News: All Pierce, All The Time & Jersey Red's Thoughts

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

Scroll down to read Jersey's view....

NBA Security Monitors Pierce Situation

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/271/sports/NBA_to_monitor_the_investigation+.shtml



In non-Pierce news, which might be of interest to Celtics fans, the
Nuggets acquired Tracey Murray and signed Terry Davis. Might make them a

teeny bit better for the upcoming season.


Rap Artist Sought in Pierce Stabbing (T. Battie saw the stabbing
and tried to stop it)

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/271/metro/Rap_artist_sought_in_Pierce_stabbing+.shtml



Dream-Teamers Think of Pierce

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/271/sports/Thoughts_turn_to_Pierce+.shtml



Jo Jo White Saddened by Stabbing

http://www.ljworld.com/section/nba/story/28029


Police Eye Rappers' Pal in Attack

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_regional/pierce09272000.htm


Cofman - Herald on the C's Temporary Void

http://www.bostonherald.com/sport/basketball/celts09272000.htm


Projo: Stabbing Motive Unresolved

http://www.projo.com/cgi-bin/story.pl/sports/04292311.htm




Pierce is one of the good guys


Ken Ford September 27, 2000

 Ken Ford

Talk about the ups and downs of life.
On Sunday evening I attended a celebration at the Venus de Milo in honor
of Father Jay Maddock’s 25 years in the priesthood. Father Jay is one of
the biggest sports fans in the world and very loyal to the Red Sox, to
the point that he goes to spring training every year and attends as many
games as he can.

He is also a very close friend of Celtics coach Rick Pitino, so
naturally he’s a big Celtics fan.

Father Jay is in charge of the CYO’s Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball Leagues
and the CYO Baseball League, and he has helped thousands of youngsters.

It was a very festive evening. James ‘Bruiser’ Flint, the head coach of
men’s basketball at the University of Massachusetts, was there as was
Rocky Marciano’ brother Pete, who is a double for the ex-champ.

Sitting at my table were several people connected to the Celtics,
including John Connor, Tim Seifer and representing the coach (who was
out of town) was his wife, Joanne Pitino.

The evening was full of questions about how the Celtics would be this
year and I can’t tell you how many times the name Paul Pierce came up.

Everyone -- and I mean everyone -- really likes this kid as a player and
more importantly, as a person, and well they should. I know him very
well and you’ll never meet a nicer young man. As for basketball, he is
without a doubt one of the up-and-coming future stars of the NBA.

That was on Sunday night.

Then came 5:45 a.m. Monday morning. When my wife answered the phone I
could hear her say, "Oh, no! Is he all right?" On the other end was the
same John Connor, who the previous evening was laughing and joking along
with everyone else at Father Jay’s testimonial.

He was in his car on the cell phone driving up to Boston and his voice
was quivering as he told me that Paul Pierce had been stabbed at least
11 times.

I was stunned and shocked and fearful that Paul’s life was in danger.
The rest of the morning was chaos. The news was first bad, then it was
good, then it got worse, and thank God it got much better around 6:30
p.m.

I spoke with Mrs. Pitino and she told me that Rick was on a jet headed
to Boston even as we spoke. She received a call at 4:30 a.m. telling her
of the stabbing and naturally had not gone back to bed.

I was told that Paul was on his way into surgery and that, indeed, he
had been inflicted with numerous stabbings to his face and body sometime
around 12:30 a.m.

Eventually, I got to speak with Rick Pitino, who had just left Pierce’s
bedside. He was very somber and told me that the doctor had told him it
was a miracle that Paul was alive.

The knife entered into his sternum, went in seven inches, and had it
gone a little more to the left or right, it would have ended this kid’s
life.

The culprits also broke a bottle over Paul’s head and there were glass
chips in his skull, not to mention the slash-cuts of a superficial
nature all over his body.

Pitino told me that Pierce had only been in the club for five minutes
when he was attacked.

So after all of that, what do you suppose this 22-year-old youngster
said to his coach when he walked into the hospital room? "I’ll be there
for the first day of training camp coach," to which Pitino responded,
"Have you taken a look at yourself Paul?"

There will be many more facts coming in about this story and as it
unwinds I will keep you posted. But as I sit here on Monday evening --
pen in hand writing this -- my emotions are swirling. I’m ecstatic that,
apparently, Paul is going to be okay, but I’m also despondent and
concerned, and yes, fearful for my children and your children, who can’t
go out to a club in today’s world without some whacko doing to them what
was done to Paul Pierce.

It isn’t funny -- or should I say sad -- that last week I wrote about
the effect that Rap music was having. How ironic that it seems the
assailant(s) were part of the entorage of a Rap group that was playing
at the club. To me, they are the ‘Music Mafia’.