Criticism

["Juddy" <norine@sover.net>]

Hi, guys and gals -
    Back on my soapbox - I'll never learn.
    First of all, it's been a long, long, long time since the Celtlics were a good team, not to mention a great one.  I think most of us don't dare get our hopes up too soon - but that does NOT mean we don't take great joy in watching the team play well - and win.  The past week or so has been alot of fun, but you keep waiting for the axe to fall or something.  I don't dare get too hyped because it's a long, hard fall.  All the positives are obvious, but I want to answer the posts about how some of us feel about Pitino - or more to the point, how I feel.
    I never wanted Pitino to coach the Celts, everybody on this list knows that. I don't care how successful he's been everywhere - he never coached a young team in the NBA, just an established team.  He actually said a week or two ago he'd never be happy behind the scenes - he has to coach.  He said being the President just meant there was nobody above him to second guess him.  But in getting the title of President he took it away from Red, who was not too happy about it - and why should he be?  He made the Celtics what they became - the most storied franchise in the history of the NBA, bar none!  So nobody would be above Pitino, he had to have that title.  That by itself would be enough for me, but there's much, much more - his bad deals, long, costly contracts he can't blame on anyone else - the promises he should never have made - the list goes on.  As for the press - he didn't invent it, other teams use it, too.  It's part of basketball, not Pitino ball.  And last but not least, there's his screaming all the game long.  If he's the coach he's supposed to be, the game plan should be in place, the troups should know the ropes and he should not have to direct every move from the bench.  
    I don't personally believe he was as much upset about the booing (though I'm as upset about booing your own team as any of you) as he was that he was getting the bad press.  He's not accustomed to that.  Did that fire up the team to achieve more?  Maybe, maybe not - I don't know.  I'm glad some-thing did.  
    I'm older than most of you - so maybe I see things differently, and that's my privilege - but even though these players are young, they are old enough to drink and to vote - some of them are married with children, so they are not children and should not be treated as such.  
    I want this team to achieve, and I want them to be in the spotlight, not the coach.  Is that wrong?  I don't think so.  The fact that they're winning more games and are fun to watch at long last is wonderful, but it doesn't suddenly make me forgive Pitino.  Flame me all you want, but understand you cannot change a person's mind about something like that - only time, if anything, can do that.  One thing that can be blamed on Gaston is giving RP too much power.  I think a coach should coach.  Someone else should be making other decisions, even though the coach should have a say - just not the final one.  He's proven he's not good at some things.  End of rant, but I think you jump too fast to condem people for not agreeing about everything.  
Dorine