Celtics hit new low, and U.S. Hockey goes for gold

Time to put the shamrock boxer-shorts and green kool-aid away.  I am officially in panic mode with this team.  Fresh off a demoralizing loss to the Nets, yes, one of the worst teams in league history, the Celtics appear to have hit rock bottom.  Yesterday, the green-team looked uninspired, disinterested, and  uncharacteristically sloppy.  Those are three words we haven't used in the modern Big 3 era, but as Bob Dylan told us - the times they are a-changin.  Never has that sentiment been more apparent than during saturday's matinee on Causeway St., where the boo-birds rained down on the C's, and rightfully so.  Right from the opening-tip you could tell this one wasn't going to go well, unfortunately, it maneged to get progressively worse as the clock-ticked, and the Celtics somehow made the lowly Nets look like the '96 Bulls.

Although the absence of Paul Pierce may provide an excuse for their poor-showings over the last two games, there are obviously deeper issues on this team, and no one, not even the coach, seems to have the remedies.  First, the Celtics have showed an alarming inability to play a full 48 minutes.  They seem to either come out of the gates hot, and eventually collapse, or think they can just wait for the fourth quarter to start competing.  Thats not how it works, and they need to look no further than their success from two years ago, when they throttled everyone in there path, playing every game, every possession like it was their last.  For whatever reason, the effort just isn't there on a consistent basis.  But hey, as a former overweight, overpaid 7-footer, Eddie Curry, from the Knicks once said,  "effort's a funny thing; somedays it's there, somedays it just isn't".  Next, let's get off the coach's case, who, much like the fans, can only sit back helplessly and watch these debacles unfold.  Amazingly, the message baords have been flooded with fans calling for Rivers' head, as they seemingly can't wrap their minds around this team's sudden incompetence.  Lastly, yesterday marked the 456th time that Kevin Garnett has headed to the bench, grimmacing, and clutching that right knee...not good, folks, not good.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again; this team goes nowhere without KG being completely healthy, and at this juncture, I'm less than optimistic.  With Garnett, Pierce, and Allen all dealing with injuries, and just the effects of age in general, the Big 3 are likely starting to feel more like the Golden Girls.

USA/Canada

Can't say I'm overly joyed about this game, as I've made a conscious effort to avoid olympic coverage at all costs.  But, if I did decide to watch an event, it would be today's gold medal hockey game.  The first meeting was pretty exciting, and I'm sure those Candians will be looking for revenge against the Yanks today in Vancouver.  It has the potential to be a great hockey game, not, I repeat, not a reincarnation of the 1980 Olympics, when a group of kids representing the US took down the mighty russians, and their team of professionals.  That was special.  This is not.  In today's game, both the US and Candadian teams will be litered with premier NHL talent, mkaing this more of a glorified all-star game with flags, than a David slaying Goliath scenario like 1980's "miracle on ice".  It might be entertaining, however, to watch the Canadians lose(again) at their own game, in front of their own fans, no-less.  Is it me, or do those frauds think that they are simply entitled?  Just because they're Canada?  Oh boo-hoo, hockey was only good-thing to ever come out of that country, and now it's killing them that the rest of the world has caught up, and loves sticking it to them any chance they get.  Anyways, let's get this game over with, hand out the hardware, wrap up those overly theartical closing ceremonies and get back to both the NHL and NBA stretch runs.