I Loooove LEON!!!!!!

By: Matt Burke

Tommy Heinsohn clinched it late Wednesday night on the East Coast.
Yes, he actually said the following sentence:
“If I hadn’t fallen in love with Waltah so many years ago, I think I could fall in love all over again with this guy.”
Well, “this guy” was Leon Powe, who led a great Celtics bench that scored 35 points.
For fans that have followed this team for the past decade, Powe entering “Waltah” level is something else all together.
Sure, we all know Tommy has earned quite the reputation across these United States for, well, lack of a better word, “overstating” things in the past. But his love for Leon Powe is totally just.
The Powe adjectives: Hard working. Late draft pick. Class act.
Without even having to delve into his family situation, which is about as sad as it gets, Powe is already a classic American success story.
The “Grown Ass Man,” which Kevin Garnett has rightly touted him, has indeed become a man before our eyes. In Game 5 against the Hawks, he sparked the Celtics to what will hopefully become simply a strange six game series.
God willing.

Some other thoughts about Wednesday Night’s action:
- For those that watched TNT’s coverage of the game, there was a moment during a highly disputed blocking foul on the Celtics where the great Danny Ainge gave one of his finest “pout faces” of all-time.
Not since Game 6 of the 1993 NBA Finals has Ainge given such a potent pout.
More or less, I was in heaven.
In addition, TNT captured several great Ainge outbursts throughout the night. Make no mistake, whining Danny is back. And I couldn’t be happier.

- TNT also showed “Boston fans” giving reaction to the Celtics “being in trouble” outside of Fenway Park prior to both games on Wednesday night (the Sox were playing at Fenway against the Blue Jays at the same time).
Unfortunately TNT failed to realize that the people that actually care about the Celtics were likely not at Fenway Park on a Celtics Playoff game night.
At the same time,  I was absolutely, positively floored by what some idiot fan said when asked if he was “worried” about the C’s.
The complete tool, wearing full Sox garb, accompanied by his wife, who was wearing a replica styrofoam Fenway Park on her head (yup, you heard me right), replied on National TV:
“Red Sox Nation doesn’t care about the Celtics.”
…No words…
…No words…
…Punching my temples…
…(blank stare)…
…(slowly calming down)…
I will just say this: What makes Boston such a great sports town is that all four teams are important.
Yes, some are more important than others in certain time periods and yes, it will always be a baseball town no matter what.
However, it is now blatantly obvious that there is a HUGE difference these days between being a part of “Red Sox Nation” and being a Boston Sports Fan. There are so many frauds in “Red Sox Nation” these days, that it’s truly beginning to make me barf curdling sick.
The Boston Celtics won 16 NBA titles in between the Red Sox winning their first since 1918. They had the first black player to be drafted by an NBA team (Chuck Cooper), when the Sox were undeniably racist throughout that time period.
They had more likable guys on just one of those championship teams than the Sox had in 50 years.
Now that is a franchise that should be loved by a community.
But in a span of a sentence, one fool on National TV, made it seem as though the Celtics were irrelevent in Boston.
At least that’s how I felt.
Then again, I’m a bit touchy when it comes to the C’s place in not only sports history, but Boston history.

- On a somewhat lighter note, my NBA first round playoff predictions were once again a disgrace.
The Mavs beating the Hornets? Please.
The Suns ousting the Spurs? I don’t think so.
My one shining moment (I meant to do that) could come in the form of the Wizards somehow beating the Cavs. But that likely won’t happen.

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