Scott Cordischi On Sports: The End Of An Era?

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Scott Cordischi, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

If this is, indeed, the beginning of the end for the Boston Celtics and the “Big 3,” then I have to applaud both their effort and their accomplishments.

While the Eastern Conference Semifinals are technically not over yet, no one expects the Miami Heat and their “Big 3” to blow a 3-1 series lead with the prospect of two of those 3 games being played on their home floor.

It’s no surprise that when TNT cut to Doc Rivers in the Celtics huddle during a 4th quarter timeout in game 4 and the Celts clinging to a slim lead, the Boston coach said to his players, “this is it!”

Those three words were applicable to not only to the outcome of game 4, but the outcome of the series and the championship hopes of the Celtics as currently constituted.

Rivers knew that if Boston could somehow hang on and win game 4 to even the series at two that the pressure would then shift to Miami which may have been too much for the younger, less experienced “Big 3” to handle.

The Celtics coach also knew that they had to win game 4 in Boston to have any hope of winning the series.

Lastly, he also knows that the window of opportunity for this great trio of players has almost closed.

So with that, the Celtics now find themselves in the almost impossible position of having to win three straight games against a great team like Miami in order to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. It’s a scenario that is not very likely.

Still, as a Celtics’ fan, I am proud of this team and this “Big 3” which was put together back in 2007. Not only did they win a championship, they competed for another last year before losing a game 7 to the Lakers without injured center Kendrick Perkins.

And unlike the way that the Los Angeles Lakers went out of the playoffs in their 4-game sweep at the hands of Dallas this year, this Celtics team gives you maximum effort every time they hit the floor. Because of their age and some questionable trades by their GM, that effort sometimes isn’t good enough to get them over the hump which will probably be the case tonight in game 5.

Still, we should all be proud of the way this team has played the past four seasons.

-If Miami does beat Boston, many will call it the “changing of the guard” in the East. I say that Miami has to not only win the eastern Conference Finals but also an NBA title before we officially call it the “changing of the guard.”

-If the Celtics lose to Miami as expected, there will be a “changing of the guard” in Boston with the Bruins now being the team that has captured the hearts of New England sports fans this spring.

-I have always felt that Miami’s “Big 3” would be wise to pay close attention to Boston’s “Big 3” to see how it’s done. Yesterday, both LeBron James and Dwyane Wade confirmed that Garnett, Pierce and Allen did set the blueprint for them and they have learned by watching the individual sacrifices made by the three for the sake of team success.

-As excited as I am about the Boston Bruins playing in the NHL’s Eastern Conference Finals, I am guarded in my optimism for the B’s if they have to play the series without Patrice Bergeron.

-While most of us have neglected to pay much attention to the Red Sox thus far, Josh Beckett has been pitching very well this season which is a far cry from his performance from 2010.

-The Tampa Bay Rays lost a number of star players during the offseason, started this season at 0-6 and are now in first place in the American League East. Is that about right?

-Speaking of the Rays, why can’t the Red Sox get players like Johnny Damon?

-We can whine about Rondo’s injury or not having Kendrick Perkins but the difference in the series is that Miami’s “Big 3” has outplayed Boston’s “Big 3” in 3 out of the 4 games thus far.

-Sometimes people get elevated to their level of incompetence. That appears to be what has happened to Big Baby since the trade of Perkins to Oklahoma City.

-WEEI’s Julie Kahn and Jason Wolfe need to buy a clue! Why they haven’t put their programming on an FM signal in Boston like 93.7 or 107.1 is beyond me and their recent changes have hurt their programming, not helped it. Mike Mutnansky and Lou Merloni may be great guys, but they are also the cure for insomnia. Oh well! Their stupidity is the Sports Hub’s gain!

-I don’t know about you, but I am not optimistic about the 2011 NFL season starting on time and we’re still 4 months away!

-Jim Baron’s Rhody Rams have landed another recruit. 6’-5” combo Rayvon Harris from Flora MacDonald Academy in Red Springs, NC tweeted that he has chosen the Rams over fellow A-10 schools St. Bonaventure and Duquesne.

-Ed Cooley is off to a good start recruiting at PC. His latest get is 6’-6” forward LaDontae Henton from Lansing, Michigan. Henton is a great scorer and rebounder who was slated to go to Dayton but was released from his letter of intent when Brian Gregory left for Georgia Tech. Some say that his game compares to that of former Friar Derek Brown. That’s some hefty praise.