Re: Bulpett wants Ricky to stay...and really screw things up?

[Jim Hill <jahill@leasingservice.com>]

I don't see this article as off base.  If he does go, he should give BACK
money, not be paid more in a settlement.

However, Pitino has come in and changed almost every operation person from
before.  To walk now will create havoc. He built his Healthpoint, positioned
the team with draft picks and has two-three potential starting players on
the team along with a couple good role players.

IMO, he should,

1. Become full time President.  Then he should go visit every team
owner/President and apologize for tampering etc... and try to get a clean
slate.  

2. Tell the team he's staying for the duration.  Like it or lump it.

3. Hire a NBA coach and let him hire his own assistants.  Pitino can't do
both jobs.  I don't think anybody who is in a rebuilding phase can.

4. Focus on the draft and work out the players himself.  He must know
whether or not the kids can play.  Where would this team be now if he had
done that in the last few drafts?  For all the "preparation" they claim he
does, he has bombed in this area.

5. Go into the community.  Kill the stupid bank ad's and halftime crap.
Turn home games back into basketball games instead of "entertainment for
idiots". 

The Boston area has too many professional, college, HS, art groups etc.. for
this worthless entertainment going on at the games.  I'd rather see a kid
singing the National Anthem and a local music/dance/theatre group get
halftime exposure then some yahoos riding bicycles or spinning plates on
sticks.

Considering all the extra seats at a home game, how about pitting different
local HS/College/CYO basketball teams against each other during the half?
Get FSNE to show it and get the players to work with HS kids at the shoot
around before the game or get a local dance group/band/cheerleaders to
perform? 

Every State has competitions for Cheerleading/band/CYO/Pop Warner etc...
Why not bring the State Champions in and let the kids perform for the Fleet
crowd? Build up some good will with the locals.  Build up support for the
home team at the same time.  It's always been more then "just basketball"
that has made the fans loyal in the past.  Time to focus on the fan base.

My point is Pitino can't be as bad as he has shown so far.  He must be
trying to do too much at the same time.  Either bring in someone to run the
team as President or as Coach.  Hire local sports marketing people like
Bobby Orr who understand the Boston fan.  Pull this team up from where it
is.  Add some professionalism to the organization.

The Celtics fan and organization is losing out in so many ways.  It doesn't
need to be this way.

<Jim