Celtics find place for past in the present
In case you weren’t a night owl Tuesday night, the Boston Celtics, arguably the most storied team in the history of the NBA, won their 17th NBA title, the most in league history. The back stories were nearly as intriguing as the record title run. Paul Pierce, the beleaguered Celtic, the cornerstone of the franchise, finally breaking through after so many fruitless years. Kevin Garnett, one of the first high school phenoms, shedding his ‘can’t win, title with his first crown, of any type.
What really impressed me was the role the aforementioned acknowledged they had as the next chapter in the long history of the franchise. The Celtics last won a world title under the leadership of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Danny Ainge, the current GM, a mere 22 years ago, the same year current stars Rajon Rondo, who stole everything in sight in Game 6, Gabe Davis, and Glen Davis were born.
Pierce was nine and Garnett 10 when the Celtics last hoisted the championship trophy.
How wonderful it was to see Celtic stalwarts of yore Bill Russell, John Havlicek, and Tommy Heinsohn in attendance to soak up the ambience of another title. The three weren’t there to steal the thunder, to upstage the current squad, but, instead, embrace the new champions into the fold.
How nice it was to see Garnett embrace Russell after the win and pay homage to the impact the greatest defensive center had on his career after he moved to Boston. (This, after the comical when Garnett, after breaking down with emotion, was interviewed by Michelle Tafoya, who is like 11/2 feet shorter than the center.)
“You know you’re a Celtic when other players come up and congratulate you to be here,” Garnett was quoted after the game. “They explain the tradition. It’s like coming into a frat.”
There is a place for the past in the present, especially in sports.
Along those lines, as part of Pittsburgh’s 250th birthday celebration, fans of all ages have the opportunity to enjoy the city’s sports history at the ‘Parade of Champions’ held at the John Heinz Regional History Center on Smallman Street in Pittsburgh.
Super Bowl trophies, personal memorabilia, personal appearances, and a variety of exhibits will be on display at the museum, Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Cost is $20 for one day or $51 for a three-day pass for adults, $12 for children 6-12 and kids under six are admitted free of charge.
Despite it all, and though it’s not vogue to be, I am a Pirate fan. I watch whenever I can and steadfastly follow throughout the season.
The Pirates of my youth were contenders. I remember the 1971 and 1979 World Series titles. The management brings those Pirates to spring training, and honors them throughout the season (e.g., Richie Hebner bobblehead night) not as a way to further remind them of their futility since the Barry Bond years, but to instill pride on what was and what will hopefully come to pass in the very near future.
As with the Celtics, many of the current Pirates were just Little Leaguers back when the Pirates were good. They hail from around the nation (and world), and had no connection to the city before donning the uniform.
“This is going to be a nostalgic reunion,” said Steve Blass, a spokesman for the event, to the Post-Gazette. “For the 250th anniversary of the city’s birth, let’s take time out and go back and indulge ourselves with some of the great moments in sports history. And, as with all indelible moments, the stories all get better and the stats will improve and the accomplishments will grow over time.”
Great moments in time. Indelible. Accomplishments grow over time. I’ve seen Steve Blass’ ring (he sold me my college class ring), but I get the sense he doesn’t hold it in reverence, holding onto a past he’ll never reach.
The NFL, given a hefty bit of recent bad press, is tapping its roots with the present bringing the 2008 draft class to the Hall of Fame to tour the past and how the league became what it is today.
As I said earlier, the past has a place in the present. Not like ‘Shooter’ in ‘Hoosiers,’ scrambling around, not able to shake the past glory he will never attain in the present.
No, there’s a difference between hanging on to the past, and remembering and respecting that which came before us and holding it dear. The United States is a disposable society, out with the old and in with the new.
Maybe it’s a hazard of being a part-time instructor of History, but there’s something to looking back to move forward.