Emperors without a kingdom

[Eggcentric@xxxxxxx]

< J.R. Bremer struggled with his shot against Houston (2 of 9), and 
the Rockets' bench, Moochie Norris in particular, was riding Bremer 
at the end of the game. ''He don't want to shoot it. He won't shoot it,'' 
Norris yelled.  Bremer did shoot - and missed all of his OT 
attempts. ''I really like what he's doing, the decisions he's making,'' 
O'Brien said. > - Peter May

This is the kind of smug Obieness I have come to abhor. Wallace may 
well have the traits of a vinyl siding salesman, but Obie, well he is 
one odd duck... brooding, removed, and stubborn.  Like Heathcliff,
his almost inhuman devotion to the trey (instead of Catherine) is the 
moving force in his life, seconded by his dismissal for all those who 
stand between him and his beloved system. 

The 2002-03 Celtics, 31-25 record aside, have not ignited the 
enthusiasm of the general public or even their most loyal followers.  
Monday's game was only the 11th sellout of the season in 27 home 
games.  Poster interest and activity is down across the boards 
because, really, what is there fresh and new to say?  Yin yang, yin 
yang. The treys fall, they don't fall; we win, we lose.  

Our two biggest hopes for this season, Baker and Brown, have become
our two biggest downers. Since the end of Nov. when our record stood 
at10-5, we have gone 21-20.  With the exception of increased BPG 
(3.8 vs. 3.6) every individual team stat is down from last season ... 
every single one.    We have so many players - Delk, Bremer, McCarty, 
even Walker - who only look good when their treys fall and look so
damn mediocre when they don't.

 A while ago, poster Gene (Tyler) contributed this sensitive thought: 
"How can it be so bad when it feels so good? "
 
I like this line a lot because, really, even if reversed, it says
it all about our team.  This team has virtually driven its fans 
into schizophrenia.  We are up, we are down. The minute we voice 
a positive or negative thought, our directionless team proves us 
wrong. Truly, we have become emperors without a kingdom. 
We partake of each game like a hungry guest, thankful for each 
crumb, digesting each course as the chef's surprise choice du 
quarter.  But always the soft complaining flute plays  "With so 
much wrong, how can we continue to win " in the background of 
our starving minds. 

We won four of our six West Coast games while underdogs in all
six. And that is good. But maybe we (and the books) made too 
much of the dreaded trip West since only two (Sac., Portland) 
of our six opponents had superior records. Nonetheless, despite
Wallace's despicable moves, Obie's despicable obsession with
the trey, our despicable bench, our despicable rebounding, 
our despicable assist numbers, we will make the playoffs. 
Because even though our team seems to do so much wrong, so
many of our opponents just seem to do everything MORE wrong.  

And just maybe, Gene, that is why it can be so bad when it 
feels so good ... or be so good when it feels so bad.

Eggy