Re: [Celtics' Stuff ] Preseason schedule's up

[Snoopy the Celtics Beagle <snoopy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 01:10 PM 8/7/03 -0400, Kim Malo wrote:

>For those who might want to try to catch a game where they normally 
>wouldn't have a chance to
>
>http://www.nba.com/celtics/schedule/080703_2003PreseasonSchedule.html
>2003 Preseason Schedule
>Date Opponent Location Time
>Oct. 8 Detroit at Boston Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT 7:30 PM
>Oct. 10 Boston at Chicago United Center, Chicago, IL 8:30 PM
>Oct. 11 Boston at Indiana Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN 8:00 PM
>Oct. 15 Boston at Detroit The Palace, Auburn Hills, MI 7:30 PM
>Oct. 17 Boston at New Jersey Continental Airlines Arena, E. Rutherford, NJ 
>7:30 PM
>Oct. 18 Indiana at Boston Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, NH 7:30 PM
>Oct. 22 Minnesota at Boston FleetCenter, Boston, MA 7:00 PM
>Oct. 24 New Jersey at Boston FleetCenter, Boston, MA 7:30 PM

Yeesh.

Who schedules the C's preseason, Byron Scott?  The Celtics will be playing 
in seven different states in 12 days.  Against Indiana, New Jersey, and 
Detroit, with Chicago thrown as a sop to the notion that this is, after 
all, preseason.  Then the final two home games are against the Wolves and 
the Nets.

Correct me if my memory has failed, but didn't the C's complain mightily 
about too much traveling in the preseason LAST year?  For the record, THAT 
was consisting of games at New York, New Jersey, Minnesota, and 
Toronto.  The home games were against Chicago, Dallas, Washington and New 
Jersey.

When the C's are facing an uphill battle with new players, didn't it occur 
to someone to invite say, Atlanta, to come up and play?  Or maybe to stay 
at home more?  Good news guys, you don't have to leave the country this time.

I know I complained about this last year, but I still think this whole 
preseason idea is overdone mightily.  Remember last season?  I lost track 
how many players got hurt in these utterly meaningless games.  I don't 
object to one or two games, just to give everyone some game-like situations 
before the season starts, but eight games?  Half of them away, and most 
against playoff contenders?

Even more annoying, two of the alleged "home games" are in New Hampshire 
and Connecticut.  I like New Hampshire, I used to LIVE there (hello, 
Monadnock Region).  But making Boston and Indiana trek to Manchester is 
silly, unless there's a foliage freak in charge of the schedule.  I could 
write a whole separate post on my unfavorable opinion of playing 
professional sports in a casino.  Didn't they used to encourage athletes to 
stay AWAY from gambling?  Now, they're just happy if the players aren't 
betting against their team.

I'm just hoping Obie is smart, and plays the starters minimal time to get 
them accustomed to working together, and give the bench guys time to earn 
hazard pay in the wilderness of northern New England.

Snoopy the Celtics Beagle
Please visit the <http://www.celticsbeagle.net/>Celtics Beagle Website