Some things that are really starting to bug me...

[nickagneta]

... why is it that Perk, after 6 years, is still getting the rookie moving pick foul called against him. I've been watching all of these playoffs pretty closely and I see players like Noah, Tyson Thomas, Big Baby, Al Horford, and Ryan Hollins all making the same moving pick move and not having it be called on them. Perk is a six year vet and a starting center on a championship team and STILL is getting called for some of the most ticky yack moving screen calls I've ever seen for a player with his experience. It's maddening.

... why is it that the Celtics, apparently against the wishes of their coach as Doc seems to be constantly screaming for ball movement and trusting each other and the offense, are dumping the ball to Pierce for his patented isos when:

1.) He has the toughest defensive assignment in Hinrich on the floor against him
2.) He has become increasingly inept at handling the ball in these situations
3.) He is shooting a pathetic 7 for 21 for the game
4.) Ray Allen and Rondo have shown themselves to be much better and more reliable offensive options for the better part of the last quarter of the season.

... why has the Celtics bench suddenly become a complete and utter non entity? Eddie has been invisible. Stephon as well. And no one is doing anything positive off the bench in any of the close games we have had with Chicago. Okay, I understand that Baby is starting and Leon is gone but that doesn't excuse the complete no show by the remainder of this bench when they are in the game. What was that a 16-2 run at the end of the 1st and start of the second that they gave up. There were similar first half collapses in games one and two. We aren't playing the Lakers or Cavs here we are playing the Bulls and our bench has become pathetic, and that's being nice.

... why is Terry Francona so in love with Okajima? He really started to fall off in the middle of last year only to get his stuff back together for the September run and playoffs. He has been awful this season while Delcarmen and Ramirez have been great and yet it is Okajima coming out to set up Papelbon and not the other two guys who seem to have been relegated to the 5th, 6th and 7th innings only. McCarver said it yesterday. He said Delcarmen would be a stopper on most other teams in the league yet Terry has him in long relief. I don't get it.

... the Ellis Hobbs trade. 2 5th round picks for a starting CB or possible nickel back? Please someone, explain that one to me. And while you are at it, explain the Cassel and Vrabel trade to me again. Belichick is a genius but I think sometimes he misjudges the market on what he can get for players he is trading. Remeber he only got one first round pick for Bledsoe and Drew went on to have some very, very productive years. Cutler gets 2 first round pick and all we could get combined for Bledsoe, Cassel, and Vrabel was a first and a second? I think this is one area that Bill really misses the boat on.

...okay this has been buggin me for e long time but how is it that Mel Kiper, the drafting genius of ESPN, can be so wrong all of the time every year about players and still have a job. His #2 or #1 player available from the 15th pick on in the first round until he was picked around the 39th pick was Rey Maualuga. This guy is constantly doing this year in and year out where he has a bunch of guys rated extremely high that fall into oblivion and really suck as pros. How can a draft guru be so wrong about players he has rated that highly for 30 years and still have a job? I hope they continue to push Todd McShay. He might or might not be any better but at least he won't be hyped as the end all know everything about the draft the way Kiper is, or will he be?

... NBA refereeing. Do I need say more?

... MLB strike zones. Ditto?

Catch me later for more. This game put me in a rotten mood. I'm sure I'll have more to complain about later.

[cdif911]

Catch me later for more. This game put me in a rotten mood. I'm sure I'll have more to complain about later.

the gf burnt my lasagna, if its any consolation

[wdleehi]

... why is it that Perk, after 6 years, is still getting the rookie moving pick foul called against him. I've been watching all of these playoffs pretty closely and I see players like Noah, Tyson Thomas, Big Baby, Al Horford, and Ryan Hollins all making the same moving pick move and not having it be called on them. Perk is a six year vet and a starting center on a championship team and STILL is getting called for some of the most ticky yack moving screen calls I've ever seen for a player with his experience. It's maddening.

They don't like the look on his face.  Perk needs to score more to not get those calls.

... why is it that the Celtics, apparently against the wishes of their coach as Doc seems to be constantly screaming for ball movement and trusting each other and the offense, are dumping the ball to Pierce for his patented isos when:

1.) He has the toughest defensive assignment in Hinrich on the floor against him
2.) He has become increasingly inept at handling the ball in these situations
3.) He is shooting a pathetic 7 for 21 for the game
4.) Ray Allen and Rondo have shown themselves to be much better and more reliable offensive options for the better part of the last quarter of the season.

They don't listen to the coach?  They are afraid to take the shot?  Because they believe in Pierce?

... why has the Celtics bench suddenly become a complete and utter non entity? Eddie has been invisible. Stephon as well. And no one is doing anything positive off the bench in any of the close games we have had with Chicago. Okay, I understand that Baby is starting and Leon is gone but that doesn't excuse the complete no show by the remainder of this bench when they are in the game. What was that a 16-2 run at the end of the 1st and start of the second that they gave up. There were similar first half collapses in games one and two. We aren't playing the Lakers or Cavs here we are playing the Bulls and our bench has become pathetic, and that's being nice.

Because they are now asked to do more then they should because of the lack of 6th and 7th man.

... why is Terry Francona so in love with Okajima? He really started to fall off in the middle of last year only to get his stuff back together for the September run and playoffs. He has been awful this season while Delcarmen and Ramirez have been great and yet it is Okajima coming out to set up Papelbon and not the other two guys who seem to have been relegated to the 5th, 6th and 7th innings only. McCarver said it yesterday. He said Delcarmen would be a stopper on most other teams in the league yet Terry has him in long relief. I don't get it.

I never got what he was doing when he was managing the Phillies.  

... the Ellis Hobbs trade. 2 5th round picks for a starting CB or possible nickel back? Please someone, explain that one to me. And while you are at it, explain the Cassel and Vrabel trade to me again. Belichick is a genius but I think sometimes he misjudges the market on what he can get for players he is trading. Remeber he only got one first round pick for Bledsoe and Drew went on to have some very, very productive years. Cutler gets 2 first round pick and all we could get combined for Bledsoe, Cassel, and Vrabel was a first and a second? I think this is one area that Bill really misses the boat on.

Because 1st round picks make to much money.  

...okay this has been buggin me for e long time but how is it that Mel Kiper, the drafting genius of ESPN, can be so wrong all of the time every year about players and still have a job. His #2 or #1 player available from the 15th pick on in the first round until he was picked around the 39th pick was Rey Maualuga. This guy is constantly doing this year in and year out where he has a bunch of guys rated extremely high that fall into oblivion and really suck as pros. How can a draft guru be so wrong about players he has rated that highly for 30 years and still have a job? I hope they continue to push Todd McShay. He might or might not be any better but at least he won't be hyped as the end all know everything about the draft the way Kiper is, or will he be?

Because no sports reporter gets lied to more then NFL 'draft experts'

... NBA refereeing. Do I need say more?

no

... MLB strike zones. Ditto?

at least it is usually constant during a single game

Catch me later for more. This game put me in a rotten mood. I'm sure I'll have more to complain about later.

And I will try and answer them later.

[ScoobyDoo]

100% agree with you re Perk. He gets some real bad ticky tack fouls on him and it's not right. He also got opne today when he got a long board over Noah and they called him for pushing. He gave a hime a little push but it wasn't worthy of a foul being called.

The only thing I can guess is that maybe the refs don't like him much. Maybe he goes after them too much. For a while he was alwyas belly aching about every call against him which I'm sure bugs the refs. If I'm coaching I tell him to just play and keep it in, put the frustration into your game to ger better because the refs just don't give him much of a break.

Along the same lines, have you noticed that Big baby has to get nearly mugged to get a foul called when he's going to the hoop. He gets hit pretty good without a call alot of times. You can see the guys hitting his arms.

Re Pierce, I think outside of Ray, most of these guys still tighten up and look to him to take over down the stretch.    

[Donoghus]

... the Ellis Hobbs trade. 2 5th round picks for a starting CB or possible nickel back? Please someone, explain that one to me. And while you are at it, explain the Cassel and Vrabel trade to me again. Belichick is a genius but I think sometimes he misjudges the market on what he can get for players he is trading. Remeber he only got one first round pick for Bledsoe and Drew went on to have some very, very productive years. Cutler gets 2 first round pick and all we could get combined for Bledsoe, Cassel, and Vrabel was a first and a second? I think this is one area that Bill really misses the boat on.

I'll try and address this one for ya, Nick.  The Hobbs trade, IMO, is purely a salary cap move.  Hobbs is a free agent after this season and every indication was pointing towards him looking for some big money.  Money that I'm about 99% sure the Pats were not going to show him.  So rather than letting him walk for nothing after next season, Pats pull the trigger and net themselves 2 5th rounders.  Now, Pats have several free agents looming following this season so I severely doubt that Hobbs would've been the one getting the franchise tag.  Also, Pats addressed some secondary needs this offseason with the acquisitions of Springs & Bodden.  They also went out and drafted themselves, Darius Butler.  Add to that, the fact that they drafted two CBs last year that they think of very highly in Wheatley and Whiliite, you had yourselves a logjam at the position.  

I'm not as high on Hobbs as some others are.  Can people really think that they would've gotten anything higher than a 4th rounder for him?  I think 2 5th rounders is a pretty fair deal.  I'll give him credit for being a great kick returner but I don't think he's a lockdown #1 CB.  

In regard to the Cassel & Vrabel deals, the Pats were right up against the cap right before the start of free agency and clearly needed to make some room if they wanted to go out and sign free agents.  In the NFL, a lot of free agent signings are done in the first 24 hours so the Pats were in a rush to trim some payroll.  Thus, they probably received less than the market would dictate but they needed to cap room so they pulled the trigger on the KC deals. It was a timing thing.  

[nickagneta]

TP4U wd for not only some spot on correct answers but for a good laugh too. Thanks I needed that. It's been a long afternoon.

And TP2U2 Dons. I kinda figured it was all timing and cap related but I see a history of it with Belichick going all the way back to cutting Milloy instead of addressing it earlier and trading him and not addressing the Ty Law situation well either. If he sees these things ahead of time enough he should move earlier and max out his return value. Now with Cassel I understand that's pretty difficult and each case is different and the timing circumstances were different, but I just don't see him getting decent return on the players he lets go or trades away.

On the other hand, he is a genius at maxing out his value in trading of draft picks and in coaching and developing players so, I guess I'll keep my mouth shut about the best football coach ever from this point forward.

[nickagneta]

Catch me later for more. This game put me in a rotten mood. I'm sure I'll have more to complain about later.

the gf burnt my lasagna, if its any consolation

Dude, she better not be Italian. No self respecting Italian lady burns lasagna. LOL.

[CoachBo]

Your point about the bench has been bugging me for awhile, Nick. Since July 2008, to be exact.

Perkins talks a lot to the officials, and I'm beginning over time to think that's a problem for him.

[yall hate]

... why is it that the Celtics, apparently against the wishes of their coach as Doc seems to be constantly screaming for ball movement and trusting each other and the offense, are dumping the ball to Pierce for his patented isos when:

1.) He has the toughest defensive assignment in Hinrich on the floor against him
2.) He has become increasingly inept at handling the ball in these situations
3.) He is shooting a pathetic 7 for 21 for the game
4.) Ray Allen and Rondo have shown themselves to be much better and more reliable offensive options for the better part of the last quarter of the season.

I dont know...but they were painful to watch.  painful.

... why is Terry Francona so in love with Okajima? He really started to fall off in the middle of last year only to get his stuff back together for the September run and playoffs. He has been awful this season while Delcarmen and Ramirez have been great and yet it is Okajima coming out to set up Papelbon and not the other two guys who seem to have been relegated to the 5th, 6th and 7th innings only. McCarver said it yesterday. He said Delcarmen would be a stopper on most other teams in the league yet Terry has him in long relief. I don't get it.

Statistically, oki is still better then Delcarmen.  Delcarmen goes through stretches were he is outstanding...and others were he looks like he doesnt belong.  Ramirez will likely be in that spot as the season progresses, but he is still a young kid who hasnt had experience in a major market team.  I think they want to ease him in a bit.

... the Ellis Hobbs trade. 2 5th round picks for a starting CB or possible nickel back? Please someone, explain that one to me. And while you are at it, explain the Cassel and Vrabel trade to me again. Belichick is a genius but I think sometimes he misjudges the market on what he can get for players he is trading. Remeber he only got one first round pick for Bledsoe and Drew went on to have some very, very productive years. Cutler gets 2 first round pick and all we could get combined for Bledsoe, Cassel, and Vrabel was a first and a second? I think this is one area that Bill really misses the boat on.

I hated this trade, as I am definitely higher on Hobbs then a lot of people (not just as a cb, but special teams)...but then they had a conference call with Ellis and he said he was very unhappy with his contract.  The pats have a ton of upcoming FA's and there is no chance they were going to give Hobbs big money in the offseason.  rather then take the chance that he was disgruntled during the year, they decided it was better to just get rid of him.  I think they probably could have gotten more, but obviously not.  The Cassel/Vrable trade has been beaten to death, but ultimately, I think they got the best deal they could get at the time.  had they held onto him, they probably could have gotten more at some point, but they needed the cap flexibility (enabled us to sign our likely starting cb's, springs and bodden, among others)

...okay this has been buggin me for e long time but how is it that Mel Kiper, the drafting genius of ESPN, can be so wrong all of the time every year about players and still have a job. His #2 or #1 player available from the 15th pick on in the first round until he was picked around the 39th pick was Rey Maualuga. This guy is constantly doing this year in and year out where he has a bunch of guys rated extremely high that fall into oblivion and really suck as pros. How can a draft guru be so wrong about players he has rated that highly for 30 years and still have a job? I hope they continue to push Todd McShay. He might or might not be any better but at least he won't be hyped as the end all know everything about the draft the way Kiper is, or will he be?

Everyone is wrong about the picks.  Almost everyone had Maualuga going in the first 20 picks.  no one had him outside of the first round.  with busts happening all over the place, I cant fault the tv guys for being wrong also.  also, as mentioned, they are pawns for the nfl teams feeding disinformation.

[twinbree]

I want to tear my hair out when the iso appears even on days when its working because the offense becomes stagnant and predictable. What's the point in having other legit offensive options?
I can't figure out who's dropping the ball here Rondo? Doc? Pierce? At least one of them has to be forcing the issue because I can't imagine all three of them consider this a better alternative to ball movement and easier looks.

[guava_wrench]

I've complained about working the Pierce-Hinrich matchup in a few posts. I'm not sure whey they want that.

The ball movement in the OT didn't work. Perhaps it was because people passed on shots they should have taken. Perhaps it was because the passes were too slow due to ineffective fakes or caution. Whatever it was, the ball movement often just ran the clock down without leading to shots.

[Steve Weinman]

Perkins talks a lot to the officials, and I'm beginning over time to think that's a problem for him.

Would it kill him to stop doing this?

-sw

[celts55]

... the Ellis Hobbs trade. 2 5th round picks for a starting CB or possible nickel back? Please someone, explain that one to me. And while you are at it, explain the Cassel and Vrabel trade to me again. Belichick is a genius but I think sometimes he misjudges the market on what he can get for players he is trading. Remeber he only got one first round pick for Bledsoe and Drew went on to have some very, very productive years. Cutler gets 2 first round pick and all we could get combined for Bledsoe, Cassel, and Vrabel was a first and a second? I think this is one area that Bill really misses the boat on.

I'll try and address this one for ya, Nick.  The Hobbs trade, IMO, is purely a salary cap move.  Hobbs is a free agent after this season and every indication was pointing towards him looking for some big money.  Money that I'm about 99% sure the Pats were not going to show him.  So rather than letting him walk for nothing after next season, Pats pull the trigger and net themselves 2 5th rounders.  Now, Pats have several free agents looming following this season so I severely doubt that Hobbs would've been the one getting the franchise tag.  Also, Pats addressed some secondary needs this offseason with the acquisitions of Springs & Bodden.  They also went out and drafted themselves, Darius Butler.  Add to that, the fact that they drafted two CBs last year that they think of very highly in Wheatley and Whiliite, you had yourselves a logjam at the position.  

I'm not as high on Hobbs as some others are.  Can people really think that they would've gotten anything higher than a 4th rounder for him?  I think 2 5th rounders is a pretty fair deal.  I'll give him credit for being a great kick returner but I don't think he's a lockdown #1 CB.  

In regard to the Cassel & Vrabel deals, the Pats were right up against the cap right before the start of free agency and clearly needed to make some room if they wanted to go out and sign free agents.  In the NFL, a lot of free agent signings are done in the first 24 hours so the Pats were in a rush to trim some payroll.  Thus, they probably received less than the market would dictate but they needed to cap room so they pulled the trigger on the KC deals. It was a timing thing.  

I think a 4th rounder is fair, and if I'm not mistaken the Pats trades the 2 5th for a 4th anyway. While Hobbs is a pretty good kick returner, I don't think he's a Hester gamebreaker type. As for corner, I'm totally unimpressed. On the fuw times he appears to be in position, he still doesn't make the play. I don't know if it's his height or what, but he's a nickel back at best. It also looks like he was looking for a pretty good contract next year, which I don't think he was ever going to get from the Pats. I don't have any problem with that trade at all.

[JSD]

Well Nick, At least Popeye's didn't run of chicken here in MA:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pyW6w5B7Aw&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fboston.barstoolsports.com%2F&feature=player_embedded

[KungPoweChicken]

... why is it that Perk, after 6 years, is still getting the rookie moving pick foul called against him. I've been watching all of these playoffs pretty closely and I see players like Noah, Tyson Thomas, Big Baby, Al Horford, and Ryan Hollins all making the same moving pick move and not having it be called on them. Perk is a six year vet and a starting center on a championship team and STILL is getting called for some of the most ticky yack moving screen calls I've ever seen for a player with his experience. It's maddening.

... why is it that the Celtics, apparently against the wishes of their coach as Doc seems to be constantly screaming for ball movement and trusting each other and the offense, are dumping the ball to Pierce for his patented isos when:

1.) He has the toughest defensive assignment in Hinrich on the floor against him
2.) He has become increasingly inept at handling the ball in these situations
3.) He is shooting a pathetic 7 for 21 for the game
4.) Ray Allen and Rondo have shown themselves to be much better and more reliable offensive options for the better part of the last quarter of the season.

... why has the Celtics bench suddenly become a complete and utter non entity? Eddie has been invisible. Stephon as well. And no one is doing anything positive off the bench in any of the close games we have had with Chicago. Okay, I understand that Baby is starting and Leon is gone but that doesn't excuse the complete no show by the remainder of this bench when they are in the game. What was that a 16-2 run at the end of the 1st and start of the second that they gave up. There were similar first half collapses in games one and two. We aren't playing the Lakers or Cavs here we are playing the Bulls and our bench has become pathetic, and that's being nice.

... why is Terry Francona so in love with Okajima? He really started to fall off in the middle of last year only to get his stuff back together for the September run and playoffs. He has been awful this season while Delcarmen and Ramirez have been great and yet it is Okajima coming out to set up Papelbon and not the other two guys who seem to have been relegated to the 5th, 6th and 7th innings only. McCarver said it yesterday. He said Delcarmen would be a stopper on most other teams in the league yet Terry has him in long relief. I don't get it.

... the Ellis Hobbs trade. 2 5th round picks for a starting CB or possible nickel back? Please someone, explain that one to me. And while you are at it, explain the Cassel and Vrabel trade to me again. Belichick is a genius but I think sometimes he misjudges the market on what he can get for players he is trading. Remeber he only got one first round pick for Bledsoe and Drew went on to have some very, very productive years. Cutler gets 2 first round pick and all we could get combined for Bledsoe, Cassel, and Vrabel was a first and a second? I think this is one area that Bill really misses the boat on.

...okay this has been buggin me for e long time but how is it that Mel Kiper, the drafting genius of ESPN, can be so wrong all of the time every year about players and still have a job. His #2 or #1 player available from the 15th pick on in the first round until he was picked around the 39th pick was Rey Maualuga. This guy is constantly doing this year in and year out where he has a bunch of guys rated extremely high that fall into oblivion and really suck as pros. How can a draft guru be so wrong about players he has rated that highly for 30 years and still have a job? I hope they continue to push Todd McShay. He might or might not be any better but at least he won't be hyped as the end all know everything about the draft the way Kiper is, or will he be?

... NBA refereeing. Do I need say more?

... MLB strike zones. Ditto?

Catch me later for more. This game put me in a rotten mood. I'm sure I'll have more to complain about later.

Perkins has been labeled by the officials as a guy who consistently sets illegal screens. Yes, a lot of players set illegal screens, but they don't do it as often as Perkins does. When I see Perk set an illegal screen, I don't get mad at the officials for calling it. I get mad at Perk for setting yet another illegal screen. Like you said, he is a six year veteran player. You would think he would be capable of setting a screen that is legal.

I'm not so sure about this one either. And quite frankly, I was extremely puzzled and frustrated over this when I watched the last game. I think we can contribute this to two factors; KG is out, and dumping the ball to Pierce has become the Celtics bail out play. Needless to say, without KG in the game, our offense doesn't run as smoothly. But it's a false belief that Pierce is the only player who can create his own shot. I'd much rather have Rondo have the ball in his hands instead of Pierce. (I think Doc feels the same way.)

Excluding the start of the season, the Celtics bench has been awful all year. I don't see why they would play differently now that the stakes have been raised. Add to that the injury of Powe, and the insertion of Baby into the starting lineup, we are missing our two best bench players. Moore is hardly an NBA level talent, Scal has been out for too long, Marbury just doesn't have it anymore, and Doc refuses to play Tony Allen. Whether we want to admit it or not, our bench stinks because the players are flat out terrible. The size of their hearts could never make up for their lack of talent.


Baseball already? Oh boy.


Personally, I was never a big fan of Hobbs. I'm indifferent on the trade right now. But I'm hopeful we made the right move.

Yes, the NBA officiating has been bad all year long. Usually, it's not bad enough to cost a team a game. Officials should do two things: Keep the game under control, and call the game consistently. When these two things are done well, the game is usually pleasant to watch. However, when these two things are not done well it's usually very frustrating and it ruins the game. Basketball is an incredibly difficult sport to officiate, so I give officials the benefit of the double most of the time.


Baseball again?