Celtics Distant 4th in town

[The_Ghost_of_JB]

Overall I don’t know how the NBA market is nationwide but I always thought it was:

Football
Baseball
Basketball
Hockey.

My belief is that people still think the NBA is filled with thugs and fighting which is not true at all. Of course that is far from the biggest issue. My brother, who is a casual fan, will watch when the Celtics are in the playoffs but that is about it. He has issue with the constant stoppage in play, the poor officiating and the non stop ball washing the refs give to the Lebrons, Kobes and Wades of the NBA. I cannot disagree with any of his points either.

In hockey and football these guys want to compete and win against each other. Basketball is the only sport in the world where everybody wants to team up and ring chase. In football and hockey there are new champions almost every year. Not in basketball where in July you already know there are only the same 2 or 3 teams (Note: Even if the cavs win a title that means nothing. The Cleveland James or the Miami James are one in the same team to me) that have a legit shot at winning a title. The NBA has too many teams, too many teams no one wants to play for and not enough talent to go around.

Yes I am down on the NBA now. I stopped watching non Celtic games years ago because there is no point when you already know which teams will be there in the end. Right now one could put up a pretty good argument that the NBA has turned into the WWE.

[TheOGJabroni]

It's not really surprising. We are arguably the best sports town in the United States.

We're not going to touch the Red Sox. The Patriots have been in a crazy run since the early 2000s. We're in New England, where people LOVE hockey. The Celtics need to be competing for championships to not be in last. That's just how it is. This isn't a knock on the C's. It's an appraisal of our sports fanbase in New England.

[SichtingLives]

I don't care who likes my basketball team. The fanbase here in New England is nothing to write home about either, we've picked up an awful lot of phonies in the past 15 years.

[DarkAzcura]

It's not really surprising. We are arguably the best sports town in the United States.

We're not going to touch the Red Sox. The Patriots have been in a crazy run since the early 2000s. We're in New England, where people LOVE hockey. The Celtics need to be competing for championships to not be in last. That's just how it is. This isn't a knock on the C's. It's an appraisal of our sports fanbase in New England.

I don't think we are the best sports town (in terms of fans) in the country honestly. I love the city of Boston, but the opinion of basketball in this area is really disturbing. I really, really don't want to play the race card (which is a popular topic when discussing Boston unfortunately), but I really don't understand how basketball isn't more popular in this area considering we have the most successful franchise (who cares about the 90s, the Red Sox were so much worse for decades) in probably the second or third most popular sport in the world. The local media screws over the Celtics. When the radio heads talk about the Celtics (even when they were good), they don't talk about strategy. They don't talk about lineups and rotations like they do with hockey, football, and baseball. All they talk about is wow look at KG being a jackass and Rondo being a stubborn baby. They just talk about drama with the Celtics while they analyze every other sport. The local population doesn't give a crap about the Celtics. Do you know how popular the Knicks would be if they won 17 championships? Oh my. It would be freakin' unbearable. Even Toronto would be completely nuts for the Raptors if they had 17 championships. They're already freakin' nuts over there.

The only time the Celtics came close to being the most beloved team in this state was when we had the most white superstars around. I hope no one jumps on me for this, but it really bothers me when I think about it. I defend Boson a lot against those silly opinions because I've never personally felt any discrimination, but when I think about the Celtics I literally cannot come to any other conclusion. A minor example but compare the way Pierce was treated in this town pre-KG to a guy like Ted Williams or several old Red Sox all stars (who never won either), and it really makes you question some stuff every now and then..the local media (and casual fans) used to completely crap on Pierce if he acted out even a little bit. It was ridiculous.

Sure, people can talk about not liking the NBA because of stoppage in play, the long regular season, and superstar calls, but it doesn't stop the NBA from being incredibly popular in Chicago, New York, OKC, LA, etc. Every league has their drawbacks and annoyances. The NBA is no different in this respect, imo. When I was in NY for a month, I was absolutely floored and amazed by how much the radio heads were talking about the Knicks despite their losing record. They weren't talking about stupid stuff either. They were legitimately talking about rotations, who they should go after in the offseason, etc. It was great. This is in the same city where the Yankees have 27 championships and their football franchise has won 2 championships in the last 7 years. They still found time for the lowly Knicks. I even heard them give props to the Celtics despite their losing record giving them credit as "a franchise who will always find their way back on top". I was getting more positive Celtic talk in NY, of all places, than Boston.

Also, really bothers me when anyone who wants to talk about the Celtics are called "green teamers". Hell Goodman posted something negative about Rondo, and Celticsblog (which we know as negativity central) defended Rondo a bit on twitter. Felger calls them out as "greenteamers" for even uttering one positive word about Rondo. If only he knew. Then he precedes to make fun of Celtic fans for believing Olynyk will become Dirk 2.0, and I have to ask..who the hell actually believes that? I've seen people say Olynyk has a similar skill set, but other than Tommy, who is saying Oly will be a 25 PPG first option? No one! And then we got this dude absolutely creaming his pants about Jimmy Garoppolo every second he gets a chance.

[truth18]

^nah, I understand what you are saying Dark.

It's a difficult topic to discuss because overall I believe Boston is actually a pretty progressive, diverse, accepting city and has been for the past 20-30 years. There are a few posters here who I respect immensely but have a clear agenda to make it seem like the city is hateful/racist/discriminatory in a way it is NOT.

I think these poster are straight up incorrect and are letting personal bias or events overshadow what is actually happening. Boston/Mass is no more racist than NYC, Philly, Toronto, etc. Anyone who has lived there for 10+ years should know this.

That said, every city/state has racial issues, and I believe the Celtics popularity is directly linked to said issues in precisely the way you describe. There are other factors like the media, etc, but you are NOT playing the race card IMO. It's a real thing.

Watch all the people with a "Boston is racist" agenda warp everything we just said though lol. Would not surprise me in the least. Sadly

[DarkAzcura]

^nah, I understand what you are saying Dark.

It's a difficult topic to discuss because overall I believe Boston is actually a pretty progressive, diverse, accepting city and has been for the past 20-30 years. There are a few posters here who I respect immensely but have a clear agenda to make it seem like the city is hateful/racist/discriminatory in a way it is NOT.

I think these poster are straight up incorrect and are letting personal bias or events overshadow what is actually happening. Boston/Mass is no more racist than NYC, Philly, Toronto, etc. Anyone who has lived there for 10+ years should know this.

That said, every city/state has racial issues, and I believe the Celtics popularity is directly linked to said issues in precisely the way you describe. There are other factors like the media, etc, but you are NOT playing the race card IMO. It's a real thing.

Watch all the people with a "Boston is racist" agenda warp everything we just said though lol. Would not surprise me in the least. Sadly

Yeah, I totally defend Boston and MA as an incredibly progressive area, but there is just something a little off about the way the Celtics are treated in this area. I'm glad it made sense.

[TheOGJabroni]

It's not really surprising. We are arguably the best sports town in the United States.

We're not going to touch the Red Sox. The Patriots have been in a crazy run since the early 2000s. We're in New England, where people LOVE hockey. The Celtics need to be competing for championships to not be in last. That's just how it is. This isn't a knock on the C's. It's an appraisal of our sports fanbase in New England.

I don't think we are the best sports town (in terms of fans) in the country honestly. I love the city of Boston, but the opinion of basketball in this area is really disturbing. I really, really don't want to play the race card (which is a popular topic when discussing Boston unfortunately), but I really don't understand how basketball isn't more popular in this area considering we have the most successful franchise (who cares about the 90s, the Red Sox were so much worse for decades) in probably the second or third most popular sport in the world. The local media screws over the Celtics. When the radio heads talk about the Celtics (even when they were good), they don't talk about strategy. They don't talk about lineups and rotations like they do with hockey, football, and baseball. All they talk about is wow look at KG being a jackass and Rondo being a stubborn baby. They just talk about drama with the Celtics while they analyze every other sport. The local population doesn't give a crap about the Celtics. Do you know how popular the Knicks would be if they won 17 championships? Oh my. It would be freakin' unbearable. Even Toronto would be completely nuts for the Raptors if they had 17 championships. They're already freakin' nuts over there.

The only time the Celtics came close to being the most beloved team in this state was when we had the most white superstars around. I hope no one jumps on me for this, but it really bothers me when I think about it. I defend Boson a lot against those silly opinions because I've never personally felt any discrimination, but when I think about the Celtics I literally cannot come to any other conclusion. A minor example but compare the way Pierce was treated in this town pre-KG to a guy like Ted Williams or several old Red Sox all stars (who never won either), and it really makes you question some stuff every now and then..the local media (and casual fans) used to completely crap on Pierce if he acted out even a little bit. It was ridiculous.

Sure, people can talk about not liking the NBA because of stoppage in play, the long regular season, and superstar calls, but it doesn't stop the NBA from being incredibly popular in Chicago, New York, OKC, LA, etc. Every league has their drawbacks and annoyances. The NBA is no different in this respect, imo. When I was in NY for a month, I was absolutely floored and amazed by how much the radio heads were talking about the Knicks despite their losing record. They weren't talking about stupid stuff either. They were legitimately talking about rotations, who they should go after in the offseason, etc. It was great. This is in the same city where the Yankees have 27 championships and their football franchise has won 2 championships in the last 7 years. They still found time for the lowly Knicks. I even heard them give props to the Celtics despite their losing record giving them credit as "a franchise who will always find their way back on top". I was getting more positive Celtic talk in NY, of all places, than Boston.

Also, really bothers me when anyone who wants to talk about the Celtics are called "green teamers". Hell Goodman posted something negative about Rondo, and Celticsblog (which we know as negativity central) defended Rondo a bit on twitter. Felger calls them out as "greenteamers" for even uttering one positive word about Rondo. If only he knew. Then he precedes to make fun of Celtic fans for believing Olynyk will become Dirk 2.0, and I have to ask..who the hell actually believes that? I've seen people say Olynyk has a similar skill set, but other than Tommy, who is saying Oly will be a 25 PPG first option? No one! And then we got this dude absolutely creaming his pants about Jimmy Garoppolo every second he gets a chance.

I understand what you're saying for sure. We were extremely popular when we had Bird/McHale, no doubt. But I don't think they would have been any less embraced if they weren't white. Bird, in particular, is held in such high regard because he was a transcendent talent that also happened to be white. It was almost an anomaly. After Bird, there is a pretty significant gap to name the next best white player of all-time; Stockton, Maravich, Nowitzki? (who obviously isn't even American). If Bird and Magic had switched places when they were drafted, it wouldn't have been such a tailor-made fit at the time but they both would have been accepted and praised just as much. There's no doubt in mind if Boston has another 2007 offseason, we will come right back up in popularity.

[Green89]

I believe the poll is more Boston based, as not every town and high school in New England has hockey, but every one of them has basketball. I understand most Boston area towns have hockey, but the further you branch out, especially southward, hockey is almost non existent.

That doesn't necessarily translate into less hockey or Bruin fans, but I am willing to bet if you broke down poll results by area, the Celtics would be higher ranked in certain towns because some kids just don't grow up with hockey or the Bruins. There was no hockey league in my hometown or high school, and the few times I ever played hockey was when our local pond froze over and we basically played in our sneakers, as no one had skates.

[Geoffrey P]

I don't see how this poll means they need to hurry up and get the team better. There's no shame in being 4th on that list behind the Patriots led by Brady and Belichik and also behind the Sox who have won three WS in the past ten years. Hell, even if they're behind the Bruins who have been competing for the cup recently.

I'd be more concerned if they were behind the Revs but their attendance is still pretty good even considering the team they just put out last year. Granted, they were in 11th place but 97% attendance in BOSTON with that craptastic team?

[RondoToKG]

Fans here are **** terrible, is this surprising?

They'd rather watch guys tackle each other and fight sloppily in what's supposed to be a sport then watch a game of basketball. And I don't want to generalize, but I know lots of people who look down on basketball because it's known as a black mans sport.

I also think we need to know a little more about the poll. Who administered it, what website, etc.....

[RondoToKG]

I believe the poll is more Boston based, as not every town and high school in New England has hockey, but every one of them has basketball. I understand most Boston area towns have hockey, but the further you branch out, especially southward, hockey is almost non existent.

That doesn't necessarily translate into less hockey or Bruin fans, but I am willing to bet if you broke down poll results by area, the Celtics would be higher ranked in certain towns because some kids just don't grow up with hockey or the Bruins. There was no hockey league in my hometown or high school, and the few times I ever played hockey was when our local pond froze over and we basically played in our sneakers, as no one had skates.

I live south of Boston and hockey is extremely popular. The poll is based off all of NE anyways.

[165bows]

Isn't this a fairly new thing? I mean, I feel like for a long time it was common to hear Bruins fans complain about being ignored by the media, not getting enough attention, etc.

[canman1971]

Pretty simple. Win and do well in stupid polls.

[GuyClinch]

Boston is a great sports town - even fourth best is pretty popular.. You can talk with tons of random people about the Celtics and they will know all about em.. I don't really see the problem.. Its not like Boston is a hot bed for basketball talent - why would we expect it to be more popular then football or baseball? Also FWIW ..no sorry the Red Sox did not suck in the 90s. They were competitive.. Clemens, Pedro, Nomar - all 90s guys..

The Celtics didn't have much in the 90s outside of Pierce..and that was very late..

[DarkAzcura]

Boston is a great sports town - even fourth best is pretty popular.. You can talk with tons of random people about the Celtics and they will know all about em.. I don't really see the problem.. Its not like Boston is a hot bed for basketball talent - why would we expect it to be more popular then football or baseball? Also FWIW ..no sorry the Red Sox did not suck in the 90s. They were competitive.. Clemens, Pedro, Nomar - all 90s guys..

The Celtics didn't have much in the 90s outside of Pierce..and that was very late..

I didn't say the Red Sox sucked in the 90s. I said the Celtics sucked in the 90s, and the Red Sox were much worse for much longer than the Celtics ever were. That's why I don't buy the excuse that the reason people don't like the C's is because they were bad in the 90s (really from '93-'02). 10 truly bad years of basketball and management in the history of the franchise is enough for the Celtics to sink this lowly in public and media sight? I don't think that's a good reason.

Historically, we don't have great basketball talent (though this has changed a ton in the last five years), but do people really watch baseball and football because of the great players we produce? I don't think we are very good at those sports either. Honestly if there is any sport we actually produce players in, it is probably hockey, so I understand the popularity there. Basketball talent is on the up with Vonleh, Noel, Selden, Napier, and MCW so things will be changing in that regard relatively soon hopefully. Maybe Oriakhi can find his way onto a roster eventually also.

Before the 00s, Boston's most popular sports were the ones that won the least and in that order. Kind of a joke. Just poking fun with that one.

Isn't this a fairly new thing? I mean, I feel like for a long time it was common to hear Bruins fans complain about being ignored by the media, not getting enough attention, etc.

Yeah that's a big reason why the Sports Hub was created IIRC. Celtic fans need a similar movement if we want solid media representation.

[Al n' Perk No Layups!]

Reality is that the Celtics were as popular as they were because for a very long time the representative teams for the other 3 sports have been awful, while the Celtics dominated their sport. Pats were trash from their inception until hoodie got hired, until 2004 the Sox hadn't won the World Series since Ruth played and the Bruins went almost 4 complete decades without winning a cup. Not only were these teams not winning, for most of the preceding half century these teams weren't even very competitive. The only sport that locals could watch their team succeed was basketball. Now that the other three local teams are yearly contenders it's no surprise that basketball has been relegated to 4th place. NE as a region just isn't that interested in hoops, it has always been more interested in the other three major sports.

[GuyClinch]

If you follow Boston sports you should know that the Sox weren't awful.. They were decent...that's what made the bad string so tough.

[canman1971]

I think it has more to do with the overall NBA game than anything. The NBA is an inferior product compared to the rest of the others. Between the star treatment, the refs, the bitching on every play, the noise during play. I mean each possession is more like a spectacle the way the announcers call the game and the lights and crap. At least for me anyway and people I know. I will always watch the Celtics but I don't watch the NBA otherwise. And basketball is my favorite sport. Played in HS, college and coached HS throughout my life, but it has gone downhill fundamentally. AAU has killed it.

[165bows]

I actually disagree, I think there was some great ball last year. Unfortunately too much of it was on late at night since they were almost all west coast teams, but I thought the quality was solid.

Baseball on the other hand is so slow and takes forever, I think the demographics of baseball viewers shows it's the one that is set to be losing market share. The NBA may have smaller viewership than baseball/football, but it is younger, more worldwide, and more tech savvy in usage.

[pac213up]

Locally I am not surprised but on a National level the Celtics do pretty well compared to the Bruins. The Celtics and Bruins will always bounce back and forth based on how each team is performing.