Re: The Boston Celtics Mailing List Digest V5 #193

[Tom Bisson <tbisson@doe.state.vt.us>]

First let me say that I'm a big fan of Bob Ryan. I think he's one of the
best columinist going. I also think he's a huge fan of Larry Bird and
thus of the Pacers, so he's been even more fun to read lately.

I'm a Celtic fan, but I love wathcing the Bulls. The Bulls are a TEAM
And, by the way, so are the Jazz, even though I don't like them. So
let's quit with the whining about the NBA being a league of selfish
one-on-one players who don't understand the fundamentals. The Jazz use
the oldest strategy in basketball (pick and roll) and the triangle
offense of the Bulls is straight out of the 1950s Chip Hilton basketball
series.

Jordan is a wonder. Larry didn't blink after the Pacers thrilling win on
Monday because he knew that he shouldn't make Jordan angry. Of course,
the team couldn't control themselves and displayed too much glee for Mr.
Jordan who promptly elevated his game - and his teammates' games - to
thoroughly embarrass the Pacers.

Doesn't this scenario happen every year? Last year didn't the Heat anger
Jordan and didn't he discipline them in a very strict fashion? In the
finals, didn't somebody suggest that maybe Karl Malone was really the
better player and then didn't Jordan submit a truly heroic effort to
thoroughly dispel that notion?

Remember that old TV commercial for magarine that ended with the line,
"It's not nice to fool Mother nature" followed by severe thunder claps?
It's not nice to think for a moment that you can beat Jordan and the
Bulls. It's disrupting the chain of being. I'm surprised that Mr. Ryan
hasn't come to this conclusion.

- tom