Ray Allen's message in the Boston Globe

[nickagneta]

Dragging his kids across the country to take a 50% pay cut.

 

He'll manage on 3 mil

I really can't believe how bitter people are about this.

Yeah, I'm not getting it either. Ray never originated as a Celtic. Miami is his 4th NBA stop. He was never going to get his number retired here and, let's be honest, had fallen to a fourth wheel over the last two years.

He was an amazing player that helped to contribute mightily to a championship here and 5 years of outstanding basketball. He gave me some great memories.

But he went elsewhere. It happens and in modern professional sports its a quite common occurrence. If he had been traded out of town is there really any difference? He's gone.

I hope Ray finds whatever he's looking for that Boston couldn't give him so long as it doesn't cause Boston to not attain their goals of winning a championship.

[Mencius]

It is absolutely a hollow gesture. Actions speak louder than words.

I couldn't agree more.

...
People are acting like jilted lovers....then ready to see the business side of it when we land
this or that stud via trade.

The 'jilted lovers' thing is an okay analogy, as sports provoke really strong passions, like politics and religion, but in the end, I think war analogies work best for sports (which is why they are so frequently used, by both fans and players).

People are p---ed off because it's as though one of your soldiers, who you regarded as as brother, as family (another common sports analogy) with whom you've been to battle, fought tooth and nail with, experienced the incredible highs and lows with, suddenly, while the war is still raging, decides screw you guys; I'm going to switch sides to our mortal enemies and try to take you out, and oh by the way, for half the money.  The analogy works because it feels most like treason (although jilted lover works if you like that better).  In either case, it feels like an enormous betrayal of trust.  But it's not a bad or irrational thing to think that way.  We are indeed passionate about our team.  I think it's an entirely normal response.  Weird to me, from a fan's perspective, is the bloodless, measured, milquetoast response to Ray's defection approach.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

I think the problem most fans have is that Ray is making it out like he was forced out and that's just not true.  

He chose to take a 50% pay cut to go to the team that is the biggest obstacle to the Celtics and another title.  That's a slap in the face to the organization, players and his fans.  Why should the Boston fans not be upset?

He tried to screw the Celtics and now wants the fans in Boston to appreciate him?  He can't have it both ways.  This was nothing more than a way for Ray to try and deflect some of the negative hit his reputation has taken in Boston.

It actually makes me believe that the guy has a real ego problem.  It's not like he took the Miami job to help his career so his opportunity to show appreciation to the Celtics fans has passed.  

Coulnd't have said it any better. This gets a TP.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Dragging his kids across the country to take a 50% pay cut.

 

He'll manage on 3 mil

I really can't believe how bitter people are about this.

Yeah, I'm not getting it either. Ray never originated as a Celtic. Miami is his 4th NBA stop. He was never going to get his number retired here and, let's be honest, had fallen to a fourth wheel over the last two years.

He was an amazing player that helped to contribute mightily to a championship here and 5 years of outstanding basketball. He gave me some great memories.

But he went elsewhere. It happens and in modern professional sports its a quite common occurrence. If he had been traded out of town is there really any difference? He's gone.

I hope Ray finds whatever he's looking for that Boston couldn't give him so long as it doesn't cause Boston to not attain their goals of winning a championship.

No one is really bothered that he left us, I think that's why you are still not getting it.

They're bothered first about how he left, and by going to Miami he's actually attempting to "cause Boston to not attain their goals of winning a championship". They're our biggest obstacle for Boston to reaching the promiseland as it stands. They also eliminated us two years in a row from the playoffs, and then you go to play with them? That's BS.

And then all the other reports that keep coming out with problems in our locker-room, etc. adding fuel to the fire.

[CelticHooligan3]

Ray had a chance to retire a Celtic, in the good graces of the greatest fans of the greatest organization in the world. He threw that all away because his ego wouldn't let him get past the business side of the league. He felt slighted.

For a guy considered a consumate "professional" this strikes me as just the opposite. He came to us as a journeyman type player. He now will leave us and retire in the same mold. That's tragic for a player of his calibre but he made his own bed in this manner.

Enjoy your new "fans" in south beach ray ray. You reap what you sow.

[kp4000]

It's called "damage control." That is what, Ray Allen is doing. He knows Celtics fans are upset about his departure. It's nice PR move, but I'm not buying. Look, Allen clearly had his reasons to leave the Celtics, but I'm tired of some fans and the media suggesting he left because Miami has a better chance of winning a title.

Ray Allen left, because he didn't feel like #1. I wasn't about the money, because he took less to go to Miami, where he's likely going to be the 8th man off the bench. Remember this the same guy that criticized, David West for doing the same in regards to choosing Indy over Boston. Ray was p---ed about, Bradley taking his spot. I'm disappointed in him, because I really saw him as a Celtics.

I think, Ray finally found a team in the Celtics, but clearly he didn't feel the same.
   

[jacksmedulaoblongata]

Clearly a George Costanza move by Allen, he can't stand that anyone wouldn't like him, that's all that little message is about.

[lightspeed5]

still going to boo him. Dont care about this attempt to save his jersey sales.

[arambone]

Won't somebody PLEASE think of the children!

[Ogaju]

I am sick and tired of professional sports players and others that excuse their disloyalty by saying it is a business or it is a business decision. No, it is not. Professional sports is not a business in the traditional sense. A traditional business makes a product or provides a service for consumers who buy or use those services in exchange for a fee. Therefore you have businesses like WALMART EXXON WELLS FARGO etc. They provide various products and services. If they do not perform the consumer simply goes to one of the competitors.

Sports is diferent!! Professional sports derive their profits by inducing people and commnunities to support them. Without the community or fan support the professional sports or players are NOTHING. Truly professional sports is one of the biggest rackets of in the world. They depend on community fan support to thrive, yet rather than pay the fans, they charge the fans to participate - what a racket. When their teams do not perform fans do not switch allegiance, they suffer through the downtime, some go through real suffering and few have been known to even attempt or commit suicide. The consumers of sports teams identify with their teams referring to the team as 'us' or 'we'. No one refers to their bank or local WalMart as us or we.

 Fans are part of the product. A good example is the Summer League that is going on. Put those same games in large arenas filled with fans in team colors screaming and yelling and you have a marketable product that makes for good TV, yet those fans rather than getting paid to be part of the product, actually have to pay for the 'privilege' of participating.

The professional teams also get something that normal business dont - the fans buy team merchandize, wear them, display them, eat and drink out of them, thereby paying for the privilege of advertizing for the team.

Communities do not root for normal businesses like Exxon, Walmart or Wells Fargo, but they root for professional teams and invest serious money and time in these teams.

Perhaps that is why fans take it personally when they feel a player has let them down.

So please stop this 'it is a business or he made a business decision' argument.

[BadNewsBarnes]

With all the stuff we've heard about why Ray left; problems with Rondo, mad that he got benched, felt slighted because we didn't pursue him aggressively like we did with KG, I've come to the conclusion that Ray is really a Diva. 

He was one of my favorite players and I can't help but be disappointed in him.  Unfortunately these things happen a lot in sports.  I wish him well in life but hope he fails miserably as a basketball player.  He wanted to stick it to the Celtics and he did just that.  Seeing him there with LeBron, Riley etc. was icing on the cake.  The ad, is as others have aptly pointed out, damage control.  No dice Ray.

[RJ87]

This was a nice gesture by Ray Allen's PR team. Good work, guys.

It warms my heart when I see a publicity team doing a little proactive crisis management.

[feckless]

Judas Shuttlesworth!

I wonder how he will take coming off the bench, being a 2nd line player on team where 2 players are placed above everyone else, and what will he have to swallow when he is chewed out by Lebron and Dwayne.  His leaving was sour grapes and as stated above he should get what he has sown.  I hope he gets booed mercilessly when next in Boston.  He snubbed his teammates and his fans.  I love the attitude Doc and Danny have shown.

No Ubuntu for Ray and no attempt at team in Miami.

[csfansince60s]

That Ray always says the right thing.

Too bad he doesn't always DO the right thing.

He was angry at the Celtics' organization, whatever the heck that is, and turned his back on KG, PP, other Cs teammates with whom he had a good relationship AND the fans, because he was mad at the organization?? Very small of you, Allen.

This image damage control, self serving PR "ad" in the Globe (and that is what it is an advertisement for the "product" that is Allen) seems pretty disingenuous to me.

[P2]

As much as I try to hate Ray for taking his talents to our rival, I just can't hate him after that ad. It's like with Nash, I can't hate him even though he belongs to the other arch enemy.