Let me tell you all a story.

[damekmo@teleport.com]

>I hate this deal.  I
>have stuck with the Celtics through thick and thin,
>but I would have a major problem embracing a team not
>built around Antoine.  I just have invested too much
>time and emotion into building around him.  He is the
>Celtics to me for the last three years.  Baker is just
>another player.  There are fifteen other forwards as
>good as him in the league.  This will never happen as
>along as Pitino knows how good Walker is.

I'm going to tell you all a story. When I lived in Tennessee, years ago, I
had an Australian Cattle Dog named Lydia. We were inseparable. I was in
grad school at the time, and every morning Lydia would hop into my pickup,
we'd drive to campus together, and she'd wait for me outside all my
classes. She was loyal and good. Anyway...every 4th of July, the fireworks
would drive little Lydia nuts. She'd freak out. I'd have to drug her, but
even that wouldn't fully ease her pain and suffering. So all night long, as
the fireworks would go off all around us, I'd have to sit on my couch with
Lydia. She'd put her head on my lap. I'd sing her songs and massage her
ears. And after a while, she'd forget all the noise from the fireworks and
just fall asleep with her little tongue hanging out of her mouth in a
narcotic induced stupor. I just want to say that when I read a post like
this from Josh...well...it makes me just want to sit him on my couch and
rub his little ears until he forgets about all this trade talk.
However...that's not going to happen. So instead...here's the story and
it's something we should all remember. Right now, Antoine's in Boston. He's
going to play in the Summer League. I'm sure that, while in town, he's
working out with what's his name...lifting weights...working on his
game...having fun with the guys. He's working hard. Pitino's happy. There's
a ton of time between now and Novemeber. Jersey Red's always had his head
up his ass, so why should anybody ever take anything he says
seriously...ever!. Pitino's giving Antoine every chance to prove that last
year was a strike induced fluke. Almost everybody looked like crap last
year. Seattle is building around Vin and Gary. Vin's not going anywhere,
and neither are the Sonics. Ricky's keeping Antoine. There's absolutely
nothing to get excited about. There. I feel a lot better. Now.....Here
come's Mr. Sleepytime!

Paul M.