----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2001 8:57
AM
Subject: Pitino
Well, here I go, for better or for
worse.
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.
Dorine