Bulpett: Fleet Center Fans Come Alive

[opi@unesco.org]

Now that's what I'm talking about! What I like about Bulpett is that he
makes it sound like a fun and colorful experience to go to home games
and root for our Celtics against our various rivals. The Boston Herald
really does provide the best sports coverage in Boston.

There's not a single jaded poseur-type who loves the sound of his voice
more than the team he is actually covering. The Globe is full of these
types now, even though 15 years ago this same group of sportswriters
probably deserved recognition as the best sports page in the country. As
far as I'm concerned, the "new order" in Boston (guess who has the
second best record in the Eastern Conference!?)  includes a clear
transfer of power from the Globe to the Herald.


*****

Celts' fans punch in: FleetCenter comes alive
by Steve Bulpett

Saturday, November 13, 1999

If you're looking for signs of Celtic rebirth, you could note last
night's 80-74 victory over the Knicks and the 4-2 record. Or you could
have looked up to sections 323 and 324 during the fourth quarter.

Amid a cheering upper deck throng was some guy in a Larry Bird jersey
with an oversized green foam No. 1 hand throwing haymakers at a New York
fan.

``I hope we won that one, too,'' said Rick Pitino, who, if he had been
aware of the situation, would certainly have been screaming for the
Celtic fan to use his left.

Now, this is obviously abhorrent and dangerous behavior, but after
seasons in which the place has come dangerously close to being annexed
as the Causeway Street branch of the Boston Public Library, a return to
meaningful games is very welcome. ``Hey, hey,'' said Paul Pierce, ``who
said there's no action in the FleetCenter?''

After the Celtics rolled out to a 16-point lead in the third quarter,
most of the action was provided by the Knicks - much to the delight of
all the New York college students who spent their lunch money to get in
(Boston University must have been a ghost town between 7 and 10 last
night).

The Knicks had every reason to pack this one in, having played the night
before in Minnesota and, last night, losing Marcus Camby with a sore
knee in the first quarter.

The fact they played harder and tougher deep into the game is a lesson
that should not be lost on the young Celtics.

``This is a team that knows what it takes to win games,'' said Walter
McCarty, a former Knick. ``This says a lot about them and why they were
successful last year. They just keep digging no matter what the
situation is.''

``They're a champion team,'' added Kenny Anderson. ``They're the Knicks.
``You've got to throw everything at them - the kitchen sink,
everything.''

Pitino was well aware.

``We knew they were going to do that,'' he said. ``We would have been
better off against this team if they had won (Thursday) night. They're
trying to play .500 ball or better on the road, and when you're a
championship-caliber team, you know you can't lose two in a row.''

Not in front of so many of your fans, eh?

``I remember when I was an assistant coach with the Knicks under Hubie
Brown and even as a head coach there, a lot of Celtic fans were in
Madison Square Garden,'' Pitino said. ``It used to annoy me. And now
it's even more annoying that Knick fans get in here.''