Mixed Bag

It's been a few days since I last posted and even those were bored ramblings while watching 10 hours of recitals this weekend. So I have a few thoughts stored up for this week's mixed bag.

Speaking of recitals, every year I wonder why we torture ourselves/kids this time of year. My son was signed up for soccer (which I coached) and baseball, my daughter had dance three days a week, and I also squeezed in all the Celtic home playoff games. Spring was a blur and I barely had time to go to the gym. That will end right next week. My wife, kids, and I are all spent and ready for a little r&r vacation to kick off the summer.

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Don Imus put his foot in his mouth the other day implying that Pacman Jones legal troubles were because he was black. He later changed his story to say that he was merely saying that he was getting a bum rap because he was black. He only changed his story to save his job. But really, why are we so sensitive. Yes he was making a derogative comment about blacks, but aren't his listeners adult enough to discern between a weak attempt at humor and real malice. My take is that either you agree with his premise or are mature enough to hear him say that, grumble a minute and move on. I can hear politically incorrect remarks and laugh or not and move on. His comments on the Rutgers girls were more egregious but if you don't like his comments, don't listen. If enough people don't listen, then he should be fired. That is why I stopped listening to the two racist morning men on WEEI Dennis and Callahan.

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I know there was a lot of surprise that Obama and McCain raised about the same amount of money in May. Let me put your concerns to rest (if you support Obama). This month Obama will raise close to $70mil, 3 x John McCain's take. This will come from his major donors most of whom only contributed to the primary fund and can now donate another $2300. Plus he will get a good portion of large Clinton donors that can donate $4600 each ($2300 for the primary and $2300 for the general). Additionally he will get his standard $20mil from internet donors (quick estimate is that he has raised $12mil online since Friday). The money disparity will only increase from here as the party coalesces behind him.

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Speaking of Obama, I am pegging his Electoral Vote total at >350. This will be a Reagan-Mondale thumping. Surprise wins will come from Alaska, Georgia, Louisiana, and North Carolina. I'll do a whole post on why this will be such a resounding Celtic like thumping when I am back from vacation.

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Speaking of the Celtics, the NBA draft is tomorrow (Thursday), my last fix until October. I promise not to do a post on this topic tomorrow.

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George Bush has 208 days left in office to try to accomplish anything. Can you ever remember a President less concerned with his legacy than this idiot? He is too lazy to make the effort.

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While we are on the topic of fear mongering useless Republicans, did you see McCain's Campaign Manager saying that it would be good for McCain's candidacy if there were another terrorist attack. Great idea, when can we schedule that? For him to say this it is either a) a case of a complete lack of message discipline on McCain's team or b) a butchered attempt a Bushlike fear mongering. I am going to stick with my belief that you shouldn't look for conspiracies where incompetence is a more likely scenario so I am going to pick a.
Just one of the major differences between the two campaigns. Barack vs Hillary was a case of a Major League team vs a good AAA team. Barack vs McCain is more like a Major League team vs a high school team. The only saving grace for McCain is that the RNC is pretty strong.

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It Doesn't Matter

I'm coming to grips that despite my neurosis, that my actions will not effect the outcome of the Celtics game tomorrow night.

It doesn't matter if I sit in seat 3 or seat 4.

It doesn't matter if I wear my Kevin Garnett jersey to the game.

It doesn't matter if I go to McGanns before the game.

It doesn't matter if I wear a Celtics cap.

It doesn't matter if my wife falls asleep during the game.

It doesn't matter if I pound my chest during the walk through the tunnel.

It doesnt matter if I get a Dunkin Donut's Ice Latte Lite during a timeout in the first quarter.

I realize that despite the fact that the Celtics win whenever I do the above, it is merely a coincidence. It doesnt matter what I do, it has no impact on the game whatsoever. I am however going to do the above, not because it matters, but because I want to.

Mixed Bag (NBA Finals Edition)

If you haven't read Curt Schilling's blog post on his observations of watching Kobe Bryant from behind the bench you are missing out. You can not read this and find one comment that is not consistent with his miserable public persona:

From the first tip until about 4 minutes left in the game I saw and heard this guy bitch at his teammates. Every TO he came to the bench pissed, and a few of them he went to other guys and yelled about something they weren’t doing, or something they did wrong. No dialog about “hey let’s go, let’s get after it” or whatever. He spent the better part of 3.5 quarters pissed off and ranting at the non-execution or lack of, of his team. Then when they made what almost was a historic run in the 4th, during a TO, he got down on the floor and basically said ‘Let’s f’ing go, right now, right here” or something to that affect. I am not making this observation in a good or bad way, I have no idea how the guys in the NBA play or do things like this, but I thought it was a fascinating bit of insight for me to watch someone in another sport who is in the position of a team leader and how he interacted with his team and teammates.

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Speaking of Bryant, who is more hateable Kobe? or Phil Jackson? Tough call. Seriously tough call.

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The NBA referee problem is no laughing matter. A league that has the worst officiating of any professional sport opens itself to doubts as long as it doesn't have it's house in order. I prefer to give them the Bush Administration benefit of the doubt. Why blame on conspiracy what you can blame on incompetence?

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When the great cheater Bill Belichik visited the Celtic's locker room earlier in the playoffs he gave Doc Rivers the great advice to never speak about injuries. When you hear about Rondo's ankle or Pierce's knee, be skeptical.

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Speaking of Rondo, I don't believe anything about his injury unless I hear it from his Blog

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Lastly, I may have been premature about Celtics in 5. Celtics in 6.

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UPDATE: Maybe I wasn't premature. GREAT COMEBACK! GREAT WIN!!!!

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UPDATE II: Doc Rivers just coached the game of his life while the genius Phil Jackson had nothing to counter. Doc get more criticism than praise, but the job he has done both this season and especially this Finals series is one of the great coaching jobs of all time.

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The Week Ahead

One thing I did enjoy writing on the Bobsyouruncleth site was a weekly post called "The Week Ahead". Since there are a number of things I am looking forward to this week, I figured I would do it here on occasion.

As I mentioned in my post last night, this week the nation waits eagerly on whether Artie returns to the Howard Stern Show Monday. Last night I posted that renowned Stern outsider Chauncey Hayden was reporting from inside sources that Artie was definately out, well today I can tell you straight from the baby gorilla's mouth, that Artie will be back.

Of course a slightly bigger story is the Pennsylvania Primary. As much as I would like to see Barack close it out, it looks to me to be an 8-12 point win for The Bosnian Sniper Evader. I'll call it 54-46 although the most credible pollster (Survey USA) has it most recently at a 14 point spread. I'll call it 8 and then say it ends in Indiana on May 6th. Anything less than 8 and there will be a plethora of SuperDelegates that declare for Obama putting pressure on HRC to call it a day.

If Hillary wins bigger than 8, look for John Edwards to enter the fray by endorsing Hillary before North Carolina.

The only good tv show on these days returns Thursday. Lost is back after the writers strike and the previews look good. Some day it will all make sense, but the show keeps you guessing like no other show since the Sopranos.

The NBA playoffs have kicked off and tonight, me and my 11 year old daughter get to go enjoy the Celtics destroy the Hawks. On Wednesday my son gets his turn. The coronation begins.

While most including myself don't care about the NHL, a friend from work made a bold prediction that the Bruins would beat the Canadians in the series while they were down 3-1. It is now 3-3 and Monday we will find out if he was right.

And bob, oh never mind.

Halfway Home

Two days in a row, two non politics stories. With the NBA All Star game tomorrow, we are at the unofficial mid point in the NBA season. The Celts go into the break with an impressive 42-9 record, the best in the NBA.
Some questioned how well a team of all stars would mesh, the C's have answered the call. Here's a look at grades so far for the team.

The Big Three
Kevin Garnett: A- By most accounts KG is the NBA MVP so far this season. His mere presence has inspired the rest of the team to play at a level of defense not seen in many years. Offensively he makes everyone better in a way not seen around here since the glory days of Larry Bird. He has missed the last 10 games in which the Celtics have gone 8-2. It has given the team a chance to mature while showing the fire that Garnett has instilled in the team.

Paul Pierce: A- At times Paul has struggle to find where he fits in the offense. He has seemed to jell better after about 30 games. His defense has been the best of his career. He has always had good defensive abilities, but has had to carry too much of the load on offense and has conserved his energy. Not this year.

Ray Allen: B Ray has suffered as the odd man out at times. He went through a real rough spot around the beginning of January. All the while Ray has played good defense and been a solid citizen. Come playoff time Ray will be more in the flow and will be an equal to the other members of the big 3.

Other Starters
Rajon Rondo/Kendrick Perkins: B- Rondo has performed above expectation but really needs to make the intermediate jumper more. Kendrick has filled the role well playing sold defense and rebounding. There have been a few games where he played with great fire and had great games. He needs more consistency.

First Off the Bench
James Posey B+ James Posey gives the team toughness and an enforcer that makes sure that the stars don't take cheap shots. He also has the knack for making the big three point shot. He also seems to take one charge late in the game that changes the game.

Eddie House: B Eddie House is the Vinnie the microwave of this team. He is a little mis cast as a back up point guard. His chief role should be to back up Ray Allen. When he has to handle the ball too much he doesn't make the three as consistently. If the Celts wind up getting a back up point guard like Cassel, it will help House not hurt.

Tony Allen: B Tony has at times been amazing. He is starting to show the pre injury burst of speed. His defense is fantastic. Tony needs to play with the same intensity every night. When he drives to the hoop with his left hand, he might as well hand the ball to the other team. Go to your right Tony.

Rest of the Bench
Glenn Davis: A- Glenn's baby face and polish under the hoop has made him a fan favorite. He seems to come up big often. Against San Antonio he had to guard Duncan for the most of the game because both Garnett and Perkins wer hurt. Without the inspired play of Davis the Celts would not have beaten the defending champion. His injury in the last game has the potential to be ugly.

Leon Powe A- Pressed into service about 30 games into the year and Powe has been solid. Think Charles Oakley with better touch around the hoop. Another guy that provides toughness. Without Powe, the Celtics would not have been 8-2 without Garnett.

Brian Scalabrine: C+ His best value will be as trade fodder next year. He has played ok, but I'd rather all of his minutes go to Davis and Powe.

Scott Pollard: C- He has been solid in limited action. Another guy that provides toughness, unfortunately has been hurt most of the year.

Gae Pruitt: N/A I like what I have seen in Pruitt, I just haven't seen much of it. It is unlikely that the C's will give him a lot of time down the stretch.

Coaching
Doc Rivers: A+ Doc has een kicked around for much of his stay in Boston, but I can't think of a better coach for this team. He has them playing great defense and is always making the good substitutions. Kevin Garnett has been averaging 35 minutes per game. He is getting the whole team involved and has kept all the egos happy. People were unsure how this team would mesh, thanks to the great work by Doc, they are way ahead of schedule.

Outlook
Within the next 10 days we will know if Sam Cassell will be coming to Boston. Getting ejected for a hard foul on Rondo was not the way to endear himself to a new team mate. Cassell would be a welcome luxury on an already great team.
Since this team is uilt on defense first, it will go a long way in the playoffs. In the East, the only team that can stop them isn't the Pistons, it's the Cavaliers if Lebron carries his team on his broad shoulders. The have beaten the Lakers without Allen, the Spurs without Garnett and Perkins, and the Mavericks without Allen and Garnett.

If Garnett is healthy, this is a championship team

Slacker!

ESPN did a great feature on The Top 25 Seasons of All Time. While the lists like this can lead to great debates because it is very subjective and impossible to compare across sports, the selection of Wilt Chamberlain is pretty tough to argue. Read on:

1. Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Warriors, 1961-62
Chamberlain averaged 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds. He set the NBA record with 4,029 points -- Michael Jordan is the only other player in league history to crack even 3,000. Chamberlain scored 50-plus points 45 times. Just how impressive is that? Michael Jordan cracked 50 points 37 times in his entire career. Chamberlain's 100 points on March 2 against the Knicks is perhaps the most famous single-game performance in sports history. Chamberlain also logged 48.5 minutes per game, playing all but eight minutes the entire season. To put all this in perspective, take Tim Duncan's best scoring and rebounding season -- then double it.

"playing all but eight minutes the entire season" this statement alone maybe the most impressive comment of all. Think of that. Put that in perspective, Kevin Garnett left the Celtics left the game tonight with 3 minutes and 47 seconds left in the third and returned with 6 minutes and 33 seconds left in the fourth a span of 9 minutes and 14 seconds on the bench, one more than Wilt spent all season.


Here's a special done on Wilt at 17 years old.

AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!

I read once that the difference between Boston Globe readership after a Red Sox win was some astronomical number like 100,000 additional readers than when they lose.

I can personally attest that I am in the same mindset as those that avoid the paper after a loss today. After Obama lost to Hillary yesterday, Jim Rice failed to get in the Hall of Fame, and the Celtics lost to the Charlotte Bobcats, I have no desire to go on any website that has news or sports. Tonight I was relegated to online Soduku.

That's all I got tonight, just venting a little disappointment.

Before They Were Stars - Kevin Garnett Edition

This is a great clip of teams discussing prior to th 1995 draft, the merits of drafting high school student Kevin Garnett. Isaiah's approach is pretty interesting, although I doubt he would have followed through on it.

Saturday Night Fights

Last night I went to the Celtics game with my two kids, on the way out the door I asked my wife to make dinner reservations for the two of us for the next night. As soon as I left the house I regretted that request. Thankfully, my wife forgot and I didn't have to weasel out to see three Saturday night fights I was looking forward to.

The first fight was between the Celtics and their 8 game winning streak playing the Detroit Pistons (who were the last team to beat the Celtics) who were on an 11 game winning streak of their own. It was a very tense battle for 48 minutes until the Celtics pulled away with a 7 point victory thanks to the surprising hero Glenn Big Baby Davis. The Celtics who are ranked number two in the Espn, SI and SportingNews polls to the Pistons can now be asurred of the top spot. No more complaints of a soft schedule, you don't go 29-3 by accident.

Fight two was the Republican Presidential Debate. Although I only got to watch during time outs of fight one, it was enough to see 5 guys pummel Slick Mitt. Politico has a great article discussing how much the other candidates dislike Mitt. It was nice to know that I am not alone. Mitt has about 4 more days before he is no longer considered a major candidate in the race. Sorry Mitt, $20 mil of your personal fortune down the drain. Picking a winner I would have to go with McCain.

Fight three was the Democrats squaring off, I got to see a little more of this than the republican debate because it lasted 45 minutes after the game. Although Hillary came out fighting, it was interesting to see Edwards insulate Obama from her attacks and not try to know him off the perch. It was essentially a tag team match. Clinton and Richardson against Obama and Edwards. Unfortunately for Clinton, her tag team partner didn't help her by saying he would meet with the Soviet Union. Clearly Stalin should be expecting his calls soon. Clinton lost her composure on one exchange but overall not as many haymakers as was thrown in the GOP debate. If I had to pick a winner I would say Obama just because he came in with momentum and got out unscathed.

So fight night was pretty good, all three fighters I was rooting for came out on top and my least favorite (slick Mitt) had a long night.

A couple of months ago, an incredible moron hijacked my blog and wrote an insane post something to the effect of " Why I'm not happy my favorite basketball team traded for my favorite player". This incredible moron made some great points that All Star teams never work and that Gerald Green would haunt us the way that Chauncy Billups haunts us.

Well, if we want Gerald Green back we can sign him at the end of the season since Minnesota didn't extend his rookie contract. As for the All Star Teams never work, I guess Bird McHale Parrish DJ and Walton must have never played in All star games.

As much as I have always loved watching Kevin Garnett play, his value to the team far transcends the numbers. To appreciate how good he is you have to watch him over several games do the little things that do not show up in box scores. For the first 30 games he has put up some of the worst numbers of his career, yet is the consensus MVP over the first 30 games.

There are many great players in the league. I would argue that there are more great players in the league now than at any point in the history of the league. But there are few special players that are special players that are not only great themselves, but also make their whole team better. Bird did it, Magic did it, Jordan did it, and Garnett does it. (Kobe, not so much)

Paul Pierce is having a career year on both sides of the ball. On offense you can attribute his performance to having Garnett and Allen free him up from doubles and triple teams. On defense, Paul has long been considered a weak defender (although his rookie year he was a very good defender). The difference this year is that everyone feeds of KG's energy and nobody wants to be the cause of a let down.

Tonight against the Rockets, it was the first home game after a quick but draining West Coast trip. When you could see the Rockets take control of the game because the Celtics were wiped out, Kevin Garnett picked up the team by himself and pulled out the game. During a late time out when the game was decided, Paul Pierce jumped on Kevin Garnett's back illustrating what was visible for anyone watching the game.

The Celtics now have a 7 game winning streak, it is their third of at least that length in their 30 game season. They are playing the most inspired basketball in the NBA and have sparked renewed interest around the league.

So all I can say is that whoever wrote that incredibly stupid post in July was icredibly wrong. I will tighten security to ensure that it doesn't happen again.

Happy New Year!!!

I've been very lax of late in updating my blog. It certainly isn't because I've been busy as I have taken 10 days off from work and done just about nothing for the first 7 of them.

Since it is the last day of 2007, there is no sense in looking back only forward. So I am going run off some predictions for 2008.

Politics
Let's start on the easy one. The Democratic Presidential Nominee will be Hillary Clinton. She will sweep through the primaries and coast to the nomination. Hillary will select John Edwards as her running mate. There weren't a lot of takers for the job since most feel that a VP in her administration will be even less influential than a normal VP since Bill would be very influential.

The Republican side will be a brokered convention. Rudy will win some big delegate rich states like NY, California, and Florida. Huckabee will win bible belt south, McCain and Romney will each win their share. The eventual nominee will be John McCain as the other nominees eventually concede, Romney will be the last holdout. McCain will select Huckabee as his runningmate to appease the Christian Right.

McCain and Clinton will not be alone in the race as Bloomberg Hagel run together as independents. The Bloomberg Hagel ticket makes it interesting by hurting Clinton in traditionally blue states leaving John McCain as the President of the United States.

The Democrats pick up 4 additional Senate seats but lose a few Congressional seats although not enough to lose the majority. The expanded majority in the Senate will be enough for the Dems to remove Lieberman from his committee roles which eventually nudges Lieberman into a role in the McCain administration.

Sports
The Patriots will not win the Superbowl. The Colts will repeat. The Patriots game against the Colts will go down as one of the classic sports games of all time.

Don't feel sad Boston fans because the Celtics will win the Championship and the Red Sox will repeat. I say this while watching them dismantling the previously hot Lakers to complete their road sweep. The Celtics will be given a boost by the late acquisition of Sam Cassell. The Sox will win out on the Santana sweepstakes.

World
George Bush completes his final year of his administration by accomplishing nothing to make it a perfect 8 for 8.

Pakistan will become even more unstable and will result in the US pulling troops from Iraq and stationing them in Afganistan at the ready in case Musharraf falls.

Business/Economy
Despite forecasts of an improvement in the economy, the US economy continues to sputter and slips into a recession.

Quick List

Attended a Celtics game tonight with my wife and kids. Another ho-hum 22 point victory that tied the Celtics record for longest home winning streak to start the season. I love the Sox, but I am a much bigger NBA/Celtics fan. Tonight's list the best Celtic players from 1981 to present.

10 Tiny Archibald
9 Antoine Walker. yes, Antoine Walker.
8 Cedric Maxwell
7 DJ
6 Bill Walton
5 Kevin Garnett (for 21 games)
4 Robert Parrish
3 Kevin McHale
2 Paul Pierce
1 Larry Bird

Quick List

Today's list is my top ten list of best sports personalities (not to be confused with best players):

10 Mike Tyson
9 Dennis Eckersley
8 Oil Can Boyd
7 Micky Rivers
6 Bill Parcells
5 Charles Barkley
4 Ricky Henderson
3 Larry Bird
2 Red Auerbach
1 Muhammad Ali

I'm sure there are some hockey players that should be on this list but who cares.

6 down 76 to go

I gotta admit, I am very pumped up for this Celtics team. I have watched or attended all of the games this year so far and can not believe how good this team is. Last night they played their worst game of the season and won by 15.

This is the portion of Bill Simmons predictions for the east:



1. BOSTON CELTICS
Preseason prediction: 49 wins (third)
Revised prediction: 62 wins



We're not sure that KG couldn't match William Wallace in pure, unadulterated fury.
There's no comparable situation in sports history to Pierce, Allen and KG finding each other at the same exact, "I don't care about stats, I don't care about credit, I just want to win" point of their careers. These guys aren't just hungry, they're Fat Dickie's Hungry. (I'll explain in a second.) They've played six straight games like they were playoff games, and even when they were winning by 35 against Denver last week, none of those three guys wanted to let up. It's like they were avenging every blowout loss that happened to every crappy team they played on these last three years. Can they maintain that passion for nine straight months? Frankly, I don't know.

But here's what we do know: Defensively, they have a chance to become as good as San Antonio. Offensively, they have a big man who draws double-teams and two perimeter guys who can create quality shots whenever they want. And they're nearly impossible to beat at home because of the reborn crowd and KG's ongoing William Wallace impression. The first half of the Denver game was the single greatest display of basketball by a Celtics team since January 4, 1991, and that team could have won the title if Larry Bird's back never went out. For all the die-hard Celtics fans who spent the next 16 years wondering if their team would ever matter again, watching the Nuggets get eviscerated was like watching a beloved relative emerge from a coma or something. It's one thing to have a good team; it's another thing to have a great team. These guys didn't want to just beat Denver, they wanted to break the Nuggets' will. And they did. This team will win 60 games if it stays healthy. At least.

(As for the Fat Dickie's reference … when I was in college, every once in a while, my buddy House and I would get tired of campus food and drive to a barbecue place called Fat Dickie's. Then we'd order an obscene amount of food and chow down -- we wouldn't even talk; we'd just be intensely plowing through the barbecue and occasionally nodding at one another. That's what Pierce, Allen and KG have been like all season. They're Fat Dickie's Hungry. It's a whole other level.)

Reason No. 12,366 why I love the NBA: You can't even imagine KG's crazed demeanor during these home games in Boston with a great crowd pumping him up. He looks like Jonathan Papelbon coming out of the bullpen with a one-run lead, only he stays like that for two and a half solid hours. It's incredible. His teammates are alternately enthralled and terrified by him, and honestly, so are the fans. He's a man on a mission. He's possessed. He's a borderline lunatic. Remember when Ronnie Lott had half of a broken pinky amputated so he wouldn't miss the '85 playoffs? You get the feeling that KG would do the same so he wouldn't miss a mid-January home game against the Hornets. And after admiring him in person for five games, my delighted father (a 34-year season ticket holder) revised his "Favorite Celtics Ever" list, bumped Dave Cowens down a spot and named Kevin Garnett "1B" behind Larry Bird's "1A." Five games! That's all it took. I'm going out on a limb and saying this was a good trade.

Quick Links

Bill Clinton is quietly disarming some of his former critics making it harder for them to criticize HRC. There is something troubling about the efforts the Clintons are making in suppressing coverage, whether it is taking phony questions or disarming critics. As much as I like and admire Bill, there is something...Bushlike about how much they are manipulating coverage.

I am probably one of the few Antoine Walker fans. Back in 2006 when the Heat won their championship and Antoine got his taste of a championship after several long years in Boston, I was very happy for him. Now that the Celtics fortunes are changing, so are Antoine's. After an off season that saw him and his girlfriend get robbed at gunpoint, things are not exactly looking up for employee#8.

Business Week has an interesting article on what they call ITV. While it seems like the way we view tv content has changed dramatically over the last few years, it could change even more dramatically if studios and cable companies can figure it out. (seems like a few years ago we were saying this about the now deceased music industry).

More commentary that OBama's sppech that I mentioned yesterday could catapult his campaign.

Reebok Nation

If you haven't seen this Reebok ad it is the best use of athletes in an ad since Bird and MJ played horse for a Big Mac (which if you would like to stroll down memory lane can be found at the end of the post). Without further ado, here is the ad and Globe write up on the ad. Enjoy








Menino pitches for Hub in new Reebok ad

By Andrea Estes, Globe Staff | October 30, 2007

Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston made his pitching debut on the mound at Fenway Park over the weekend, in a commercial television spot.

Menino was the only nonathlete - with the exception of the narrator, Dorchester native Donnie Wahlberg - appearing in a 30-second advertisement for local footwear maker Reebok.

The company lined up star power endorsers including David Ortiz, Bruin great Bobby Orr, former Boston College and Patriots quarterback Doug Flutie, and Patriots running back Laurence Maroney.

The ad, hastily produced by Reebok staff last week without benefit of an advertising agency, flashed photos of the city and its athletes, as Wahlberg asked: "What do they all have in common? They all play right here, and they all wear . . ." He doesn't finish the sentence; the word Reebok appears across the screen.

Flutie says, "This is Reebok Nation."

Amid the images of sports stars, Menino, dressed in a business suit, appears on the pitcher's mound at Fenway Park with outstretched arms, and says: "Welcome to the greatest sports city in the nation."

Menino recently joined the ranks of the fitness-minded by demonstrating his cycling prowess around his Hyde Park neighborhood. But he said it was his talent trumpeting the city that earned him an invitation to appear in the ad from his longtime friend, Reebok vice president Paul Foster. He was not paid for his appearance.

"I saw the script and said, 'Why not?' " said Menino. "If you were mayor and someone said we're going to run a commercial to promote your city, wouldn't you do it? It doesn't make any difference. Anyone who asks me to sell the city, why wouldn't I do it?"

Menino called the final product "clear and precise."

"Some of those commercials, you don't know what they're about," he said. "I thought they did a magnificent job."

The company "chose people who really represent Boston," Foster said. "You see them and you know this person equals Boston. The mayor was another iconic personality that represents Boston."

The others, he said, are endorsers of Reebok or members of teams that are outfitted by Reebok.

Menino said he didn't contact the State Ethics Commission to make sure that appearing in the ad did not violate the state's conflict-of-interest laws, which prohibit public officials from using their position to gain an unfair advantage for themselves or others. He said he did not believe there was anything wrong with appearing in the ad because he was promoting the city and not a product.

The only time the commission has publicly reviewed such a case, in 1984, the commission ruled against a district court judge who asked if his name could be used in a TV ad endorsing a product, even if the judge was unpaid. "The use of your name clearly would be benefiting a private interest," the commission wrote.

Menino's advertising premiere was viewed with amusement and goodwill by several observers.

"This is kind of the golden age of Boston sports," said Councilor John Tobin. "Success of this kind has never been seen around here as it is now and probably won't be seen again for another 100 years, which will coincide with the end of the mayor's 24th term. He looked good, but I don't think he'll be getting a Screen Actors Guild card anytime soon




What is up with Jordan's outfit?? I thought this guy was fashionable.

The Truth Has Been Set Free

Opening night for the Celtics was last night and they performed as advertised. Not all nights are going to be 20 point blowouts, but the team does look dominant. It is a far cry from the team that lost 18 straight last year,

Paul Pierce has endured many bad times in a Celtic uniform. He has had many opportunities to doubt the personnel, the owners and the GM. For the most part he has bitten his lip and kept his complaints out of the media. He has never asked to be traded publicly.

Now Pierce is rewarded by being on a team everyone wants to play on. Just today Sam Cassell and Juwan Howard have expressed interest in playing for the Celtics. All summer they had more interest in playing for the Celtics than in many many years. When Posey signed with the Celts, he said it was because it gave him the best chance to win a championship. Posey played with Shaq and Wade in Miami last year. Boston is not necessarily a destination location as lets say South Beach, or Phoenix, or LA for that matter.

Which brings me to Paul's polar opposite Kobe Bryant. Kobe is one of the best players in the league if not the best. He plays in a big desirable market for a coach with nine rings. He currently is sulking because the Lakers have not surrounded him with a good enough team. Maybe he should have thought of this before he drove Shaq out of town.

He had Shaq, Karl Malone and Gary Payton on his team before it imploded with infighting mostly caused by Kobe. Even with those guys gone, you would think that free agents would flock to play in LA with Kobe. Guess not. What star is willing to stand around while Kobe hoists up 45 shots?

Sometimes you get what you deserve. Paul is getting his first season with a dominant contender while Kobe sulks for a borderline playoff team.

Primetime

These are some of the most electrifying athletes of my life time. Obviously this is a very subjective list, but my only criteria in coosing them is in order of who I would pay to see?

10. Michael Jordan. I know having HIM this far down the list is heresy to some. He is probably the most gifted athlete of all time. Even though he is widely considered the greatest player in history of his sport, he left in his wake an NBA that was less entertaining than he arrived. Too much isolation and individual play which he ushered in almost killed the NBA with it's fanbase. It is only now recovering. Still, as I said...the most gifted athlete of all time.




9. Wayne Gretzky. Back when hockey was a sport, the Great One was the best ever. Like Magic Johnson with skates.



8. Jimmy Conners. yes Jimmy Conners. Tennis was more entertaining when it wasn't all about a big power serve. Jimmy was all about hustle.



7. Magic Johnson. Good for several passes a game that leave you shaking your head.




6. Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Mike Tyson, Mohammad Ali, and Sugar Ray Leonard were probably better showmen, but to me Hagler was the best boxer I ever saw.



5. Pedro Martinez. I am a bigger Clemens fan than Martinez, but boy can he pitch. He changed himself from one of the greatest power pitchers to one of the greatest finesse pitchers.

sorry no Pedro videos.

4. Jerry Rice. Greatest football player ever(despite the fact I list someone higher). May not have been the most glamorous, but definitely the best. Incidentally was on Howard Stern's radio show and gave the most interesting interview I have ever heard him give.





3. Tiger Woods. maybe the most amazing shot I ever saw him hit was from the deep rough 191 yards out over a tree within 4 feet of the cup WITH A PITCHING WEDGE.



2. Larry Bird. I feel like I am cheating on him by listing THE GREATEST BASKETBALL PLAYER OF ALLTIME as #2. Do not dispute this. Larry was a better passer, rebounder, outside shooter than MJ. Not as good of an individual defender but played great team defense (didn't he Isiah?)




1 Barry Sanders. If you were a defender, at any moment of any game you could put your head down to make a tackle only to come up with air and have to relive your missed tackle on every highlight reel.

without further ado.....



Honorable mentions to Pete Rose Jack Nicklaus, Deion Sanders, Derek Jeter (yes Derek Jeter), Roger Clemens, Joe Montana, Shaq O'neil, and Carl Lewis.

Siriusly Entertaining

This weekend I heard that E Street Radio was returning to Sirius, I was thrilled. Last time Bruce had a station on Sirius was in early 2006 and it was fantastic. Most of the stuff they played I had never heard before. Much of it was obscure concert recordings that could not be heard any place else. The station returns on September 27th through March 8th to coincide with the new tour (which incidentally I got tickets for today). It is one more reason to have a Sirius radio.

Somewhere around January 2006, I purchased a Sirius satellite receiver mostly to coincide with Howard Stern starting on Sirius. (Ok, it was solely to listen to Howard, but that is besides the point.) 2 stations devoted 24 hours a day to Howard Stern is great for the millions of Howard fans. Where else can you get Andy Dick's Shit Show or Jackie's Jokehunt? Want to listen to an hour broadcast of John the Stutterer talking Politics? It's right here. If not, there is always Howard 100 which plays his morning show 24 hours a day so you can always pick up pieces you missed on your morning commute. I love listening to Stern, it is like hanging out with friends on my morning commute, but when Howard retires in a few years Sirius will still be collecting subscription money from me.

Have you ever tried to listen to Air America? Don't bother answering that. Well in Boston, it no longer exists on terrestrial radio. On Sirius you have Sirius Left 146 which broadcasts the immortal Ed Schultz show. Big Ed is the best of the progressive talk shows.

Ever try listening to the Celtics on the radio? Up until this year who cares, but now you don't have to find the obscure station of the moment, just plug in the Celtics as your favorite team and your Sportster will remind you when to turn to Cornbread.

NFL, besides carrying every game (usually in both cities feed), the update show that runs on Sunday is better than listening to any one game.

Tonight on the ride home, I was listening to Barbara Walters weekly one hour show. She promoted the show last week on Stern and I've listened to it the past couple of weeks. There really is something for everyone.

Then there are the music stations. Radio Disney and Starz Hits one for the kids. All Elvis and country for my wife, and Little Steven's Underground Garage, Classic Rewind and now E Street for me. If that doesn't work for you there is always the 24 hour Frank Sinatra or Rolling Stone stations. Many, many, many more choices.

There are 2 limitations that I find on Sirius. One is that if I want to listen to the Red Sox, I have to remember what station carries it. Since I have not listened to terrestrial radio once in 18 months, I just don't know what station carries the Sox. If the merger with XM goes through, I should be able to buy a baseball package. The other thing Sirius should do is devote 10 stations to local sports in the 10 biggest markets. Think of how many Sox fans in Florida or California would love to listen to a Boston sports station on the way to work.

Maybe my favorite thing about Sirius is I haven't had the misfortune of listening to Dennis and Callahan once in the last 18 months. Are those two morons still on?

Quick Links

Today's quick links is going to be politics free in keeping with my promise to have a politics free weekend.

With that promise in mind, this is a fascinating look at the hunt for Bin Laden done by Newsweek. Note: there are some elements of politics in this story, but it is primarily a news story.

Honda has a case of Prius envy. Read on to see what they are doing about it.

About 10 years ago, Latrell Sprewell choked his coach PJ Carlissimo. While for several years it seemed that Carlissimo's reputation was hurt more than Sprewell's. 10 years later it seems like the tide has turned. SI has an article discussing the changes in fortune.

pro Football Talk has a feature called Turd Watch. It lists out the NFL's police blotter. It includes an entry that says Michael Vick was charged with tresspassing in Feb 2007. Sounds like the least of his worries. So much for being a first time offender.

When we put our house on the market in May (we had already moved) we were prepared for te worst. We sold it within one day and pretty close to the tope end of what we were looking for. The NYT has an article that speculates that the median price for homes is going to drop for the first time on record and could continue in 2008 and 2009.