Boston teams blow whistle on bold bosses - By John Gearan Telegram & Gazette Sports Columnist

[Hironaka <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

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places. Watch out Kevin, you are making "Way" totally redundant! ;-)

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kevin from singapore wrote:

> Boston teams blow whistle on bold bosses
> Friday, April 13, 2001
> By John Gearan
> Telegram & Gazette Sports Columnist
> Bruins president Harry Sinden tipped his hand the other day
> on radio. He remarked that the Celtics were doing better
> without "a big name coach" and perhaps there was a lesson in
> that.
>          Yesterday Mike Keenan learned that lesson well. The
> Bruins did not invite back their high-profile, volatile head
> coach. He was shown the exit to the FleetCenter. Like his
> arrogant soulmate Rick Pitino, Keenan won't be in Boston for
> fans to kick him around anymore.
>          Instead the Celtics and Bruins will likely turn to
> low-key types for leadership. The Bruins are calling
> assistant Peter Laviolette, 36, the "leading candidate" for
> the head job, while the Celtics will offer a new contract to
> Jimmy O'Brien, Pitino's former assistant.
>          Why is Keenan getting his walking papers and
> O'Brien being invited back? Is it just because the Bruins
> failed to make the playoffs after he took over for Pat
> Burns, fired in October after eight games? Not quite. The
> Celtics didn't make the playoffs either and they want to
> keep O'Brien. The difference is money and style.
>          The Celtics can extend O'Brien's contract for a
> fraction of the fortune it had to fork over to the
> fork-tongued Pitino, who reigned as king and coach of the
> long-dead dynasty. The Bruins can get Laviolette with Calder
> Cup credentials for a lot less dough than they could Keenan
> with his Stanley Cup credentials. Furthermore, O'Brien is
> unassuming and co-operative. Keenan is haughty and
> confrontational.
>          No doubt the Celtics and Bruins would pay the long
> price if a "big name coach" would bring back fans to the
> overpriced FleetCenter. However, that marketing strategy is
> dead in the water. The bean counters finally figured out
> fans aren't stupid and they want to see a winner. As a
> result, attendance for both struggling teams is down. There
> is real concern that corporate fat cats, faced with
> predictions of an economic recession, will not re-up for all
> those luxury boxes. And the teams are taking a woeful
> beating by not making the playoffs. The NHL, most certainly,
> and the NBA to a lesser extent, aren't exactly standing on
> terra firma regarding finances.
>          Consequently the Bruins and the Celtics are
> adopting an old, but very true notion in sports: You don't
> have to be a big-mouth or a celebrity to be a successful pro
> coach. In fact, it probably helps if you're neither.
>          "Everyone Loves Jimmy" would be the name of a TV
> sitcom starring O'Brien.
>          Everyone has come gushing to his cause. Hall of
> Famers Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn, now Celtic colormen, are
> giving O'Brien ringing endorsements, noting how much harder
> the Celtics are playing since Pitino's departure. Even
> Celtic arch-enemy, Pat Riley, believes O'Brien has "done a
> great job" and "deserves to be a head coach in this league."
> Co-Captains Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce are publicly
> pushing for owner Paul Gaston to sign up O'Brien
> immediately.
>          Unlike his friend Pitino, O'Brien is a
> straight-shooter with the players, the fans and the media.
> He does not demand respect, he commands respects. He
> understands the game, knows how to get the ball into the
> hands of his superstars, and gets his millionaires to
> perform unselfishly. Pierce has blossomed under his looser
> rein. Walker has emerged as a leader. Others have performed
> over their heads. Since O'Brien took over, the Celtics have
> gone 13-13 on the road and 23-22 overall. They are playing
> hard and dormant fans are waking up and taking notice.
>          O'Brien comes from a basketball hotbed. An
> outstanding point guard, he is a St. Joe's and Big Five Hall
> of Famer. He is married to the daughter of a St. Joseph's
> and NBA coaching legend, Jack Ramsay. He has paid his dues,
> coaching 25 years as a college and pro assistant and head
> coach.
>          In style, O'Brien is not unlike K.C. Jones. He
> keeps things simple, lets the pros freelance and does not
> scream at them publicly or privately. He put a halt to
> Pitino's absurd penchant for pressing and trapping
> throughout a game.
>          His players have responded to being treated like
> adults and have hustled. The media likes him because he is
> sincere. For example, the other night a reporter asked him
> how his mother's recent death had impacted him emotionally.
> Politely he told the media he did not want to discuss such a
> personal matter. "No offense (meant)," he told the reporter
> who'd asked the question. O'Brien handled the matter like an
> adult. How refreshing.
>          Keenan has a different teaching technique that has
> ired pros in all six cities he has coached. He has had
> success: one Stanley Cup, three other appearances in the
> finals. However, his intimidating methods turn off the pros
> eventually. Even though the Bruins finished with a 7-2-1
> rush and Keenan posted a 33-26-7 record, Sinden and general
> manager Mike O'Connell weren't convinced Keenan could turn
> around the franchise.
>          So they will likely hand over the reins to
> Laviolette, a native of Franklin. Laviolette is level-headed
> and fair. Players like him. Boston hopes he can do what he
> did for AHL Providence in 1988-99: make the Bruins champs.
>          These moves do not guarantee O'Brien or Laviolette
> will turn around these dreadful franchises. FleetCenter and
> team owner Jeremy Jacobs still must spend some serious cash
> to significantly improve the Bruins. The Celtics have some
> big holes to fill at guard and center. The Bruins haven't
> won it all since 1972. The Celtics will embarked on their
> 14th season with out new championship banner. However, the
> Bruins and Celts have improved their chances dramatically by
> shedding two coaches with inflated opinions of themselves
> and salaries.