I don't think Maverick's will make this year too.

Its sad to see Sun's and Spurs at the first round.

Celtics thought to have easy round, leveled by lowly Atlanta Hawks.

Lakers have swept  Denver.

I think Houston will be eliminated.

I don't think Philadelphia will make to 2nd round.

Raptors are routed by Oralndo (4-1)

The Celtics may get lucky to win the game 7 in Boston, but you never know when they are playing with King LJ. I think the problem with the Celtics is they've never been to the playoffs together. Well, I would take the Celts as the most improved team, but they are not championship contender yet. Rojan RONDO will work out harder over the summer and be more improved and matured to make his own decision. One of the commentators on ESPN was saying he’s different type of point guard unlike other traditional PG. This year, I am very much impressed with Cris Paul. He plays like the best point guard of this world.

 

Well, I will give them credit for being WORST to FIRST team in regular season. I hope their run will not end on this Sunday.

 

Wow !! Game 7 and Paul Pierce shines against one man team - Caveliars.

Had Cavs won yesterday's game -King James would have catapulted to "Empire" status.

It seems NBA wanted Lebron and Kobe match up in the finals but changed to Celtics vs Lakers. Many of the radio talk shows were trying to say that the calls went in favor of Cs.

The match up with Detroit will be more interesting and hard for the Celtics.

Historically, Rondo could not contain Billups. Lets see how they will contain Richardson, Prince and Wallace. Surely, the Pistons have more weapons than Cavs.

My prediction: Detroit in Game 7 because they can win on the road.

Sure, the calls went against the Celtics. What kind of crap is that? Did you see the last play where Lebron clearly got fouled, or the charge that Ben Wallace took which was called a blocking foul. Did you guys even watch the same game?

Anyway, before everyone starts talking about how Pierce is this and that... consider this, he was resting on defense all game. You cant even mention him on the same breath as LBJ... Lebron not only scored more, passed more, but also was defending his a$$ off against Paul Pierce.

Either way, it was a good game. I think that the Celtics might run out of gas. I had predicted them to get to the Eastern Conf. Finals this year, and possibly win it all next year.. So far so good...

Richardson?

You mean, Richard Hamilton?

sleepy slur

You and me are really sleepy !

I clearly wrote: The calls went in favor of Celtics. That is not a crap OK.

 

Yeap correction: Richard Hamilton not Richardson.

 

Ok ok, you got me there... Just tiered of these band wagon Celtic fans !! Bibby was right about them... where were these fans last year when the C's were contending (not for the championship... for the Greg Odel/Durant sweepstakes)

sleepyspur

Talking about bandwagon fans ? --> Thats me! I  have expressed that in some other thread.

I think that is just a natural phenomenon. You become a fan of winning team if you are not a die hard fan like me.

When Cs were slumping last year, do you know the attendence at the TD ?

You could literally get tickets for free and no one wanted to go for the Cs game. Now buying a ticket is a dream come true.

It happens every where and in every game. Same is true for baseball.

Suppose if Yankees start losing and will not make playoffs, would you see the same number of people buying tickets for the Yankee stadium ? NO.

Why do you see increase in number of fans with Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay, Rays? because they are winning.  Do you expect the same with Detroit Tigers ? NO

Shirish

(a bandwagon Celtics fan)

Did you know that the Bulls fans still sold out United Center even two years after MJ retired the second time?

Even the Knicks, as bad as the team is, the fans keep pouring in...

I know that.

There are some die hard fans of classical teams like Lakers, Celtics and Bulls. They are universal and will find every where.

Here is the United Center attendance: see 1998-1999 season with  - 43.1 % dip in attendance.

1997-98	983,444		0.5%
1998-99	560,012		-43.1%
1999-00	907,064		79.3%
2000-01	888,654		-2.0%
2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05
776,311	804,309	809,171	828,384
2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
868,720	908,600

But the seasonal fans (unlike hard core fans) do increase and decrease that directly relate to the games won.

Madison Square Garden

1997-98	810,283		0%
1998-99	494,075		-39.0%

TD BankNorth Garden 

1997-98	743,422	97%	15.4%
1998-99	440,602	95%	-40.7%
1999-00	683,608	90%	55.2%
2000-01	629,201	82.4%	-8.0%
2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
692,513	690,576

 

2006- 2007      690576

2007 - 2008      782208 (does not include playoff numbers)

See how things change ??

Conclusion:

Fans do turn around (probably economically and statistically significant.) 

shirish, c'mon dude!  Shove that stats you put up, up your backside.  Season ticket holders are not the ONLY fans...talk about TOTAL revenue instead (do not include the play-off years as there will be a bias since there are more games played)!!  Listen, having a first-hand experience on the tix gate for the Knickerbockers playing the Bobcats during the regular season and getting there on game nithe itself to buy the tix (assuming that since it was a no-name team with no-name stars playing against us, the seats would still be available), it was sold out completely and the booth at MSG was shut!  Just found scalpers selling tix at 2-3 times face value!  Son, in comparison, at the home court of the Jazz in Salt Lake City, you can just walk in an get a tix even on playoff nites for face value!!

And your analogy of the Yankees losing their fans??  C'mon man, this ain't no Beantown where the hometown fans "boo" their own players every night for losing (ala the Celts during 1998-2002).  New York fans, will buy tickets and continue to pay top dollar.  The fan-base is just way tooooo large.  Listen funny-guy, there is just no way on earth, we'd ever see the Yanks or the Knicks play in a half-empty venue like other small-town teams do!! 

Samsara

You are right, the fanbase of Yankees is large but may not be that loyal.

Why they have a large base is the question ? The answer is because of the wins !! But if they don't make two consequitive playoffs (hypothetically), they will start booing their players too.

Why classical teams like Lakers, Celtics and Bulls have (hard core) fan base (unlike bandwagon like me) ? because of their wins and records.

Let TB DevilRays win three MLB titles -their fanbase will be large too.

 

 

you damn right Samsara--- Knicks baby-- all the way ..... There is nothing like MSG in the world...its a Mecca for Basketball fans-- players die to play here and Boston Garden is freaking dasarath rangsala.....you will have to have Playoffs to fill up the arena. I had never bought the tkts in window in MSG. always with scalpers....30 bucks tkts -- paid 80 all the time....its always soldout (one time it had 700 staright soldout games). eventhough team is perfomring garbage recently -- seats are still fill in..... Boston had to get freaking KG -- Allen to have this sort of fan base.... If Knicks had one great superstart....scalpers price for 52bucks tkts would be as high as 200....playoffs--could be $500 ---

You can not compare Big city like New york with lousy family town boston (King James almost kicked their asses yesterday --- they had freaking old tart PJ bown from Hornets come and rescew them)--- Detrioit gonna beat their asses in 5 games......(anyone wanna bet on this --- you can bring it -- may be Shrish can-- probably not -- he doesnt guts --- he knows deep inside his heart...boston will lose in 5 if they dont swept).

Questions for you all.... Where would King James land after 2010?

A) Knicks

B) Brooklyn Nets

C) Stay with Cav

D) Retire

I would say Knicks...they will have money he wants by then, Nike wants him to play in Mecca and so does Dave Stern....

 

Beltran

If you read the posts from the top- I said Detroit in seven (not in five). It will be hard to beat Celtics three times at home.

Mike D'Antoni is one coach that I would like to watch coaching and lets see how he will turn around Knicks that Larry Brown and Isah Thomas could not.

Walsh and D'Antoni have actually expressed that there will be 50% change in their roster - hopefully for better Knicks team and retention of the fanbase.

Beltran

If you read the posts from the top- I said Detroit in seven (not in five). It will be hard to beat Celtics three times at home.

Mike D'Antoni is one coach that I would like to watch coaching and lets see how he will turn around Knicks that Larry Brown and Isah Thomas could not.

Walsh and D'Antoni have actually expressed that there will be 50% change in their roster - hopefully for better Knicks team and retention of the fanbase.

Betran, yeah dawg, I like you peception of King James coming over to MSG...Thats exactly what the NBA needs to market themselves on a global areana: The world's greatest city and the Mecca of Basketball hosting the world's finest player every night!  Damn, James' legacy in NYC would be an epic for us to read to our next generation (like the Mahabharata, Ramayana, etc)!  LMAO

BTW, the Mets did well last nite huh?  Looks like our Queens boys are finally getting some respect from our more famous Bronx Bombers.

God Damn Hanky running Yankees -- notta good Idea...let the players and coaches play the games....

Last night was stunning...I thought Delgado hadda homerun in 4th...but they scapped it.... I initially started out with baseball being mets Fan....then after 2000's subway world series they got vanished...yankees excelled unitl 03 -- well they have been playing in playoffs eversince their paul o'niell, bernie, tino, jeter era started back in 96. So now i am somewhat more of Yankees fan than mets...though i dont like the owners (they dont respect personnel what fan respect). They let go Bernie few years ago....and then let go or made him quit Coach torrie.... I dont think Yankee can excel when ownership interfering in player's business and telling pitcher how to pitch...may be Hanky can go and become owner/pitching coach....

Mets should do better this year...and start beating up Phillies...last year it was a shame they lost so many game down the stretch.....lets hope both teams make playoffs...

How are Cubbies doing in Windy City Samsara??? I heard Mark Cuban wants to buy the cubs and sell the Mavs if he gets good price...i guess baseball generates more revenue than Basketball....

hey I heard Giambi wears gold thongs.

shirish, ya damn hick towner, Kurt Schilling's adult diapers ain't impressive at all!!

Samsara

You thought I was joking or making fun of people ?

 

Slumping Giambi wearing gold thong
Yankees' slugger sports kinky underwear to break slump

Published on: 05/17/08

NEW YORK (AP) — These are trying times for Jason Giambi — apparently not even lucky underwear can help his undersized batting average.

The New York Yankees' first baseman caused a bit of a stir Saturday when the Daily News reported — on the front page, no less — that he often wears a gold thong under his uniform pants when trying to snap out of a slump.

"I was blown away," Yankees broadcaster and former big league pitcher David Cone said with a smile. "You've got to be pretty confident in yourself to let that one out."

Giambi, who began the day batting .181, has kept the shiny thong in his locker since he played for the Oakland Athletics. Several teammates acknowledged they've tried wearing it, too, including Yankees captain Derek Jeter and outfielder Johnny Damon.

Before Saturday's Subway Series game against the New York Mets, a sign on right-hander Mike Mussina's locker read: "Pitchers need thongs too."

"Whatever works, man," Mets right fielder Ryan Church deadpanned.

Strange superstitions are nothing new in baseball. Hall of Famer Wade Boggs ate chicken before every game. Nomar Garciaparra fidgets with his batting gloves after each pitch and sidles down the dugout steps two feet at a time.

"Giambi's a little freaky," said Mets manager Willie Randolph, a former Yankees coach. "I wouldn't go there."

Church said if any of his Mets teammates have a favorite slump-buster, he doesn't know about it.

"Most guys keep it to themselves," he said.

Tonight will be a tough match up (both defensively and offensively ) for both Pistons and Celtics.

Cs have not lost at home and Pistons have won on the road.

 

Go Celtics Go !!