Todays games and articles

["Greg Odegaard" <gmodegaa@longvred.rmc.com>]

Here it is 12 noon out west and another Celtic game is over already, with
another loss.  I hear the footsteps of the Sixers behind us.

The disparity in rebounds continues to haunt this team, without the needed
inside presence.  

Billups played well, Barros very well in 16 minutes with 7 assists and a
BLOCKED SHOT!

Walker continues to struggle greatly, maybe playing himself out of an
all-star roster spot.  

My wife, a big hoops fan, watched the game yesterday, and her only real
comment of substance was that Walker did not look like an all-star to her,
based on his one day performance.
 

The following are blurbs from 3 Globe articles on the topics of the day
surrounding yesterdays game.

Ryans opinion, which is very reputable one, gives some serious question to
the basis of the "reporting" done by the ESPN guy last week.

May's article should clear up the basis of why the retirement was done with
Bird in town.  The reasons might not be all that obvious.

The last note brings the editorial staff into question as Bird clearly
retired before McHale.


No big surprise: Bird the coach is a winner, too 

By Bob Ryan, Globe Columnist, 01/19/98 

"It's not that there was anything rancorous about Bird's exit from Boston,
because there wasn't. But he did want to show people here that he was
capable of transferring his love, his knowledge, and his feel for the game
to his new team. After all, Red Auerbach was there. Kevin McHale was there.
Bill Walton was there. Robert Parish was there. We're talking family. What
proud poppa doesn't want to show off the precious young'uns to the
relatives he doesn't see very often?"



Parish at center stage (sort of) as his number goes to rafters 

By Peter May, Globe Staff, 01/18/98 

"There could be, and probably is, a very good reason for this two-pronged
affair. The Celtics are saying they wanted it this way to ensure that Bird
would be on hand, which is fine, except that Parish was a pretty good
player in his own right, a lot better than Reggie Lewis, who had his own
night. But if the team had picked another game to retire Parish's number,
there might have been a lot more nasty advance stuff about the allegations
of spousal abuse launched a few years ago by his ex-wife. 

Instead, you have Larry Bird front and center, undeniably the major story
du jour. 

Did the Celtics craft it this way? Did they deliberately pick such a day to
honor Parish, knowing that the attention would be diverted elsewhere? Of
course they did, their emphatic denials to the contrary. They may be doing
Parish a big favor by doing it the way they are."


McHale enjoys being alongside Parish again 

By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff, 01/19/98 

"McHale was the first of the Big Three to retire, and the first to resume
his post-basketball career within the game. He returned to his home state
to do so, but a major part of McHale's sentiments remain in Boston, where
he spent 13 years. "


To each his own I guess,

P.S. for fear of upsetting the PC bandwagon, could someone forward or
summarize the CBS Sportsline Premium article on the Celtics chances of
making the playoffs?  It would be appreciated, and a summary to the entire
list I am sure would be of interest to all.

Thank you,
Greg