Scott not a fan of Boston...feeling's mutual, Byron

["Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Scott not a fan of Boston


By Peter May, Globe Staff, 5/8/2003

AST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - New Jersey Nets coach Byron Scott took on the
basketball fans of Boston yesterday, using such words as ''abusive'' and
''hostile'' and ''juiced up'' to describe those who attend Celtics games at
the FleetCenter.



''These fans. They're very cruel and they can be crazy,'' Scott said in an
interview on WFAN Radio in New York. ''They come into the game pretty juiced
up. They've had their share of beers already before the game has started. They
can get pretty hostile.''

The remarks came as Scott was being asked about last year's visit to Boston by
the Nets during the Eastern Conference finals. The fans chanted ''wife
beater'' at Jason Kidd and also directed comments toward Kidd's wife, Joumana,
and their son, TJ. It got to the point where Joumana and TJ Kidd went home
after Game 3.

''The fans were getting very abusive,'' Scott said. ''Being that I played up
there a bunch of times in the [NBA] Finals, I know how abusive they can be
because they were abusive to the Lakers' wives when we played.''

Scott said he has advised his players not to have their families attend the
games in Boston.

''My wife was talking about it the other day, maybe going up. I said, `Babe,
you can't go up there.' Not to Boston,'' Scott said. ''I think most of the
players and their wives understand. It's a tough town to play in. It's a tough
arena. The people are crazy, to say the least. They're really into the game.
They're going to mess with you any way they can to take your minds off the
game.''

Scott also touched on the long-held perception that Boston is a difficult
place to play for African-Americans. Asked if that perception was still valid,
Scott said, ''I don't think we're way past that. I don't think you [the
talk-show hosts] are out of line for saying that. A lot of black players feel
that way. We did in the '80s. And I know in the '80s, at least some of their
black players still couldn't go to certain places. And that was their own
players. Some cities or organizations or whatever you want to say haven't
caught up to the year 2000 yet.''

He added, ''I think it's still a part of that up there. They're not very good
fans. You can have a great tradition and have a great fan without being crazy
and hostile. I think Sacramento has the best fans in basketball. They ring
cowbells and all that. They don't get outrageous like the fans in Boston.''

Thanks,

Steve
sb@maine.rr.com

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