15 “Duck Boats” rolled out on the streets of downtown Boston and passed through an estimated 1 million cheering fans lining up the streets. Green and white confetti rained on the parade route, which was designed to maximize the number of fans to witness the champions on the road.
Last week’s rolling rally was the sixth for the city of Boston in this decade. NFL’s New England Patriots started the trend in 2002 when they won their first of three Super Bowls. MLB’s Boston Red Sox did their thing in 2004 and last year after winning the World Series. The parade ended at Copley Square, near the finish of the Boston Marathon.
Among the players, coaches, management, staff and team owners on the Duck Boats were another group of people were who equally deserved to have the attention. They are some of the longtime season ticket holders whom Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and the rest of the Celtics depend on for their unwavering support. These people pay at least $3,000 for their courtside seats just to cheer for the guys making the millions.
Naturally, where there are parties, alcohol flows freely. Brain-dead drunks wreaked havoc in the downtown area after the title clinching Game 6. Street signs were torn out and smashed through glass windows. Fires were lit and trees uprooted.
Police have made several arrests but they are still checking tapes from surveillance cameras, video footages from media outlets and postings on YouTube. These alcohol-fuelled clowns damaged property worth $300,000 and detectives are trying to identify those punks in the act of destroying property. Once identified, summons to appear in court will be sent to them.
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Celtic fans all remember the late Red Auerbach. With the legendary coach now chomping his cigar somewhere up there, Pierce lit a giant stick of fire in Auerbach’s honor as he lifted the championship trophy. KG then followed and together, they set off a revival of sorts for cigar smoking.
Cigar Masters, a cigar bar in Boston, was packed during last weeks’s victory parade through city streets. Patron’s were encouraged to light one in memory of Auerbach. Mostly drunk young men came in and asked for what Red smoked. Well, Auerbach smoked a $30 cigar so majority of these guys setteld for a similar but more affordable puffers.
Some didn’t care as puffing on the $30 smokes connects them to someone they admire. The shop, normally catering to the wealthy, had some kind of an open house. Behind the cigar-choked haze is an apparition of college kids in baseball caps in the VIP room, sitting contentedly on the rich leather couches. They were happily puffing away unaware that management has forgiven them for their sin of not removing their caps, since no one is allowed to wear caps or hats inside the cigar bar.
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We all have seen the Gatorade shower Doc Rivers head. The now red-colored shirt had been up for grabs and some guy probably has possesion of that piece of Celtic history by now. Signed by Finals MVP Pierce and Rivers, it was auctioned off for the Shamrock Foundation. I suppose the Gatorade cooler used for soaking Rivers was also auctioned, with the requisite signatures of course.
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California’s Arnold Schwarzenegger will ship to Massachussetts assorted California-grown vegetables, fruits, nuts, cheese and beverages. The Governator is paying up for his NBA Finals bet to Governor Deval Patrick, who will give the care package to a charitable institution.
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KG is the new poster boy for Wheaties cereals, the breakfast of champions. I guess winning a championship does wonders to a superstar’s earning power. Likewise, Ray Allen is reportedly close to having a deal with Visine. After getting his left eye almost skewered in the early goings of Game Six, Allen can safely declare to consumers that Visine does “get the red out” by drilling seven three-pointers. Kobe Bryant, on the other hand, with his “we just wet the bed” comment after the Game Four meltdown, could be the nect endorser for a new line of jockstraps to be introduced by Pampers.
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Both teams have celebrity fans but Los Angeles can claim more star power. We can’t compare Donnie Wahlberg to Jack Nicholson but when it comes to being a fan, the Celtics’ celebrity collection are real fanatics. Nicholson may have his Oscar but we don’t see him cheering for the Lakers outside of Staples center. Wahlberg has ticket stubs from Celtic games from Sacramento to Phoenix to Toronto to New Orleans. Now that’s a fan.
E-mail me at bobbytoohotty@lycos.com, bobby_motus@yahoo.com