Pitino

Pitino did to the Celtics organization what nobody else has ever been able to do - he pretty much wiped it out. He wanted Aurbach's title of President because he wanted nobody over him to second guess him. Those are his own words. No matter what he'd done with the team, I would never have forgiven for that, alone. The Celtics are a storied franchise largely due to Red. I don't think anyone can argue with that - that's why his statue is out front of the Fleet Center. However, just as I've come to like Antoine because of the way he's turned himself around, I never changed my mind about Pitino as an NBA coach, and I never will. I don't "hate" him - but I don't feel one bit sorry for him, either. He'll bounce back, hopefully in college - I only hope he's learned some humility from his experience with the Celtics. His ego was just too large to survive here. His outbursts against the fans and players were not to be tolerated. I've never known a coach to do that. He acted like a spoiled brat, which he probably is, though a grown man.

It's not an accident that O'Brien was able to turn this team around. He respects these guys as men, not boys - and treats them like men. He's been watching these first years under RP and he knows why he wasn't getting through to them. He learned from that. Good for him.

One thing I'm happy about is that he traded neither Pierce or Walker. We're all a happy bunch right now and the seats are filling up in the Fleet Center. People I meet here in town who haven't mentioned the Celtics to me in a very long time are stopping me on the street to talk about the Celtics again - with smiles on their faces. Most of these people were pleased when Pitino was hired, but changed their minds long ago.

Pitino has gone on to whatever his future brings and the Celtics are winning. Celtic Pride is back again after a very long drought. We're looking forward to the games instead of watching out of a sense of duty - at least that was true in my case. Let Pitino go on to the rest of his life and let's get on with the current state of affairs.