Post by FLCeltsFan on Sept 30, 2006 18:19:09 GMT -5
Kim Malo on the igtc list posted this report from the Season's Ticket holder's picnic. I love the ring tone she included. Too funny. Good info...
Well, having just gotten home from the Celtics picnic for season
ticket holders I can certify from live and in person that Al
definitely looks in great shape. And for those bemoaning the loss of
bulk to throw around on the boards and in the paint, I'll add that
it's clearly muscle based cut and not just a matter of dropping
pounds - he's not skinny, he's lean, and there is a real difference.
Skinny is what his arms and upper body looked like when he first came
here. I still remember looking at a picture then of him side by side
with Marcus and it wasn't the new PF who had the more built up,
powerful looking shoulders, chest and biceps. Even when he was using
the prior bulk, a point JB made was correct - it was really his
quickness with things like spin moves on offense that made it
effective because he was through people before they were set up to
stop him more than because of the bulk per se. So replacing it with
muscle could make him more effective rather than less. Anyway, we'll
see how it translates into play on the court. But if nothing else it
should help him get the lift back that he lost on his shot last
season because of the ankle, and that left too many of his shots
clanging short.
The bad news is that I couldn't get close enough to verify for sure,
but Telfair does look alarmingly close to eye level with me, which
doesn't exactly make him a munchkin but does mean the 6'0" he's
listed at is not pessimism. Rondo is slightly taller. Telfair
guaranteed making the playoffs to the crowd. Didn't hear Danny's
speech as I was talking with someone, but heard most of Doc's. His
emphasis was on the players learning to trust each other, which isn't
as left field as it might sound. It's a non-finger pointing way of
flagging things like the one man seeing the ball offense and attempts
to do everything yourself that were genuine problems. He also went on
to say the main issues were improving on defense and running more
consistently (noting that you had to have the right personnel -
presumably his seal of approval on the new PGs), which again isn't
exactly earth shattering news, but I'd rather hear him admitting they
were problems and big enough to flag and focus on rather than
pretending (or even really believing) they weren't.
That being said, this used to be a really nice perk of being a season
ticket holder, with a genuine this is to thank you for supporting us
and you're part of the Celtics Family feel, but felt more this year
like just another marketing tool. It wasn't at the practice facility
as it's been the past few years, but at the Waterworks outdoor club
in Quincy "sponsored by Harvard Pilgrim" with corners cut on the food
and the give aways there used to be and a bit less freedom of casual
access to people. Even when you'd see a player in the crowd unless
they were complete unknowns they would have a handler nearby,
although the Dwayne Jones of the world were left to fend. New
cheerleaders *cough* -I mean dancers- were prominently on display
(No, get your minds on out of the gutter - bared navels but not an
excess of skin elsewhere) of course...
BTW, just downloaded a rather distinctive ring tone
preview.moviso.com/PreviewContent/540/178961/4456621.mp3
Couldn't resist and if nothing else it should stand out in a crowd...
Kim
Well, having just gotten home from the Celtics picnic for season
ticket holders I can certify from live and in person that Al
definitely looks in great shape. And for those bemoaning the loss of
bulk to throw around on the boards and in the paint, I'll add that
it's clearly muscle based cut and not just a matter of dropping
pounds - he's not skinny, he's lean, and there is a real difference.
Skinny is what his arms and upper body looked like when he first came
here. I still remember looking at a picture then of him side by side
with Marcus and it wasn't the new PF who had the more built up,
powerful looking shoulders, chest and biceps. Even when he was using
the prior bulk, a point JB made was correct - it was really his
quickness with things like spin moves on offense that made it
effective because he was through people before they were set up to
stop him more than because of the bulk per se. So replacing it with
muscle could make him more effective rather than less. Anyway, we'll
see how it translates into play on the court. But if nothing else it
should help him get the lift back that he lost on his shot last
season because of the ankle, and that left too many of his shots
clanging short.
The bad news is that I couldn't get close enough to verify for sure,
but Telfair does look alarmingly close to eye level with me, which
doesn't exactly make him a munchkin but does mean the 6'0" he's
listed at is not pessimism. Rondo is slightly taller. Telfair
guaranteed making the playoffs to the crowd. Didn't hear Danny's
speech as I was talking with someone, but heard most of Doc's. His
emphasis was on the players learning to trust each other, which isn't
as left field as it might sound. It's a non-finger pointing way of
flagging things like the one man seeing the ball offense and attempts
to do everything yourself that were genuine problems. He also went on
to say the main issues were improving on defense and running more
consistently (noting that you had to have the right personnel -
presumably his seal of approval on the new PGs), which again isn't
exactly earth shattering news, but I'd rather hear him admitting they
were problems and big enough to flag and focus on rather than
pretending (or even really believing) they weren't.
That being said, this used to be a really nice perk of being a season
ticket holder, with a genuine this is to thank you for supporting us
and you're part of the Celtics Family feel, but felt more this year
like just another marketing tool. It wasn't at the practice facility
as it's been the past few years, but at the Waterworks outdoor club
in Quincy "sponsored by Harvard Pilgrim" with corners cut on the food
and the give aways there used to be and a bit less freedom of casual
access to people. Even when you'd see a player in the crowd unless
they were complete unknowns they would have a handler nearby,
although the Dwayne Jones of the world were left to fend. New
cheerleaders *cough* -I mean dancers- were prominently on display
(No, get your minds on out of the gutter - bared navels but not an
excess of skin elsewhere) of course...
BTW, just downloaded a rather distinctive ring tone
preview.moviso.com/PreviewContent/540/178961/4456621.mp3
Couldn't resist and if nothing else it should stand out in a crowd...
Kim