Discussing the Celtics was a hell of a lot more fun when they were rebuilding

[Cman]

I agree with the OP's sentiment.  On the other hand, I have been incredibly busy with work the last 4 weeks, and so I don't mind not being tempted to check celticsblog, realgm or hoopshype for whispers of rumores.... celticthug, where art thou?

[Redz]

They pretty much answered any questions you could have asked last year.  I'm sure new ones will pop up if they come out of teh gate 5-5 or something less than the near perfect season they had last year.

[Boris Badenov]

I think we just came up with a new reason to fire Danny and Doc. It will re-invigorate Celticsblog!

[biggs]

I understand that it's been boring with no major disasters to complain about, but c'mon you just admitted that you saw something amazing isn't that enough?  When I get bored with the media we get over the summer I start new franchises on nba live and spend time studying our opponents or that other thing...oh yeah actually play basketball. 

There is something I did want to say about the fantasy league though and I hope people don't take offense.

I'm sorry and I'm sure it's fun as hell (I'm a fantasy freak) , but I don't come to the Celticsblog to read about people talking about there fantasy teams. 

I mean fantasy is great period and don't get me wrong I would probably be enjoying it if I was in, but I think it should be something that is separate from the blog.

If an average Celtics fan was to find this site randomly and was thinking of joining I think they would quickly turn away due to the discussions being dominated by fantasy topics. 

The main posts have been consistently good even in dry spells this summer, but frankly since the whole fantasy movement the forums have been way below par. 

I mean ultimately there is no way to complain about what people are talking about.  There could be an instance where all ten topics are about Rasheed Wallace and I have no power except to discuss or start a new thread, but for a non-fantasy member of the c's blog I have to say it's a little annoying when 50% of the topics are fantasy related.  I know Roy made a separate section for fantasy, (which was appreciated), but IMO there should only be one thread dedicated to this, not ten.

I'm sure I'll get trashed for this, but it's O.k were all bredren here.

"What do you suggest we do with our time"? "Complain about Kobe"?...etc, but I'm just trying to address this as respectfully as I can. 

[screwedupmaniac]

now yall have something to talk about again...we just signed darius miles!

[cdif911]

now yall have something to talk about again...we just signed darius miles!

you beat me to the punch, but I think it'll be very hard to disagree with this move, though some may try...

[cordobes]

The first thread I visited on this messages board complex, still as a lurker, was basically half of the guys trying to convince themselves Yi would be a NBA star and the other half stating that they were being delusional. Sorry, but I don't miss that.

[TradeProposalDude]

I hear you.  There's certainly less controversy now, although there's still room for divergence in the Tony Allen, P.O.B., and James Posey debates, for instance.  Overall, though, you're right:  it's a lot easier to post on a message board when the future is a complete question mark.

A winning team might make life slightly less interesting as a message board poster, but from my experience, it makes life a lot better as a fan.  That championship was an incredible, incredible experience, something I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever see again.  #17 was a thing of beauty, no doubt.

As a means of distraction, you should join our draft next season.  It's eaten up a solid three week chunk of our lives, and has been a lot of fun.  It certainly distracts us from the fact that we have nothing to talk about.

No thanks... I'm not that bored lol. I usually work during the day but message boards allow me to relax a little. Reading most of the topics on Celtics boards not only here but across the net has gotten dull. But thanks for your input anyway.

[TradeProposalDude]

Hmm, I hear what you're saying, TPD, and I think it's an understandable enough sentiment.  People gravitate toward (and have more to say about) 'train wreck' type situations, and that's what our beloved team had been for some time prior to this past season.  I think Jeff, Bob and Roy might have the stats to back this up, but my understanding is that our traffic tends to be noticeably lower when all is going smoothly (Finals run notwithstanding), which adds some credence to your point (fellas in the know, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on this one).

Before I give my two cents, I'm giving you a TP. This is a long response AND a well thought out answer. Thanks!

Anyways, that's a good point. Message board activity tends to be highest when there is turbulence of a new development, such as a rumor about a trade involving a marquee player. The 2007 draft was SOOOO intriguing because I had no idea what the Celtics were going to do. I thought that Pierce was gone to be honest with you. I thought he was ready to pack his bags to wherever. And I had heard earlier that he was going to GS. Fortunately, Ainge thought better of it and took a chance with Ray Allen (and later on... KG). High risks that were well worth it.

But at the same time, while I understand where you're coming form, I'm not sure I agree in whole.  My question here would be how much of your post is related to the winning and how much is related to the off-season?

I tend to create a lot of new topics about an issue or development that really hasn't been discussed in depth. Look at my post history. I attempt to make new insights by taking a new angle to an issue. ANY issue, really. It doesn't really matter when... though I do tend to post more in the offseason since you bring it up. I try not to get into conversations about the everyday stuff like "why is Pierce struggling" or "why is KG not rebounding as much." They aren't topics worth providing input to because all that could change in a matter of a day. I like to take more philosophical standpoints with my analysis on a subject and take a broader look at it. I'm not a researcher or statistician but I attempt to make connections and claims based on simple observation from having watched just about every game over the last 5 years+. Before that, for 5-7 years, I watched maybe 50-75% of portions of games.

Even throughout this season, when we were the best team in hoops from wire to wire, there still seemed to be plenty to talk about all season, plenty to complain about, plenty of anxiousness moving forward.  The discussions after each playoff game about Doc, rotations, studs/duds, you name it, were plenty exciting in their own right.  And on a personal level, I've found some truth in that old "The hardest thing isn't getting to the top, it's staying there" adage.  I've got more nervous excitement for this season than any other previously because I'm a bit worried about this team.  I still wonder if we're going to be okay without replacing James Posey beyond more Tony Allen and the rookies.  I'm nervous about Patrick O'Bryant.  I'm wracking my brain for possible acquisitions every day, most of the time while I'm supposed to be focusing on other things.  And I think the discussions about a variety of these issues -- the Posey-Maggette thread from early in the summer comes to mind in particular - have been excellent in their own right, albeit a bit different from in tone from those of the past that you reference.

Yeah but those would be very secondary topics in an offseason where we are developing a youth movement and are intrigued by a prospect or two who thrived in summer league action. Remember how crazy we went when Al Jefferson was dominating everyone in Summer League?

To me, the bigger issue that no games and no recent acquisitions means there are only so many subjects to cover.  Six months is a long time to survive on "What happens with Posey?," "What's the deal with O'Bryant?" and "Who else should we sign?"  When there are games every night and thus new developments with the team, it's my guess that you'll see the liveliness you're looking for.  And for what it's worth, that's no knock on the off-season here at CB -- I've thoroughly enjoyed the conversations here and look forward to more of the same.  But I understand why you might be a little frustrated.

Haha. You wrote this right before Bill Walker and Darius Miles signed.