Couldn't disagree with Jackie Mac more

[17wasEZ]

Bottom line... Shut up and play.

Sure Pierce was frustrated with Jones for getting hit hard, but come on dude, this is the playoffs... Jones job is to do everything he can t prevent Pierce from getting a shot off. Take the hit and go to the free throw line. Wade hits you hard on a screen, dont talk to him about it, back it up with play. Same with Delonte.

Less focus on talking and taunting, how about we try to run an offense of guard players on defense. Personally, I find that much more important...

Pierce took exception to this guy hurting him.  Jones came down on him hard.  It would be different if Pierce was going to the basket......but this was a jump shot.  BS move on Jones' part.

[17wasEZ]

Bird and the Chief each got kicked out of games for fighting against the cheap shot Pistons.  What is this lady talking about?

[Mr October]

Bird and the Chief each got kicked out of games for fighting against the cheap shot Pistons.  What is this lady talking about?

Good point about the fights against the Pistons.

But i can't help but think... If you want to be 'tough' and make a statement - Pound the crap out of one of the Heat players when they are driving to the basket. Or if you really want to fight, go ahead and fight. All this posturing is lame. Getting in the face of James Jones is lame. Take the hard foul and move on.

I don't know. There was something about all that temper flaring in the 4th quarter that left a bitter taste. There was something pointless about it.

[Bankshot]

Bird and the Chief each got kicked out of games for fighting against the cheap shot Pistons.  What is this lady talking about?

Yep.  And didn't Bird hurt his hand in a bar fight during the playoffs?  I'm sure Jackie knows this, but since things weren't widely reported back then, I guess she figures we don't know.

I really don't like Jackie.  Never have.

[CelticG1]

I like Jackie a lot but I just think it's the most ridiculous thing to compare the league back then to now.

Ref's, Flagrants, Tech's, getting kicked out of games all that stuff has changed dramatically.

Unfortunately for Pierce and other NBA players human emotion has done a 180 and the results end up being a bit different.

[17wasEZ]

Bird and the Chief each got kicked out of games for fighting against the cheap shot Pistons.  What is this lady talking about?

Good point about the fights against the Pistons.

But i can't help but think... If you want to be 'tough' and make a statement - Pound the crap out of one of the Heat players when they are driving to the basket. Or if you really want to fight, go ahead and fight. All this posturing is lame. Getting in the face of James Jones is lame. Take the hard foul and move on.

I don't know. There was something about all that temper flaring in the 4th quarter that left a bitter taste. There was something pointless about it.

I hear you. However, if Pierce threw a punch, he knows he would have gotten kicked out of that game and suspended for game 2 as well.

I do understand his emotions though. In life, you can't ALWAYS keep your composure when you have passion running through you.

[Redz]

Just the other day I was venting about Pierce's antics in the `04 playoffs in the "can you forgive a player for a mistake that costs a game"  thread.  I had a real tough time with that one for quite some time.

I thought Pierce had grown up, but yesterday he let his emotions get the best of him.  In the Indiana game of yore Antoine bailed him out in OT.  Yesterday, no such luck (though I did like some of what I saw with the team - especially KG - stepping up in his absence). I'm not saying the Celts would have won if he was still in there yesterday, but he was starting to heat up.  Pierce is plenty capable of letting his vindictiveness show through his play.  

Hopefully he can do just that in Game 2.

I'm disappointed in Pierce. Not very "Captain like".

I was just talking about the Indiana series the other day also.
And to compare these two games is simply foolhardy.  Not even close.  Not even in the same category.  Red Auerbach may stop his cardgame with Johnny Most just long enough to come back from the dead, log on Celticsblog and chastise you and Jackie MacMullen, Both!

I think that you and Jackie MacMullen are correct in one area: Paul Pierce needs to lead.
But her article lacks any real understanding of time era. Bird, Russell, Cowens, certainly Heinson would have been ejected many times in this era.  No not Havlicek.  Are you forgetting
Larry Bird once threw a ball at Bill Laimbeer.  He didn't get ejected.  Do you recall Robert Parish pummeling the same Piston.  Good gawd guys cut Pierce some slack.  He shouldn't have been ejected.

Let me ask you this question, do you think that Lebron James,
Dwade, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant would have had that second technical called?  Seriously?

Watch the video.  See the blatant shoulder Wade planted on Pierce.  Any decent referee would have warned Pierce, and dealt with the real baby faced assassin.

Pierce should have been cooler.  Smarter.  But lets not make this a character/leadership issue.  Its not even close.

Captain, My Captain, lead on.  I stand behind you.

You, as well as a number of others, just aren't getting the point of the article.  It isn't about anything other then Pierce getting kicked out of what is now his second playoff game.  She certainly wasn't implying that Pierce's conduct was worse then Bird's et. al, but merely that Pierce should no better.  Pierce knows the rules of this era and his immature, retaliatory, and childish actions got him booted from a playoff game.  You can write 2004 off, but not 2011.  

Let me ask it this way, if Bird was in his prime right now, do you really think he would be playing the game the same way?  I mean come on, Bird would have adapted his game for the rules of the era, and Bird would have known better at this point in his career.

Thanks for saving me the time to type!

Clearly a lot less is allowed now then there was then.  

If Red wants to come back from the dead and have issue with me (Redzdead?   )  he can take it up it with my daughter...She could argue him back into the ground, if her hair didn't melt him first!