Re: [CANSLIM] Re: Holley Says Reach Out For The Messiah

["Dan Forant" <dforant1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 Just a curious question and a statement. How come other NBA teams haven't
 been knocking on Larry's door for his expertise?

 Larry ran from Indiana, and didn't impress Gaston much. I haven't been a
big
 post NBA player/coach fan of Larry.

 DanF

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Way Of The Ray" <wayray@ix.netcom.com>
> Newsgroups: alt.sports.basketball.nba.boston-celtics
> To: <celtics@igtc.com>
> Sent: Saturday, September 28, 2002 8:50 AM
> Subject: Holley Says Reach Out For The Messiah
>
>
> > OPINION
> > Sale greenlighted
> >
> > Record $360 million offer for Celtics too good for Gaston to pass up
> >
> > By Michael Holley, Globe Columnist, 9/28/2002
> >
> > Let's begin with the professional courtesies. The Celtics have a new
> > ownership group, and the trio should be congratulated for coming up
> > with the richest team proposal in NBA history. These guys paid $360
> > million for one of pro basketball's best brand names, and they didn't
> > have to scrape any penny jars to find the cash.
> >
> > So to Irving and Wycliffe Grousbeck and Stephen Pagliuca: Welcome to
> > the world of Boston ownership. When you have a moment we'll have dinner
> > and bill it to our friends at the New York Times.
> >
> > The new Green bosses are from the area, and they said yesterday that
> > they have been Celtics fans for life. Since that is the case, they
> > probably realize that two more things need to be done before they can
> > exhale and become truly comfortable. They have to make one more
> > purchase. And they have to make one more phone call.
> >
> > A trip to an art supplies store should take care of the purchase. The
> > phone call is even simpler. Just find the cellphone number for a man
> > named Larry from French Lick, Ind., and convince him that he needs to
> > be part of the management team.
> >
> > At the supply store, the owners can buy a paper cutter. Then they need
> > to gather all of Paul Gaston's files, suggestions, and memos, and turn
> > them into tiny blocks of scrap paper.
> >
> > If the new guys are indeed Celtics fans, they know that Gaston was the
> > worst of Boston's pro sports owners. The bashing of Jeremy Jacobs has
> > become institutionalized, but Gaston made Jacobs look like the
> > free-spending Mark Cuban. (I hear your skepticism, Bruins fans. But
> > I'll assure you this: If Gaston and Jacobs were matched up in a
> > worst-of-Boston series, Gaston would win the thing in an
> > easier-than-it-looked six games.)
> >
> > Irv, Wyc, and Steve will have a successful run here if they follow a
> > simple formula. Look at what the old boss did and do the opposite.
> >
> > Part of Gaston's problem was that he often seemed miserable as the
> > Celtics' shepherd. We always talk about pro athletes playing solely for
> > the paycheck, but Gaston was the same way. It was obvious he didn't
> > enjoy the games. When the subject was his team and his players, he was
> > as exciting as Barry Manilow. As the years went by, it was more and
> > more difficult to find him sitting in his FleetCenter seat. Yeah,
> > meddling owners are annoying, but absentee owners are worse.
> >
> > It wasn't an accident that the team's worst years came under Gaston's
> > ''leadership.'' He fired good employees. He allowed Rick Pitino to take
> > Red Auerbach's title. After M.L. Carr was reassigned and Pitino
> > resigned, he gradually ceded day-to-day power to Richard Pond. Pond
> > helped Gaston make a lot of money with the sale of Channel 25, but his
> > impact on Celtics culture is - at best - questionable.
> >
> > The recent Celtics were known as a cheap team, through and through.
> > Some organizations are focused on championships. Under Gaston and Pond,
> > the Celtics were focused on the location of every dime and every
> > quarter.
> >
> > Get that paper cutter, Irv. You too, Wyc and Steve. Put a pile of
> > documents under the blade. Whoosh. It's that easy. You also should
> > consider a bonfire to rid yourselves of Gaston's vanities.
> >
> > Being cheap was bad enough, but Gaston was a cheap owner who played
> > keepaway with a Boston legend. His pettiness with Larry Bird ran so
> > deep that he refused to sell the team to any Bird-affiliated group.
> > Bird, correctly, criticized Gaston's ownership reign and the owner
> > couldn't handle it. Bird's group offered Gaston between $350 and $360
> > million for the team and was rejected.
> >
> > If the team's new ruling family reaches out to Bird, it will guarantee
> > itself a lifetime of good will. People in Boston may nitpick Nomar
> > Garciaparra, lose all patience with Manny Ramirez, and dissect the game
> > of Antoine Walker, but no one is going to rip Larry Bird.
> >
> > Bird has already proven that he can coach in the league. He would be a
> > good executive because he knows how to listen and knows how to
> > recognize talent. He also understands the psyche of the Boston sports
> > fan. So, for example, he wouldn't be ducking a luxury tax when he knew
> > that the organization had millions of dollars in the kitty. His
> > presence might make members of the basketball operations staff nervous,
> > but they should be nervous anyway; a new boss is always examining jobs
> > and the people who hold them.
> >
> > It rained yesterday in Boston, but it was one of the most pleasant
> > rainy days of the year. Early in the day, rumors of a sale began to
> > circulate. They were confirmed after noon. And at 3 o'clock, Gaston
> > removed a roadblock - himself - and turned the team over to three men
> > who can quickly be embraced here.
> >
> > The Celtics are a paper cutter and a phone call away from being one of
> > the best-run franchises in the NBA. As for Gaston, he didn't even know
> > how to exit with style. He avoided the luxury tax, he left the Celtics
> > without a point guard, and, as usual, he took his money and went home.
> >
> > Michael Holley is a Globe columnist. His e-mail address is
> > holley@g...
> >
> > This story ran on page F1 of the Boston Globe on 9/28/2002.
> > ) Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.
> >
>
>
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