Thursday, March 19, 2015

Tournament Timeout

The first game of the spectacle kicks off at noon, and maybe it's a blessing because the articles I find in the Bo$ton Globe these days fall into one of three categories: outright lies (as if anyone believed NOAA while the real culprit is by the side of the road), outrageous distortions, or staged and scripted fictions (remember Westgate?). Combined with a generous dollop of shallow and superficial half-truths (which are really no truths at all), subtle eliti$t insults, and cho$en $upremaci$m behind the agenda-pushing propaganda, it's probably good to get away from it for a while -- although the world appears to be going to hell in a hand basket at light speed everywhere you look as I fall further and further behind.

Part of the problem is I am reading less and less of the miserable Globe garbage (that's funny!) all the time. For those long-time followers, they know there is a progression here. I've gone from reading the whole thing cover-to-cover years ago to skipping the second section, then stopping before the ed-op page, then stopping before the turn-ins, and now I am at the point where I dutifully make the noted on the notepad of all the headlines I see. I then begin with excitement and enthusiasm the front page articles. I start to wane on page A2 and by page A3, I'm simply outlining entire articles saying I'll read it when I post it. I'm then doing the same thing to other pieces while skipping around and reading those I am actually interested in.

What I do intend to do today is go over the various unread Globes while the games are on and organize what is in the March pile that I've accumulated. Once this weekend is through I should be able to devote much more time to this blog while cleaning up the clutter.

See: Are the Celtics for real? Glad you asked 

NBA playoffs (yawn) on the front page?

"Celtics bow to history to draw fans" by Callum Borchers, Globe Staff  March 11, 2015

The map said the Celtics were in Phoenix, but at times the Suns’ home arena had the feel of a galaxy far, far away.

Actors dressed as storm troopers and Jedi knights paraded around the court before tipoff and posed for pictures with fans, while spectators who bought tickets through Facebook received souvenir basketballs made to look like the Death Star.

“Star Wars” night at US Airways Center last month helped draw one of the Suns’ biggest crowds of the season to a weeknight matchup of two teams that may miss the playoffs. Having witnessed the success, Celtics executives surely began plotting to use The Force at TD Garden, right?

Not exactly.

“There’s kind of an unwritten Celtics sensibility under this umbrella of what Celtic pride is all about, and part of it is not being schlocky or cheesy,” said team president Rich Gotham. “We see things that other teams in our league do, and we’re just like, ‘Couldn’t do that.’ ”

With a slight decline in attendance, a revolving-door roster, and a losing record for the second straight season, Boston’s proud basketball franchise is confronting a dilemma. Unable to sell fans on marquee names and championship dreams, Celtics officials feel pressed to try new marketing strategies yet also feel the weight of a distinguished legacy. Call it the ghost of Red Auerbach or Causeway Street conservatism, this is the challenge of running an iconic club mired in a slump.

A gray alternate uniform unveiled in November was widely criticized by sports writers but has been a hit with young fans, according to the team’s social media tracking.

The Celtics know every move will be scrutinized and debated by a passionate fan base, which is why new branding proposals are thoroughly vetted by a brain trust that includes....

--more--"

RelatedBraintree man held without bail in TD Garden stabbing

Your move, readers.

UPDATE: Winter Weather: 32 Million Under Alerts For Late-Season Snow

Looks like I may be busy with other things this weekend. Good thing it's only the sore-thumb of New England, huh?