Josh S's Blog

Anyone planning on seeing some upcoming shows this weekend or next week? I know the country music festival with Tim McGraw is this weekend and next week are some big shows with The Kooks, The Fratellis, Modest Mouse and the National opening for REM, Tom Petty and Chris Rock!

Let me know! Would love to read reviews and see some photos.

The 80's are back which can only mean one thing for the NBA...Celtics-Lakers in the NBA Finals (is there anyone happier than David Stern this morning)? The Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals after beating the Detroit Pistons in six games. We saw the Celts win their first two road games of the post season and the sort of return of Ray Allen.

So as a season ticket holder is there anything I could possibly complain about this morning? Of course! The 2-3-2 set up has gotta be one of the worst ideas and I still don't understand the rationale behind it. If both teams hold serve that means the Celtics will return home one loss away from elimination. In all 3 of the Celts series during this run Game 5 has been monumental and this time around the Celtics will play a Game 5 on the road (if necessary) even though they have home court advantage. My only other real complaint is the Sunday night game. A 9pm start on Sunday for Game 2 after a Thursday night game? Why? Why not have the classic Sunday afternoon game and give them more time to travel to LA? Kevin Garnett put it best: "I'm looking forward to it, all the things I used to watch on Sundays with that big plate of food in front of me, watching the Lakers and Celtics play on Sunday, Hubie Brown and Dick Stockton doing the game. I remember that like it was yesterday -- fire going, I'm going to grab that seat right in front, Mom telling me 'Don't get too close to the TV, it'll kill your eyes.' I remember it like it was yesterday, man. I'm looking forward to this."

Enough of the complaining and on to the celebrating! I really hope fans in Boston are starting to come around to this team. The playoffs have clearly not been easy but the main goal is to survive and that's what the C's have done. In the process I think they've really learned a lot about themselves as a team. It's a team built on defense and I think there's a mental toughness that many people never thought they had. Yeah they're built around 3 stars but how about Kendrick Perkins Game 5, Rondo's steady hand at the point (and it's only his second season), James Posey's huge steal last night, Eddie House's hustle in Game 7 against the Cavs and even PJ Brown and Sam Cassell have come up big here and there (for Cassell not as much recently).

The Celtics are obviously not perfect and they seem to display the tired cliche that basketball is a game of runs. Last night was a perfect example. The Celtics all of a sudden found themselves trailing 70-60 last night and everyone I was with started thinking of yes another Game 7. But something different happened this time around. The Celtics went on a 10-0 to tie the game at 70 and then the C's went on to win yet another game in Detroit.

So it's time to dust off your nostalgia for the next week. Let's enjoy all the old clips since these two teams have met 10 times in the NBA Finals (Celts are 8-2 in those meetings) and of course Kevin McHale taking out Kurt Rambis. These are the two most storied franchises in the NBA and Phil Jackson will be looking to knock off Red Auerbach. I can't wait for Thursday night. I'll be at the Gahden chanting Beat LA will my father and I know he's been waiting a loooooong time for this. For a moment I almost forgot about the Rick Pitino era!

Beat LA! Beat LA!

Well Dictator David Stern banned the Celtics' use of pyrotechnics before the game, but the guys came out on fire shooting 52% from the field thanks to some fantastic ball movement. Now we've all seen this act before. The C's seem to be a different team at home, but it felt different last night in the Garden.

I don't want to get ahead of myself here since it's only a 1-0 series lead, but it just didn't seem like Detroit had anyone who could take over the game. The team looked sluggish shooting only 42% from the field. The C's continued to dominate on the defensive end preventing Wallace from getting it going down low and keeping Maxiell off the glass.

My biggest concern continues to be Ray Allen's jump shooting and his defense. Last night he missed all 6 of his jump shots and his teammates made a conscious effort to get him going early. The C's jumped out to an 8-0 lead and could have had an even bigger advantage if Ray was his normal self. On the defensive end it looked as if the Pistons could have used Rodney Stuckey even more to exploit the C's.

I also think the Pistons showed flashes of their pressure in the 2nd quarter when Eddie House struggled to get the Celts into the offensive set. This is one of the reasons the Celtics brought Cassell on board to handle pressure like this, but instead the Celts used Pierce to bring up the ball so that House could stay on the floor as another hot shooter.

Overall it was a well-played game by the C's to get out to the early series lead and show no emotional/mental let down after a huge Game 7 win over the Cavs. Let's hope the C's hold serve tomorrow night and then figure out how to steal one on the road.

What do you guys think? I'm thinking C's in 6. Celts-Lakers? Sounds too good to be true.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I know every Celtics fan wanted to punch a hole in their TV's last night and if you didn't then what game were you watching? Did anyone see the end of the 2nd? A close and ugly game and Pierce makes an awful turnover instead of holding for the last shot and of course Delonte drains a buzzer beater to put the Cavs up 9 all of a sudden.

How do you hold a team to 32% shooting and lose the game? Sorry let me correct myself here. Not only did the Cavs beat the Celtics in Cleveland again, but at no point during the game did you feel as if the Celtics were going to get over the hump.

Maybe Dan Aykroyd will confuse LeBron for Lewis Scott to give the Celts a leg up. Ok sorry I promise no more Celtic Pride references.

It was an ugly offensive game that made the Knicks-Heat games from the late 90's look like a Monet, but the C's had a chance. We can complain all we want about the officiating and that absolutely terrible (terbul in the word of Sir Chalres) charge called on Pierce late in the 4th, and we can complain about Doc's rotations and coaching, but the fact of the matter is that the players need to be held accountable. How do you only score 69 points?

These are not the same Celtics we witnessed during the regular season. I know Pierce is expending a lot of energy covering LeBron and actually doing a pretty damn good job, and KG has been steady, but where is Ray Allen. Honestly how is Wally Szczerbiak outplaying the artist formerly known as Jesus Shuttlesworth. Allen's performing is making us feel that we made a mistake trading Delonte, Wally and the draft pick that turned into Jeff Green for this washed up wannabe actor.

In the first six games of this series that team who has won the battle of the boards has won the game. Last night the Cavs had 16 offensive rebounds! As Little John would say WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT? That's just good positioning and hustle. I will say that it's a bit disturbing to see that the Cavs have gone to the line 30 more times than the Celtics over the last two games.

With all that said the C's are coming back home for Game 7, but when does the well run dry. The Celtics are 18-5 all time in Game 7's and this team already played a Game 7 when they dismantled the under .500 Atlanta Hawks (yippee hooray). However the best individual player on the court will be LeBron (hopefully Jay-Z will bring Beyonce back to the Gahden tomorrow) and as a C's fan it's painful to say that. None of our so called Big Three have stepped up the way LeBron has had to since he has a supporting cast that would struggle to make the Sweet 16.

So who is going to win?

I say the Celtics win in another ugly and frustrating game. Hopefully we continue to see Eddie House and hopefully Rondo returns to Game 5 form. Oh and Ray Allen? It might be time to stop trying to get him going and just pound the paint. Get the ball to KG and try to create mismatches with Pierce so he can get away from LeBron and get to the hole. Does it even matter if Gino comes out to dance? The Pistons are just sitting back licking their chops waiting for someone to survive this series.

Let's go C's.

What is going on with the Sox and the C's? The Sox have lost 6 of their last 8 games on the road and the C's well umm yeah I think we all know what's going on there.

Luckily the Sox return home to open up interleague play against an under-.500 Brewers squad but the Celtics are facing a much tougher challenge. The C's take a 3-2 series lead into Cleveland for Game 6. The Celts owned the regular season's best road record and the best overall record to boot, but as we've seen teams are struggling to figure out how to win on the road in the playoffs.

What do you think about this? I personally think it's a crutch for a lot of these teams and that they're just not mentally tough enough to pull it off. I would think players would enjoy winning on the road more. The thrill of shutting up another team's home crowd the way Reggie Miller used to enjoy draining 3's in Spike Lee's face. The Celtics are obviously facing some bigger issues than just being on the road, like, oh I don't know, the fact that Ray Allen all of a sudden looks like he's ready for a nice game of shuffle board on a retirement cruise.

So what do you think...do the C's have it in them to pull it off tonight or will the Garden be rocking on Sunday for Game 7 while the Pistons kick up their feet and enjoy another day off?

Gotta love the intensity KG brings even before they start playing...


The C's are continue to bang LeBron around and I think they'll pull out another win tonight in a close game. There have been only two games over the last two seasons decided by double digits between these two teams so I look for every game to be competitive. C's by 5 tonight...any thoughts?

So now that the Boston Celtics have finally rid themselves of the pesky sub .500 Atlanta Hawks is it possible for the C's to get back to their regular season ways and take care of the defending Eastern Conference Champs in Round 2?

The Celtics and Cavs split their regular season series 2-2 with both teams winning their home games. If this trend continues we should see the C's prevailing in another hotly-contested 7 game series.

I personally think the C's match up well with the Cavs and I was not a huge fan of their mid-season trades that brought them Wally, Delonte, Ben Wallace and Joe Smith. I think that this should be a pretty intense and defensive series considering both are near the top in all of the defensive categories.

So which Celtics team will show up for this series? Will the torch in the Eastern Conference be passed on to the C's?

Well, we all thought we could sleepwalk through the first round against the sub .500 Atlanta Hawks, but the Celtics are quickly learning (much like the Pistons have found out) that youth and inexperience can actually play a positive role for a team. We've all heard the same tired old cliches in the sports world, but one that has consistently come up over the last several days is that the Hawks don't know any better. Guess what...I'm starting to believe it!

So what's the problem? Why are the Celtics now heading home for Game 5 all tied at 2?

Last night's game was just all over the place. The Celtics came out on fire building a 16-3 lead, yet the NBA's youngest team was able to weather the storm pretty quickly and ended the first quarter up 29-24. In the third quarter the Celtics we've come to know this year finally reappeared and locked down the Hawks defensively. The Celtics took a 10 point lead into the 4th quarter and Gino was getting ready to dance and give the C's a chance to finish the series back home in five games!

Oops...here comes Joe Johnson and the rest of the the Atlanta Hawks. Al Horford was absolute beast on the glass pulling down 13 boards and when it mattered most the Hawks were able to dominate the offensive boards. Oh let's not forget about Josh Smith and his 7 biocks. The length and athleticism of the Hawks absolutely killed the C's last night. The Celtics rushed easy shots around the basket and even faded away a couple of times and couldn't convert the bunnies let alone the fact let alone the fact that the Hawks made 19 more foul shots than the Celts. Finally old friend Joe Johnson was unstoppable in the 4th quarter posting 20 of his 35 points in the final frame.

The Celtics were supposed to be one of the best defensive teams in the NBA anchored by Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett, but over the last two games the roles have reversed and it's as if the Hawks don't know any better.

With all of that said, the Celtics earned home court advantage during the regular season and now it's time to put it to use. The C's only last 6 home games during the regular season while the Hawks only won 12 away from Philips Arena. The Hawks show tremendous promise for the future, but I believe (and pray) that the C's will come out smoking in Game 5 and won't look back.

Any thoughts?

It's been a long drought but as we witnessed all season long...the Celtics are finally relevant again in this town. With the horrible taste of the Super Bowl and the Sox recent five-game skid maybe it's time for everyone to make Mike Bibby happy and hop on the Celts bandwagon.

Ok, so this weekend the C's dropped Game 3 in Atlanta (yes the same Hawks who finished 8 games under .500), but in my opinion this game will serve as a learning experience for this team as they move forward. My biggest complaint was the lack of touches for Garnett in the 4th quarter. When he entered the game (11 minutes remaining) the C's were still in it and he already had 28 points. KG can take over a game offensively when he's given the chance and in my opinion the C's shied away from him in the 4th quarter which was a huge mistake.

My prediction is that the Celts will blowout the Hawks in Games 4 and 5 and our man Gino will dance his way into Round 2 where it looks like the defending Eastern Conference champions, Cleveland Cavaliers, will be waiting.

We all know that when it comes to fashion Doug's taste can be quite questionable, but did you see what he wore on the ice at the Bruins game?



We want to hear what you think about Doug's dress.  To see why Doug wore it in the first place click here to watch Doug's interview with heart survivor Kaleigh Costello.

So LB Antonio Pierce decided to show the Giants were a team and asked that every player wear all black coming off the plane. Apparently Eli Manning and some other players didn't get the memo....


Awesome black shirt there Eli way to put your leadership on display. We're stuck for another several days of listening to weasels like John Clayton on ESPN..."Eli didn't have time to go to the dry cleaner..." haha John Clayton is one of the worst. How did that guy even get on TV?

Don't you think the C's should have their current players try to dance like Gino. I mean I'd pay extra to see KG and Perk do the Gino.

Well now that I have your attention...remember what being a Pats fan in the 80's was like? If you don't then click here and make sure this never ever happens again.

So as a long-time Celtics season ticket holder I have not had the privilege of watching many W's over the last 20 years and since I'm only 26 I'd say I definitely don't remember the good years. However, the Celts are back at 20-2 with a tough stretch of games coming up. The Pistons, Bulls and Magic are all coming to town this week so the question is...will we see Gino?

So for weeks BC fans were crying that their team was getting no love for starting the year undefeated and that Matt Ryan deserved more attention in the Heisman Race. I even had to listen to a fellow blogger say that things were different at the Heights because there was a new coach in town. Laughable! I sat here and told all of you this team would lose 2-3 games during the regular season and would most likely not even make it to the ACC title game let alone winning it in order to ear a trip to a BCS Bowl. Well guess what? BC has now lost two bad games in a row to two mediocre teams and they'll most likely lose to Clemson now. But hey we all know how the year will finish...BC will probably beat Miami and then win their awful Bowl game and everyone will say things are looking up for BC and next year they'll finally get over the hump. I'll believe it when I see and I don't foresee BC ever getting over the hump because they're nothing more than a above average program who always finds a way to lose when they shouldn't and when it matters most. 

In other news BU is off to a 1-0 start in hoops this year after beating up on the Bonnies Friday night without their best player, Tyler Morris. The team has four stud sophomores including Newton North alum Corey Lowe and should contend to get back to the NCAA tourney at least once over the next three seasons. Go Terriers!