jumping in the air and passing thing. Let's hope we got that out of our system. On more than one occasion, we had someone drive, jump in the air with no real plan, and then try to pass it off. This almost never works. If Cous had been calling that game, he would've said the one fundamental thing a point guard should never do is jump and try to pass. Another "never do that!" play is trying to force a pass in traffic or cross-court. Unless the guy is completely open (as Ray Allen was a couple times when they executed the pass well), don't do it. The chances of it getting picked off go up by a lot. And what's the purpose of trying to pass the ball into Shelden Freakin' Williams as the paint is loaded with the likes of Shaq and Big Z, among various other players from both teams? Probably the worst thing you could do in that situation. I don't dislike Williams, he did a relatively decent job (and will have to) in the absence of Glen Davis (PS-Like Wyc Grousbeck, I too will refuse to call him "Big Baby"--the guy clearly needs to grow up. The whole off-court-altercation-leads-to-injury thing ONLY happens on other teams. I don't care if your buddy pushed you or whatever started it. Why in HELL would you jeopardize your reputation and your team's success? Congrats, dumbass. You're now out for at least 6 weeks with a broken finger and maybe longer depending on disciplinary action. Okay, end of rant.) Williams, as I said, was respectable (4 pts, 3 rebs in 13 minutes). He scrapped down in the paint and drew fouls, which is all you can ask for from a guy who's not even an offensive option on any given play.

The thing I was most pleased in seeing was not just the points, etc. from the bench last night, but every single player off the bench had a little "+" next to his name in the box score. The plus/minus thing means how many total points the team got while a certain player was on the court. It's a real good indication of his impact. Cleveland, on the other hand: all minuses. Seriously, their bench is just not good. Even with Delonte West back in action in the near future, they won't be very effective at all. I LOVE our bench. Marquis Daniels is a terrific player and has great ball-handling skills. What a great pickup. Not only can he play 3 positions, but the fact that he can act as point guard opens up Eddie House to be the shooting guard that he naturally is. We didn't have that last season. Daniels is also a great defender, allowing the likes of Pierce and Allen to "rest" defensively while he guards other teams' best players, like James. He doesn't have much of a long jumpshot that I know of (except that baseline 3 he hit was nice, so he does have the range), he's more of a slasher, with deceptive quickness. He had a quiet 7 points in 18 minutes, but was a +11 while on the court. Sheed looked great as well. His ability to spread the floor is something we've missed since who knows when. I just love when Doc put the lineup of Sheed, KG, Pierce, Ray, and Rondo on the floor, forcing Shaq/Z out of the paint to guard them. No one can defend us in that situation, it's as simple as that. Perk is still a very important part though. Although he got burned 3 times in the first quarter by Shaq (he did play great D--Shaq was just able to hit those baby hook shots), Perk continued to grind it out down low, forcing Shaq as far out of the paint as possible. When he did that, Shaq was ineffective. Honestly, I think Cleveland is in trouble. Shaq was dominant in the first quarter. I was afraid it was gonna be another one of "those games" where we just can't stop the opposing team's big guy. But he showed his age. He undoubtedly got tired and played absolutely zero role the rest of the game. They have no bench and LeBron is one-of-a-kind, but as we've seen, he can't carry the team the whole way. The "help" that has supposedly arrived this season just won't cut it from my point of view. Of course, it's only been one game and only time will tell, so let's wait and find out...

KG and Perk show off some of the famed Celtics D as Varejao looks like an idiot.

I refuse to talk about KG's knee. Bill Simmons thinks it's something everyone should be worried about, given the ambiguity with which the issue was dealt when discussed with the media. He says whenever anyone of KG's age has knee surgery, his career goes down the tubes. Although I think Bill Simmons is some sort of god, I just have to disagree. Look, the guy knows his stuff, but after watching every preseason game and now this first game, the guy is already in mid-season form (not stamina-wise, of course). He was able to get up for an alley-oop pass, which would've been slammed home had it not been for the position he was in (back turned to the basket). I think the kicker was when Shaq threw him down to the ground and KG just got up and pounded his chest as if to say, "Yep, I'm my old self still," then calmly knocking down 2 free throws. I honestly see no problems stemming directly from the knee that will affect his game this season.

It was none other than The Truth that sealed the W for the C's.

And what can I say about Pierce that hasn't been said before? The guy's like a snake. He plays very quietly, though efficiently, for 3 and a half quarters and when the game is on the line, he completely ices it with two jumpers and free throws down the stretch. I loved the play when KG came out to set a high screen on James. Pierce split the defense, crossing Shaq over no problem, then pulling up at the top of the key and hitting a jumper over Anthony Parker: swish. Next possession, the switch this time and now Clownhead Varejao is on Pierce. A little step back jumper from the right side: swish. Game out of reach. That's why he's the captain.

LeBron James can do just about everything, but it's not enough if the Cavs want to make a championship run.

All in all, this game was great. If you look at the box score, the scoring was incredibly well-distributed among both starters and bench players. Not so with the Cavs, which should be a giant red flag for them and their fans. LeBron carried the scoring (and assist...and block...and steal) load for them. The "help" that they so desperately needed last season and which supposedly arrived this season simply did not cut it. The Celtics made them look like a second-tier team (they aren't--they'll make the playoffs, but they're not as good as everyone thinks, in my opinion).

Celtics vs. Bobcats tonight at 7:30.

In Case You Missed It...

Here's the complete U2 concert from Rose Bowl Stadium in case you missed out. Some really great performances, especially the best live song ever, "Where the Streets Have No Name" with a nice snippet of "Amazing Grace" leading into it (1:48:12). Hearing 95,000+ people sing that song is something that can't be described. Check it out.

U2 to Stream Record-Setting Concert Live from Rose Bowl Stadium

If that doesn't get you amped up, go away.

That Was Wayyyy Too Many Tick-Tocks

"Isn't it a little late for you to be up?" Hahaha, epic BURNNNNN!

The Ricky Rubio Dilemma

"¡¿Queeeé?! So what if I'm a diiiiick..."

Well hey ya'll! Here's my first proper blog in a long while. It's been bothering me for quite a while, basically ever since it happened. Pretty much, Ricky Rubio (and/or his agent, if he has one) is kiiiiind of an asshole. The NBA needs to stipulate that if a foreign player enters into the draft and, well, gets drafted, he HAS TO join the team. The Minnesota Timberwolves did just that, taking Mr. Rubio fifth overall. FIFTH! Even in such a weak draft, that's a very valuable pick, my friends. Despite the weakness, it's the principle of the whole thing that irks me. Imagine the team you root for has been struggling for God knows how many seasons. You finally get a decent draft pick with the potential of grabbing a young point guard whose skills have been compared to many of the great PGs of eras past. Hell, this guy has the possibility of turning the team around! How exciting! *Fast-forward a couple weeks* Wait. What the hell is this? NOW Rubio's deciding that he's gonna go play some more Euroball, possibly till 2011? What a dick! Here's Rubio's thought process on this one:

"Aw, sí, me gusta el NBA! Me gustan los point guards como Juan Stockton y Denís Juanson y "Bob" Cousí! Hey, ma y pa! Yo quiero join el NBA! Yo quiero, yo quiero, yo quieroooooo!"

*Fast-forward until after draft*

"Aaaaaactually, yo no quiero join el NBA. Voy a SCREW los T'Wolves y stay with Joventut. ¡Arriba!"

Honestly, that really makes me angry, and the I don't even like the Wolves. I'm just thinking what my reaction would be if he was drafted by my team. And being a basketball fan in general, it just...well, grinds my gears. What an effing joke this kid is. You know, before you enter into an NBA draft, wouldn't you think you'd be definitely sure that you want to play there? Especially after all the hype we gave him over here, which he undoubtedly knew about, how dare he?!

Now, I know there's rules and stuff. He's not coming from college, he's got an actual contract with Joventut that has to be honored or whatever--the whole buyout clause and whatnot, that I, admittedly, don't completely understand and am too lazy to look in the Sports Illustrated that sitting next to me that explains it. Either way, someone screwed up royally. Here's what the parties involved should know for next time:

A) Don't enter the NBA draft unless you're sure you're ready for the commitment. Yes, it's a commitment. "Comitmento" or however you say it in Spanish. Shut up. I know I'm a Spanish major, but we haven't even had a full week of school and it's Friday. Back off.

B) Don't enter the NBA draft unless you're sure that your contract allows you to.

C) Don't draft a player (especially in the first round) unless you're sure you're able to buyout his existing contract.

D) Understand that your decisions affect a vast amount of dedicated fans. Don't be a DICK and casually decide you're gonna wait 1, 2, 3 more years (maybe never) until you finish adolescence in your homeland. Or wait until you get more money out of the deal. Which is being even MORE of a dick. Which is what Rubio's doing to try and increase his reputation, etc.

E) If you're a European team, make sure you advise your player correctly is he's considering entering an NBA draft. Don't advise as follows, "Hey, yeah go check it out. See how high you go and how much money you'd probably get. No big deal." NO. Sorry. It's not like that. You're making a COMMITMENT to possible teammates, GM, President, owner, coach, and, maybe most importantly, a fanbase that got our shitty team from 2006-07 and has had to suffer ever since.

F) If you're the NBA (i.e. the Commish), don't just assume that any and every player from overseas will automatically want to sign with an NBA team just because it's an NBA team. Work out a deal with every European/Asian team that stipulates if any player enters the draft, a) that team must let that player go, b) that player must follow through (Meaning he can't just decide that the money offered isn't going to cut it and decide to return to Europe to play more ball for a team that, according to these new rules, agreed to let him go. It kind of reminds me of the newish Gary Payton Rule back in...2004? 2005? We waived Payton, who went to Miami so we could get 'Toine back and then, because of some clause in his contract, he decided not to sign with Miami and we signed him again a couple days later. Yeah, unfair.), and c) the NBA team must work with the European/Asian team to come to a consensus about a buyout. If one is not arrived at, the player cannot just go back to playing with his old team--he gave up that right upon entrance into the draft. Instead, the only option is a trade of the player to another NBA team.

Sure, it's a rusty plan, and I'm sure there's loopholes and stuff I'm forgetting. But, it's something definitely worth considering, wouldn't you think? Imagine if this becomes a trend! David Stern's desire to globalize the game will be destroyed because NBA teams will have less and less faith in drafting a foreign player in the future. It could get ridiculous.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the inaugural blog for the season. Celtics are opening their preseason on October 7--less than a month away! Until then, expect my reaction(s) to the two U2 concerts I'm going to next Sunday and Monday. If this video is anything to go by, it should be the best thing any human has ever seen. (Seriously. Watch it. Even if you're indifferent. It's just cool.)

Bye!

Bono NAACP Image Award Recipient - 2007

Just rediscovered this video from back in 2007. Please watch till the end of his speech. So so so good.

How Freakin' Cool Is This??

Go to this link to see a panoramic view of the 360º Tour from behind Larry's drum kit. Amazing.

Sick Nasty Live Footage from U2 360º

Sneak Peak at U2's New Music Video?

Blackberry (sponsor for U2's tour) has created this video ahead of the release of U2's 3rd single from No Line... called "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight." It's just a short 30-second clip of the band performing and there's a question of whether this is the actual music video or just an ad for the tour/Blackberry. Either way, it's very cool, so check it out at this link.

U2 Kicks Off 360º Tour in Front of 90,000 in Barcelona

I refuse to look at setlists, but from the rehearsals in days/weeks past, it looks like they're polishing off some gems as far back as 1983's War, several songs they haven't played in as many as 18 years, and some they've never played before EVER! Anyway, just wanted to share this photo with ya'll. Apparently, the giant LED screen moves and changes depending on what song is being played. It can expand and contract. So cool.

The screen expanded

The screen contracted

And here's another one that's pretty awesome. The white "arms" of the claw are able to project various colors that are displayed on it. A big mirrorball descends from the center of the claw to make everything just that much cooler :)

Tim's Draft Wrap-Up

Channeling Bill Simmons, check out Tim's running draft blog entry (nice touch with the Family Guy reference, Tim):

Summer Trade Rumors/ Running Draft Blog

Ok… Everyone take a nice deep breath…

Ahhh, feel better? Good. This is how I felt at midnight last night when the draft was over and Danny Ainge had taken his heart doctor’s advice and hadn’t gotten himself worked up wheeling and dealing for higher draft picks. Does anyone seriously think that the Celtics could have gotten anyone in the draft worth trading Rajon Rondo or Ray Allen for? Maybe Blake Griffin…maybe. I was actually quite bored throughout the draft, as no major moves were made (I was ready for anything after the Shaq and Carter trades). Two of the most interesting moments of the night were when New York fans reacted to Steph Curry getting taken one pick before they could take him, and then finding out that Darko Milicic was coming to town. Overall, I was disappointed, yet happy that the Celtics had stayed boring as well.

It’s looking more and more likely that Ainge’s recent trade rumor name dropping was just that, rumor. Rondo’s name was thrown around in trade scenarios for a high draft pick, and then with Ray for half of Detroit’s starting lineup. There was no chance that Detroit was going to make that trade and I’m a little put off that the Celtics would even desire those players. There’s nothing special about the Thin Man or Rip Hamilton anymore, and Stuckey widely disappointed last year. Believe me, I know – he was on my fantasy team. And who wants Detroit players on our team – aren’t we supposed to loathe them? I think what we have here is a GM making a statement that no one is untradeable, even hot shot starting point guards on championship-caliber teams. Apparently Rondo had been late for a few games and isn’t the easiest kid to coach. From what I’ve seen he takes all the criticism that Doc throws at him during games in stride, without arguing or talking back. I agree his consistency could be better, but that will come with experience.

I still don’t understand the involvement of Ray Allen in these Rumors other than perhaps gauging his value for next year if the “Three Amigos” can’t bring home the ‘ship next year. As I said in my previous blog entry, they deserve another shot at it next year, but I said nothing about the year after – we’ll see what that looks like when we get there…

Now, a trade could go down tomorrow, or next month with no notice (everyone collectively cross your fingers for the rest of the summer…and fall). We’ve seen firsthand through the Garnett-to-Boston trade that when the summer heats up, so does the trading market. However, recent comments by both Ainge and Rivers seem to point to holding on to Rondo (duh!). I wish I could say the same for Ray…(sigh).

Whatever.

I did a Bill Simmons-esque running draft blog last night, though it is nowhere near as in-depth or comprehensive as his – it’s only the lottery picks plus #58.

Running Draft Blog

The recliner foot rest is up, the Sox are on channel recall, and the Draft is starting…

Pick one – LA Clippers – Griffin (yawn).

OK, now for the rest of the 2009 NBA Draft Lottery…..

I notice that a lot of players, including Blake Griffin and Steph Curry, are wearing varying shades of light purple this year…this IS a weak draft. Curry’s tie actually matches the color of his lips.

Jon notes that Stu Scott comments that Griffin looks like “a very happy man…”, yet I don’t think he’s cracked a smile since finding out that the Clippers had the first pick.

Followed by an awkward interaction with Griffin’s parents…then a Dunleavy sighting where he tries to pretend the current team will be kept together…

2nd pick – Memphis - Thabeet is a TOWER.

3rd Pick – OKC… JAMES HARDEN! What happened to Rubio? Ruh-roh. I sense a regrettable decision. Harden’s interview - “I’m not the fastest guy. I’m not the most explosive guy. But I can get from point A to point B.”…What? (Peter Griffin voice).

4th – SAC – Tyreke Evans…and Rubio is faaaalling…Well, at least the Celtics can’t trade to pick him now…(knock on wood that they don’t swing something later on…)

5th – MIN – Rubio it is. Jon and I just died laughing when we heard his voice in the interview… (Like a Keebler elf – Jon)

6th – MIN (again) – Johnny Flynn…another PG, how does that work?

7th – GS – Steals Curry from NY. The whole family looks crushed.

8th – NY – Jordan Hill…not as exciting. Poor guy gets the yearly boo.

9th – TOR – Demar Derozan (I called this one.)

10th – Bucks – Brandon Jennings – No college for this boy. 7.6 points a game…eww.

11th – NJ – Terrence Williams, not really sure what he can do…1st senior selected in the draft.

12th – ‘Cats – Gerald Henderson, I like this pick for them.

13th – IND – PSYCHO T! I was hoping he would drop to 58…

14th – PHX – Earl Clark – Brandon Jennings makes an awkward re-appearance after deciding not to attend the draft/ gets a half-hearted cheer.
58th pick – Celtics – Lester Hudson- This guy was second in the nation behind Curry in points! Cool! Let’s see if Ray Allen can groom him into something special. That’s about all you can ask for a 58th pick, someone from a small school with a lot of upside. I’m just throwing this out there, but I think Danny Ainge may have found another late draft Leon Powe-like diamond in the rough.

Well that’s it for the draft. Recently some friends of mine have tried to convince me that moving Ray Allen for young talent might be an OK thing to do now, especially because he’s getting too old.

Now I’ve already written a whole blog entry why that should never happen, but because they insist, I must quote Jesus Christ speaking to the disciple Peter who is sinking into the sea because he does not trust Jesus:

“Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Taking It All In

It Might Get Loud Trailer

Guest Writer

I'm happy to report that we'll be having a contributing writer here on the Celtics blog from time to time. Tim Helgesen, avid Celtics fan, has sent me this piece on the upcoming NBA draft as it pertains to the Celtics. Now, me not being a huge mock draft kinda guy, Tim's article is a great way to gap the time between the postseason run and the 2009-2010 season for the C's. Without further ado, here's Tim!

The 2009 NBA Draft and What the Celtics May Do

By, Tim Helgesen (contributing writer)

The 2009 NBA Draft is a week away, and other than Blake Griffin locked in at #1, the draft is looking extremely cloudy as scouts and GM’s compare notes and take last looks at the rookies-to-be. Memphis wants Ricky Rubio but he isn’t returning the love. Hasheem Thabeet might be their next best option as he could anchor (or create) their defense of the future. Their third option, however, is to trade the pick to surround Orange Juice Mayo and Rudy Gay with an established veteran. This seems their most viable option as they have too much youth as it is already. But this is not a Memphis Grizzlies blog, this is a Celtics blog, and here comes the connection…

ESPN, among others, is reporting that the Celtics have shown increasing interest in getting that 2^nd pick, and seeing that they have no first round picks to offer in return, they’re going to have to make a BIG move. Yes, that’s right; Danny Ainge is considering breaking up the Big Three, less than two years after creating it. Rajon Rondo’s name came up last week but Ainge quickly made it known that that would NOT be happening any time soon. The only other player brought up that could pry the #2 (or any of the top 5 picks) away is……….Ray Allen.

When I heard about this I was flabbergasted and enraged. Why would the Celtics part with their 3-point savior…their only legitimate backcourt threat? So I went back and looked at the good ol’ game logs that ESPN so graciously offers to refresh my memory more than anything else. I hadn’t forgotten about his frequent slumps throughout the season and parts of the playoffs, and thoughts such as “He’s getting up there in age, Tim” and “Jump shooters always drop off quickly so we should get rid of him now” began to flood my brain. All that stopped when I saw one stat, two numbers… 51.

How could I forget about his 51 point gem against the Bulls??? Sure we lost that game, but the result didn’t matter to me as much as the meaningfulness of that stat……….

HE STILL GOT GAME.

True Celtics fans know Ray Allen's worth, evidenced by the multiple game winners and his epic 51-point performance against the Bulls this postseason.

Shuttlesworth’s not done. Sure, he’ll turn 34 in a month…I don’t care. We were a KG knee away from a Finals appearance this year, and we owe it to the “Parquet Posse” to give them another shot at a championship. We have to; they delivered as promised just a year ago. I’d rather have three over-the-hill Hall of Famers on my team than 2 and a rookie, no matter how good he may be.

Danny: Remember, we've been through this whole athletic-young-guy phase with Gerald Green. Yeah, that's the same year we lost 18 in a row. Do the right thing.

Ainge has apparently fallen into a man crush with Tyreke Evans, a 6-5 guard from Memphis. I had seen basically none of him at all, so I caught up by watching movie after movie on youtube…mostly mixtapes and all-star games. The kid can dribble and jump, finishing nicely at the rim, but his shot just isn’t there yet (of course every mixtape shot went in…). I don’t see how pairing him with a shot-under-development Rondo would be anything close to a good idea. Just…no. Don’t do it.

Doc Rivers recently told Mike WIlbon and Tony Kornheiser on PTI that the team was looking for a backup guard and another big man. So if the “backup guard” is Evans, who will be the 2 guard when Ray Allen is gone? The same problem arises if the deal goes down and the Celtics pick Thabeet (who’s riskiness scares the heck out of me)…no 2 guard. Don’t give me, “Eddie house could be the 2 guard, he played some rootin’ tootin’ good basketball last year!” (Insert Red Neck chuckle here)

Eddie House has excelled off the bench, providing much-needed scoring as the starters rest. But what if he's moved into Allen's spot?

WRONG. Not about his exceptional play, but about his ability to fill in for Allen. Edward L. House II excels as an off-the-bench fireshooter, and should stay there. He’s started a whopping 30 games in his nine year career, mostly filling in for injured stars…not someone I want taking the shots on a championship caliber team.

Other than Blake Griffin, I see no one in this draft worth getting rid of Ray Ray for, unless perhaps Steph Curry packaged with a veteran forward. The 2009 draft is just a weaker draft, case closed. As much as people want to think making a big move to get a possible superstar is the only way to keep up in this game, it’s just not going to work this time because the star power isn’t there. And if you’re still thinking that trading Ray Allen might be a good idea right about now…well shame on you, you fair-weather thrill seeker. Sometimes the best thing to do is stick with your guns, no matter how rusty they may be.

So in conclusion…Danny Ainge, sweet Danny Ainge who hath returned our team to glory…when in one week the time comes to draft players, stick with lucky pick #58 and don’t forget about 51.

Because as the sign in a barn I know of so aptly puts, “JESUS NEVER FAILS!”

...

Still 17-15. Still Better.

P.S. How much did it hurt watching Bill Russell give the Finals MVP Award to Kobe? Screw being the ambassador to the NBA or whatever Russell is. Never honor the Lakers in any way! I bet he was kicking himself and thinking how much of an asshole Kobe is...

You've Got to Be Kidding Me.

John Hollinger recently put together a points-based system ranking all 30 NBA franchises to determine who is the best all-time. You'd think that the Celtics, regardless of bias, would be #1, considering their unprecedented 17 NBA Championships. But no. He picks the Los Angeles Lakers. The following is a throw down in Hollinger's grill as to why he's a moron...

First of all, I don't care how many points you give for the various categories. The best franchise is the one that has won the most championships--every team's goal, every year, no matter what. Forget about regular season wins, intangibles, and so on. The Celtics clearly win as the best franchise, but number of banners raised is not the only reason why Hollinger's rankings are flawed.

As you can see, even the caption to the picture of the Lakers on that website is wrong. Yes, they had a great collection of stars, but the Celtics had more, hands down. In fact, they have the most members in the NBA Hall of Fame: 33. Sure, the Lakers had Wilt, Shaq, Baylor, West, Magic, and Kareem. But can they honestly contend with the likes of Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, JoJo White, Tommy Heinsohn, John Havlicek, Dave Cowens, Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, Bill Walton, and now Paul Pierce, Ray Ray, and KG? This argument that "the Lakers are so far out in front of everybody else it's not even funny" in terms of superstars is ABSURD! You cannot argue that 33 Hall of Famers has no weight. That's the benchmark by which great players are assessed!!

Hollinger does grant that the Lakers couldn't hold a candle to the Celtics, especially during the 1960s, but quickly dismisses this major point of contention by saying that Magic's teams of the 1980s took 2 of 3 from the C's and won back to back titles for "the first time in nearly two decades." Woopee-doo. Oh, wait...there's this one team that won eight championships in a row, something that is unprecedented in ANY major sport in history....who was that again? Oh yeah, that was the CELTICS. They also won 11 out of 13 years, so...yeah that's pretty good too, wouldn't you say Johnny boy?

Moving on. Last second excitement? I can think of one, which he mentions, and it wasn't historically as clutch as most plays I can think of. So Kobe throws up an alley-oop to Shaq to "cement" a win vs. the Kings? I'm sorry, but cementing a win is unimpressive. If that alley-oop was to WIN the game, then you'd be on to something. For the Celtics, even the broadcasts of plays have become famous! "Havlicek stole the ball!!" and later, "Aaaaaaaand now there's a steal by Bird! Underneath to DJ and he lays it up and in!" Or how about Don Nelson's shot hitting the back of the rim, going straight up into the air 6 feet, and going in for the win vs. the...Lakers. Completely ridiculous.

Another reason why the Celtics are the best is that they've had 4 NBA MVPs. Although that's deceiving. Cousy won once, Russell won it 5 times, Cowens won it once (along with a ROY award), and Bird won it 3 times (back to back to back). The Lakers total? Only 8.

And just to put down the argument that Phil Jackson is better/will be better than Red Auerbach. Screw you. Clearly anyone who argues this has no perspective of the game. Sure, Phil has more wins and is tied with the most titles, but Red coached at a time when the coach was the scout, manager, and drafted people. All Phil Jackson does is say things like, "It's all about psychology" or some bullshit and then gives it to Kobe or MJ. Red orchestrated draft picks such as Larry Bird a year before he was eligible just because he knew his potential. Len Bias was almost universally perceived to be the Second Coming. His drafting of Bill Russell came when he had the third pick: he negotiated/acted as though he wasn't interested to deter the 1 and 2 teams from picking him. And let's not disregard his psychological edge: the cigar. He would light up when he knew the victory was in hand, getting into the heads of the opposing coach and players, working almost as a self-fulfilling prophecy. I argue that it is much harder to win 8 in a row and 11 out of 13 titles with one core set of players than it is bouncing around and playing with two great superstars with massive egos. The players Red dealt with certainly had egos, but they were not take-it-up-the-court-and-shoot-every-time offensively-minded players. They each brought a piece of the pie: Russell brought defense, Cooz brought passing and handles, Heinsohn brought a deadly outside shot, Havlicek could score from anywhere. No one ego was greater than the team ego and that is the difference between these two coaches. Oh, not to mention that Red retired arguably at his prime, almost suddenly. He could have gone on to coach the Havlicek-led teams of the 1970s and had another two rings on his fingers. The fact that he was such an integral part of the draft process in the 1980s should call for the addition of the 1981, '84, and '86 titles to his belt, in my opinion.

Once again, what it comes down to--what every player, coach, manager, president on the team wants--is championships. The Celtics have the most, are the most successful franchise, and are therefore, the best franchise of all-time. I don't care if the Lakers have 10,000 regular season wins. Or if they have 10,000 playoff game wins. All that matters in the end is the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Celtics 17-Lakers 15. End of story.

Fun Fact of the Day

The Statue of Liberty is made of copper. Like old pennies that have been exposed to the elements and time, the statue has turned green.

I Want One

Yes.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

How Come I'm Never Where These Things Are?

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Memories...something something the Moooooonlight...

For Wokkus...

So, there hasn't been much written here in the past few weeks. The Celtics are no longer playing and they've been the bulk of my bloggage. Wokkus is getting peevish, so I told him I'd write about what U2's doing. He said he'd read it, so here you go:

U2 are currently rehearsing for their upcoming U2 360 tour, to begin June 30 in Spain. That run will continue throughout the summer, with the second leg beginning in America at Chicago's Soldier Field. They come to Gillette Stadium on September 20 and 21 (I'm going to both, of course). After that leg, it's presumed that they'll continue in 2010 in Europe and America and possibly other locations as well. 

Meanwhile, the largest stage setup ever is being constructed (I have a hard time imagining that, considering U2 have put on the gargantuan ZooTV and PopMart sets in the 1990s). It's nicknamed The Claw and allows the band to play in the round and increases the capacity of the stadium by thousands since it doesn't block off an entire section behind the stage. 

So yeah, that's what's going on. Hope you enjoyed, Wokkus.

How Freaking Cool Is This?!?

This Just In...

Magic's Alston, Lakers' Fisher will sit

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ESPN.com news services

Orlando Magic guard Rafer Alston and Los Angeles Lakers guard Derek Fisher have each been suspended one game without pay for their roles in separate incidents on Wednesday night, Stu Jackson, NBA executive vice president of basketball operations announced on Thursday.

Alston

Fisher

Alston has been suspended for swinging and making contact with the head of the Celtics' Eddie House with 48.6 seconds remaining in the third quarter of the Magic's 112-94 loss to the Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Fisher has been suspended for striking Houston's Luis Scola with his shoulder and head in the third quarter of the Lakers' 111-98 win last night over the Rockets in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Fisher received a flagrant foul two and was ejected.

Jackson also announced that the Lakers' Kobe Bryant has been assessed a flagrant foul one for elbowing Houston's Ron Artest in the chest area in the fourth quarter.

Alston will serve his suspension on Friday when the Magic host the Celtics. Fisher also will serve his suspension on Friday when the Lakers visit the Rockets.

Good. This means that the Magic will be forced to start their backup PG Anthony Johnson, age 34, who DEFINITELY can't keep up with Rondo/Eddie. Good news for us!