AFTER THE BALL IS OVER HOOKED ON NBA TITLES? A BEEN-THERE CELTICS FAN OFFERS A 4-STEP PROGRAM OF RECOVERY CHICAGOLAND FINAL Edition

As a transplanted Southerner always at odds with the arctic climate and the good-fences-make-good-neighbors hospitality of New England, my one pure, unadulterated conversion experience was the Boston Celtics. I missed the Bob Cousy-Bill Russell dynasty of the '60s, but arrived in time to ride w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inChicago tribune (1963)
Main Author Joseph J. Ellis. Joseph J. Ellis is Ford Foundation professor of history at Mt. Holyoke College and a former second
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Chicago, Ill Tribune Publishing Company, LLC 13.09.1998
Subjects
Professional basketball
Sports fans
Tournaments & championships
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Summary:As a transplanted Southerner always at odds with the arctic climate and the good-fences-make-good-neighbors hospitality of New England, my one pure, unadulterated conversion experience was the Boston Celtics. I missed the Bob Cousy-Bill Russell dynasty of the '60s, but arrived in time to ride with Dave Cowens and John Havlicek to glory in the '70s, then be present at the creation of the Larry Bird era in the '80s, when the Big Three (Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish) became the greatest front line in basketball history. Ten years ago, just as the Michael Jordan era was truly dawning in Chicago, my old college roommate, a native Chicagoan and die-hard Bulls fan, spoke the following fateful words: "Joe, never again in your lifetime." He meant that given Bird's injuries, he and the Celtics would never soar so high again, and that I should realign my priorities accordingly. Second, cultivate an affinity for paradox. To come back up in the NBA these days, you need to go way down. This means you need to lose a lot of games over the next few seasons. Hiring an inexperienced and upbeat but incompetent coach is a high priority. We selected M.L. Carr, the ideal choice. (You seem to recognize this as a priority already.) Derive your satisfaction from losing close games. Think of it like selling short in a down stock market. Realize, too, that the competition to reach the basement of the league is every bit as stiff as the competition for the championship. Perennial losers such as the Los Angeles Clippers, the Sacramento Kings and the Denver Nuggets are almost impossible to beat out. Your very tradition of extended excellence will act like ballast to prevent the Bulls from sinking into the Promised Land where all lottery picks live. Learn to cheer hard-earned losses.
ISSN:1085-6706