Rajon’s rising popularity and Perk is really a teddy bear

[twinbree]

A couple of interesting pieces I read today on our young 'uns. I did think Rajon was getting more popular among the people I know but good to know I can now use actual evidence instead of anecdotal.

“Rondo is clearly charismatic and a hit with fans,” said Andrew Zimbalist, a sports economist at Smith College. “One of the things that Rajon has going for him is that his career is just starting to be compared to Kevin Garnett or Ray Allen, whose careers are in their twilight.”
As Rondo’s performance on the court has improved, so has his popularity and merchandising prospects. During the 2007-08 championship season, the Celtics carried four types of Rondo jerseys at its online store and netted $15,000 in sales, according to the team. This year, the Celtics offer 17 variations of Rondo jerseys that have generated more than $50,000 in sales - a 233 percent increase.

The fact that the 24-year-old point guard was on the cover of Sports Illustrated last week hasn’t hurt either.

At Modell’s Sporting Goods, sales of Rondo merchandise increased 57 percent for the week of May 17 compared to the same period in 2008. Modell’s CEO Mitchell Modell wouldn’t provide specific sales numbers but he said Rondo and Celtics merchandise are outpacing the Boston Red Sox [team stats].

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view/20100530rajon_rondos_merchandise_sales_soar/


And a nice article on the drafting and development of Perk  who IMO can never get enough credit for his defense and work ethic. I fully endorse the teddy bear description  

The man you see is not the man he is, his character witnesses attest. Kendrick Perkins is a super-sized action figure with a sweet disposition. “Perk is a great guy,’’ Celtics coach Doc Rivers says of his center with the big shoulders and the bigger frown. “I think everybody sees his body language and his scowl and they think differently of him. To those who know him, he’s absolutely a terrific guy, funny. But he’s not trying to have fun when the game starts.’’

“That’s his identity,’’ says guard Ray Allen. “People always ask me why he’s so mad. Is he that mean? He always has a scowl on his face. I say, no. Perkins, he’s a teddy bear. He’s just out there intimidating, blocking shots, that’s all.’’

The raw material was unmistakable. Perkins stood 6 feet 10 inches, weighed 285 pounds, had a wingspan of 7 feet 6 1/2 inches and a standing reach of 9-4 1/2. The Celtics loved his length, his strength, and his character. What Perkins needed was trimming and tutoring, and the club understood that.

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2010/05/30/face_is_just_one_facet_of_perkins/