Cruel Ironies

[J Ozersky <JOzersky@aol.com>]

Of all the things I love about Pitino, probably the one which is most
comforting is his emotional intensity, which is on a level with my own.  If
you didn't see last night's press conference, you don't realize that he was as
close to the verge of tears as I've seen a head coach in any loss, let alone a
regular season loss.  He wasn't nearly as upset when Kentucky lost to Arizona
last March.  

I was crushed too, as we all were, by the cruel irony of all this.  The bait
and switch of watching Kenny Anderson's first few games, in which the Celtics
seemed to be a gorgeous, team-of-old fastbreaking juggernaut, a pleaure to
watch who could blow teams like Detroit out of the building.  All of us
thought this new team was the arrival, so long delayed, of Celtic Pride
Unharnassed.  For Kenny to get an injury now is just too cruel.  Thank God it
isn't permanent, but Rick has to put him on the IR and let him get better.
Deep bone bruises need time to heal.  

As for the officials, I think it's plain that some of them are out to get the
celtics.  Who ever heard of an announcer getting threatened with ejection?
It's obvious they are aware of a feud with the Celtics, and are behaving in an
unprofessional, unfair, and peevish way about it.  I doubt Antoine will get a
call for the rest of the year.  I don't plan to tape any more games, and even
watching them will be hard, although of course I will do so religiously.  

Anyway, we have our glimpse of the future.  Add geiger and susay, or two other
guys, and a healthy Kenny, and we should be a playoff team, although it is
doubtful that Orlando or Detroit will be this bad next year, not to mention
Washington, New York, or Millwaukee.  But you never know.  The way the celtics
were playing for a brief, glorious time they could beat anybody, esp. with a
little help in the middle.  Signing Antoine and Ron will put my mind
completely at rest.  What an exhausting season this has been!