Scott Cordischi On Sports: Thanks For Nothing, Ray!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
In the end, Ray Allen talked a lot, but said very little.
The NBA’s all-time leading three point shooter was officially introduced in south Florida Wednesday as the newest member of the Miami Heat and he did not give his former team, or Boston Celtics’ fans, any clarity as to why he chose to take less money to play for Miami.
Allen was asked time and time again about exactly what led him to his decision to essentially choose a 3-year, $9-million contract with the Heat over a 2-year, $12 million offer from Boston, and the best that he could come up with was, “I wanted to do what was best for me and my family.” Thanks a lot, Captain Obvious!
There were a few members of the Boston media in attendance who tried to coax specific answers out of Allen as to exactly what made Miami “best for him and his family,” but Allen would not go there.
One of the questions everyone wanted to know the answer to was whether or not there was friction between himself and Rajon Rondo and whether or not he had spoken with Rondo to clear the air between the two. “I haven’t spoken with him at all,” Allen said. “I know when I came down here that I texted Paul (Pierce) and Kevin (Garnett). Those were the guys I talked with over the years and we shared similar philosophies…..”
When asked a follow-up question about whether his relationship with Rondo factored into his decision, Allen paused and then said, “I can’t say that it factored in my decision. You know, as teammates, we were brothers. You know, I’m around them more than I’m around my own family. You know there’s differences, we all have differences. Paul eats Cornflakes, I might not like Cornflakes. That’s kind of who we are as individuals and at the end of the day, we had to buy into what the coach believes is best for us and as players we had to put our differences aside.”
Allen was also asked if he took less money to join Miami because he felt the Heat had a better chance to win a title - a subject he also tap-danced around.
I suppose that we shouldn’t be surprised that Allen did not give us any answers to some of our questions. Why would he? Trashing Rondo or saying that he believes the Heat does have a better chance of winning a championship would only provide bulletin board material for his former team.
But he wouldn’t even go so far as to say that it was more playing time or a role he felt was more suited to him that led him to Miami. In short, he gave us nothing.
It’s a shame that it had to end this way because now we can only speculate as to the reason or reasons he did decide to leave.
The fact that he is taking less money to go to Miami tells you that there were definitely some things he was unhappy about in Boston. Was it his relationship with Rondo? Maybe it was losing his starting job to Avery Bradley or the recent signing of Jason Terry? Maybe it was the fact that Ainge had tried to trade him or that he does believe that he has a better chance to win a ring in Miami?
The bottom line is, unless Allen decides to open up on the matter, we may never know the real truth behind his decision.
However, it is safe to say that he is not the competitor, nor does he cherish the city of Boston, the Celtics’ organization and its fans the way that Kevin Garnett does.
Like Allen, Garnett could have very easily tested the free agent waters and probably could have joined a team better equipped to win a championship than the aging Celtics. But KG’s actions seemed to send a very clear message to us. It was Boston, or nowhere else for him.
Unlike Allen, Garnett loves playing for the Celtics and appreciates the support he receives from the fans. He is also one of those “old school” competitors that does not subscribe to the philosophy, “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” Garnett, it would appear, would rather work his tail off trying to dethrone King James and Miami rather than joining forces with him in Miami for an easier run at another title.
And maybe that’s all that Ray Allen really needs to know as to why Danny Ainge made KG the team’s top offseason priority and not Allen.
Celtics’ fans appreciate your five tremendous years of service to the organization and the championship you helped bring to Boston. We also admire the type of hard worker you were and how you carried yourself with class and dignity.
However, we deserved more of an explanation for your departure than the one you gave to us at your press conference today. And the lack of that, along with your decision to join the Celtics’ arch-enemy, doesn’t sit well with many of us.
-Allen will go back to wearing the number “34” in Miami, a number that wasn’t available to him in Boston because of Paul Pierce.
-Even if you’re not a big fan of the NBA, you have to admit that this has been quite an interesting offseason so far.
-Everyone wants to know why Major League Baseball’s All-Star game isn’t as interesting to fans any more. The answer is simple. With the advent of cable and satellite television and networks like ESPN, we can see every player and every team in the league whenever we want to. Back before the days of cable TV, seeing the game’s greatest stars get together for a mid-summer classic was a thrilling concept.
-Can Orlando just send Dwight Howard somewhere and be done with it already?
-Good luck to former Worcester Academy and URI hoopster Billy Baron who will rejoin father Jim at Canisius. I hope he stocks up on his winter gear because winters in Buffalo aren’t very pleasant.
-Then again, a dozen buffalo wings at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo can be a nice way to cure those Buffalo winter blues.
-It would be nice if the Patriots and Wes Welker could come to an agreement on a new multi-year contract and be done with it.
-If, as Carl Crawford says, his elbow will eventually blow out and require surgery, why hasn’t that been done already?
-How about the way that Kansas City fans treated Yankees’ star Robinson Cano at the homerun derby Monday night? Who says that people from the Midwest are laid back?
-Wouldn’t it be great if Rondo and the Celtics could eliminate Allen and the Heat next postseason?
-It’s amazing that Daniel Bard can find his way to McCoy Stadium every night because he hasn’t been able to find home plate since joining the Pawsox.
-For all of our female readers out there, Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski will be shirtless on the cover of ESPN - The Magazine’s Body Issue coming out soon.
-That’s the same Rob Gronkowski who won the celebrity homerun derby at the Triple-A All-Star game in his hometown of Buffalo this week.
-The Boston Celtics’ summer league team is (3-0) in Orlando and second round pick Kris Joseph out of Syracuse has looked very good through the first three games.
-First round pick Jared Sullinger (Ohio State) has also looked good at times.
-Have you seen the video that has gone viral of Patriots’ owner Bob Kraft reading lines intended for actor Owen Wilson for an upcoming film? It’s classic! And, as Kraft says, “Wilson has nothing to worry about.”
-College basketball junkies should circle November 13th on their calendars. ESPN will televise a dozen back-to-back games that day to tip-off the college basketball season with Michigan State battling Kansas and Duke meeting Kentucky highlighting the slate. Harvard visits UMass in the 10am game to be televised that day.
-Question of the week: who do Boston sports fans hate more? Ray Allen, Tim Thomas or the 2012 Red Sox?
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