A picture for those who surrendered!!

[Master Po]

The two guys in the foxhole talking to each other in looking at their fellow soldiers who crawled up out of the foxhole to surrender

"Do you see them dirty quitters up there..... Yeah... I see them.....they had their hands up and turned over their guns and ammmunition before we barely tipped off the series with Miami.....

Should we try to rescue them? Nahhhhh. They would just surrender again if we have Game 7 with the Cavs....let em be.

[Brendan]

Hahahaha - one of them will write a memoir about how his surrender was a reverse jinx.

[Prof. Clutch]

Giving up on the celtics was the popular pick by fans and media everywhere, but how can we blame people for being down on them when during the regular season they played no where near the level their playing now?  The C's gave no reason to believe.  I never believed they couldn't win it all, but they made me feel it was unlikely for more than half the season.

[incoherent]

I am proud to not have surrendered!

I was one of maybe 3 people who gave them higher then 50% chance to win the series before it started in a thread on this site.

I wrote this about on April 28th

Almost no one here gives them better then half???

Come on guys... Cavs are going to have to play their brains out to beat us.

I told all my family members and friends the same thing, needless to say they are all calling me up today saying, "you know, you may have been right!"

Never surrender!!!!

[Mike-Dub]

Giving up on the celtics was the popular pick by fans and media everywhere, but how can we blame people for being down on them when during the regular season they played no where near the level their playing now?  The C's gave no reason to believe.  I never believed they couldn't win it all, but they made me feel it was unlikely for more than half the season.

It's called faith and hope and believing in your team and what they have said all season that "If we are healthy in the post season, we can beat anyone".

[Rida]

I'm ashamed to admit that I did not believe. At least i'm honest.

I just didn't believe that a team could coast through the regular season and step it up like that in the playoffs.

The main difference for me has been KG, hes back defensively and grabbing boards. The dude was playing on one leg for most of the season.  Who could have predicted he would return to 18 and 8.

Like I said before, I'm ashamed for not believing though

[EJPLAYA]

I did not believe and still am not even convinced we will get out of this series. KG is right. We win this one at home or go home. We don't win a game 7 in Cleveland since we will be playing the CAVS plus 3 refs. If we do we will be going up against a very tough Orlando team and so that won't be easy either.

Saying that we don't believe that we will win the championship this year is not surrendering. We all hope we're wrong. Just honest enough to admit that the odds are against us. What a wonderful day eating crow it will be though if we hang another banner this year. TP for the optimism Po and the great picture!

[Mike-Dub]

I'm ashamed to admit that I did not believe. At least i'm honest.

I just didn't believe that a team could coast through the regular season and step it up like that in the playoffs.

The main difference for me has been KG, hes back defensively and grabbing boards. The dude was playing on one leg for most of the season.  Who could have predicted he would return to 18 and 8.

Like I said before, I'm ashamed for not believing though

Don't be ashamed.  Just be glad and enjoy how the C's are playing great basketball right now.

[Master Po]

I am not saying we win....I just never said....."why bother showing up ...it's over" ..."we have no chance"

....and there were many who said that very thing in a variety of ways....and that is my amigo's is surrendering.....there is no shame in surrendering I guess .....I mean France has done it for a long time......and they still have a country....of course we saved them on several occasions...by fighting from our foxholes....and never giving up....only to be hated by the french later on.....sighhh

[EJPLAYA]

I am not saying we win....I just never said....."why bother showing up ...it's over" ..."we have no chance"

....and there were many who said that very thing in a variety of ways....and that is my amigo's is surrendering.....there is no shame in surrendering I guess .....I mean France has done it for a long time......and they still have a country....of course we saved them on several occasions...by fighting from our foxholes....and never giving up....only to be hated by the french later on.....sighhh

I would agree whole heartedly with that. I doubt the team walked into this series thinking they had no chance. Yes they knew it would be tough. They knew they were the underdogs. They knew though that if they played well and hard defense that they could win this.

I look at success this year being us getting to the finals. Maybe even just competing in the conference finals. I just hope we surpass that.

[Roy Hobbs]

I agree with Po.  We welcome fans of all flavors here, but honestly, some of the "we have absolutely no chance" / "the season is over" comments wore on me.  If somebody is ready to declare the season done for, why even continue to follow the team, at least that season?

Some fans absolutely did quit on this team.  That's different than having doubts, or objectively thinking other teams were better.  Certain fans seemed to be actively rooting against the Celts, simply so that they could say "I told you so".  That was pretty disappointing, but at least those folks have changed their tune (at least until the next series that we fall behind in.)

[ScoobyDoo]

On paper I always thought that, if healthy, this team should crush all comers, Lakers, Cavs and Orlando included. I thouhgt this series should have been 4-1 or 4-2 max, same for Orlando and LA.

My problem with the team all year was the apparent mental apathy that even seemed a nagging problem once we were all the way healthy.

Then, they started having me believe again up until game three. Then they come back with two wins...if they close out strong, even better, stomp on the Cavs again in game 6, I'll go all in in believing they've dialed up the killer instinct and focus they need to raise #18.

If this team comes to play every night for an intense, focused 48 minutes, no one will beat them. They are too talented and too physically tough, players 1-10.

Perkins / KG / Pierce / Ray / Rondo / TAllen / Baby / Rasheed / Shelden ( even Nate and Marquis are very talented guys. No other team is near as tough 1-10. Orlando is probably the closest.

Milliion dollar question with this team is, do they show up or mail it in?

Do they come out swinging and lay it on the line every night?

If so, #18.

I never lost faith, just haven't been able to figure out who they are and what to expect night to night.

2008 team? You knew they were sinking their teeth into the opponent every night.   

[FLCeltsFan]

FLCeltsFan: Celtics in 6 games. I think the Celtics finally begin playing like they are capable of and they surprise the Cavs. They win one of the first 2 in Cleveland and then all three on their home court.

There was my prediction before the series started.  I didn't forsee the game 3 loss at home, but they more than made up for it with the second win in Cleveland in game5.  Let's go Celts... Close it out in 6. 

[Thruthelookingglass]

"Do you see them dirty quitters up there..... Yeah... I see them.....they had their hands up and turned over their guns and ammmunition before we barely tipped off the series with Miami.....

Should we try to rescue them? Nahhhhh. They would just surrender again if we have Game 7 with the Cavs....let em be.

"Game over man, Game over!"  Oh wait . . .   

[vinnie]

There is a difference between surrendering and honestly believing that the Celtics were not the best team in the league and that they would not win the championship. And, while I am behind them one million percent, they still have won nothing except one series against the lowly Heat. Not saying things don't look good, but also don't think it is too smart for any of us or the team to get too far ahead of ourselves!  I have watched or attended every Celtics game this season unless I had a meeting or other type of conflict and have never surrendered. Go Celts.