A Pedigree of Excellence

Boston fans have grown accustomed to winning championships, not just making the playoffs. The Patriots in 2019, the Red Sox in 2018; it’s strange when we don’t win. We win rings, hang banners, throw parades, and then repeat. It’s the Boston way.

Perennial Disappointment After Big-3 Era

The Celtics have made the postseason in 11 of their last 12 NBA seasons. We’ve had exciting and optimistic seasons, particularly our incredible run with Isaiah Thomas at the helm. However, each year, since we hung banner 17 from the Garden rafters in 2008 and the Big 3 split in 2011, the Celtics have fallen short. Each year fans grow disappointed and frustrated by underachieving players, bad chemistry, and youthful mishaps.

We have one of the best coaches in the league in Brad Stevens, yet our results have not been satisfactory. We thought that Kyrie Irving was the answer, but he turned out to be an attitudinal player with an affinity towards selfishness and a lack of leadership skills. Good riddance!

Kyrie suits up for his new team, the Brooklyn Nets.

The Times They Are Changin’

But this year feels different. The bad energy and drama seems to have caught the train to Brooklyn along with Kyrie. The team looks noticeably happier; players are more positive, chemistry is high, and the Celtics are once again playing for each other, as a team.

Doc River’s adopted the Swahili word “Ubuntu” in 2008, which means “I am because we are.” The Big 3 era Celtics bought into that message. They played for one purpose; to win a championship.

We may have traded down a little talent-wise in our deal for Kemba Walker, but we still got a top 10 point guard and all-star caliber player. He’s also won the leagues sportsmanship award numerous times; as we’ve seen so far, he is one of the nicest and most humble teammates we could hope for.

Kyrie may be a superior player, but not a superior teammate. Kemba is simply a better fit on this roster, and a more conducive asset to contend for a championship.

With Kyrie Irving gone, the Celtics may find themselves on the road to banner 18.

Jaylen Brown is cheered on by teammates after a win last week.

Young Stars

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have stepped up in a massive way this season. Jaylen is earning his 135 million dollar contract and Tatum is playing like a 2008 Paul Pierce.

Jaylen’s averaging 20.0 PTS, 6.9 TRB, and 1.9 AST through 18 games, while Tatum is averaging 21.2 PTS, 7.0 TRB, and 2.9 AST through 21 games.

These young guys are poised to become stars in this league, and this is their season to prove it. The Celts are 16-5 so far, good enough for second place in the East. Thank the Jay’s for that!

Key’s to Success Moving Forward

With Gordon Hayward returning from his hand injury on December 9th, the Celts will continue to cause trouble in the East.

Hayward was averaging 18.9 PTS, 7.1 TRB, and 4.1 AST on 55.5% FG through 8 games before breaking a bone in his left hand. Hayward was an all star in Utah before his horrendous season-ending ankle injury in 2017; if he can get back to that level, we will be dangerous.

We also need to add a seasoned big man to replace the void that Al Horford left when he joined the 76ers. We need a strong forward with scoring capabilities, defensive prowess, and rebounding skills.

Kevin Love is reportedly looking to leave Cleveland soon (I don’t blame him) and he would be the perfect fit for our squad. If we fill that big-man spot we will become legitimate championship contenders. The Lakers vs. Celtics rivalry is back!

Thoughts? Do you agree? Disagree? Let me know how you feel in the comments below! Follow me on all social media platforms to view and talk about all things sports!

Spygate 2?

The Patriots were accused of cheating… again. According to league officials, the Cincinnati Bengals filed allegations with the NFL this week after an employee of the Patriots organization was caught filming their game versus the Browns on Sunday night.

The Patriots released a statement that the employees behavior, while inappropriate, was merely a misunderstanding; the video of the Bengals game was being shot as part of a web series called “Do Your Job,” but the employee did not receive consent from the two teams beforehand. The NFL examined the video and found no evidence of wrongdoing at this time.

The latest cheating scandal is being dubbed “Spygate 2.”

History of Cheating Allegations

Even though the most recent allegations do not appear to be true, the Patriots have suffered from a laundry list of accusations over the past two decades. According to an article on Forbes.com, written by Terrence Moore, “ESPN ‘Outside the line‘ discovered in September 2015 that the Patriots actually spied on 40 games of opponents between 2000 and 2007.”

The Patriots were infamously caught in the “spygate” scandal when they filmed the New York Jets. We’ve been accused of fabricating injury reports, deflating footballs in a playoff game to provide an edge for Brady, and now this; spygate 2. Is the Patriots legacy tainted by all of these allegations of wrongdoing?

Tom Brady allegedly holds a deliberately “deflated” football in a playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts in 2015.

Continued Dominance Cannot be Refuted

While these allegations are certainly concerning — fans never want to hear that their team has a reputation for cheating — some of them are still unsubstantiated. Furthermore, these minor scandals, though certainly unacceptable if true, do not change the fact that the Patriots have dominated their opponents for 20 years.

Video tapes, deflated footballs, false injury reports? The Patriots have not won 6 super bowls in the last 20 years because they stole signs from the Jets. Our dominance as an organization is irrefutable. The potential cheating doesn’t rob us of our accolades, but it does taint our reputation to fans from other states. One might say that “they hate us cause they ain’t us,” which is true; fans outside of New England will find any excuse to bring us down.

Brady poses with his 6 super bowl rings.

But I’d like to turn over a new leaf moving forward. As a former athlete and lifelong sports fan, I respect the integrity of the game far too much to condone cheating. Let’s hope that these allegations begin to fade so we can get back to focusing on football!

Feel free to leave comments or suggestions below! I’d love to hear a new topic to write about! Follow me on all social media platforms; lets talk sports!

Does Better Chemistry Make This Years Team a Legitimate Contender?

With Kyrie Irving gone, the Celtics may find themselves on the road to banner 18.

Patriots Legacy Tainted by Cheating Scandals?