Red on Opening Night

[Snoopy the Celtics Beagle]

Before his death yesterday, Red Auerbach never missed an opening 
night, practically daring the doctors at the hospital to stop him 
last year from making the trip to watch the Celtics play.

The NBA will need to be around for nearly a decade after his death to 
say it's been around as long as he has.

Red represented a certain continuity, a lifeline between the present 
and the past.  For the most part, if you saw other basketball teams 
in their home courts, you might see a former player there--if he was 
a member of the local broadcast team.  Red insisted that former 
Celtics players have seats at every Celtics home game.  On any night, 
a young fan might find themselves nose to nose with Satch Sanders, 
John Havlicek, or Jo Jo White.  The former players also worked with 
the teams in various ways, from Bill Russell to Robert Parish.  Danny 
Ainge was drafted by Red.  So was Tom Heinsohn.  Red didn't even WANT 
Cousy at first, yet it was evident years later that Cooz loved Red 
like a brother.

The Celtics have already dedicated the season to Red.  Yet such a 
declaration is considered a matter of course these days.  The old 
teams, the championship teams would have come out and said, "We're 
gonna win it all, and hoist the trophy for Red."  And they 
would--from Russell to Bird--have delivered on that promise.  How can 
this new team, new in the eyes of over a half-century of accumulated 
legend, ever live up to that?

That brings us to opening night.  What should happen? Suggestions 
have been wide ranging, including ignoring the no smoking laws and 
handing out cigars.

I have my own thoughts on that.  Send the "Celtic Dancers" home for 
the night, they can debut next time.  Call the guys down out of the 
seats. Sanders, White, Havlicek.  You know damn well that Larry will 
fly in for this, and so will Kevin.  Bill Walton will leave his place 
at ESPN as the token Celtic supporter, and come to honor 
Red.  Everyone he drafted, everyone he coached.  One more time.

And let Paul Pierce walk up to center court with today's team and 
guarantee that championship.  Defy the experts, the oddsmakers, and 
the soothsayers, just like they did in 1969.  Make it happen, and 
don't let anyone get in the way.

Hokey?  Maybe.  Improbable?  Most certainly.  But when Red retired as 
Coach, he did so at the start of the season, daring all the other 
teams to take one last crack at him.  He was a master of the moment, 
and knew how to motivate the hell out of his players.

Let the team of today join with the team of yesterday and win it all.

You want to talk prediction?

Forget wins and losses.  Banner #17 is waiting, if they go for it.

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