Bob Ryan column

["Nathan A." <nj13@navix.net>]

Parts of the Bob Ryan column:

>As for the renouncees, good bleepin' riddance to Todd Day. Let's start with
>that. He came here as the party of the second part in a classic
>my-headache-for-your-headache trade in which the Celtics shipped the
>disgruntled Sherman Douglas to Milwaukee. Say this for Mr. Day: there was
>no deceptive advertising. He came billed as a selfish, slothful, entirely
>loathsome player who had occasional offensive ability, but no real clue as to
>how to be a winning NBA player, and that's exactly what he is. He was so
>labeled in Arkansas, and nothing has changed. Losing him is a classic case of
>addition by subtraction. I would not only wish him renounced. He also
>deserves to be denounced. 
>
>I will, however, miss Marty Conlon, the player my astute daughter Jessica
>refers to as ``Secret Weapon.'' He became something of a fan favorite
>during the dismal 1996-97 season, although I was never quite sure the
>crowd cheers were sincere. Whether they were or weren't, I'd like to go on
>record as a big-time Marty Conlon fan. This is a man who truly knows how
>to play basketball, whatever his physical limitations, and I assume his career
>is far from over. He would have fit in with Pitino on his brainpower alone,
>and I'm willing to bet it pains the mentor to include him in this necessary
>purge. 
>
>But the real killer here is saying farewell to Fox. Lord knows he has paid his
>dues in this town. He gave the team six dedicated seasons. He played every
>second of every game as hard as he could, and he did absolutely everything
>asked of him by both Chris Ford and Carr. 
>
>I know he would have been an ideal Pitino player, but the truth is that Fox
>deserves better. He deserves a regular rotation spot on a contender, and he
>deserves it now, at age 28. There are plenty of OK teams in this league who
>could use a legitimate 6-7 swingman with boundless energy, and I hope one
>of them makes him a fabulous offer. 
>
>Let the record show that Rick Fox should not be renounced. He should be
>bequeathed. Fox deserves a testimonial banquet. Day is lucky we didn't
>build a scaffold. As for Knight, get yourself a good financial planner and
>thank your maker he saw fit to make you 7 feet tall. Bob Ryan is a Globe
>columnist. 

"You mean now I gotta start thinking about the Celtics
   again?" -- Charles Barkley reacting to the arrival of Rick Pitino.

"Yeah, baby, yeah!" - Austin Powers

TADPOLES ARE A WINNER!