Re: Re:

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

But Joe, this Vin Baker trade isn't dictated by a cheap owner. Losing Rodney
Rogers, yes. Trading for Vin Baker? No.

This is a basketball decision, as ludicrous as that seems. This is Chris
Wallace, Jim O'Brien and Leo Papile actually believing that Vin Baker and
his gargantuan contract (and gargantuan rear end) make this team better. If
this was about finances, there's no way they trade for Vin Baker. This is
about complete incompetence.

Not everyone on the list is a Red Sox fan. Some of us (at least one of us)
are Reds and Bengals fans. We already know how it feels to root for teams
you know aren't going to be very good, and to root for teams you know won't
spend money to improve. But this isn't about that.

This is like the Mets trading for Mo Vaughn, believing all he needs is to
move east and he'll reverse the aging (and eating) process and become an MVP
again. Only the Mets don't have a salary cap strangling them for the
remainder of Vaughn's contract.

This isn't some sort of sports karma at work here. The Celtics and their
fans aren't getting their comeuppance for years of Red Sox spending. This is
simply a terrible basketball decision made by a "braintrust" that can't
spell cat if you spot them a "c" and a "t". And the frustrating thing is
they are so arrogant. They think they're smarter than everyone else. The
Kedrick "deal"... the whole "Kedrick and Joe Johnson were top-three on our
board" crap... the "Omar Cook is like a first-rounder"... the "Shaq of the
Shaw's"... the "Bruno Sundov would have been picked in the 4-7 range in this
draft"... Now it's "Vin Baker will be an all-star again" ... 

The sad thing is, this playoff run, which is a result of fortuitous timing
and Dick Harter, not the maneuverings of the "braintrust", ensures these
stooges will be around a while. Maybe another lottery season will spell the
end, although I doubt it. We mayl find out, because a team without a point
guard and with Vin Baker grousing and slouching around the court will have
its work cut out for it.

Mark


--- --- ---

Joe H. wrote:

I've already stopped praying that the Celtics get cold 
feet, since it sounds like the deed is done.

What matters now are the details beyond 
KennyAnderson+RodneyRogers for Baker. 

e.g. is Forte in or out of the swap? Will Gaston get 3 
million in cash from Seattle?

I wish there was a location where fans could gather to 
voice protest before the trade goes down, like the 
Parisians have with Bastille.

But honestly,we should stop being babies about this. This 
is what the other shoe feels like. For every Red Sox team 
that signs a John Damon, you have a just-on-the-verge of 
a championship club like Oakland dealing with the losses 
of Giambi or Damon every offseason. Or Seattle losing 
Sele, Griffey Jr, Randy Johnson etc. How does that feel?

Yes the Celtics were at long last a conference finalist 
last year. But life goes on. 

Our team simply couldn't afford to pay Rodney Rogers more 
than a million per year, because of the one season luxury 
cap hit. 

Let's get over it and move on. Let's hope for the best 
possible outcome. I'm saying that sincerely. 

We are Celtics fans.