Boston Celtics: A Tale of Two Battles

Beantown.

Bahston.

A city that loves its sports teams. A city that loves itself.

But, also a city stigmatized for generations by the perception that it is not Negro friendly. Which, for any large urban environment in the 21st century is certainly out of the ordinary.

Rich in basketball tradition, the Boston Celtics built a dynasty through the leadership of a short, bald white coach riding the back of a tall, athletic Negro center. A thoroughbred doing most of the work. A little jockey getting all the credit.

The next Boston Celtic run was led by a brilliant Negro coach. He used his brilliant strategies, basketball knowledge and motivation techniques to somehow coax greatness out of some tall, gangly white fellows with little athleticism and even less tenacity. His run, turning these players into recognizable talents, was perhaps the greatest coaching job in NBA history.

And now, Boston makes another run. With a ten man rotation made entirely of Original cagers. And a tactical field general of the Zulu Nation calling the shots. Certainly, this is not what your average Bostonian has in mind when he envisions the Celtics.

Nonetheless, without the advantage of having the best player on the court. Without the benefit of having a tall, ambiguously Euro-femme Caucazoid to appease the 'fans'. The Celtics' general has outmaneuvered the Lakers' egocentric coach.

As the series returns to Boston with the Celts leading 3-2, victory on the court seems all but asured. But these Celtics have banded together to try for another victory.

A victory over the stigmatism of representing Boston fans, while being a Negro.

Certainly, it can't be easy night after night to take the court in the Garden. Knowing that while the fans cheer for your Green uniform, they detest your Negro skin. That while they stand and applaud your baskets. They loath your speech and values. That while the front of your jersey reads Boston, they'd prefer you lived elsewhere.

It's a two bladed razor upon which these valorous Celtics walk.

Not only must the players somehow fight on knowing the fans love the Celtics, but hate Negroes...they must also somehow justify representing the Celtics' fans to the Negro community.

No amount of money could ever alleviate the pain that these players must endure. Branded by the sinister 'shamrock', these men are paraded like animals night after night in front of the Boston fans. And then shipped off for trips, forced to fight for the honor of Boston elsewhere.

Clearly, it is love for each other and love for the game which spurs this Boston team to great heights. Bonded together by the on-court combat. Listening to the coach during time outs as he highlights the battle plan. And seeing the two pale roster quotas in suits at the end of the bench. No, money could never spark the fire required to light this flame.

Pride. Unity. And righteousness. Those are what this is about. The opportunity to win a championship. To hoist a trophy.

And to set themselves free from the oppression enacted upon them by the ghosts of Red Auerbach and the Boston sports fans.

So, Boston fans, remember this:

When the Celtics win the championship, they will have beaten you. The franchise will claim that this is the 17th title in their history. But that is wrong.

This is not Boston's title.

This, much like Obama's victory over Hillary, is one step closer to equality and absolute freedom for Negro America.

This title is Negro America's first.

This title is symbolic of the change being brought by Obama.

This title is the emancipation of the Negro athlete from the shackled existence provided by the apartheid like environment of Boston.

And, the MVP of this championship is the inevitable president, Barack Obama.

His victory over the political machinations of White America supplied the impetus for this Celtic victory over the White Boston Sports Fan.

Every cheer for the Celtics, is a vote for Obama!

Whitlock: At It Again

Tattoos.

The reason, according to Mr. Whitlock, that the NBA has not been as warmly received by viewers as it would like.

No one wants to watch Delonte West or Larry Hughes play basketball. It's uncomfortable and disconcerting. You don't want your kids to see it. You don't want your kids to think they should decorate their neck, arms, hands, chest and legs in paint. You don't want to waste time explaining to your kids that some millionaire athletes have so little genuine self-confidence that they find it necessary to cover themselves in tattoos as a way to mask their insecurities.

Threatening appearances.

The players' looks scare an audience that can't relate to them.

You just want to watch basketball and feel like you're watching people you can relate to a little bit, people you somewhat respect.

This years playoffs.

A rousing ratings success thanks to the abundance of foreign players and non-threatening Negros on the Lakers, Spurs, Pistons and Celtics.

Part of the reason more people are watching these playoffs is because the average fan isn't constantly repulsed by the appearance of most of the players on the court. Most of the key players left in the playoffs don't look like recent prison parolees.

Mr. Whitlock's point seems to be that it is better for the league, and the business of the league if the players present a cleaner image. Better business means more money for the league. More money for the players. We get that.

But, in his bashing of the appearance of the players, he is stereotyping and grandstanding.

By diminishing the notion that much of the ratings upswing (if it is great, we didn't check the numbers) is due to the resurgence of the Lakers and Celts and propagating the notion that player appearance is anything more than a tertiary or minimal factor; Mr. Whitlock is simply attempting to turn attention towards...............himself.

Shock and a contrived contrarian view have become Mr. Whitlock's calling card.

The 'chicken little' antics that Mr. Whitlock engages in reek of self serving hypocrisy and self promotion.

Being the Negro that calls out the other Negroes and demands they change who they are and change their culture certainly must be an exhilerating position. To be the right thinking Negro must be stressful.

How could one argue with the right thinking Negro who postulates the position that increased viewership is due to the absence of ink and perceived thuggish appearance (although, Rasheed Wallace might take issue with not being single out here)?

Well, perhaps the best argument against this theory is....from the right thinking Negro's comments on last seasons Finals:

"Why don't the Spurs connect? Why were these finals a TV ratings disaster and a challenge to watch?" Mr. Whitlock writes. "Because sports fans aren't stupid. They can sniff an impostor even when we in the media try to convince them otherwise." He adds, "It's difficult to stake a dynasty claim when you've just completed the worst NBA finals series in history."

We at NOIS are sports fans.

And WE sniff an imposter.

And we sniff something else!

The 'unthreatening' Spurs and Pistons were in the conference finals last year, too. Along with the least threatening team in the league....the JAZZ! How could this year's NBA final four possibly be less threatening than last year?

Nope, it couldn't be that the ratings are due to better play this year!

Someone get some air freshener. Mr. Whitlock seems to have fouled the air.