R-E-S-P-E-C-T

[Snoopy the Celtics Beagle]

I've noticed something of late, buried amidst the general celebratory 
feel of the Good Guys' 11-1 record.

There's a lot less mouthing off from the media about the Eastern Conference.

Sure, they still declare the WC is better, overall, but you don't 
hear the constant, casual name-calling that permeated media coverage 
of the EC as recently as last summer.  You see, they've noticed the 
Celtics are not only good on offense, but also on defense, which is 
what wins you Playoff games.  They HAVE to lay off, because there's a 
likelihood that whoever comes out of the East this year will be a 
tough out in the finals, and nobody wants to say they got beat by a 
98 pound weakling.  So there's been a gradual lessening of nastiness 
against the EC...and the Celtics in particular.

Boston has beaten the defending Atlantic Division champions, the 
Toronto Raptors in OT on their court.

Boston beat the team that beat the Raptors in the playoffs, the New 
Jersey Nets twice in one week.

Boston has beat all three WC opponents they've faced so far.

Boston's single loss was by 2 points in a game either team could have won.

Five of Boston's wins are against teams currently at or over .500

This is not, as someone obliquely suggested, a bad team getting lucky 
in the first couple of weeks.  Boston has won the games it was 
"supposed" to win, and did so convincingly.  They've come back from 
being down and played close games tight.  They've won by defensive 
scrapping more than offensive annihilation.

It's time the Good Guys got their due.  They're playing hard, and 
playing well.  Yes, they could be playing better, and they HAVE 
gotten lucky a couple of times; but without luck nobody can win it 
all, and there's no such thing as a perfect team, regardless of the 
win/loss column.

With the emergence of the Boston Celtics, the out of town media has 
had to drop the Rodney Dangerfirld shtick and show the Celtics--and 
the EC in general--some respect.

About flamin' time, says I.

Snoopy the Celtics Beagle
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