Nov 2, 2007 3:49 pm US/Eastern
Banner 17: I'm Too Sexy For This Team
A Column By Peter Masucci
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Here's the deal: the Celts haven't won 50+ games since the '91-92 season, back when Right Said Fred was too sexy for his shirt and Cuba Gooding Jr's agent was a mover and shaker in Hollywood. More relevant, it was also the last time the 'real' Big Three were on the court together. And now with the 'new' Big Three being unveiled, the C's are about to embark on their most anticipated season in nearly two decades. It's been a long, long wait.
Truth be told, I have approached every season leading up to this with the same wild expectations that "this could be the year." I've convinced myself in the past that if Dee Brown stays healthy, Eric Montross develops, Dino Radja quits smoking and Todd Day stays out of prison, this team could make some noise. I've argued with myself, mostly because no one else cared enough to argue back, that Ricky Davis could be the big scorer needed to complement Pierce. Vitaly Potapenko could be the answer in the middle. Kenny Anderson was the point guard we've missed. Jiri Welsch was the next Drazen Petrovic.
Like Britney Spears' psychiatrist, those teams never had a chance. Even in the 2001-02 season, when the live-by-the-three-die-by-the-three version of the Celts made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, they truly didn't have the talent needed to be a legit contender. I mean, Rodney Rogers was their third leading scorer. The difference is that really "this could be the year." Banner17 is truly a possibility. Thank you, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and ultimately Kevin McHale.
All eyes are now on Boston. The C's are a top 5 team in the league. They have an odds-on favorite for the MVP. They get national press on a daily basis. Fans who jumped ship during the Pitino era and came out of hiding once or twice over the last five years are now proudly on board the Celtic train bound for glory.
So as we lead up to the opener tonight, expectations are as high as Ricky Williams at a Cypress Hill concert. Coming off the Sox World Series win and the anticipation of the Pats-Colts showdown, fans are still finding the energy to get pumped for tonight's Celts game. How well do you think Tommy Heinsohn slept last night?
It's been a long wait for a dominant team, since 1992. Back then tonight's opponent was known as the Bullets and they had a stud 24-year-old center who also had high expectations. His name was Pervis Ellison. If you've been wading in the Celtics' pool of mediocrity over the past 20 years then you are all too familiar with him. Heck, he was even a team captain at one point. So, it's time to throw expectations out the window. I'm done with expectations. It's time to deliver on the court.
At the Buzzer:- 50 wins is an automatic, and I'm calling for a 57-25 season.
- The Wizards' Gilbert Arenas guaranteed a victory earlier this week. Agent Zero is like the Chad Johnson of the NBA. He talks a lot of smack, likes all the attention but you can't seem to hate the guy. However, Arenas will need to drop 40+ for the Wiz to have a chance.
- I'm looking forward to seeing the debut of the Minnesota Celtics tonight as well. The home of six former C's, the T-Wolves gave Big Al a 5-year $65 million deal earlier this week. They also shipped out former C's Ricky Davis and Mark Blount to Miami in exchange for Antoine Walker. I hope Big Al does continue to become one of the best low-post players in the league.
- Here's an admission I usually don't like to make public: I'm in an All-Celtic Fantasy Basketball League. You are only allowed to draft current and former Celtics. It's the type of league where you're thrilled if Mike James falls to you in the 6th round. So, I like to keep tabs on all former Celtic players in the NBA. Tonight, keep en eye on Darius Songaila, the Celtics' 2nd round pick in 2002. Although he never played for the C's, he was grandfathered into the league. He's also my 12th round pick this year so I'm hoping he gets some nice garbage time tonight.
Off The Parquet- I got the Pats winning by at least 10 this weekend. Too many weapons and too many upgrades over last year's AFC Championship losing team for the Colts to hang tight. Call it 41-31.
- Finally… and I don't know why I know this but… Right Said Fred has released a remix of "Too Sexy" this year and has just finished touring across Europe. So if you slipped into a coma in 1992 and are just waking up, some things haven't changed.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
