Re: Bird chat and my thoughts on the Celts...

["Dan Forant" <dforant1@nycap.rr.com>]

Mark, there's no competing with this team at this point. They toyed with us.
We have to remember what we are instead of who we are till more talent comes
along.

L8ter
DanF
----- Original Message -----
From: "Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>
To: <celtics@igtc.com>; <celticsstuffgroup@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 8:52 AM
Subject: Bird chat and my thoughts on the Celts...


> Larry Bird had a chat on ESPN.com yesterday. The transcript is at
> http://dynamic.espn.go.com/espn/chat/chatESPN?event_id=1258
> <http://dynamic.espn.go.com/espn/chat/chatESPN?event_id=1258>
>
>
> One interesting note:
>
> Q. Are you still considering heading a team of investors that would buy
the
> Celtics?
>
>
>
> Larry Bird: Just the Celtics. Not interested in any other team. We have a
> group together but the owner is not interested in selling at this time.
>
> One other thing from the chat, when asked about what he didn't like about
> the game:
>
> Larry Bird: I don't like the shooting percentages and the free throws.
They
> never seem to get any better even though they keep shooting. That is what
> turns me off on the game is the shooting percentages.
>
> ---back to me---
>
> On the Celtics... Losing to the Kings is no disgrace, but you'd like to
> think they'd compete and, with Webber out, try to take advantage. I'm
seeing
> some dangerous quotes from this group. They're using injuries, fatigue,
> schedule, etc. as excuses. Fact of the matter is they've been remarkably
> healthy (try losing Grant Hill, Antonio McDyess or Marcus Camby for large
> stretches). Everyone is banged up and tired at this point of the season.
You
> have to suck it up and compete. They didn't last night.
>
> That has been very unusual for this season's team. The last few seasons it
> was common practice-find an excuse to mail a game in. They did it a lot.
But
> this year they weren't doing that. They were playing hard. Not lately. And
> last night they mailed that game in. No effort. Hopefully they'll get
> refocused during the break, because if they take that attitude west with
> them they'll be killed.
>
> Even just two wins on the seven-game trip would allow them to tread water.
> They have to find a way to get two wins. The Denver game is huge. They'll
be
> rested and playing the weakest team on the trip. If they lose that,
they're
> looking at three games in the next four nights and the trip gets
> progressively harder.
>
> Mark