Brad Marchand goal lifts Bruins past Rangers in OT – Steve Conroy has the Bruins doing a good job turning the page from their electrifying game seven win over Toronto.

Marchand finally looks himself with Game 1 goal – Joe Haggerty has the Bruins winger getting himself back to form last night.

Young blueliners don’t look green – With the Bruins down three veteran defensemen, Joe McDonald looks at the fine performance by the trio of Torey Krug, Matt Bartkowski and Dougie Hamilton last night. Kevin Paul Dupont has more on the young trio.

Nobody bigger than Zdeno Chara – Mark Daniels has the Bruins stalwart playing an immense 38 minutes last night.

Bruins fans made CSN studio scary – Chad Finn’s media column looks back at the scene in the Comcast SportsNet studio outside TD Garden after the historic game 7 win over the Maple Leafs.

So, let me get this straight, Mike Felger was scared, not of bodily harm, but about the quality of the broadcast? That’s why they called 911? Also, since when has Felger been worried about the quality of any broadcast?

Finn also mentions the Entercom employee satisfaction survey.

Jack Edwards’ winning Bruins call gains notice – Bill Doyle’s media column has Jack Edwards talking about his call of the winning goal in game seven.

The Red Sox were down 3-1 in the ninth inning, and the Rays had their closer on the mound to start the inning. The same closer who had struck out the side on Tuesday night. The Sox loaded the bases, and with two outs and two strikes, Will Middlebrooks emptied the bases, giving Boston a 4-3 lead which they held for the win.

Red Sox rally on Will Middlebrooks’ bat – Scott Lauber looks at the important win for the Sox.

Shane Victorino toughing it out for Red Sox – Nick Cafardo look at how important the outfielder has become to the Red Sox.

Bard’s control issues big concern in Double A – Sean McAdam looks at the struggles for the formerly dominant reliever.

Red Sox steal drama trick from Bruins – John Tomase looks at this one as a win that the Red Sox can build on.

Just how ridiculous (and transparent) is Mike Florio?

Patriots’ decision to cut Love looks like disability discrimination

Jaguars help Patriots, in a roundabout way

From the latter:

The Patriots’ apologists suddenly have gotten very quiet.

OK, so no one is defending the team any more. Then:

The team has not responded to a PFT request for comment, and no amount of off-the-record spin being espoused by writers covering the team regarding concerns such as Love’s performance slipping in 2012 and the addition of other players who may be better than Love changes the fact that the Pats cut Love not because of his performance or his competition but because of a medical condition.  We know this because the team released Love in the immediate aftermath of his diagnosis with the “non-football illness” designation.

So are the apologists quiet, or are the apologist writers covering the team actually making excuses for them?

While the Patriots may suffer no consequence or reprimand for a fairly blatant violation of Love’s human rights (because, you know, they’re the Patriots), the Jaguars deserve to be praised for ignoring a condition that can be treated and controlled. Many people operate successfully with diabetes, and every diabetic should be a fan of the Jaguars moving forward.

Excuse me, Mr Florio, but your slip is showing. What does this even mean? Is he saying they won’t be punished because the league looks the other way on the Patriots, or is he saying the Patriots make a routine habit of violating of the human rights of their employees?

On the matter of spin coming from the local media, I’m not seeing it. Tom E Curran wrote about it – More to Pats’ release of Love than meets the eye but Florio’s line seems to be more about retaliating for being called out than actually debunking anything Curran says. I’m not seeing other Patriots media rush to the defense of the team as Florio indicates is happening.

Then Florio runs this last night:

Krafts catch flak for favoring Patriots over Revolution

Included is this paragraph:

Still, a Sports Illustrated poll of anonymous players pegged the Krafts as the worst owners in the MLS, and players like Thierry Henry and David Beckham have balked at playing on the FieldTurf at Gillette Stadium.

Seriously?

Bruins Take Game One, Sox Rally In Ninth is a post from: Boston Sports Media Watch

Here is the email sent to employees earlier this week:

Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 10:52 PM
To: BOSTON USERS
Cc: Jeff Brown; Carmela M***; Mike K****

Subject: Employee Opinion Survey

Entercom Boston Employees,  As you are aware, we have conducted employee opinion surveys in our markets in the past. Weezie Kramer, who was recently promoted to Station Group President, has requested that we do a company-wide survey.

The survey consists of questions that measure employee engagement and workplace satisfaction, that you will score on a scale between 1-7. We also have a few questions about what you like best/least about your job, along with what is going well overall and suggestions for improvement.

To expedite the process, I’ve asked Carmela M*** to facilitate the survey. You will be receiving an email from Jeff about the meeting schedule. The meetings will begin with a video message from Weezie, followed by a video message from me. Carmela will then hand out the survey and we ask that you complete it at the meeting and place it in a Fed Ex box that will be in the front of the room. The surveys will be sent overnight directly to my office.

I want to assure you that your feedback will be protected. Carmela has promised that no one will read your survey locally. She will make sure that the completed surveys stay in the Fed Ex box until I receive them. All of the feedback will be compiled into a report and therefore your feedback will be anonymous.

Thanks in advance for taking the survey and we look forward to receiving your feedback.

Corporate surveys are not all that uncommon. Companies do them all the time to gauge the morale of employees. My buddy Andy at WEEI says they’ve done them at WEEI before. The email above says so too. That’s not what Dennis and Callahan said this morning, as they said it was the first time they have ever done something like this in their 15/16 years at the station.

They also questioned why the company felt the need to do it at this point in time. Given the amount of recent departures from the station, both voluntary and involuntary, it seems obvious, which was the very point they were making. Interesting that the company is calling everyone to these meetings and having them take the survey under supervision. While this is a company-wide survey, you don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to guess that it is aimed specifically at the Boston market.

Another email set the times for these meetings, as management went in at 9:00 am today, and there are all-employee sessions scheduled for 10:00 am and 4:00 pm.

Entercom Looking To Survey “employee engagement and workplace satisfaction” Today is a post from: Boston Sports Media Watch

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Also:

If you missed it, Bruins – Maple Leafs Game 7 received 16.8 HH rating/ 26 share -3rd best in NESN Bruins history. The series averaged 11.7

— Bruce Allen (@bruceallen) May 15, 2013

Mike Felger Has A Little Fanboy In Him is a post from: Boston Sports Media Watch

How many columns with sentiments similar to the above do you figure were in the process of being written during the third period last night?

The Bruins instead pulled off a historic comeback, scoring three times in the third period, including twice in the final 90 seconds to force overtime and then won on Patrice Bergeron’s wrist shot in the extra period (Dave Goucher audio) to take the series four games to three and move on to face the New York Rangers.

It’s hard to imagine two more different scenes than the one right after the fourth Toronto goal, and immediately following the game. Dirt was being shoveled onto the Bruins grave, and then fans had Mike Felger calling for backup and fearing for his safety in the studio across the street from the Garden. There was also an F-bomb dropped on the air coming in from a break as they wondered if the window was going to be broken.

Bruins Win Overtime Thriller, Toronto Left Staring Into Nothingness  – Deadspin has the NBC video, the NESN video and reaction from the Toronto crowd. For some reason they also do a finger wag at NESN (New England Sports Net Switches To Toronto Feed In Ultimate Dick Move) for briefly showing the Toronto crowd. What Deadspin seems to miss is that NESN was showing those Toronto crowd shots all night long, especially after Maple Leaf goals. Many complained on Twitter after the game winner that NESN didn’t show enough of the Toronto crowd after things went bad for them.

Hope Was Lost Until The Bruins Restored It – Kevin Paul Dupont compares this game to Carlton Fisk’s home run in the 1975 World Series. (Except here, Patrice Bergeron  played the role of both Bernie Carbo and Fisk.)

Bruins display heart of champions in comeback – Joe Haggerty looks at the unlikeliest of game seven comebacks.

Bruins pull off epic turnaround – Joe McDonald has the Bruins making history again.

Bergeron delivers in face of mounting criticism – Stephen Harris has Bergeron delivering after his line had been criticized all series.

Leafs endure heartbreaking collapse in Game 7 overtime loss to Bruins – From North of the border, Bruce Arthur is as good as they come.

Miracle On Causeway Street is a post from: Boston Sports Media Watch

Bruins have lost wiggle room – Joe McDonald says that the formula for the Bruins is simple, they need more shots, more traffic, more players in front of the net to cause havoc.

B’s flaunting inconsistency to the end – Joe Haggerty says that based on this season, we have no idea which version of the Bruins will show up tonight. Haggs also notes that this band of Bruins are familiar with the pressure of a game 7.

Tuukka Rask hopes for best – Stephen Harris has the Bruins goaltender putting the 2010 playoffs out of his mind as he readies for tonight.

Undying loyalty to Seguin, Marchand might lead to Bruins’ early demise – Matt Kalman thinks that Claude Julien’s loyalty to his young duo might end up costing him his job.

Toronto got the better of Boston twice yesterday, as the Blue Jays pounded Ryan Dempster and the Red Sox 12-4 at Fenway Park. Boston has now lost eight of ten.

The Red Sox’ reality: The lineup’s problems, and potential solutions – Rob Bradford looks at how the Red Sox can turn things around as they now face a nine-game road trip through Tampa, Minnesota and Chicago.

May has brought lots of problems – Tony Lee notes that since the calendar switched from April to May, it’s been all bad for the Sox.

It’s getting to be a grind for scuffling Sox – Ron Borges looks at how things have faltered for the Sox as of late,  suggests they take  a lesson from the Mayans, and has a new nickname for Dan Shaughnessy.

David Ortiz is 1-for-17 since The Cooler asked him to defend himself because apparently 40 allegedly negative drug tests for performance enhancers weren’t good enough.

How much longer Ortiz struggles is anyone’s guess, but you don’t have to know much about baseball to understand he wasn’t going to continue to hit .450, because if he did, The Cooler wouldn’t be the only guy asking him questions about how that was happening.

Not bad, not bad. Whenever things are going well, we can count on Dan Shaughnessy going in to insert himself into the equation and foul things up however he can.

Of course, “the Cooler” is a phrase that Shaughnessy himself had some fondness for, as he used it in at least three different columns as a nickname for Adrian Gonzalez.

Bruins Pushed To The Brink By Leafs is a post from: Boston Sports Media Watch

The worst baseball writing of the month -Rob Neyer says that the column takes muckraking to a whole different place.

You know what’s really a shame? I mean, aside from the fact that Shaughnessy gets paid a great deal of money to compose this drivel, year after year? He might have spared himself this particular embarrassment if he weren’t so bloody afraid of statistics that his grandpappy didn’t teach him.

And more.

Nowhere in the column does Shaughnessy offer even the tiniest shred of evidence, not one, that Ortiz’s bat speed is higher now than when he was 34. Nothing from an Internet database, no quote from some grizzled (and anonymous) scout. Just the argument that Ortiz’s bat speed must be higher because hey look! .426!

From Deadspin: Dan Shaughnessy Invents Some David Ortiz PED Rumors

Except, this isn’t a column accusing David Ortiz of PED usage. It’s a column about David Ortiz denying accusations of PED usage. Except there are no active accusations, so Shaughnessy has to create them, confront Ortiz with them, and then run his denials. The truly incredible part is that at some point, this logic ran through Shaughnessy’s brain and he decided it would be a good idea for a column.

He concludes:

The Red Sox have been in first place for most of a season in which they’re supposed to finish last. If there’s not enough there for a local sports columnist without having to resort to sorry-I’m-not-sorry defamation after a month, I feel for Dan Shaughnessy’s shriveled black writer’s soul. But Boston’s lost three in a row, seven of 10, and Ortiz is hitless in his last 13 at-bats. Shank can happily go back to blasting the team for being bad, which is a lot easier and more straightforward than this tortured bit of “I’m just asking questions.”

Unkind Reactions To Shaughnessy Column on Ortiz is a post from: Boston Sports Media Watch

The Celtics began the  Eastern Conference Finals at the friendly confines of the Boston Garden against the Philadelphia 76ers.  The two teams split the six regular season meetings, with each team winning their home games.  Rumors that Philly could not win in Boston proved premature as the 76ers dominated the game’s third quarter and stole the opening game of the series, 96-93.

Despite an eight-point halftime lead, the Celtics lost their compusure in the second half and the lapse cost them the home court that took all season to earn.  A look at the list of high scorers provides a quick glimpse at the game and, ultimately, the series.  Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell led the Celtics with a respective 27 and 21 points, but were out-done by Julius Erving and Darryl Dawkins, who posted 29 and 23.  The opening game served as a microcosm of the series as whatever the Celtics did well, the Sixers were able to do better.  The  Celtics were held to just 16 points on the fast break, while the 76ers scored 19.  The Celtics outscored the 76ers on second chance baskets, but Philadelphia held Boston scoreless in the fourth quarter in that same category.

“The makeup of a champion changes over time,” said Jan Volk in his recent interview with BSMW, ”but if you look at all of the teams that contended and eventually won titles in that time period through the 80s into the 90s, you had young contending teams that had to be battle-tested.  It happened to Chicago, it happened to Detroit, and it happened to the Celtics.  Those were the major teams of that era and they all went into the playoffs at one point in time and were beaten.  Playing Philadelphia was part of our maturation process.”

Billy Cunningham’s 76ers immediately exposed major flaws for the Celtics.  The defensive boards were a particular disaster area, with the Philly winning the battle of those boards by nine, 35-26.  Whether playing on the youth level or in the NBA, the direct relation of rebounding to winning is one of the few fundamental laws still remaining in the game of basketball.  Dave Cowens had a solid night with 10 rebounds, but the combined effort from Philly was too much for the Celtics.  Erving picked up seven rebounds, Caldwell Jones grabbed eight, and Dawkins collected ten.  As much as the NBA was licking its chops at the prospect of a long-running feud between Julius Erving and Larry Bird, much of this Celtics-76ers series would be decided in the trenches by Cedric Maxwell and Darryl Dawkins.  The opening round went to Dawkins.

“I threw up a power dunk.  Dawkins made a power block.  He was awesome.  Not many centers in the game have the ability to work inside and outside. He can control a game with just physical ability,” said Cedric Maxwell to the Boston Globe’s Larry Whiteside.  Philadelphia finally thought the 23-year-old Dawkins, already a five-year NBA veteran, was on his way to becoming the game’s next dominating center.

“I think he really began to come into his own late in the regular season when Julius (Erving) got hurt. He knew he had to take a bigger role in the offense and he did. It continued in the Atlanta series and you saw it tonight. It didn’t look like it at the time but getting Erving hurt was a blessing in disguise,” said Sixer coach Billy Cunningham.

Known by his “Chocolate Thunder” nickname and a bevy of slam dunks, such as the Gorilla Slam, Dawkins put together a critical stretch in the fourth quarter with his block on Maxwell and then, after the Celtics had knotted the score at 88, unleashed a scoring barrage with six straight points for Philly, a stretch from which the Celtics never recovered.  Whiteside’s story gave more detail on Dawkins’ play:

There was no disguising the man they called “Chocolate Thunder” last night.  Only modesty prevents him from saying that he is a new force inside, and one the Celtics must deal with, and quickly, if they are to avoid future pitfalls.

“I’m not going to let people say I’m the key,” asserted Dawkins, who threw his 6-foot, 11-inch, 251-pound frame around last night with reckless abandon.  “The Doctah (Julius Erving) is still the key to this club.”

“What I was able to do tonight was good because it helped the team.  But it was not by accident or because they were feeding me.  We take what the other team is giving us, and many times I happened to get the ball in a position where I could score or get a rebound.  But I worked for that position.  I’ve caught hell in this building over the years and never have played particularly well.  Both (Dave) Cowens and (Rick) Robey are good centers.  But tonight, I worked hard and my teammates worked just as hard to get the ball to me.”

Cowens was on the bench late in the fourth with five fouls, and Dawkins exposed the lack of depth for the Celtics in the middle of the paint.  The team’s inability to defend down low was suspect all season, as the likes of Moses Malone, Bill Cartwright, and even an aging Wes Unseld chewed up the Celtics down low.  The problem reared its head at the worst possible time against Philadelphia, and it was an issue the C’s would have to correct over the off-season.

In addition to the usual suspects of Bird, Erving, Maxwell, and Dawkins, the play of Philly guard Henry Bibby helped decide the fate of the game.  Bibby, the father of future NBA point guard Mike Bibby, came off the bench to deliver 17 points, four rebounds, and four assists.  The Globe’s Ray Fitzgerald detailed his impact:

And then there’s Henry Bibby.  If Julius Erving is rated a 10 on the excitement scale, Henry Bibby is down there around 1 1/2, somewhere east of Rex Morgan. Erving is the Jaguar, Bibby the battered Chevy pickup.

Erving was great, Dawkins was great, but so was Bibby.

“I’ve been an All-American in college,” he said. “I’ve been a star. It was no big deal. I’m not ever going to be a star on this team. All I want is a job in the NBA, and to do that job the best I can.”

Spoken like a true team player, which I guess is what Bibby is.

“I’ve always admired him,” said the Celtics’ Chris Ford.  “He does the little things, the important things that aren’t always noticed.  Every season, he goes to training camp knowing he’s the veteran who might be cut.  But he’s there when the season starts, and when it ends.  He’s got heart.”

The Boston Globe’s Bob Ryan also detailed both teams’ displeasure with the officiating crew, a constant complaint throughout the history of the NBA:

Neither side was pleased with the identities of the officials selected by supervisor Norm Drucker to work this important game.  Joe Gushue was the lead, and his partner was Ed Middleton.  The opinion of both sides was that Middleton should have been watching on TV in Fargo, or maybe Liechtenstein, and Gushue, if here at all, should not have been the lead man.  “How many other NBA games were there tonight?” Bill Fitch asked rhetorically.  He also said, “It’s silly for me to be sitting here trying to analyze this game for you people, because my feelings about this whole evening bear no relation to this business.  I lost something even before the game started when I walked out there and saw some of the things I was going to have to contend with.”

Nice to know some things never change.

Bird’s Rookie Year — Game 1 vs. the 76ers is a post from: Boston Sports Media Watch

Krejci continues postseason heroics – Joe Haggerty looks at another big playoff performance for Krejci.

David Krejci on top of his game – Joe McDonald notes that “in 63 career playoff games, Krejci has 25 goals and 32 assists for 57 points, including a plus-26 rating. Those are some sick numbers and his teammates know it.”

Meanwhile, not everyone is happy with the victory and series lead. Kevin Paul Dupont tries out a little Dan Shaughnessy schtick to open up his column today:

The Maple Leafs are all but finished, although we only need recall Boston’s 3-0 series lead over Philadelphia in 2010 to remember that sure things can turn into dreaded, torturous black holes of despair in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Duly noted.

Also this morning, the noted hockey experts on the WEEI morning show were declaring that the Bruins trade of Phil Kessel to the Maple Leafs has now proven to be a bad deal, and it was noted that Kessel has outplayed Tyler Seguin in this series. A caller informed them of the following stats:

Kessel the last three seasons:  -33
Seguin the last three seasons:  +53

**********

Elsewhere, there continues to be some confusion over the status of Rob Gronkowski’s arm, and the number of surgeries needed. I was under the impression, and I’m not the only one, that the plate that is currently in Gronkowski’s forearm would need to be removed at some point, and so another surgery to take it out seemed to be a given. Thus when I see every outlet reporting that he might need a 4th surgery, I thought it was just hysteria.

I haven’t seen it clearly reported, (perhaps I’ve just missed it) but apparently the plan all along was that the plate would be left there permanently. Now, when the current batch of antibiotics runs its course, the arm will be evaluated for infection, and if needed, they would go in, remove the current plate and put another in, which of course would be a setback.

Whether that plate needs replacing hasn’t yet been determined officially.

***************

A few other links/items of note:

Celtics myths miss point – Steve Bulpett does a masterful job dispelling a number of myths surrounding the Celtics such as “they’re a better team without Rondo” and “the Celtics could’ve traded KG to the Clippers” and “the Celtics could’ve beaten the Knicks if they signed a true point guard after Rondo went down.”

It almost seems like Bulpett is taking aim at a certain 98.5 afternoon drive show…

Papi’s performance speaks for itself – Along the same lines of taking aim, Gordon Edes offers an alternate view of David Ortiz’s performance this season to that suggested by Dan Shaughnessy yesterday. (He must be on steroids!)

Speaking of Ortiz and Shaughnessy:

End of my hitting streak tonight the season stil going and l hope Dan shaugnessy is a happy man now… Not more 426 enjoy it✌

— David Ortiz (@davidortiz) May 9, 2013

Bruins Take 3-1 Lead After OT Victory is a post from: Boston Sports Media Watch

The Red Sox offense fell silent this weekend, and Tim Britton notes that they’ve shown themselves vulnerable to most breaking pitches, especially the slider.

Clay Buchholz looks to play the role of stopper tonight against the Twins at Fenway Park. Alex Speier says the Sox need a strong (and long) outing from Buchholz to give some key bullpen members a bit of rest.

Despite the sweep, Michael Silverman says that the coming back optimistic and ready to get back on a winning track.

*******

LeBron James was named NBA MVP and it was revealed that he came one vote shy of becoming the first unanimous regular season MVP selection ever. Some speculation had Miami look-at-me radio star Dan Le Batard as the one who didn’t vote for LeBron, but instead, we found out today that it was none other than the Boston Globe’s own Gary Washburn who voted for Carmelo Anthony rather than LeBron.

Why my MVP vote went to Carmelo Anthony – Washburn explains his thinking, almost apologetically. He insists that this was not a “statement” vote and that he really didn’t think he would be the only writer in the entire country who didn’t vote for LeBron.

I’m really not sure whether Washburn should be admired or ridiculed for the vote. On one hand, writers in other sports have made picks that made headlines, yet were never revealed publicly. At the very least, Washburn deserves credit for raising his hand and saying it was him.

********

It’s yet another spring where we’ve got the numerous “end of an era” columns written about the Celtics from the likes of Jackie MacMullan (who absolutely LOVES to predict dark days ahead for a franchise) and Dan Shaughnessy. It seems like these columns have been written annually since 2010, but this year, it seems like it really might be the end.

Maxwell: Doc, Garnett, Pierce won’t be back – WEEI Celtics radio analyst Cedric Maxwell went on CSNNE to say that it is his belief that Doc Rivers will leave the team, needing a breather, and that the Celtics will buy out Paul Pierce’s final year and that Kevin Garnett will retire.

*********

If you missed it last week, J.T. “The Brick” and his national show is back on overnights on WEEI starting today. The show airs from 1-6 a.m. weekdays and the program can currently be heard on approximately 260 affiliates across the nation.

Sox Swept, Washburn Explains, Celtics To Be Gutted? is a post from: Boston Sports Media Watch

The Celtics punched their ticket to the conference finals by sweeping away the Houston Rockets, winning the fourth and final game of the series, 138-121.

The C’s shot a scorching 63 percent from the field and featured four players in double-digits.  Larry Bird led all scorers with 34 points.  Bird, who also pulled down 10 rebounds and picked up 7 assists, came within just three assists of picking up his first playoff triple-double.  Even now, 33 years later, M.L. Carr still gushes when discussing playing alongside Bird.  In his recent interview with BSMW, Carr touched on the skills that allowed Bird to make an immediate impact in the NBA:

Larry’s understanding of the game made him so special.  Bill Russell used to say, “the game of basketball is not how high you can jump or how fast you can go, it’s how quick you can cut off angles because the game is a game of angles.”  Larry understood that probably better than anyone at the time.  He wasn’t a great leaper but he cleared out space for rebounding opportunities.  Defensively, he used angles to outsmart some of the quicker guys.  He had an incredible basketball IQ for a kid that young.  And put that together with his offensive skills, and I’m talking more than just shooting, because his ability to see the floor and pass were uncanny for a guy his size at that time.

Carr had a solid game of his own, coming off the bench to add 23 points in just 21 minutes.  Though the team was, both figuratively and literally, still centered by Dave Cowens, and the whole league was buzzing about Larry Bird, the Celtics were still very much Chris Ford’s team.  In just his his second season with the Celtics, the 31-year-old Ford had earned the trust of Bill Fitch.  Ford was no longer at the point where he could average 15 points in 4 assists per game, the numbers he posted during the 1979 season, but his gritty style of playbuilt a reservoir of  faith in his coach’s eyes.  Fitch relied on Ford’s steadiness, whereas the same could not be said for Fitch and Pete Maravich.  After enduring some miserable seasons with Detroit as well as a losing season in his first year with Boston, Ford made the most of his opportunity in 1980.

Carr explained Ford’s impact to the team:

We had an unbelievable bond among the guys, but I can still remember Chris Ford being one of our driving forces.  Chris had never been this close to a championship.  He was unbelievable, from the first day of practice to the first time on the bus, every time you saw him, he was all about winning.  He was the real driving force behind everything we did.

Ford was also the MVP of the series against Houston. 

The Boston Globe’s Bob Ryan touched on Ford’s two-sided play and overall effectiveness in the conference semis:

No Celtic has done his job better in this series, and thus far he’s the playoff MVP.

“His hands are moving all the time,” marveled Cedric Maxwell, “and if he isn’t stealing a pass, he’s deflecting one.”

“We all know what is on the line,” said Celtic guard Chris Ford.  “We know we have to do it right now.  This is a unique team and the guys are all unselfish.  You may stop one or two guys for awhile, but somebody else will take up the slack.

Bird’s Rookie Year — Game 4 vs. the Rockets is a post from: Boston Sports Media Watch

Saturday, October 20

Boxing
Championship Boxing: Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, Danny Garcia vs. Erik Morales — Showtime, 8 p.m.

CFL
Montreal at Saskatchewan — ESPN3, 3:30 p.m.
Hamilton at Calgary — ESPN3, 7 p.m.

College Football Viewing Picks

College Hockey
BU at UNH — WBIN, 7 p.m.
Minnesota at Michigan Tech — NESN, 7 p.m.

English Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Chelsea — ESPN2, 7:30 a.m.
West Bromwich Albion vs. Manchester City — Fox Soccer Plus, 9:53 a.m.
Manchester United vs. Stoke City — Fox Soccer, 10 a.m.
Fulham vs. Aston Villa — Fox Soccer Plus, noon (same day coverage)
Norwich City vs. Arsenal — Fox Soccer, 12:30 p.m.
West Ham United vs. Southampton — Fox Soccer Plus, 2 p.m. (same day coverage)
Liverpool vs. Reading — Fox Soccer, 3:30 p.m. (same day coverage)
Swansea City at Wigan Athletic — Fox Soccer Plus, 4 p.m. (same day coverage)

Golf
European Tour: Perth International, 3rd Round — Golf Channel, 1:30 a.m.
LPGA Tour: KEB HanaBank Championship, 2nd Round — Golf Channel, 7:30 p.m. (same day coverage)
PGA Tour: McGladrey Classic, 3rd Round — Golf Channel, 2 p.m.
Web.com Tour: Jacksonville Open, 3rd Round — Golf Channel, 5 p.m. (same day coverage)

MLS
Houston vs. Philadelphia — NBC Sports Network, 7:30 p.m.
Revolution vs. Chicago — Comcast SportsNet, 7:30 p.m.

NASCAR
Nationwide Series: Kansas Lottery 300 — ESPN, 3:30 p.m.

NBA Preseason
San Antonio at Miami — NBA TV, 3:30 p.m.
Celtics vs. New York at Albany, NY — Comcast SportsNet, 7:30 p.m.
Los Angeles Clippers at Utah — NBA TV, 9 p.m.

Miami Heat Team Preview — NBA TV, 6 p.m.
Toronto Team Preview — NBA TV, 6:30 p.m.
Detroit Pistons Team Preview — NBA TV, 7 p.m.
Miami Heat 2012 NBA Champions — NBA TV, 7:30 p.m.

Scottish Premier League
St. Mirren vs. Celtic — Fox Soccer Plus, 7:25 a.m.

Soccer
Women’s Friendly
United States vs. Germany — Fox Soccer, 7 p.m.

Sports Talk
SportsNation — ESPNU, 10 a.m.

Tennis
WTA Tour: Kremlin Cup, Semifinals — Tennis Channel, 5 a.m. & 7 a.m.
ATP Tour: Kremlin Cup, Semifinals — Tennis Chanel, 11 a.m. & 1 a.m. (same day coverage)
ATP Tour: Stockholm Open, Semifinals — Tennis Channel, 3 p.m. & 5 p.m. (same day coverage)
WTA Tour: Luxembourg Open, Semifinals — Tennis Channel, 7 p.m. & 9 p.m. (same day coverage)

Entertainment
Rehab Addict: Tile Terrors — DIY Network, 9 a.m.
Rehab Addict: Kitchen Countdown — DIY Network, 9:30 a.m.
Home Made in America With Sunny Anderson: Pancakes and Pierogi — Food Network, 9:30 a.m.
Giada at Home: Oodles of Noodles — Food Network, 11:30 a.m.
Flipping Boston: Stinks to High Heaven — A&E, noon
The Perfect 3: Mac N Cheese — Cooking Channel, 3 p.m.
Too Cute!: Jungle Kitties & Baby Skunks — Animal Planet, 8 p.m.
Creepshow — IFC, 8 p.m.
Kelsey’s Essentials: Lean and Mean — Cooking Channel, 8:30 p.m.
Bedlam: Unfaithful — BBC America, 9 p.m.
Carnage — Starz, 9 p.m.
Dateline: Real Life Mysteries: Strangers on a Train, Part 1 — TLC, 9 p.m.
Family Under Construction: Living in Chaos — DIY Network, 10 p.m.
How the States Got Their Shapes: Great Lakes, Big Stakes — H2, 10 p.m.
48 Hours: The Preacher’s Passion — WBZ/WPRI, 10 p.m.
Deadly Affairs: Killer Ambition — Investigation Discovery, 10 p.m.
Doomsday Preppers Bugged Out: The End of the World as We Know It — National Geographic Channel, 10 p.m.
Dateline: Real Life Mysteries: Strangers on a Train, Part 2 — TLC, 10 p.m.
Family Under Construction: Move In Madness — DIY Network, 10:30 p.m.
How the States Got Their Shapes: Battle of the Bible Belt — H2, 10:30 p.m.
Saturday Night Live with host and musical guest Bruno Mars — WHDH/WJAR, 11:29 p.m.

Sunday, October 21

College Soccer
Men’s
Wisconsin at Michigan State — Big Ten Network, 1 p.m.
Washington at Stanford — Pac-12 Network, 6 p.m.

Women’s
Arkansas at Mississippi State — ESPNU, 4 p.m.
Washington at Stanford — Pac-12 Network, 8;30 p.m.

College Volleyball
Women’s
Florida at Texas A&M — ESPNU, 2 p.m.
Oregon State at Arizona — Pac-12 Network, 2 p.m.
Iowa at Northwestern — Big Ten Network, 3 p.m.
Nebraska at Illinois — ESPN2, 3 p.m.
Cal at Washington — Pac-12 Network, 4 p.m.

English Premier League
Sunderland vs. Newcastle United — Fox Soccer, 8:25 a.m.
Queens Park Rangers vs. Everton — Fox Soccer, 10:30 a.m.

Being: Liverpool — Fox Soccer, 1 p.m.
Goals on Sunday — Fox Soccer, 2 p.m.

Figure Skating
ISU Grand Prix
Skate America: Ladies and Men’s Free Skate — WHDH/WJAR, 4 p.m.

Golf
European Tour: Perth International, Final Round — Golf Channel, 1:30 a.m.
LPGA Tour: KEB HanaBank Championship, Final Round — Golf Channel, 7:30 p.m. (same day coverage)
PGA Tour: McGladrey Classic, Final Round — Golf Channel, 2 p.m.
Web.com Tour: Jacksonville Open, Final Round — Golf Channel, 5 p.m. (same day coverage)

MLB Postseason
National League Championship Series
Game 6: San Francisco Giants at St. Louis — WFXT/WNAC, 4:30 p.m. (if necessary)

MLB Tonight — MLB Network, 1 p.m.
Baseball Tonight — ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.
MLB Tonight: League Championship Series Edition — MLB Network, 7:30 p.m.

MLS​
San Jose vs. LA Galaxy — Galavision, 7 p.m.
Seattle vs. Dallas — ESPN, 9 p.m.

NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series: Hollywood Casino 400 — ESPN, 2 p.m.

NBA Preseason
San Antonio at Orlando — NBA TV, 6 p.m.
Philadelphia at Celtics — Comcast SportsNet, 7:30 p.m.
Sacramento at Los Angeles Lakers — NBA TV, 9:30 p.m.

Chicago Bulls Team Preview — NBA TV, 5 p.m.
Indiana Pacers Team Preview — NBA TV, 5:30 p.m.
Los Angeles Lakers Team Preview — NBA TV, 9 p.m.

NFL Viewing Picks
Patriots Game Day — WBZ, 11:30 a.m.
NFL Pregame Live — Comcast SportsNet, 2:30 p.m.
Patriots 5th Quarter — WSBK, 7:30 p.m.
Patriots Wrap — WPRI, 11:45 p.m.

Scottish Premier League
Heart of Midlothian vs. Motherwell — Fox Soccer Plus, 7:40 a.m.

Sports Talk
Outside the Lines  — ESPN2, 10 a.m.
The Sports Reporters — ESPN2, 10:30 a.m.
SportsCenter 5 OT — WCVB, 11:35 p.m.
Sports Xtra — WHDH, 11:55 p.m.
Sports Final — WBZ, 12:05 a.m. (Monday)

Tennis
WTA Tour: Kremlin Cup, Final — Tennis Channel, 5 a.m.
ATP Tour: Bank Austria Tennis Trophy — Tennis Channel, 3 p.m. (same day coverage)
ATP Tour: Stockholm Open, Final — Tennis Channel, 5 p.m. (same day coverage)
ATP Tour: Kremlin Cup Final — Tennis Channel, 7 p.m. (same day coverage)
WTA Tour: Luxembourg Open, Quarterfinals — Tennis Channel, 9 p.m. (same day coverage)

WNBA Finals
Game 4: Minnesota Lynx at Indiana Fever — ESPN2, 8 p.m.

Entertainment
CBS News Sunday Morning — WBZ/WPRI, 9 a.m.
Raising House: Blackburg — DIY Network, 9 a.m.
Sandra’s Restaurant Remakes: Rich and Dreamy Dishes — Food Network, 10 a.m.
Sandwich King: Sweet Eats — Food Network, 11 a.m.
The Best Thing I Ever Made: Rise and Shine — Food Network, 11:30 a.m.
60 Minutes — WBZ/WPRI, 7 p.m.
Once Upon a Time — WCVB/WMUR/WCVB, 8 p.m.
Call the Midwife — WGBH, 8 p.m.
Night of Too Many Stars: America Comes Together for Autism Programs — Comedy Central, 8 p.m.
48 Hours on ID: Screenplay for Murder — Investigation Discovery, 8 p.m.
Cocaine Wars: Drug Speedboats — National Geographic Channel, 8 p.m.
The Amazing Race 21: Funky Monkey — WBZ/WPRI, 8:30 p.m.
Mega Dens: Melt With You — DIY Network, 8:30 p.m.
House Crashers: Sophisticated Asian Living Room — DIY Network, 9 p.m.
The Walking Dead: Sick — AMC, 9 p.m.
Boardwalk Empire — HBO, 9 p.m.
Sins & Secrets: Iaeger — Investigation Discovery, 9 p.m.
Drugs, Inc.: High Stakes Vegas (season premiere) — National Geographic Channel, 9 p.m.
Snapped: Kara Lounsbury — Oxygen, 9 p.m.
Dexter — Showtime, 9 p.m.
Copper — BBC America, 10 p.m.
America’s Most Secret: Structures — Discovery, 10 p.m.
Treme — HBO, 10 p.m.
House Hunters Renovation: From Spanish Fixer to Spanish Fantasy — HGTV, 10 p.m.
Unusual Suspects: A Bike Ride to Murder — Investigation Discovery, 10 p.m.
Alaska State Troopers: Shotgun Showdown — National Geographic Channel, 10 p.m.
Homeland — Showtime, 10 p.m.
Talking Dead — AMC, 11 p.m.
Comic Book Men: My Big Fat Geek Wedding — AMC, 11:30 p.m.

CFL
Edmonton Eskimos at BC Lions –  NBC Sports Network, 10 p.m.

College Football
UConn at Syracuse — ESPN, 8 p.m.

CFB Daily — ESPNU, 1 p.m.
College Football Live — ESPN, 3:30 p.m.
This Week in SEC Football — CBS Sports Network, 7 p.m.
College Football Live — ESPN, 7:30 p.m.
Lemming Report — CBS Sports Network, 8 p.m.

College Soccer
Men’s
Washington at Cal — Pac-12 Network, 4 p.m.
North Carolina at Maryland — ESPNU, 6 p.m.

Women’s
Arizona State at Oregon State — Pac-12 Network, 6:30 p.m.
Portland at San Diego — ESPNU, 11 p.m.

College Volleyball
Women’s
Indiana at Wisconsin — Big Ten Network, 8 p.m.
Stanford at Washington — Pac-12 Network, 9 p.m.
Oregon at Arizona State — Pac-12 Network, 11 p.m.

Golf
European Tour: Perth International, 2nd Round — Golf Channel, 1:30 a.m.
LPGA Tour: KEB HanaBank Championship, 1st Round — Golf Channel, 7:30 p.m. (same day coverage)
PGA Tour: McGladrey Classic, 2nd Round — Golf Channel, 2 p.m.
Web.com Tour: Jacksonville Open, 2nd Round — Golf Channel, 5 p.m.

Mixed Martial Arts
Bellator Fighting Championships 77 — MTV2, 8 p.m.
The Ultimate Fighter: One Mission — FX, 10 p.m.

MLB Postseason
National League Championship Series
Game 5: San Francisco Giants at St. Louis — WFXT/WNAC, 8:10 p.m. (St. Louis leads series, 3-1)

The Rundown — MLB Network, 4 p.m.
MLB Tonight — MLB Network, 6 p.m.
NLCS Pregame — WFXT/WNAC, 7:30 p.m.
MLB Tonight: League Championship Series Edition — MLB Network, 11 p.m.
Baseball Tonight — ESPN2, midnight

NBA Preseason
Philadelphia at Brooklyn — NBA TV, 7:30 p.m.
Golden State at Portland — NBA TV, 10 p.m.

Phoenix Suns Team Preview — NBA TV, 6 p.m.
Golden State Warriors Team Preview — NBA TV, 6:30 p.m.
New Orleans Hornets Team Preview — NBA TV, 7 p.m.

NFL
NFL Live — ESPN, 4 p.m.
Around the League Live — NFL Network, 5 p.m.
Patriots All Access — WBZ, 7 p.m.
Patriots Football Weekly — Comcast SportsNet, 8 p.m.
Playbook AFC — NFL Network, 8 p.m.
Playbook NFC — NFL Network, 9 p.m.
Patriots This Week — Comcast SportsNet, 9:30 p.m.
Top 10 Joe Montana Games — NFL Network, 10 p.m.

OHL
Erie Otters at London Knights — NHL Network, 7 p.m.

Sports Talk
NFL AM — NFL Network, 6 a.m.
The ‘Lights — NBC Sports Network, 6 a.m.
Morning Drive — Golf Channel, 7 a.m.
The Dan Patrick Show — Audience Network (DirecTV), 9 a.m.
Tim Brando Show — CBS Sports Network, 10 a.m.
The Box Score — Audience Network (DirecTV)/DanPatrick.com, noon
SVP & Russillo — ESPNews, 1 p.m.
Felger & Mazz — Comcast SportsNet, 2 p.m.
Outside the Lines First Report — ESPN, 3 p.m.
Pardon the Interruption — ESPN, 5:30 p.m.
ROME — CBS Sports Network, 6 p.m.
CNBC Sports Biz: Game On! — NBC Sports Network, 7 p.m.
The Nick & Artie Show — Audience Network (DirecTV), 10 p.m.
UNITE — ESPNU, 1 a.m. (Saturday)

Tennis
WTA Tour: Kremlin Cup, Quarterfinals — Tennis Channel, 5 a.m., 7 a.m., 10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
WTA Tour: Luxembourg Open, Quarterfinals — Tennis Channel, 4 p.m. (same day coverage)

UFL
Sacramento Mountain Lions at Virginia Destroyers — CBS Sports Network, 9 p.m.

WNBA Finals
Game 3: Minnesota Lynx at Indiana Fever — ESPN2, 8 p.m. (Series tied 1-1)

Entertainment
Shark Tank — WCVB/WMUR/WLNE, 8 p.m.
Gold Rush: The Long Road — Discovery, 8 p.m.
Family Guns: One Shot, One Kill — National Geographic Channel, 8 p.m.
The Adjustment Bureau — HBO, 8 p.m.
King of Dirt: Fireplace Surprise — DIY Network, 9 p.m.
Nikita (season premiere) — WLVI/WLWC, 9 p.m.
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team — CMT, 9 p.m.
Yukon Men: Last Chance (season finale) — Discovery, 9 p.m.
Boss (season finale) — Starz, 9 p.m.
Primetime: What Would You Do? — WCVB/WMUR/WLNE, 9:01 p.m.
Men in Black — Encore, 9:50 p.m.
Mystery Diners (season premiere) — Food Network, 10 p.m.
Man Caves: Lifeguard Cave — DIY Network, 10 p.m.
20/20 — WCVB/WMUR/WLNE, 10 p.m.
Dateline NBC — WHDH/WJAR, 10 p.m.
Hunted (series premiere) — Cinemax, 10 p.m.
Deadly Women: Too Close for Comfort — Investigation Discovery, 10 p.m.
Dead Files Revisited: Surrounded and Hotel Hell — Travel Channel, 10 p.m.
House Hunters International: Huatulco, Mexico — HGTV, 10:30 p.m.

College Football
Hampton at North Carolina Central — ESPNU, 7:30 p.m.
New Haven at Stonehill — CBS Sports Network, 8 p.m.
Houston at SMU — Fox Sports Net, 8 p.m.
Oregon at Arizona State — ESPN, 9 p.m.

CFB Daily — ESPNU, 1 p.m.
College Football Live — ESPN, 3:30 p.m.
Inside College Football — CBS Sports Network, 7 p.m.
College Football Live — ESPN, 8 p.m.

College Soccer
Men’s
Oregon State at Stanford — Pac-12 Network, 8 p.m.

Women’s
Oklahoma at West Virginia — Fox Soccer, 7 p.m.
Michigan at Ohio State — Big Ten Network, 8 p.m.
Washington State at Stanford — Pac-12 Network, 10:30 p.m.

College Volleyball
Women’s
Weber State at Northern Arizona — Fox College Sports Pacific, 10 p.m.

Golf
European Tour: Perth International, 1st Round — Golf Channel, 1:30 a.m.
PGA Tour: McGladrey Classic, 1st Round — Golf Channel, 2 p.m.
Web.com Tour: Jacksonville Open, 1st Round — Golf Channel, 5 p.m.

Mixed Martial Arts
MMA Uncensored Live — Spike, 11 p.m.

MLB Postseason
American League Championship Series
Game 4: New York Yankees at Detroit Tigers — TBS, 4:07 p.m. (Detroit leads series, 3-0)

National League Championship Series
Game 4: San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals — WFXT/WNAC, 8:10 p.m. (St. Louis leads series, 2-1)

The Rundown — MLB Network, 1 p.m.
MLB Tonight — MLB Network, 2 p.m.
MLB on Deck — TBS, 3:30 p.m.
MLB Tonight — MLB Network, 7 p.m.
Baseball Tonight — ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.
NLCS Pregame Show — WFXT/WNAC, 7:30 p.m.
Inside MLB — TBS, 7:30 p.m.
MLB Tonight: League Championship Series, 11 p.m.
Baseball Tonight — ESPN2, 1 a.m. (Thursday)

NBA Preaseason
Celtics at Brooklyn — Comcast SportsNet/TNT, 8 p.m.

Milwaukee Bucks Team Preview — NBA TV, 7 p.m.
Phoenix Suns Team Preview — NBA TV, 7:30 p.m.

NFL
Seattle at San Francisco — NFL Network, 8:20 p.m.

NFL Live — ESPN, 4 p.m.
Around the League Live — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Thursday Night Kickoff — NFL Network, 6 p.m.
Quick Slants — Comcast SportsNet, 7 p.m.
Thursday Night Football Postgame — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.
NFL Total Access: Postgame — NFL Network, midnight

Sports Talk
NFL AM — NFL Network, 6 a.m.
The ‘Lights — NBC Sports Network, 6 a.m.
Morning Drive — Golf Channel, 7 a.m.
The Dan Patrick Show — Audience Network (DirecTV), 9 a.m.
Tim Brando Show — CBS Sports Network, 10 a.m.
The Box Score — Audience Network (DirecTV)/DanPatrick.com, noon
SVP & Russillo — ESPNews, 1 p.m.
Felger & Mazz — Comast SportsNet, 2 p.m.
Outside the Lines First Edition — ESPN, 3 p.m.
Numbers Never Lie — ESPN2, 4 p.m.
SportsNation — ESPN2, 5 p.m.
Pardon the Interruption — ESPN, 5:30 p.m.
ROME — CBS Sports Network, 6 p.m.
UNITE — ESPNU, midnight

Tennis
WTA Tour: Luxembourg Open, Round of 16 — Tennis Channel, 4 p.m. (same day coverage)

Entertainment
The Big Bang Theory — WBZ/WPRI, 8 p.m.
Last Resort — WCVB/WMUR/WLNE, 8 p.m.
Top Gear: Best of ’08-’09 — BBC America, 8 p.m.
30 Minutes or Less — Encore, 8 p.m.
Raising House: Blacksburg — DIY Network, 9 p.m.
Beauty and the Beast — WLVI/WLWC, 9 p.m.
Top Gear: Best of ’08-’09 — BBC America, 9 p.m.
Lost Magic Decoded — History Channel, 9 p.m.
The Will: Family Secrets Revealed: The Estate of Tammy Wynette (season premiere) — Investigation Discovery, 9 p.m.
Person of Interest — WBZ/WPRI, 9:01 p.m.
Symon’s Suppers: Cooking With Friends — Cooking Channel, 9:30 p.m.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia — FX, 10 p.m.
Very Bad Men: Hunting Humans — Investigation Discovery, 10 p.m.
Rock Center with Brian Williams — WHDH/WJAR, 10 p.m.
Beyond Scared Straight: Oklahoma City, Okla. — A&E, 10 p.m.
Commander in Chief: Inside the Oval Office: Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis (series premiere) — Military Channel, 10 p.m.
Run My Renovation: Home Office Retreat — DIY Network, 10:30 p.m.
The League — FX, 10:30 p.m.
House Hunters International: Cape Tribulation, Australia — HGTV, 10:30 p.m.
Gigolos — Showtime, 11 p.m.
Conan — TBS, 11 p.m.

College Basketball
College Basketball Live: Media Day Special — ESPNU, 1 p.m.

College Football
College Football Live — ESPN, 3:30 p.m.

College Soccer
Men’s
Louisville at South Florida — ESPNU, 7 p.m.

College Volleyball
Women’s
Oklahoma at Texas Tech — Fox College Sports Central, 7 p.m.
Penn State at Ohio State — Big Ten Network, 8 p.m.
Utah at UCLA — Pac-12 Network, 10 p.m.

Golf
PGA Tour: McGladrey Classic, Pro-Am — Golf Channel, 5 p.m.

MLB Postseason
American League Championship Series
Game 4: New York Yankees at Detroit Tigers — TBS, 8:07 p.m.

National League Championship Series
Game 3: San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals — WFXT/WNAC, 3:30 p.m. (Series tied 1-1)

The Rundown — MLB Network, 1 p.m.
MLB Tonight — MLB Network, 3 p.m.
MLB Tonight — MLB Network, 7:30 p.m.
MLB on Deck — TBS, 7:30 p.m.
MLB Tonight: League Championship Series Edition — MLB Network, 11 p.m.
Inside TBS — TBS, 11:30 p.m.
Baseball Tonight — ESPN2, midnight

MLS
Seattle vs. Real Salt Lake — NBC Sports Network, 10 p.m.

NASCAR
Inside NASCAR — Showtime, 10 p.m.

NBA Preseason
Cleveland at Philadelphia — NBA TV, 7 p.m.
Utah at Los Angeles Clippers — NBA TV, 10:30 p.m.

Cleveland Cavaliers Team Preview — NBA TV, 6 p.m.
Utah Jazz Team Preview — NBA TV, 6:30 p.m.

NFL
Patriots Wednesday Live — Comcast SportsNet, noon
NFL Live — ESPN, 4 p.m.
Around the League Live — NFL Network, 5 p.m.
Patriots Football Weekly — Comcast SportsNet, 7:30 p.m.
NFL Turning Point — NBC Sports Network, 8 p.m. (special time)
Steve McNair: A Football Life — NFL Network, 8 p.m.
Quick Slants — Comcast SportsNet, 8:30 p.m.
Inside the NFL — Showtime, 9 p.m.

Sports Talk
NFL AM — NFL Network, 6 a.m.
The ‘Lights — NBC Sports Network, 6 a.m.
Morning Drive — Golf Channel, 7 a.m.
The Dan Patrick Show — Audience Network (DirecTV), 9 a.m.
Tim Brando Show — CBS Sports Network, 10 a.m.
The Box Score — Audience Network (DirecTV)/DanPatrick.com, noon
SVP & Russillo — ESPNews, 1 p.m.
Felger & Mazz — Comcast SportsNet, 2 p.m.
Outside the Lines First Report — ESPN, 3 p.m.
Numbers Never Lie — ESPN2, 4 p.m.
SportsNation — ESPN2, 5 p.m.
Pardon the Interruption — ESPN, 5:30 p.m.
ROME — CBS Sports Network, 6 p.m.
Sportfolio — Bloomberg, 9:30 p.m.
UNITE — ESPNU, midnight

Tennis
WTA Tour: Luxembourg Open, 3rd Round — Tennis Channel, 4 p.m. (same day coverage)

UFL
Las Vegas Locomotives at Omaha Nighthawks — CBS Sports Network, 9 p.m.

WNBA Finals
Game 2: Indiana Fever at Minnesota Lynx — ESPN, 8 p.m. (Indiana leads series, 1-0)

Entertainment
The Middle — WCVB/WMUR/WLNE, 8 p.m.
Survivor: Philippines — WBZ/WPRI, 8 p.m.
Arrow — WLVI/WLWC, 8 p.m.
Sons of Guns: Osama Takedown Gun Reloaded — Discovery, 8 p.m.
World Without End: Part 1: Medieval Life and Death — Reelz, 8 p.m.
Sideways — Sundance Channel, 8 p.m.
Not My Mama’s Meals: Say Cheese! — Cooking Channel, 9 p.m.
Restaurant: Impossible: Oleander Bar and Grill — Food Network, 9 p.m.
Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry?: Field of Schemes — Investigation Discovery, 9 p.m.
Sons of Guns: Nine Guns and a Shootout — Discovery, 9 p.m.
My Giant Face Tumor — TLC, 9 p.m.
Suburbagatory (season premiere) — WCVB/WMUR/WLNE, 9:30 p.m.
Sweat Equity: Blank Backyard — DIY Network, 10 p.m.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation — WBZ/WPRI, 10 p.m.
Osama bin Laden: The Finish — Discovery, 10 p.m.
The Devil You Know: Evil in First Class (season premiere) — Investigation Discovery, 10 p.m.
Restaurant Stakeout: That’s Money Out The Door — Food Network, 10 p.m.
American Horror Story: Asylum (season premiere) — FX, 10 p.m.
Black Ops: Night of Terror — Military Channel, 10 p.m.
Addicted: Josh — TLC, 10 p.m.
BBQ Paradise 2: Another Rack — Travel Channel, 10 p.m.
Sandra Lee’s Taverns, Lounges & Clubs: More Than Meets the Eye (series premiere) — Cooking Channel, 10:30 p.m.
Sweat Equity: Mudroom and More — DIY Network, 10:30 p.m.
House Hunters International: Bocas Del Toro, Panama — HGTV, 10:30 p.m.
The Devil You Know: Unfriendly Fire — Investigation Discovery, 10:30 p.m.
I Want That: Rotisserie Case — DIY Network, 11 p.m.
I Want That: Remote Fetch — DIY Network, 11:30 p.m.

College Football
Louisiana-Lafayette at North Texas — ESPN2, 9 p.m

CFB Daily — ESPNU, 1 p.m.
College Football Daily — ESPN, 3:30 p.m.
Inside College Football — CBS Sports Network, 7 p.m.
The Tony Barnhart Show — CBS Sports Network, 9 p.m.

Golf
Big Break Greenbrier: Bombs Away — Golf Channel, 9 p.m.
Chasing the Dream: Hanging With the Big Boys — Golf Channel, 10 p.m.
Our Longest Drive: The Guy in the Box — Golf Channel, 10:30 p.m.

MLB Postseason
American League Championship Series
Game 3: New York Yankees at Detroit Tigers — TBS, 8:07 p.m.

The Rundown — MLB Network, 4 p.m.
MLB Tonight — MLB Network, 6 p.m.
MLB on Deck — TBS, 7:30 p.m.
MLB Tonight: League Championship Series Edition — MLB Network, 11 p.m.
Inside MLB — TBS, 11:30 p.m.
Baseball Tonight — ESPN2, midnight

NBA Preseason
Brooklyn at Boston — Comcast SportsNet, 7:30 p.m.

Dallas Mavericks Team Preview — NBA TV, 6:30 p.m.
Boston Celtics Team Preview –NBA TV, 7 p.m.

NFL
NFL Live — ESPN, 4 p.m.
Around the League Live — NFL Network, 5 p.m.

Soccer
2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
Spain vs. France — ESPN2, 2:55 p.m.
Bolivia vs. Uruguay — beIN Sport, 3 p.m.
Paraguay vs. Peru — beINSport, 5:55 p.m.
United States vs. Guatemala — ESPN2, 6:30 p.m.
Chile vs. Argentina — beIN Sport, 7:55 p.m.
Mexico vs. El Salvador — Univision — 8:30 p.m.

Sports Talk
NFL AM — NFL Network, 6 a.m.
The ‘Lights — NBC Sports Network, 6 a.m.
Morning Drive — Golf Channel, 7 a.m.
The Dan Patrick Show — Audience Network (DirecTV), 9 a.m.
Tim Brando Show — CBS Sports Network, 10 a.m.
The Box Score — Audience Network (DirecTV)/DanPatrick.com, noon
SVP & Russillo — ESPNews, 1 p.m.
Felger & Mazz — Comcast SportsNet, 2 p.m.
SportsNation — ESPN2, 5 p.m.
Pardon the Interruption — ESPN, 5:30 p.m.
ROME — CBS Sports Network, 6 p.m.
E:60 — ESPN, 7 p.m.
30 for 30: There’s No Place Like Home — ESPN, 8 p.m.
UNITE — ESPNU, midnight

Tennis
WTA Tour: Luxembourg Open, Second Round — Tennis Channel, 4 p.m.

Election 2012
Presidential Debate — CNBC/CNN/C-SPAN/Current/Fox/Fox Business News/Fox News/MSNBC/WBZ/WCVB/WGBH/WHDH/WJAR/WLNE/WMUR/WPRI, 9 p.m.

Entertainment
Hart of Dixie — WLVI/WLWC, 8 p.m.
Doomsday Preppers Bugged Out: No Time to Learn to Dance (series premiere) — National Geographic Channel, 8 p.m.
Little Miss Sunshine — IFC, 8 p.m.
Roadtrip With G. Garvin: Virginia — Cooking Channel, 9 p.m.
Airport 24/7: Miami: Catch a Thief — Travel Channel, 9 p.m.
The Men Who Built America: A New War Begins (season premiere) — History Channel, 9 p.m.
Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda: Last Call for Murder — Investigation Discovery, 9 p.m.
Hard Time: Mental Hell — National Geographic Channel, 9 p.m.
Man Fire Food: Pit Masters — Cooking Channel, 10 p.m.
Chef Race: U.K. vs U.S.: Foreign Exchange — BBC America, 10 p.m.
Addicted: Gina & Sean — Discovery Fitness & Health, 10 p.m.
Sons of Anarchy — FX, 10 p.m.
Twisted: The Deadly Duo (season finale) — Investigation Discovery, 10 p.m.
Secrets of…: Navy SEALs — Military Channel, 10 p.m.
Bomb Girls — Reelz, 10 p.m.
House Hunters International: St. Lucia — HGTV, 10:30 p.m.
Conan — TBS, 11 p.m.

Saturday, October 13

Boxing
Boxing After Dark: Jr. Featherweights, Nonito Donaire vs. Toshiaki Nishioka — HBO, 10 p.m.

CFL
Calgary at Winnipeg — ESPN3, 12:30 p.m.
Saskatchewan at Edmonton — ESPN3, 4 p.m.

College Football Viewing Picks

College Hockey
Ice Breaker Tournament, Kansas City, MO
NBC Sports Network, 7:30 p.m.

College Soccer
Men’s
St. John’s at Louisville — Fox Soccer, 7 p.m.

Cycling
Tour of Beijing: Stage 5 — Universal Sports, 8 p.m. (same day coverage)

Golf
Champions Tour: Greater Hickory Classic, 2nd Round — Golf Channel, 1:30 p.m.
European Tour: Portugal Masters, 3rd Round — Golf Channel, 9 a.m.
LPGA Tour: Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, 3rd Round — Golf Channel, 9:30 p.m. (same day coverage)
PGA Tour: Frys.com Open, 3rd Round — Golf Channel, 4 p.m.
Web.com Tour: Miccosukee Championship, 3rd Round — Golf Channel, 7:30 p.m. (same day coverage)

Mixed Martial Arts
UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar Prelims — FX, 8 p.m.
UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar Prelims — Pay per view, 10 p.m.

MLB Postseason
American League Championship Series
Game 1 — TBS, 8:07 p.m.

MLB Tonight — MLB Network, 5 p.m.
MLB on Deck –TBS, 7:30 p.m.
MLB Tonight: League Championship Series Edition — MLB Network, 11 p.m.
Inside MLB — TBS, 11:30 p.m.
Baseball Tonight — ESPN2, 1 a.m. (Sunday)

NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series: Bank of America 500 — WCVB/WMUR/WLNE, 7:30 p.m.

NBA Preseason
Celtics vs. New York at Hartford, CT — Comcast SportsNet, 7:30 p.m.
Chicago at Minnesota — NBA TV, 8 p.m.

Memphis Grizzlies Team Preview — NBA TV, 7 p.m.
Minnesota Timberwolves Team Preview — NBA TV, 7:30 p.m.

Sports Talk
SportsNation — ESPNU, 10 a.m.
Sports Illustrated — WHDH/WJAR, 1:30 p.m.

Tennis
ATP Tour: Shanghai Masters, Semifinals — Tennis Channel, 4:30 a.m. & 8 a.m.

Entertainment
Home Made in America With Sunny Anderson: Arancini and Swordfish — Food Network, 9:30 a.m.
Naked Trailers — Reelz, 10 a.m.
Giada at Home: Date Night — Food Network, 11:30 a.m.
Flipping Boston: No Flippin’ Respect (season premiere) — A&E, noon
Luke Nguyen’s Greater Mekong: Chiang Khong, Thailand — Cooking Channel, 12:30 p.m.
The Perfect 3: Cookies — Cooking Channel, 2:30 p.m.
Too Cute!: Fluffy Puppies & Baby Goats — Animal Planet, 8 p.m.
Titanic: Blood and Steel: The Tipping Point — Encore, 8 p.m.
The Descendants — HBO, 8 p.m.
The Devil’s Rejects — IFC, 8 p.m.
Kelsey’s Essentials; Junk Food Essentials — Cooking Channel, 8:30 p.m.
Titanic: Blood and Steel: The Unsinkable Sets Sail — Encore, 8:49 p.m.
Bedlam: Pool of Tears — BBC America, 9 p.m.
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance — Starz, 9 p.m.
48 Hours: Hard Evidence: A Fatal Attraction — TLC, 9 p.m.
The Inheritance — The Movie Channel, 9 p.m.
Family Under Construction: Move In Madness — DIY Network, 10 p.m.
How the States Got Their Shapes: North vs. South — H2, 10 p.m.
48 Hours: Collision Course — WBZ/WPRI, 10 p.m.
I Was Impaled: Head On — Discovery Fitness & Health, 10 p.m.
Deadly Affairs: Deadly Obsession — Investigation Discovery, 10 p.m.
48 Hours: Hard Evidence: The Country Club Murders — TLC, 10 p.m.
Family Under Construction: Fire and Flood — DIY Network, 10:30 p.m.
How the States Got Their Shapes: Bigfoot vs. Aliens — H2, 10:30 p.m.
Funny As Hell 2012 — BBC America, 11 p.m.
Saturday Night Live with host Christina Applegate and musical guest Passion Pit — WHDH/WJAR, 11:29 p.m.

Sunday, October 14

CFL
Montreal at Toronto — ESPN3, 1 p.m.

College Football
BCS Countdown — ESPN, 8:30 p.m.
ESPNU BCS Countdown — ESPNU, 9 p.m.

College Soccer
Men’s
Ohio State at Northwestern — Big Ten Network, 1 p.m.
Michigan State at Penn State — Big Ten Network, 3 p.m.
Stanford at Washington — Pac-12 Network, 3 p.m.

Women’s
Illinois at Wisconsin — Big Ten Network, 5 p.m.
Baylor at Oklahoma State– ESPN2, 5 p.m.

College Volleyball
Women’s
Mississippi State at Missouri — ESPNU, 1 p.m.
Minnesota at Nebraska — ESPN2, 2 p.m.
Colorado State at UNLV — CBS Sports Network, 4 p.m.
UCLA at Cal — Pac-12 Network, 5 p.m.
Arizona at Colorado — Pac-12 Network, 7 p.m.

Formula 1
Korean Grand Prix — Speed, 1:30 a.m.

Golf
Champions Tour: Greater Hickory Classic, Final Round — Golf Channel, 1:30 p.m.
European Tour: Portugal Masters, Final Round — Golf Channel, 9 a.m.
LPGA Tour: Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, Final Round — Golf Channel, 9:30 p.m. (same day coverage)
PGA Tour: Frys.com Open, Final Round — Golf Channel, 4 p.m.
Web.com Tour: Miccosukee Championship, Final Round — Golf Channel, 7:30 p.m. (same day coverage)

Kontinental Hockey League
Dynamo Moskva vs. Amur — ESPN2, 5 p.m. (same day coverage)

MLB Postseason
American League Championship Series
Game 2 — TBS, 4:07 p.m.

National League Championship Series
Game 1 — WFXT/WNAC, 8:15 p.m.

MLB Tonight — MLB Network, 2 p.m.
MLB on Deck –TBS, 3:30 p.m.
MLB Tonight — MLB Network, 7 p.m.
Baseball Tonight — ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.
Inside MLB — TBS, 7:30 p.m.
MLB Tonight: League Championship Series Edition — MLB Network, 11 p.m.

NBA Preseason
San Antonio at Houston — NBA TV, 2 p.m.

Houston Rockets Team Preview — NBA TV, 7 p.m.
Atlanta Team Preview — NBA TV, 7:30 p.m.

NFL Viewing Picks
Patriots Gameday — WBZ, 11:30 a.m.
NFL Pregame Live — Comcast SportsNet, 2 p.m.
The 5th Quarter — TV38, 7 p.m.
NFL Postgame Live — Comcast SportsNet, 7:15 p.m.

Sports Talk
Outside the Lines — ESPN2, 10 a.m.
The Sports Reporters — ESPN2, 10:30 a.m.
Sports Sunday — Comcast SportsNet, 11 p.m.
Sports Final — WBZ, 11:35 p.m.
SportsCenter 5 OT — WCVB, 11:35 p.m.
SportsXtra — WHDH, 11;55 p.m.

Tennis
ATP Tour: Shanghai Masters, Final — Tennis Channel, 4:30 a.m.

WNBA Finals
Game 1: Indiana Fever at Minnesota Lynx — ESPN2, 8 p.m.

Entertainment
CBS News Sunday Morning — WBZ/WPRI, 9 a.m.
Space Jump Live — Discovery, 9 a.m.
From the Kitchens of …: Delta: Making Flying Better — Cooking Channel, 10 a.m.
Sandra’s Restaurant Remakes: On Top of the World Tastes (series premiere) — Food Network, 10 a.m.
Sandwich King: Sandwich Fiesta — Food Network, 11 a.m.
The Best Thing I Ever Made: Pure Perfection — Food Network, 11:30 a.m.
Kitchen Crashers: Dated & Dark Kitchen Overhaul — DIY Network, 7 p.m.
60 Minutes — WBZ/WPRI, 7 p.m.
Bath Crashers: Bathroom for Three — DIY Network, 7:30 p.m.
My Food Obsession: Sleepeater/Vinegar Eater (series premiere) — Cooking Channel, 8 p.m.
Mega Dens: Melt With You — DIY Network, 8 p.m.
Once Upon a Time — WCVB/WMUR/WLNE, 8 p.m.
The Amazing Race 21: There’s No Crying in Baseball — WBZ/WPRI, 8 p.m.
Call the Midwife — WGBH, 8 p.m.
48 Hours on ID: Secrets of a Marriage — Investigation Discovery, 8 p.m.
Drugged; High on Heroin — National Geographic Channel, 8 p.m.
My Food Obsession: Mayonnaise Terror/Hot Sauce Addiction — Cooking Channel, 8:30 p.m.
Mega Dens: Beige Box Breakout — DIY Network, 8:30 p.m.
House Crashers: Cleveland Wine Bar Basement — DIY Network, 9 p.m.
The Walking Dead (season premiere) — AMC, 9 p.m.
Boardwalk Empire — HBO, 9 p.m.
Sins & Secrets: Hilo — Investigation Discovery, 9 p.m.
Drugged: High on Crack — National Geographic Channel, 9 p.m.
Snapped: Brittany Norwood — Oxygen, 9 p.m.
Dexter — Showtime, 9 p.m.
House Crashers: Urban Entertainer’s Kitchen — DIY Network, 9:30 p.m.
Copper — BBC America, 10 p.m.
Treme — HBO, 10 p.m.
Unusual Suspects: Gruesome Discovery — Investigation Discovery, 10 p.m.
Alaska State Troopers: Alaska Chainsaw Massacre — National Geographic Channel, 10 p.m.
Homeland — Showtime, 10 p.m.
Destination Fear: Lift Locks — Travel Channel, 11 p.m.
Talking Dead (series premiere) — AMC, 11 p.m.
House Hunters Renovation — HGTV, 11 p.m.
Comic Book Men: Stash Bashes (season premiere) — AMC, 11:30 p.m.

College Basketball
ESPNU Midnight Madness: Indiana Practice — ESPNU, 5 p.m.
ESPNU Midnight Madness — ESPNU,  9 p.m.

College Football
Navy at Central Michigan — ESPN2, 8 p.m.

CFB Daily — ESPNU, 1 p.m.
College Football Live — ESPN, 3:30 p.m.
Lemming Report — CBS Sports Networik, 6:30 p.m.
College Football Live — ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.

College Hockey
Ice Breaker Tournament, Kansas City, MO
Maine vs. Notre Dame — NBC Sports Network, 7 p.m.
Army vs. Nebraska-Omaha — NBC Sports Network, 10 p.m.

St. Cloud at UNH — WBIN 50.2/Fox College Sports Pacific, 7:30 p.m.

College Soccer
Men’s
Cal at Washington — Pac-12 Network, 6 p.m.

Women’s
USC at Washington State — Pac-12 Network, 4 p.m.

College Volleyball
Women’s
Purdue at Penn State — Big Ten Network, 8 p.m.
UCLA at Stanford — Pac-12 Network, 9 p.m.
USC at Cal — Pac-12 Network, 11 p.m.

Cycling
Tour of Beijing: Stage 4 — Universal Sports, 8 p.m. (same day coverage)

Golf
Champions Tour: Greater Hickory Classic, 1st Round — Golf Channel, 1:30 p.m.
European Tour: Portugal Masters, 2nd Round — Golf Channel, 9 a.m.
LPGA Tour: Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, 2nd Round — Golf Channel, 9:30 p.m. (same day coverage)
PGA Tour: Frys.com Open, 2nd Round — Golf Channel, 4 p.m.
Web.com Tour: Miccosukee Championship, 2nd Round — Golf Channel, 7:30 p.m. (same day coverage)

Mixed Martial Arts
UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar Weigh-In — Audience Network (DirecTV), 5 p.m.
Bellator Fighting Championships 76 — MTV2, 8 p.m.
The Ultimate Fighter: Unleash the Beast — FX, 10 p.m.

MLB Postseason
American League Division Series
​Game 5: Baltimore at New York Yankees — TBS, 5:07 p.m. (Series tied 2-2)

National League Division Series
Game 5: St. Louis at Washington — TBS, 8:37 p.m. (Series tied 2-2)

The Rundown — MLB Network, 2 p.m.
MLB Tonight — MLB Network, 4 p.m.
MLB on Deck –TBS, 4:30 p.m.
MLB Tonight — MLB Network, 8 p.m.
MLB Tonight: League Division Series Edition — MLB Network, 11:30 p.m.
Baseball Tonight — ESPN2, midnight
Inside MLB — TBS, midnight

NASCAR
Nationwide Series: Dollar General 300 — ESPN, 7:30 p.m.

NBA Preseason
Detroit at Toronto — NBA TV, 7 p.m.
Portland at Phoenix — NBA TV, 10 p.m.

NBA Real Training Camp: Boston Celtics — NBA TV, 11 a.m.
New York Knicks Team Preview — NBA TV, 4 p.m.
San Antonio Spurs Team Preview — NBA TV, 4:30 p.m.
Oklahoma City Thunder Team Preview — NBA TV, 5 p.m.
Indiana Pacers Team Preview — NBA TV, 5:30 p.m.
Los Angeles Lakers Team Preview — NBA TV, 6 p.m.
Brooklyn Nets Team Preview — NBA TV, 6;30 p.m.

NFL
NFL Live — ESPN, 4 p.m.
Around the League Live — NFL Network, 5 p.m.
Patriots All-Access — WBZ, 7 p.m.
Playbook NFC — NFL Network, 8 p.m.
Playbook AFC — NFL Network, 9 p.m.
Patriots This Week — Comcast SportsNet, 9:30 p.m.

NHL
24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic (finale) — NHL Network, 8 p.m.

Soccer
World Cup Qualifiers
Russia vs. Portugal — ESPN2, 10:55 a.m.
Peru vs. Argentina — beIN Sport, 12:30 p.m.
England vs. San Marino — Fox Soccer, 3 p.m.
Ecuador vs. Chile — beIN Sport, 4:50 p.m.
Antigua & Barbuda vs. United States — beIN Sport, 6:55 p.m.
Guyana vs. Mexico — Telemundo, 9 p.m.
Guatemala vs. Jamaica — beIN Sport, 9:55 p.m.

U-21 European Championship Qualifier
England vs. Serbia — Fox Soccer, 1 p.m.

Sports Talk
NFL AM — NFL Network, 6 a.m.
The ‘Lights — NBC Sports Network, 6 a.m.
Morning Drive — Golf Channel, 7 a.m.
The Dan Patrick Show — Audience Network (DirecTV), 9 a.m.
Tim Brando Show — CBS Sports Network, 10 a.m.
The Box Score — Audience Network (DirecTV)/DanPatrick.com, noon
SVP & Russillo — ESPNews, 1 p.m.
Felger & Mazz — Comcast SportsNet, 2 p.m.
Outside the Lines — ESPN, 3 p.m.
Numbers Never Lie — ESPN2, 4 p.m.
Pardon the Interruption — ESPN, 5:30 p.m.
Best of ROME — CBS Sports Network, 6 p.m.
UNITE — ESPNU, midnight

Tennis
ATP Tour: Shanghai Masters, Quarterfinals — Tennis Channel, 2 a.m., 4 a.m., 6 a.m. & 8 a.m.

UFL
Virginia Destroyers at Omaha Nighthawks — CBS Sports Network, 7 p.m.

Entertainment
Shark Tank — WCVB/WMUR/WLNE, 8 p.m.
Yukon Men: Hunt for Survival Revealed — Discovery, 8 p.m.
Titanic: Blood and Steel: Burden of Proof — Encore, 8 p.m.
American Mansion: Secrets of the Rockefeller Estate — National Geographic Channel, 8 p.m.
Titanic: Blood and Steel: A Crack in the Armor — Encore, 8:50 p.m.
King of Dirt: When the Lights Come On — DIY Network, 9 p.m.
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team — CMT, 9 p.m.
America’s Most Wanted — Lifetime (The Network That Hates Men), 9 p.m.
Boss — Starz, 9 p.m.
Primetime: What Would You Do? — WCVB/WMUR/WLNE, 9:01 p.m.
King of Dirt: Ralphie Drives — DIY Network, 9:30 p.m.
Man Caves: Celebrity Beach Bowl; Super Bowl Cave — DIY Network, 10 p.m.
20/20: Going to Extremes — WCVB/WMUR/WLNE, 10 p.m.
Dateline NBC — WHDH/WJAR, 10 p.m.
Strike Back (season finale) — Cinemax, 10 p.m.
Yukon Men: Wheel of Misfortune — Discovery, 10 p.m.
America’s Most Wanted — Lifetime (The Network That Hates Men), 10 p.m.
Dead Files Revisted: A Widow’s Rage and Death Sentence — Travel Channel, 10 p.m.
Man Caves: VIP Luxury Suite Cave — DIY Network, 10:30 p.m.
House Hunters International: Roatan, Honduras — HGTV, 10:30 p.m.
Hunted Sneak Peek — Cinemax, 10:50 p.m.
Skin to the Max: Barcelona; Croatia — Cinemax, 11:05 p.m.
Late Show with David Letterman — WBZ/WPRI, 11:35 p.m.

College Football
Western Kentucky at Troy — ESPNU, 7:30 p.m.
Wayne State at Saginaw Valley State — CBS Sports Network, 8 p.m.
UTEP at Tulsa — Fox Sports Net, 8 p.m.
Arizona State at Colorado — ESPN, 9 p.m.

CFB Daily — ESPNU, 1 p.m.
College Football Live — ESPN, 3:30 p.m.
Inside College Football — CBS Sports Network, 7 p.m.

College Soccer
Men’s
Cal at Stanford — Pac-12 Network, 10 p.m.

Women’s​
Purdue at Indiana — Big Ten Network, 8 p.m.
Rice at Memphis — Fox Soccer, 8 p.m.
College Football Live — ESPN, 8 p.m.

Cycling​
Tour of Beijing: Stage 3 — Universal Sports, 8 p.m. (same day coverage)

Golf
European Tour: Portugal Masters, 1st Round — Golf Channel, 9 a.m.
LPGA Tour: Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, 1st Round — Golf Channel, 9:30 p.m. (same day coverage)
PGA Tour: Frys.com Open, 1st Round — Golf Channel, 4 p.m.
Web.com Tour: Miccosukee Championship, 1st Round — Golf Channel, 7:30 p.m. (same day coverage)

MLB Postseason
American League Division Series
Game 4: Baltimore at New York Yankees — TBS, 7:37 p.m. (New York leads series, 2-1)
Game 5: Detroit at Oakland — TNT, 9:37 p.m. (Series tied 2-2)

National League Division Series
Game 5: San Francisco at Cincinnati — TBS, 1:07 p.m. (Series tied 2-2)
Game 4: St. Louis at Washington — TBS, 4:07 p.m. (St. Louis leads series, 2-1)

MLB Tonight — MLB Network, 11 a.m.
MLB on Deck — TBS, 12:30 p.m.
MLB Tonight — MLB Network, 4 p.m.
MLB Tonight — MLB Network, 7 p.m.
MLB Tonight — MLB Network, 10:30 p.m.
MLB Tonight: Division Series Edition — MLB Network, 12:30 a.m. (Friday)
Inside MLB — TBS, 12:30 a.m. (Friday)
Baseball Tonight — ESPN2, 1 a.m. (Friday)

NBA Preseason
Miami vs. Los Angeles Clippers, Beijing, Communist China — NBA TV, 7:30 a.m.
New York at Washington — NBA TV, 7 p.m.

San Antonio Spurs Team Preview — NBA TV, 6 p.m.
Washington Wizards Team Preview — NBA TV, 6:30 p.m.

NFL
Pittsburgh at Tennessee — NFL Network, 8:20 p.m.

NFL Live — ESPN, 4 p.m.
Around the League Live — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Thursday Night Kickoff — NFL Network, 6 p.m.
Quick Slants — Comcast SportsNet, 7 p.m.
Patriots Football Weekly — Comcast SportsNet, 7:30 p.m.
Postgame Show — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.
NFL Total Access Postgame Show — NFL Network, midnight

NHL
24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic — NHL Network, 8 p.m.

Sports Talk
NFL AM — NFL Network, 6 a.m.
The ‘Lights — NBC Sports Network, 6 a.m.
Morning Drive — Golf Channel, 7 a.m.
The Dan Patrick Show — Audience Network (DirecTV)/Fox Sports Net, 9 a.m.
Tim Brando Show — CBS Sports Network, 10 a.m.
The Box Score — Audience Network (DirecTV)/DanPatrick.com, noon
Felger & Mazz — Comcast SportsNet, 2 p.m.
SVP & Russillo — ESPNews, 2 p.m.
Outside the Lines First Report — ESPN, 3 p.m.
SportsNation — ESPN2, 5 p.m.
Pardon the Interruption — ESPN, 5:30 p.m.
Best of ROME — CBS Sports Network, 6 p.m.
CNBC Sports Biz: Game On! — NBC Sports Network, 7 p.m.
UNITE — ESPNU, midnight

Tennis
ATP Tour: Shanghai Masters, Round of 16 — Tennis Channel, 2 a.m.

WNBA Playoffs
Eastern Conference Final
Indiana Fever at Connecticut Sun — ESPN2, 8:30 p.m. (Series tied 1-1)

Election 2012
Vice Presidential Debate — CNBC/CNN/C-SPAN/Current/Fox Business News/Fox News/MSNBC/WBZ/WCVB/WGBH/WHDH/WJAR/WLNE/WMUR/WPRI, 9 p.m.

Entertainment
The Big Bang Theory — WBZ/WPRI, 8 p.m.
Last Resort — WCVB/WMUR/WLNE, 8 p.m.
Top Gear: Best of ’07-’08 — BBC America, 8 p.m.
Titanic: Blood and Steel: The Truth Shall Set You Free — Encore, 8 p.m.
History Exposed: Nazi Spies — Military Channel, 8 p.m.
America’s Money Vault — National Geographic Channel, 8 p.m.
Titanic: Blood and Steel: High Stakes — Encore, 8:57 p.m.
Raising House: Austin — DIY Network, 9 p.m.
Beauty and the Beast (series premiere) — WLVI/WLWC, 9 p.m.
Top Gear: Best of ’07-’08 — BBC America, 9 p.m.
How the Earth Made Man — History Channel, 9 p.m.
History Exposed: The Shadow War — Military Channel, 9 p.m.
Symon’s Suppers: Hog Wild — Cooking Channel, 9:30 p.m.
Raising House: Haddon Township — DIY Network, 9:30 p.m.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Pop-Pop: The Final Solution (season premiere) — FX, 10 p.m.
Very Bad Men: A Wolf Among the Sheep — Investigation Discovery, 10 p.m.
Beyond Scared Straight: Hudson County, N.J. — A&E, 10 p.m.
Women Who Kill: Aileen Wuornos — Biography, 10 p.m.
Top Secret — National Geographic Channel, 10 p.m.
Run My Renovation: Business and Pleasure Pad — DIY Network, 10:30 p.m.
House Hunters International: Ostuni, Italy — HGTV, 10:30 p.m.
Shaquille O’Neal Presents: All Star Comedy Jam-Live From Orlando — Showcase, 10:30 p.m.
The League (season premiere) — FX, 10:31 p.m.
Gigolos — Showtime, 11 p.m.
Late Show with David Letterman — WBZ/WPRI, 11:35 p.m.
Inside Comedy: Ellen Degeneres; Tim Conway — Showcase, 11:40 p.m.

Let’s do some links now.

Austin Karp at Sports Business Daily says the MLB TV partners saw record low ratings this season.

Sports lllustrated’s Richard Deitsch reviews ESPN2′s first foray into pro hockey since losing the NHL in 2005.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today notes that Bob Costas is back calling postseason baseball for the first time since 2000.

Chris Strauss at USA Today says Monday Night Football on ESPN easily beat the MLB League Division Series on TBS.

Gary Mihoces of USA Today writes that former NFL’er, Monday Night Football analyst and actor Alex Karras has died.

Len Pasquarelli writing for SI.com has this remembrance of Karras.

At Yahoo’s Puck Daddy, Greg Wyshynski recaps ESPN2′s telecast of Tuesday’s KHL game.

The Sherman Report’s Ed Sherman talks with ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit about a resurgent Notre Dame program.

Ed says it appears that White Sox TV analyst Steve Stone won’t be splitting up with Ken Harrelson.

Tim Baysinger of Broadcasting & Cable notes that Andrea Kremer is joining NFL Network.

Diego Vasquez of Media Life Magazine looks at Philadelphia where there are a lot of radio and TV deals and where sports radio remains hot.

Glenn Davis of SportsGrid has video of an awkward CNBC interview of New York Jets owner Woody Johnson in regards to …. Tim Tebow.

Michael Bradley from the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center says the media has to appeal to fans to show compassion in the wake of Kansas City fans cheering the injury to Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel.

Ryan Hannable at Boston Sports Media Watch talks with NESN’s Jenny Dell about her first season as the regional sports network’s Red Sox on-field reporter.

Anthony Sulla-Heffinger, George King III and Mark Hale at the New York Post note that the Jets beat the Yankees head-to-head in the local ratings on Monday night.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times discusses WFAN’s move to the FM dial.

Ken McMillan from the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record also talks about WFAN going to FM.

Ken Schott at the Schenectady Gazette says a local sports radio station will air selected AHL games.

Dan Steinberg at the Washington Post says Nationals fans are angry about the early start time for today’s NLDS Game 3 against the Cardinals and the fact that it’s on MLB Network.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle gets Milo Hamilton’s reaction to the Astros letting go of its radio team.

David has some local and national ratings.

Mel Bracht of The Oklahoman has the ratings of various events over the weekend.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer notes that Hall of Fame Reds voice Marty Brennaman will be throwing out the first pitch before today’s NLDS game against San Francisco.

Charles E. Ramirez, Ted Kulfan and Lynn Henning at the Detroit News remember long-time Red Wings public address announcer Budd Lynch who passed away this week.

Brian Hamilton of the Chicago Tribune has new Big East Commissioner Mike Aresco talking about the league’s TV rights and possibly creating its own in-house network.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News notices the omissions for the Ford C. Frick Award for the Baseball Hall of Fame Broadcasters Wing.

Tom talks with Jennifer Allen, the daughter of the late Los Angeles Rams coach George Allen, who narrates tonight’s NFL Network “Fearsome Foursome: A Football Life” documenary.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail says losing Hockey Night in Canada would create huge holes for CBC in more ways than one.

Raju Mudhar of the Toronto Star says CBC is looking to fill NHL lockout holes with classic games as voted by viewers.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog says CBC is hurt the most as the NHL lockout goes further into the regular season.

The Classic Sports TV and Media site gives us a fascinating look at how ABC filled college football and MLB Postseason conflicts with its #1 announcer for both packages, Keith Jackson.

Joe Favorito has some suggestions on how MLB teams could make money during rain delays.

Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing looks at Dan Shaughnessy blaming the internet for just about everything wrong in the world.

Sports Media Watch notes that taped delayed English Premier League action on Fox beat a live MLS game on NBC.

And that’s going to do it.

College Football
CFB Daily — ESPNU, 1 p.m.
College Football Live — ESPN, 3:30 p.m.
Lemming Report — CBS Sports Network, 7 p.m.
Tackling the Trends — CBS Sports Network, 8 p.m.

College Volleyball
Women’s
Illinois at Michigan — Big Ten Network, 8 p.m.
Tennessee at LSU — ESPNU, 8 p.m.
USC at Stanford — Pac-12 Network, 10 p.m.

Cycling
Tour of Beijing: Stage 2 — Universal Sports, 8 p.m. (same day coverage)

Golf
Fry.com Open, Pro-Am — Golf Channel, 8 p.m.
On the Range: Frys.com Open — Golf Channel, 9 p.m.

MLB Postseason
American League Division Series
Game 3: Baltimore at New York Yankees — TBS, 7:37 p.m. (Series tied 1-1)
Game 4: Detroit at Oakland — TNT, 9:37 p.m. (Detroit leads series, 2-1)

National League Division Series
Game 3: St. Louis at Washington — MLB Network, 1:07 p.m. (Series tied 1-1)
Game 4: San Francisco at Cincinnati — TBS, 4:07 p.m. (Cincinnati leads series, 2-1)

MLB Tonight — MLB Network, 11 a.m.
MLB on Deck — TBS, 3:30 p.m.
MLB Tonight — MLB Network, 4 p.m.
MLB Tonight — MLB Network, 6:30 p.m.
Baseball Tonight — ESPN2, midnight
MLB Tonight: Division Series Edition — MLB Network, 12:30 a.m. (Wednesday)
Inside MLB — TBS, 12:30 a.m. (Wednesday)

NASCAR
Inside NASCAR — Showtime, 10 p.m.

NBA Preseason
Toronto at Detroit — NBA TV, 7:30 p.m.
Phoenix at Sacramento — NBA TV, 10 p.m.

Chicago Bulls Team Preview — NBA TV, 4:30 p.m.
Miami Heat Team Preview — NBA TV, 5 p.m.
Los Angeles Clippers Team Preview — NBA TV, 6:30 p.m.
Oklahoma City Thunder Team Preview — NBA TV, 7 p.m.

NFL
Patriots Wednesday Live — Comcast SportsNet, noon
NFL Live — ESPN, 4 p.m.
Around the League Live — NFL Network, 5 p.m.
Fearsome Foursome: A Football Life — NFL Network, 8 p.m.
Inside the NFL: 2012 Week 5 — Showtime, 9 p.m.
NFL Turning Point — NBC Sports Network, 10 p.m.

NHL
24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic — NHL Network, 8 p.m.

Sports Talk
NFL AM — NFL Network, 6 a.m.
The ‘Lights — NBC Sports Network, 6 a.m.
Morning Drive — Golf Channel, 7 a.m.
The Dan Patrick Show — Audience Network (DirecTV), 9 a.m.
Tim Brando Show — CBS Sports Network, 10 a.m.
The Box Score — Audience Network (DirecTV)/DanPatrick.com, noon
SVP & Russillo — ESPNews, 1 p.m.
Felger & Mazz — Comcast SportsNet, 2 p.m.
Outside the Lines First Report — ESPN, 3:30 p.m.
Numbers Never Lie — ESPN2, 4 p.m.
SportsNation — ESPN2, 5 p.m.
Pardon the Interruption — ESPN, 5:30 p.m.
Best of ROME — CBS Sports Network, 6 p.m.
Sportfolio — Bloomberg, 9:30 p.m.
UNITE — ESPNU, midnight

Tennis
ATP Tour: Shanghai Masters, Early Rounds — Tennis Channel, 2 a.m.

UFL
Las Vegas Locomotives at Sacramento Mountain Lions — CBS Sports Network, 9 p.m.

Entertainment
The Middle — WCVB/WMUR/WLNE, 8 p.m.
Survivor: Philippines — WBZ/WPRI, 8 p.m.
Arrow (series premiere) — WLVI/WLWC, 8 p.m.
Titanic: Blood and Steel: Under Lock and Key — Encore, 8 p.m.
Titanic: Blood and Steel: The Impostor — Encore, 8:54 p.m.
Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry?: Forgive and Forget — Investigation Discovery, 9 p.m.
Sons of Guns: Shotgun Superstars vs. Red Jacket — Discovery, 9 p.m.
Restaurant: Impossible: Valley Inn — Food Network, 9 p.m.
Ghost Hunters: Paranormal Politics — SyFy, 9 p.m.
Dirty Little Lies: Fetish for Fame (season finale) — Investigation Discovery, 9:30 p.m.
South Park: Insecurity — Comedy Central, 10 p.m.
Sweat Equity: Mudroom and More — DIY Network, 10 p.m.
I Married a Mobster: Mama Bear (season finale) — Investigation Discovery, 10 p.m.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation — WBZ/WPRI, 10 p.m.
American Greed: Allen Stanford: The Dark Knight — CNBC, 10 p.m.
Restaurant Stakeout: Act Like The Boss — Food Network, 10 p.m.
Black Ops: City Under Siege (season premiere) — Military Channel, 10 p.m.
Addicted: Aaron — TLC, 10 p.m.
Hamburger Paradise 2 — Travel Channel, 10 p.m.
Sweat Equity: Hollywood Regency Kitchen — DIY Network, 10:30 p.m.
House Hunters International: Dimbulah, Australia — HGTV, 10:30 p.m.
Late Show with David Letterman — WBZ/WPRI, 11:35 p.m.

The Bruins are 10 games into the season – the vast majority played at TD Garden – and have a paltry three wins to show for their efforts. Let’s take a quick look at how the other Cup champions since the lockout have fared 10 games into the following season and their eventual end result.

Carolina:

Won Cup in 2006
Number of wins in first 10 games following season: 4
Did not qualify for playoffs

Anaheim:

Won Cup in 2007
Number of wins in first 10 games following season: 4
Lost in first round of playoffs

Detroit:

Won Cup in 2008
Number of wins in first 10 games following season: 7
Lost in Cup Finals

Pittsburgh:

Won Cup in 2009
Number of wins in first 10 games following season: 9
Lost in second round of playoffs

Chicago:

Won Cup in 2010
Number of wins in first 10 games following season: 5
Lost in first round of playoffs

Bruins management must take note that if teams with elite talent like Detroit and Pittsburgh can’t repeat, the chances of the Bruins doing so are almost nil. In fact, they probably best compare to the ‘06 champs Carlona Hurricanes, who were a Stanley Cup DNQ the following April.

The Bruins power player has been putrid for quite some time and any trade must cure that problem. The team needs a solid finisher, someone that can be automatically marked down for 35 goals before the season begins. Even better is a “hungry” player, one who has never won the Cup or even had a deep playoff run.

Only one team in the NHL at the moment has a record worse than the Bruins, the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus has never achieved sustained NHL success and it is time for them – along with the Bruins – to shake things up with a blockbuster trade. In fact, they even look to match up nicely for a real life trade instead of one generally reserved for fantasy hockey leagues.

Rick Nash is the exact player the Bruins need, a stud finisher who would immediately jump-start the Bruins’ slumping offense and ignite their power play. He’s been toiling in a college sports town his entire career and joining an Original Six team would be a shot of adrenaline to his hockey life. He is signed through the end of the 2015 season with annual cap hits from 7 MIL to just under 8 MIL.

Now, the tough part. Knowing full well that you must give to get, the giveback will be painful to the eyes at first. David Krejci and Tuukka Rask (and possibly draft picks if needed) are on the flight bound for Columbus, Ohio.

Yes, Krejci is your first line center at the moment but he’s a RFA at the end of this season and will be looking for a raise from his current cap hit of approximately 4 MIL per season. Tyler Seguin does indeed look like he could be ready in the very near future to assume the duties of a first line center. It’s a leap of faith but one worth taking.

Rask, also a RFA at the end of the season, will be looking for a bump in salary from his current cap hit of 1.5 MIL per season. The bottom line is that Columbus could surely use a goaltender (Mason is not cutting it) and the Bruins can only play one goalie at a time and Tim Thomas looks to be that guy for the next couple of seasons. Not to mention that Rask seems a bit too comfortable sitting at the end of the bench and opening the gate about 55 nights per season.

The Bruins can worry about their goalie of the future when that time comes and – who knows – Anton Khudobin from Providence might even be that guy.

As of today the Bruins are about 3 MIL under the salary cap so the trade is also feasible financially.

So, GM Chiarelli, are you prepared to let the band play on for the defending Cup champions or is it time to officially turn the page on the incredible 2010-11 season? Your call.

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

Vancouver over Chicago in 5.  Simple, teams in the NHL do not repeat these days as Cup champions and the Blackhawks bow out sooner rather than later. 

San Jose over Los Angeles in 5.  Usually the Sharks are bounced in the first round as favorites, but getting the Kospitar-less Kings was the ideal draw.

Detroit over Phoenix in 5.  The Coyotes were able to catch teams off-guard last spring but this year they will be a relatively out for the grizzled Red Wings squad.

Anaheim over Nashville in 7.   Toss-up, but the winner of this series will beat the Canucks in the second round.  The Ducks are a wide bodied team peaking at the right time and should outlast a game Predators squad.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

Washington over New York in 5.  The Rangers goaltending is not enough to counterbalance their lack of offensive firepower, now minus Ryan Callahan courtesy of blocking a Zdeno Chara shot.

Buffalo over Philadelphia in 7.  The Sabres have Ryan Miller.  The Flyers still haven’t replaced Ron Hextall.

Boston over Montreal in 6.  Power (with talent) over speed in the playoffs.  Unless the Habs are somehow up 2-1 going into a frenzied Bell Centre for Game 4, they don’t stand a chance.

Pittsburgh over Tampa Bay in 6.  The smoke signals indicate that Crosby will be suiting up.  He’ll probably have some obvious rust at the beginning of the series but will be hitting his stride come the elimination games.

SECOND ROUND:

Anaheim over Vancouver in 6

San Jose over Detroit in 7

Washington over Buffalo in 6

Boston over Pittsburgh in 6

CONFERENCE FINALS:

San Jose over Anaheim in 6

Boston over Washington in 7

CUP FINALS:

San Jose over Boston in 6

Okay, let’s try to determine which teams will still be skating come mid-April and from there we’ll take a stab at playoff predictions.  Teams are listed in a worst-to-first order for each conference in order finish by points and not factoring in the NHL playoff seeding format.  The italicized teams will not qualify for the playoffs.

WESTERN:

Minnesota (bring back Chris Snow)

Edmonton (two years away)

Calgary (in a steep decline)

Colorado (last year was a fluke)

Columbus (anonymous team in an anonymous pro city)

Anaheim (we reserve the right to change our mind like Pitino)

Dallas  (Jack Campbell, their #1 pick, will eventually be a stud in goal)

Phoenix (this season will not be as magical)

Nashville (quick, name four Predators; yeah, thought so)

St. Louis (the young, recent draft picks start making some noise)

Los Angeles (they should trade one of their two goalies for offense)

Chicago (Stanley Cup victory lap will make for a long season)

Detroit (the veteran team core makes one final push)

Vancouver (like the Houston Texans, the team to watch year after year)

San Jose (Tarzan in regular season and Jane in the playoffs)

EASTERN:

Florida (yes, they once did make the Stanley Cup Finals)

NY Islanders (like Edmonton, still two years away)

Carolina (the Calgary Flames of the conference)

Atlanta (Evander Kane for President)

Toronto (Looks like their #1 pick will be about 10-12 next year)

Ottawa (expect them to be in many high-scoring games– not a good thing)

NY Rangers (Gaborik, their best scorer will get injured)

New Jersey (get physical with them and they’ll cry “uncle”)

Buffalo (Tyler Myers might be the league’s best defenseman in two years)

Montreal (last year’s playoff comet won’t return in 2011)

Tampa Bay (exciting team to watch and back in the playoffs)

Philadelphia (still haven’t adequately replaced Hextall in the net)

Washington (tough division makes points not as easy this season)

Boston (most complete team on Causeway St. in decades)

Pittsburgh (team should be angry and want to make amends for Montreal loss)

PLAYOFFS:

In the Western Conference, throw out Phoenix, Nashville and St. Louis right off the bat.  Chicago will have too much of a Cup hangover to repeat.  That leaves San Jose, Vancouver, Detroit and Los Angeles.  The Sharks are confirmed choke artists so they’re gone.  Roberto Luongo will wilt in a big game (he tried giving Team USA the gold medal) so the Canucks are out.

Conference Final:  Detroit over LA in 7 games

Now, for the Eastern Conference, the home of the local entry.  Tampa Bay, Montreal, New Jersey and Buffalo are the quick outs, leaving the Northeast Corridor teams remaining.  Washington is San Jose East and Philly’s goaltending will bite them in the butt this time around.

Conference Final:  Pittsburgh over Boston in 7 games

Stanley Cup Final:  Pittsburgh over Detroit in 6 games

Enjoy the season!

The buzz around Boston right now is that the Boston Bruins have called a major press conference for Wednesday afternoon and at that time it will be announced that head coach Claude Julien has been relieved of duties or that Cam Neely has been promoted to team President.

Power Play has not yet been able to confirm the true reason for the press conference and both scenarios are speculation.

Julien was named Bruins head coach before the 2007-08 season and the team has compiled a 129-67-32 regular season record under his tutelage.  He also guided the team to first round playoff victories in 2009 and 2010 before ultimately losing the seventh and deciding game in the second round both seasons.

Julien would be the second head coach hired and fired by General Manager Peter Chiarelli since being named GM prior to the 2006 regular season.

The other possibility of the press conference could be the announcement of Cam Neely being promoted within the organization.  Neely is currently listed as Vice President of the team but possibly could be named President, a title once held by the man who acquired him from the Vancouver Canucks in 1986.

Developing……..

Washington (1) vs. Montreal (8) 

Black & Gold:  Halak is hypnotized into thinking he’s Ken Dryden and the undersized Habs win in 7 games. 

Analytical:  The Capitals just have too much firepower.  Caps in 5. 

New Jersey (2) vs. Philadelphia (7) 

Black & Gold:  The disgraceful Flyers goon-up the entire Devils roster and win the series in 7 games. 

Analytical:  The Flyers, with shaky goaltending, are gassed after eking into the playoffs.  Devils in 6. 

Buffalo (3) vs. Boston (6)

 Black & Gold:  The Bruins sweep and Steve Montador gets pummeled by Daniel Paille and Matt Hunwick. 

Analytical:  Goals are at a premium with Miller and Rask.  Long series.  Bruins in 7. 

Pittsburgh (4) vs. Ottawa (5) 

Black & Gold:  Matt Cooke receives Evander Kane-like beatings in each game and the Senators win the series. 

Analytical:  Losing Kovalev took away Ottawa’s already slim chances.  Penguins in 5.

Looking at the Western Conference with the nerd glasses only: 

San Jose (1) vs. Colorado (8) 

The Avs peaked early and Joe Thornton & Co. won’t be exiting early this year.  Sharks in 5. 

Chicago (2) vs. Nashville (7) 

The Predators don’t have the offensive arsenal to stay with Chicago.  Hawks in 5. 

Vancouver (3) vs. LA Kings (6)

 Will be the best series of the entire first round with home ice being the difference in the end.  Canucks in 7.

 Phoenix (4) vs. Detroit (5)

 The defending conference champs turned it up a notch at the end.  Clock strikes midnight in Phoenix.  Red Wings in 6. 

Stanley Cup Finals Prediction: 

Chicago over Washington

The event started in 2008 after three friends and neighbors, Mike O’Brien, Dave Tracey and Marc Sanders, all products of the Bobby Orr mania of the ‘70s, lamented the fact that children these days were rarely seen playing street hockey, a far cry from your average day in 1974 when kids would leave their home at 9:00 AM with their Mylec street hockey stick and orange ball and not return home until dinner at 6:00 PM.  The next day would be the same, nothing but street hockey with your friends, sometimes playing other neighborhoods and the biggest worry usually being a ball falling into a catch basin. 

However, due to a variety of reasons, street hockey seemed to disappear from the streets of Boston over the past couple of decades and the three friends, not wanting their children to miss out on the game of their own youth, decided to take matters into their own hands by creating an annual street hockey tournament for local children, thus the birth of the Shamrock Shootout. 

Straight as an arrow and with nary a slope, Temple St. is the ideal street hockey “rink.”  The first year of the shootout, 2008, had a modest turnout but fun was had by all and doing it again in 2009 was a no-brainer for the friends and the buzz from the inaugural tournament pushed the number of players in ’09 to approximately 200.  Word of this new event spread like wildfire, even generating media coverage, and the three friends knew that the 2010 Shamrock Shootout was going to be the largest to-date but would also produce logistical nightmares in planning.  They figured the only ones capable of creating a four-game schedule for each of the 24 teams, almost all of them playing simultaneously on 11 makeshift rinks, would be their most trusted confidants—their wives.  Oh, not to mention acquiring street closing permits and organizing donations for enough food, drinks and snacks to keep the 1,000 or so grandparents, parents and children in attendance satisfied for the day.  Along with 80 other volunteers and numerous contributors, the three couples put everything together without any hitches and a great time was had by all. 

Hanging high above the day’s festivities was the white # 3 jersey of seriously injured Norwood High School hockey player Matt Brown.  Knowing that the Shamrock Shootout community would not hesitate to reach out to a fallen hockey player less than 10 miles away, co-founder O’Brien’s brother, Richie, suggested that something be done to honor and help Matt Brown with his recovery from his recent injury.  The Norwood High community was appreciative of the gesture and arranged for Matt Brown’s game jersey to get to West Roxbury to “oversee” the event.  Auction items were donated, merchandise sold and donations accepted and as the day drew to a close, co-founder O’Brien felt confident that the total raised for Matt Brown and his recovery would surpass $2,000. 

The Shamrock Shootout asks that all readers of this article take a minute to say a prayer for Matt Brown’s recovery, with the ultimate hope that one day he walks to center ice of the middle rink and drops the ceremonial first “puck” at a future Shamrock Shootout.

As of this morning, the Bruins are tied for 9^th place and first in line for the golf courses come mid-April.  To make matters worse, the Islanders, Panthers, Thrashers and Lightning are directly behind the Bruins and within striking distance.  That’s the bad news.  

As for the positive spin, they’re only one point out of sixth place and six points behind the suspect, at least to these eyes, Senators for fifth place.  Yes, the Bruins have been ravaged by injuries and the team, fans and media have been using the Make it to the Olympics break as some sort of crutch or excuse.  Well, it’s time to put up or shut up with the upcoming whirlwind of 9 games beginning Friday night in Buffalo and concluding February 13 in Florida.  Let’s take a look at the schedule as it does present some challenges. 

1/29 @ Buffalo

1/30 LA Kings

2/2  Washington

2/4  Montreal

2/6  Vancouver

2/7 @ Montreal

2/9 @ Buffalo

2/11 @ Tampa Bay

2/13 @ Florida 

At stake:  a maximum of 18 points in the standings.  Of course they’re not going to run the table, but the team should set a goal of at least acquiring 10 points during this time frame.  Ten points would probably let them keep their spot in the standings and let them return healthy for the final six weeks of the regular season.  Anything greater than 10 points would be gravy. 

When you get right down to it,  it probably doesn’t matter what order you get them, but the Bruins need victories in five of the games.  Logically, winning three out of four at home, splitting the games at Buffalo and winning one of the last two games in Florida would be the most realistic path.  However, the team and fans will take them in any way, shape or form. 

Conversely, securing 8 or 9 points would let them perilously tread water and anything less than 8 points would probably serve as a death sentence on the season and make the front office become sellers, rather than buyers, at the March 3 trading deadline.

Yes, the Bruins, with 51 points, are in fifth place in the East as of this morning and on paper are only four points from being on the outside looking in, but let’s take a look at the big picture. 

The teams trailing the Bruins are the Rangers (50 pts), Senators (48 pts), Canadiens (48 pts), Flyers (47 pts) and Islanders (46 pts).  The only teams that should concern Bruins’ fans are the Rangers and Flyers.  Yes, they possibly could leap-frog the Bruins in the standings, putting the locals in seventh place but the object of the game is to still be playing come mid-April.   Ottawa, Montreal and the NY Islanders are still worse than Boston and will slug it out for the eighth and final playoff spot.  Best of all, this is probably the worst case scenario for Boston.  Let’s take a look at the more probable future for the locals. 

Hockey is a violent game and every team is eventually beset by injuries.  Some years they are minimal while other years they are never-ending and sometimes fatal to a team’s postseason chances.  This season the Hockey Gods have been unkind to the Bruins when it comes to doling out inuries. 

David Krejci came into the year still recovering from surgery and has yet to return to form.  The same holds true for Marco Sturm.  Chances are that both these players eventually return to form before the regular season ends and will be primed for the playoffs. 

Then there has been the relentless spate of in-season injuries.  Their best playmaker, Marc Savard, has been limited to 28 games played and will be out of action, in reality, until after the Winter Olympics.  Patrice Bergeron, their best player all season long, is now on the mend for approximately three more weeks.  Milan Lucic, the heart and soul of the forwards, has been limited to 12 games but is now back in action.  All this, yet the Bruins are still in fifth place in their conference. 

It is imperative that the Bruins just tread water between now and the end of the Vancouver Olympics.  Even if they slide a few points and playoffs spots, that’s fine, as long as their big guns are ready to hit the ice healthy come the beginning of March and begin the team’s final regular season push and having some momentum and confidence for the playoffs.

Savard will be 32 at the start of next season, which means he’s probably at the tail end of his prime.  The Bruins have invested roughly 29 million in him over the next 7 years with a good chunk of the contract front- loaded, a wise move by Chiarelli and an indication that Savard was willing to work with the team for a cap-friendly contract.  Savard, once considered “soft,” has become a dependable two-way player for the Bruins but, bottom line, is that the Bruins are counting for him production, mostly in terms of assists.  Therein lies the dilemma—they’re handsomely paying a premier set-up man without a sniper riding shotgun on either wing.  

Think about it:  Adam Oates had Brett Hull and later Cam Neely; Bryan Trottier had Mike Bossy.  Centers with the skills of Savard need a winger that can bury a one-timer in their sleep and guys like Marco Sturm and Blake wheeler aren’t that guy.  The only player on the Bruins’ roster remotely resembling that player is Michael Ryder and, for some reason, he and Savard just failed to click last season and Julien doesn’t seem to think it will anytime soon. 

It’s up to Chiarelli to find Savard a running mate that will help define Savard’s long-term identity in Boston and hopefully end the team’s Stanley Cup drought.  Ilya Kovalchuk of the Atlanta Thrashers is rumored to be on the trading block, not to mention being an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.  He’s familiar with Savard from years past and would seem to be a perfect fit for the Bruins.  Granted, such an acquisition would require salary cap maneuvering by Chiarelli but that’s why he has a Harvard degree and sits in the GM office. 

Look back to the Islanders from 28 or so years ago.   Clark Gillies did the dirty work and cleared space on the ice.  Bryan Trottier was the marvelous center iceman.  Mike Bossy was lethal when passed the puck.

Lucic, Savard & Kovalchuk have the potential to be a similar trio for the Bruins.

Mr. Chiarelli?

COMCAST SPORTSNET MOVES CELTICS HOME GAME PRE AND POST GAME SHOWS TO NEW ACE TICKET STUDIO ON CAUSEWAY STREET

New Store Front Studio Premieres with Celtics Home Opener on October 28

BURLINGTON, MA – Comcast SportsNet and Ace Ticket announced today that the regional sports network will host its Celtics Pre-Game Live and Celtics Post Game Live studio shows from the Ace Ticket Studio on Causeway Street for every 2009-10 Boston Celtics home game. 

The store front studio, located at 109 Causeway Street, inside the Ace Ticket flagship location and directly across the street from TD Bank Garden will premiere with the home opener on Wednesday, October 28. Before and after every home game, studio host Gary Tanguay and NBA analyst Donny Marshall will analyze the game, welcome special guests to the studio and link up live with its telecast team Mike Gorman, Tommy Heinsohn and Greg Dickerson from inside the TD Garden.

 The studio will feature three high definition cameras that Comcast SportsNet will send back to its Burlington studios. Celtics fans will be able to view the telecast from inside the Ace Ticket location and from the exterior on both Causeway and Friend St as the studio will be lined with glass panels that extend around the 25 foot perimeter. 

“The Ace Ticket Studio represents a first for Comcast SportsNet and it brings our telecast to a new level. Sports is about the experience and giving fans a chance to experience our Celtics telecast is an exciting way to begin this much anticipated season,” said Bill Bridgen, Comcast SportsNet’s executive vice president and general manager. 

“The store front location directly across for the Garden will give our customers and Celtics fans a front row seat as Comcast SportsNet puts on its award winning telecast,” said Ace Ticket Founder and CEO Jim Holzman. “Ace Ticket continues to expand its presence in New England and to work with Comcast SportsNet gives a high profile opportunity to reach our consumers.” 

Comcast SportsNet will use the studio throughout the year and extensively on Celtics home game nights as it will provide an exclusive location to interview Celtics front office officials, visiting team representatives and high profile fans attending the games. 

Comcast SportsNet reaches more than 4 million households in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Comcast SportsNet’s programming includes the Boston Celtics, Mohegan Sun Sports Tonight, Celtics Now, Sports Sunday, The Baseball Show, New England Tailgate, and Net Impact. Comcast SportsNet’s partnership with the 17-time NBA Champion Boston Celtics is the longest team-regional sports network relationship in New England and the fourth longest in professional sports. Comcast SportsNet New England is owned and managed by Comcast Sports Group. Visit www.comcastsportsnet.com for more information. 

Comcast Sports Group operates 10 sports networks that deliver 2,400 sporting events annually and sports news and analysis to 40 million cable and satellite homes.  Comcast Sports Group’s networks are: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Comcast SportsNet California, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Comcast SportsNet New England, Comcast SportsNet Northwest, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, SNY, The Mtn. – Mountain West Sports Network, and CSS.  Comcast Sports Group also manages New England Cable News (NECN), the nation’s largest regional news network, and The Comcast Network, based in Philadelphia and Washington, which delivers community-oriented programming.  For more information, see ComcastSportsNet.com.

###

The Good

Steve Begin: Nasty, in-your-face player. Appears to be an upgrade over Stehane Yelle on the fourth line and is a +3 on the season. Some teams in the league won’t be thrilled about facing the physical presence of Begin, Thornton & Bitz for 11 or so minutes a night.

Marc Savard: Never any questions as to his offense. His pass to Marco Sturm for a goal on Saturday was the epitome of threading a needle. Dropping the gloves and defending Sturm was even more impressive.

Marco Sturm: Rusty in the opener but was superb against Carolina. His pass to Hunwick for a goal was Savard-esque. Kessel’s goal will be replaced, folks.

The Bad

Mark Recchi: Admittedly, probably nit-picking here but he only has two shots on goal and is -2 on the season.

The Fans: Okay, just the ones booing Aaron Ward on Saturday night. He brought nothing but honor to the Bruins uniform. Sober up, or at least grow up.

The Ugly

Jay Harrison’s Face: “We’ve got a bleeder.”

Head-manning The Week:

The team catches a few days off before meeting up with Anaheim on Thursday night. The Ducks are an extremely physical squad and the Bull Gang better give an extra turn to the nuts, bolts and screw holding the boards together.

Saturday night brings the Islanders and highly touted prospect John Tavares into the Garden. He’s said to be a “can’t miss” player and, based on limited observations here, that would be tough to argue. Then again, the same was said about Bobby Carpenter on the cover of Sports Illustrated in the early 80’s.

The Celtics will begin their quest to bring the NBA championship back to Boston on Tuesday, October 27th in Cleveland against LeBron, Shaq and the Cleveland Cavaliers on TNT. That will be the first of a staggering 32 nationally televised games for the Celtics, nine of which will be on TNT. (Seven Celtics games are on NBA TV, so I’m not sure if those should really count as “Nationally Televised.”) The Celtics home opener is the next night, the 28th against the Charlotte Bobcats. The first rematch with the Chicago Bulls will be that Friday night, in a game that ESPN has picked up, the first of 10 ESPN appearances by the Celtics.

The early part of the schedule features 10 out of the first 16 games at home, but then starting on November 29th, the team hits a stretch of eight games in 16 nights, with seven of those games on the road, including a three game trip through Charlotte, San Antonio and Oklahoma City.

After a Christmas Day playoff rematch in Orlando with the Magic, (2:30pm ABC start time) the Celtics head out on their first West coast trip of the season. The Clippers, Warriors and Suns are on the itinerary for this quick three game set. Kobe Bryant and the world champion Los Angeles Lakers (that stings) make their only appearance at the TD Garden on Sunday, January 31st. This is another ABC game, tipping off at 3:30. With that being the weekend between the AFC and NFC championship games and the Super Bowl, the NBA will have the stage to itself to present that marquee matchup.

Boston sports fans are circling the following Sunday, February 7th on their sports calendar, hoping it turns out to be a Boston doubleheader. The Celtics host the Orlando Magic at 2:30 that afternoon on ABC, and the Super Bowl kicks off a little more than four hours later.

The last game prior to the All Star break for the Celtics is a trip to New Orleans to play the Hornets on February 10th. The 11th to the 15th of that month, the Celtics are off for the break before heading out on their traditional post All Star break West coast road trip starting in Sacramento on February 16th. Then, less than three weeks after their first matchup, the Celtics and Lakers conclude their two game season series on a Thursday night TNT game, which is a curious move on a couple fronts. Why would the NBA place two of their marquee games just a few weeks apart like this? And why have it at 10:30 at night on a weeknight? Why not another Sunday afternoon? Was TNT guaranteed to get one of these games, so it had to be then?

After that four game West coast swing, the Celtics will be home for nine of their next 13 games. The stretch includes a February 25th TNT home game with the Cavs, as well as a Sunday afternoon (3:30pm) ABC game in Cleveland on March 14th. At the end of that week, the Celtics depart on a mini, four night, three game swing through Houston, Dallas and Utah.

The final regular season matchup with LeBron, Shaq and the Cavs is scheduled for April 4th, another ABC game, this time at home at 1:00pm. The regular season concludes on Wednesday night, April 14 with a home game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

So what do you think? 74-8? Sound good? OK, that’s probably a tad optimistic, but this looks to be another fun season following the Celtics. Training camp is a week away. Can’t wait.

Leon Powe was probably my favorite member of the Boston Celtics over the last few years. Quiet, hardworking, willing to do the dirty work under the basket, Powe was perfect in the role the played for the Celtics. The fact that he had overcome so much in his life added to the appeal of Leon Powe as a person.

He grew up in the foster system in the Oakland area, trying the best he could to keep tabs on and take care of his younger siblings, Powe ended up the University of California, where he led the Pac-10 in rebounding at a freshman, and then returned from a devastating knee injury his sophomore year to become only sixth player in history to lead the conference in scoring and rebounding during his junior year, with totals of 20 points per game and 10 rebounds per game. Despite being somewhat undersized as a power forward at 6-8, 240 lbs, Powe was drafted in the second round of the NBA draft by the Nuggets and then traded to the Celtics.

During his three seasons with the Celtics, Powe endeared himself to fans with his tenacious, powerful style of play. It seemed he routinely outmuscled bigger and stronger players under the basket and dunked on them. Off the court, he founded a non-profit organization in the Bay Area to give support and education to children who are enduring a similar upbringing to what Powe himself had. Despite not being a highly paid NBA star, Powe was certainly among the busiest when it came to charity and off the court activities. It seemed this offseason was going to be his chance to finally make some good NBA money, but a torn ACL in the playoffs against Chicago put his entire NBA career in jeopardy.

Comments made by Doc Rivers seemed to indicate that he really hoped to keep Powe around, and bring him back next season. That didn’t happen. The Celtics chose to allow him to become an unrestricted free agent, with the team perfunctorily wishing him well on the way out the door. It sure seemed like good-bye, something I didn’t understand at the time, and still don’t understand. River talked often about the quality of person that Leon Powe is. That you really want more those on your team. Powe was facing another long rehab following his knee surgery, but it seemed that he would be a guy that the Celtics would take care of. Maybe something happened behind the scenes, but I doubt it. This was just a business decision. The Celtics felt they couldn’t afford to tie up a roster spot with a guy who won’t be back until, at the very soonest, the All Star break.

It’s their loss. This week Powe received an two year offer sheet with the Celtics biggest rivals in the Eastern Conference, the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers. Powe agree to the deal, and pending his physical, will make the deal official. This one hurts. It’s not quite Johnny Damon going to the Yankees, because I’ve got absolutely no animosity towards Powe. It’s just going to hurt seeing Powe in that Cavs uniform when he finally makes it back. Given his history, I have absolutely no doubt Leon Powe will make it all the way back. Let’s hope the damage to the Celtics is minimal.

By Jeremy Gottlieb

Well, that was a huge bummer, eh?

Talk about an anti-climax. The last thing I or pretty much anyone to whom I’ve spoken would have predicted for Game 7 at the Garden the other night was that the weary Celts would be blown out of the gym. The Celtics had history, experience, their home crowd and a seemingly mentally weak opponent all working in their favor and they still managed to drop one of the biggeststinkbombs of the season. So I guess that means it’s time to reflect now that enough time has passed that I can clearly wrap my head around it all. But before we go any further, let me put out one, small disclaimer. This will not be another one of those, “If only KevinGarnett had played, then they may have won it,” columns. So many supposedly shrewd, intelligent writers have mailed in that kind of drivel in the last couple of days, it’s made my eyes bleed. Really, guys? You think ifGarnett had played, the Celtics might have beaten the Magic? Wow, thanks for such astute, expert analysis. Now I know exactly why they lost.

No, here at the BSMW Full Court Press, we don’t believe in insulting our readership with such simplified obviousness. Everyone who has ever watched a sporting event knows that if the team thatlost’s best player didn’t play, that’s probably a huge reason why said losing team went down. Apparently, a lot of our local bastions of basketball knowledge forgot this.

Anyway, let’s not waste any more time discussing such nonsense. I’d prefer to examine how the Celtics got as far as they did and why. The series against Orlando didn’t have nearly the drama or suspense or sheer joy of the first-round series with the Bulls. But there were plenty of twists and turns. On one hand, you could argue that the Celts should have lost in five games. Orlando had both Games 4 and 5 wrapped up before going completely mental and spitting the proverbial bit. On the other hand you could argue that the Celtics should have won in six games. When Paul Pierce stepped to the line with 2:03 left in that game, just after the play of BrianScalabrine’s life (his “in your face” stuffing of Rashard Lewis on the low block that couldn’t possibly happen 99 out of 100 times) the Celtics had a chance to jump ahead after having held the Magic to just four points in the previous four minutes. Pierce, who shot 85 percent from the stripe in the series, missed enough big ones both against the Bulls and the Magic that when he clanked up both attempts, it wasn’t really surprising. What was surprising was that Orlando, which had virtually cornered the market on not being able to capitalize on pretty much anything up to that point, saw an opening, somehow flipped a switch on their collective mental toughness meter (which at that point was hovering around zero) and ran off an 11-2 run to escape with an 83-75 win and force another Game 7.

In hindsight, that was pretty much it. Like several Celtics fans I know, I figured the whole Game 7 at home thing would be enough to carry them. I thought it was a fluke that the Magic had kept their composure and managed to take advantage of such a huge chance at the end of Game 6. They had blown their wad in doing that, it seemed, and there was no way such a fragile group could summon the requisite chutzpah to beat a defending champ on the road in a deciding game, even a defending champ as tired and depleted as the Celtics.

Of course, that wasn’t remotely what happened. Instead of yet another Game 7 triumph, the Celtics completely wilted when it mattered most. I won’t waste too much time belaboring this point, but under the circumstances, considering the losses in personnel and the subsequent alternatives, reaching the ultimate game of the conference semifinals was a major accomplishment. It’s a bit astounding that they got as far as they did. That by no means absolves them of their performance on Sunday, but it is worth noting.

It was awful, really. Even though Ray Allen played by far his best game of the series, everyone else was basically out of it. Pierce was doubled anywhere on the floor at which he touched the ball and had no answer for it. Kendrick Perkins had his worst game in weeks, disappearing on offense and even missing three straight layups on a single possession at one point. Rajon Rondo hit a couple of jumpers but lacked the explosiveness he displayed earlier in the playoffs and was mostly ineffective, not to mention the fact that he was schooled by the not-really-that-good Rafer Alston. I would mention the bench, but there isn’t one, although one particular yokel earlier this week was shouting at me about how Doc Rivers should be ashamed of himself for employing an eight-man rotation, even though pretty much every coach since the beginning of time has done the same come playoff time (including Doc Rivers last year), and that Mikki Moore and Tony Allen should have played more in Game 7. Whatever, it was the worst-case scenario and not too many of us saw it coming.

But even though they absolutely stunk on Sunday, it’s hardly the last or most pertinent thing we should remember about this particular Celtics team. Instead, the focus should be on how admirable their overall performance throughout the last few weeks has been. I’m not a huge fan of trafficking in cliches, but this team showed a massive amount of heart, the heart of a champion. They outlasted Chicago and its Energizer Bunny youngsters and they came within one game (or a couple minutes, going back to Game 6) of bouncing an Orlando team with far more talent and athleticism while using Scalabrine as their sixth man/main backup at center and both forward slots. They were so thin that they had to take Big Baby (who is about to get PAID) out after one foul as opposed to two. They were forced to rely on Stephon Marbury at times, and even though he rewarded them for it in Game 5 and was by all accounts a perfect soldier during his time here, he was still too rusty and out of his element to live up to it.

All that, and they still were this close to winning the right to get swept by LeBron and the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals. They were tired and banged up and practically patched together with duct tape, yet they just missed winning two playoff rounds. Not too shabby. Of course, the end was bitter and disappointing. But it was a hell of a ride and for that, this group, the 2008-2009 defending NBA champion Boston Celtics, should be commended.

By Jeremy Gottlieb

I don’t know about you, but I feel like tonight should be Game 8.

It seems really hard to grasp that the Celtics’ first-round series against the Bulls is over. By the time the third overtime of Game 6 rolled around, I figured that the two teams would just keep playing each other forever, or at least until someone keeled over. And now, it’s over. Let the withdrawal symptoms begin.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy the Celtics won. I’m ecstatic about it, actually. The fact that they were able to stay on their feet throughout all seven of those games plus all seven of those overtimes and wind up the ones that didn’t get knocked out wassupremely impressive. Both teams were so totally staggered, so banged up and so running on fumes by the time Saturday night rolled around, being the one who gave out first was nothing over which to sulk. They showed tremendous character and fortitude in outlasting the Bulls and should be not only commended, but remembered for it, no matter what happens next.

Which leads us to that very question: what is going to happen next? We know that the Orlando Magic, their monster of a center and their wildly oversensitive head coach will invade the Garden tonight for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. And that’s about it. Just as the last series proved to be impossible to predict (even in the end, when it seemed the Celtics and Bulls couldn’t play without at least one extra period, they finished Game 7 in regulation with barely a sliver of the suspense found in the previous three games), what the Celtics may do against Orlando is a complete mystery.

There are at least a couple of possibilities. They could be completely spent from the energy, both physical and mental, expended against the Bulls. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen and Doc Rivers can talk all they want about how playing a ton of minutes doesn’t matter because they’re all basketball players and that’s what they do. Tack on the amount of time played by the Celtics’ starting five to the amount they’ve all played over the course of the season, plus all of last season, when they participated in 26 playoff games, and you have a truckload of minutes. Enough minutes that would add at least a little bit of weight to even the most well-conditioned player’s legs. And on top of that, there’s the emotional toll after a series that featured so many highs and lows that even the most stoic, bloodless guys had to have felt them. The Celtics are exhausted and they may be too gassed to stay with the Magic.

Or, they may be recharged and re-energized. There’s no doubt that the Celts are flying after coming out on top against the Bulls. Even for a team that has been to the heights that the Celts have reached, winning such a battle, especially while playing severely undermanned, has to be totally elating. Now, after showing the kind of heart and resolve on display against Chicago, perhaps they see themselves as world beaters and will play as such. Or maybe they’re just so happy to be rid of the Bulls (especially the hideous Brad Miller andJoakim Noah) that just seeing a different uniform on the other side of the floor will carry them. Who knows?

What is clear, or at least clearer, is that the Celts are going to have to deal with a better, more experienced group. As well as the Bulls played all series long, particularly the duo of Ben Gordon and Derrick Rose, they don’t have anyone who even approaches Orlando’s Dwight Howard. Howard, who on any particular night may well grab 25 rebounds and block seven shots, is an absolute beast, a prototypical center for this era of the pro game. As well as his will to rebound and defend at the highest possible level, he is extremely quick and is able to get around pretty much every big man he faces with ease. He has harnessed that quickness and applied it to his offensive repertoire to the tune of 21 points a game. He can post up or face up and be just as dangerous regardless.

If the Celtics want to win, they may just have to live with giving Howard what he wants. As we all know so well, the Celts’ front line is thin. Kendrick Perkins will have the task of checking Howard and he has to stay out of foul trouble, not just so there will be less need forMikki Moore and Brian Scalabrine on the offensive end but on defense as well, where each of them will be eaten alive before fouling out in 10 minutes. Big Baby Davis had one of his better games of the season against Howard and the Magic, outplaying him on both ends, but that was with KevinGarnett backing him up. Big Baby emerged as a true threat against the Bulls and the Celtics will need all they can get from him in this round, so the less time he has to spend grappling with Howard the better. Howard’s going to get his, so the Celts just have to ensure that everyone else in blue doesn’t.

After Howard, the Magic thin out. Hedo Turkoglu is their next best player, and although he has proven to be somewhat of an assassin at big moments both in these playoffs and before, he’s been playing on a bad wheel that may or may not affect him, particularly when it comes to driving to the basket. The point guard isRafer Alston, a journeyman equally capable of throwing out a great game and a stinker. Rashard Lewis, the team’s highest paid player, was quiet in the Magic’s first-round win over Philly and has appeared to be rather passive in big games. Their starting 2-guard a rookie named Courtney Lee who can really shoot, is out with a fractured sinus. No one on their bench is all that scary, unless you count Duke alum/slow, no-position, long range gunner J.J.Redick scary. Second-year big guy Marcin Gortat, did put up 11 points and 15 boards in place of the suspended Howard in the clincher against the Sixers so given the Celts’ depleted frontcourt, they may need to pay him some mind.

The point is that these are the guys the Celts have to make beat them. Despite Howard’s mammoth presence up front, the Magic are a perimeter-oriented outfit. They shoot three after three after three with a lot of screen and roll up top to freeTurkoglu and Lewis for open looks, as well as a fair amount drive and kick stuff too. There won’t be as much ball movement as the Bulls employed and Orlando doesn’t have nearly the team speed that the Bulls had. Although they will get out and run from time to time, these factors play into the Celts’ hands.Rajon Rondo, who must be considered among the league’s elite point guards after his performance against the Bulls, shouldn’t have too tough a time against Alston, and both Pierce and Allen are likely to be able to operate a little bit more freely against the Magic’s D, which won’t be as quick or aggressive as the Bulls’ was. Orlando probably caught on to the fact that Pierce’s worst moments in the last round were when he was trapped or at least doubled at the three-point line so seeing that approach won’t be surprising. And a more consistent effort from the bench, thin as it is and Eddie House’s perfect Game 7 notwithstanding, would be nice, though saying that is like hoping for rain in the midst of a drought.

So that’s what next. I’m not particularly ready to leave the Bulls series behind just yet (and by the way, as great a series as it was, and man was it amazing, it was not one of the best series of all time for the simple fact that it was just the first round – move it up a couple rounds and we’re onto something) but as gratifying and meaningful as it was, it’s now history. It was one step, even if it felt like 20. And now, another task is at hand. It’s a task the Celts will handle – they take the Magic in six.

By Jeremy Gottlieb

Four games down and it feels like 24. One blowout sandwiched among three total nail biters, the most recent of which was an absolute classic. What more can the Celtics and Bulls possibly give us? Yet there are at least two, potentially three more games to play (and believe me, this series is going seven) and if those games follow anything close to the same path the rest of the series has, ESPN Classic may have to rethink its strategy of showing nothing but reruns of the World Series of Poker. The series has had its fair share of intriguing plotlines, from the explosion of Derrick Rose to Rajon Rondo’s taking the next step, to Paul Pierce’s surprising amount of lethargy in three of the four games to the emergence of Joakim Noah as a supervillian (the thought here is that he’s involved in at least one fracas before the series is over). And as entertaining as each of the first three games were in their own ways, none of them combined added up to what we got from Game 4, a relentlessly “can you top this,” type of contest that alternately blissfully and painfully seemed to never end. It was playoff basketball at its finest, one of the best, most competitive games of the year, a true test of wills that ended with the Bulls winning 121-118 in double overtime.

Early on, things were mundane at best. It took Pierce, who was absolutely blistering hot to start Game 3, until almost halfway through the second quarter to score his first points. Kendrick Perkins, who seems to have Noah’s number in the low post, was the Celts’ most reliable option at this point, and he, along with Rondo, carried the load while Pierce was taking his time waking up in time for the noon central time start and Ray Allen got untracked. Meanwhile, as happened so often during the season, the bench turned a slim, first quarter lead into a 16-2 Bulls run practically on cue in the early stages of the second quarter. It was quite dispiriting to see Stephon Marbury and Mikki Moore, after each of their solid performances in Game 3, return to the ranks of the irrelevant at best, hopelessly lost/overmatched at worst.

The Bulls were certainly not the same team that stunk out the gym in Game 3. They were much looser, more focused and calmer. Their energy, which was nonexistent Thursday night, gave the Celts fits, especially on the defensive end, particularly when it came to Pierce. And speaking of energy, the game also marked the official emergence of Tyrus Thomas as a certifiable beast. Thomas was all over the place, adding to his league-leading playoff blocked shot total, in on every rebound, ferocious on defense, particularly down low and pretty much just jumping through the roof. All the talk about Rose and his enormous talent is certainly justified, but if Thomas, who also has hit a few big shots in the series, continues to develop, he will be an all-star several times over.

Pierce and Allen both hit a few shots in the waning stages of the first half but for the Celts, it was all about Rondo. He hit the break with 11 points, six rebounds and six assists, and continued to be the best player on the floor wearing a green uniform. On defense, he was a one man swarm, holding Rose pretty much in check (at least temporarily) while keeping up his furious pace on the glass and doing all of the little things that any team needs to win. On the ABC telecast, both Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy were falling all over themselves praising Rondo for everything short of doing cartwheels, all of it perfectly justified. And even though Pierce made just three of 10 shots and Allen took only four in the half, the Celtics were ahead going into the locker room.

The second half started quite similarly to the first, with the Celts confounding propensity for sluggish starts rearing its head again. They missed nine of their first 10 shots in the third quarter but were bailed out by the Bulls’ youth and inexperience. The hosts couldn’t get out of their own way, committing seven turnovers and sending the Celts to the line 12 times in the quarter. Worse, Rose was playing passive which made up for the facts that Pierce again couldn’t get going and Big Baby, such a crucial offensive weapon for the Celts since his man doubles off him and he’s wide open all the time, was suffering through a horrendous shooting day. It seemed as though the Bulls wouldn’t be able to capitalize on their best chance of the day to send the Celts home and the Celts took advantage when Pierce got hot toward the end of the quarter and they ended the frame on a 12-0 run.

The fourth quarter was when things started to enter a different realm. Big Baby and Bulls’ big man Brad Miller got into a near-scuffle and it ignited Rose. Suddenly, the player who owned Game 1 was back. Rose was trying to take the game over and if it wasn’t for Rondo, who was careening toward another triple-double, he may well have done it. Meanwhile, Perk, who averages 1.5 moving pick fouls per game, committed his second one of the game and fouled out. I love Perk and how he’s developed over the past couple of years, but it would not be asking too much for him to learn how to set a legal screen. Anyway, his expulsion from the proceedings robbed the Celts of their only real shot blocker and their second best rebounder (if anyone wants to argue that Rondo is not their best right now, please feel free to bring it). This lack of a defensive presence in the paint opened things up for Rose even more and he took advantage.

Down the stretch, with Rondo still controlling things and Big Baby’s shooting struggles extending into the post, where he missed three layups between the final quarter and second overtime, Allen started to make his presence felt. He hit a three in the final two minutes so naturally, with the Bulls up three with just under 10 seconds to play, it seemed a foregone conclusion that he’d be getting the ball. What wasn’t so obvious was that the Bulls defense on the play would be so bad. Both Noah and Thomas got caught in a screen set by Big Baby and Allen’s look from the right wing was wide open. He buried the shot and we were on to the first OT.

Soon after extra session No. 1 began, Rondo had the triple-double. He’s now averaging one for the series, only the fourth player to ever do that, and the first Celtic since Larry Bird in 1986 to have two in the same series. Allen drilled a couple more from long range and Rose was beginning to lag. When they went up five with two minutes left, it felt like the Celts would survive. But Ben Gordon, who put on the best Andrew Toney impression in Game 2 since Andrew Toney, had bounced back from a sore hamstring to make a couple of big shots in the overtime, including a swooping runner high off the glass over both Big Baby and Tony Allen that defied logic. Ahead by two, Pierce made a free throw then missed his second one of the series that would have ended the game with nine seconds left. Just as it was a no-brainer for Allen to take the shot at the end of regulation, so too was it that Gordon would get the ball at the end of the overtime. The Bulls called his number, he barely shook free of Pierce, launched an off-balance bomb from the right wing and nailed it. What goes around comes around and we were headed for another extra frame.

There was some suspense in OT, version 2.0, but not as much as there had been. The Celtics were the team that seemed to have had its spirit broken, not the youthful, inexperienced Bulls. John Salmons, who was awful in the first half, made two big shots, scored six of the Bulls 11 points in the frame and rung up two huge defensive plays on Pierce, one a strip while Pierce was driving with the Bulls up two and the second a partial block of Pierce’s last-second three-point heave. Rose and Gordon each had a couple more big moments and even though Pierce made a huge three to cut the Bulls lead to one, making the thought of a third overtime very real with about 15 seconds left, it just wasn’t going to happen, despite the heroics of both Rondo and Allen. Both teams had multiple chances to win and both teams probably should have won before it was all said and done. The Bulls just made one more shot than the Celts did, the way it usually goes down in the best games.

So what do the Celts need to do going forward? They need Pierce to play more like he did in Game 3, for starters. Sure, the Bulls are playing him extremely well, trapping and harassing him when they can and siccing defensive maven Kirk Hinrich on him when they can’t. But his energy and intensity just don’t seem right which is very confusing. He must step up, which we all know he can if he so chooses. They also need to tighten up defensively. They were positively demonic on D in Game 3 and for stretches yesterday. But there were missed assignments and slow rotations at crucial points yesterday as well and that sort of thing needs to be eliminated.

Still, there isn’t that much to complain about. It was a very tough loss and naturally, it’s far better to be coming home up 3-1 than tied 2-2. But it was such a great game, so worthy of all the praise one can dish out, so exhilarating and infuriating and exhausting and magnificent all at once that the final outcome seems less important. It will be pretty hard for any of the remaining games to live up to Game 4. But it can’t hurt to hope.

By Mike Brilliant and Tom Scott

Tom:

Great end to the first half. Good to see the team extend the league with Rondo on the bench. Was the celtics demise greatly exagerated?

Mike:

The Celtics were being counted out by most experts. Going in to tonight’s game, the Bulls were even money to win this series. And what about all that talk of Pierce being too tired, too run down and the victim of over 200 games in the past 20 months?

The key to the first half was Pierce getting off early and the Celtics playing their championship defense. It seemed like Boston was creating turnovers on every other possession, and they got to just about every loose ball.

Rondo turned in another awesome effort and even Marbury created a spark off the bench tonight that we all expected from Day 1.

Tom, what do the Celtics need to do in the second half to continue their success?

Tom:

Defense and ball movement. The first half defense was great. The bulls shot 33% and they were taking at least 15 seconds a possession in order to get a shot off. Keep the defensive intensity and the hustle to loose balls. On offense, it’s the ball movement. They had about a five minute stretch in the first half when it was Paul Pierce isolation offense from 2005. There’s no need to repeat that again.

Give me your two things that make you confident and two things that still concern you going forward?

Mike:

I really like how Rondo is running the team. Right from the get-go, it seemed like Rondo was running after every defensive board. Rose has received all of the publicity this series, but Rondo has clearly outplayed him. He has been the MVP of the series so far.

I also loved the way the Celtics came out and played defense. You expect it from Rondo and Perkins, but even Big Baby was moving his feet and blocking shots. The Bulls had over 20 turnovers. Many of those were self inflicted, but the Celtics force many more with their aggressiveness.

It’s tough to criticize a team that wins on the road by 30, but I’m a bit concerned about their big man situation. As noted before, Mikki Moore is a human foul machine and is really the only reserve big man. I know Scalabrine is back…but he hasn’t played in two months.

Tom Scott:

Big Baby had a great game, he is getting better and better. The man is incredibly light on his feet. He looked good with that finger roll the other day and tonight he had some nifty moves. As an aside, with NFL draft coming up, could big baby have become Antonio Gates? He’s got great feet and is quicker than he looks.
 
The other plus item was clearly the defense. They came out with much better focus on defense.  I think part of it was the “us against the world on the road” metality but the other half was effort.  They shut down the lane, challenged most shots and made the Bulls work hard.
 
On the downside, Pierce and Ray Allen had a combined total of one rebound and zero assists. They did play good D tonight but it would be nice for them to contribute in these other categories.  The Celtics’ best games this year involved these two stuffing the stat sheet
 
Prediction for Game 4?

Mike:

To beat the same team they just blew out on the road will be a tall task for the Celtics. Chicago will have three days to think about how bad they were, which should prove to be the ultimate motivation. Saying that, if the Celtics play stellar defense and the starters stay out of foul trouble, there’s no reason they shouldn’t have a good chance to win.

By Mike Brilliant and Tom Scott

Editor’s Note: With two playoff games in the books, I’ve solicited the contributions of two former writers for the Full Court Press to chip in with playoff coverage. Last season, they gave us their back and forth opinions in a regular column called the “Give and Go”. Thankfully, Mike and Tom “the Chest” Scott are back. As noted in the past, these guys are all about the basketball.

Tom Scott:

With Game 2 over, another thriller, the question is – Are the bulls a good #7 seed or are the Celtics just a bad #2 seed?

Mike:

There have been many first round series that have been much closer than anyone expected. Off the top of my head, I can remember the Celtics being involved in quite a few. There was Cleveland back in the mid-eighties. Indiana in 1991 and 1992.

Having said that, I think the Bulls are comparable with the Hawks and the Heat who are the #4 and #5 seeds respectively. Since the acquisitions of Brad Miller and John Salmons, Da Bulls are playing well over .500 basketball. Chicago could be this year’s Atlanta.

So what is/are the Celtics’ problem(s)?

Tom Scott:

Chicago is even better than that. They might be equal to Orlando. They finished the season 14-7 since March 4th. Orlando was 15-7 and the Celtics were15-6. So clearly they came together after the trade while Rose got used to the league (what rookie wall?). They really remade that team nicely by getting rid of Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden and Nocioni. Brad Miller and John Salmons really round out the team. Salmons is playing good defense on Pierce. They are definitely a team on the rise.

That being said, Boston’s problems really arise from one major issue – Defense. The Bulls are getting transition points all of over the place by out-hustling the Celtics on the break. After the first 8 minutes of Game 2 until the end of the half, the Bulls were pushing when they could. It also helps that they are more athletic than the Celtics.

The help defense is also a problem. Without KG, they are not able to rotate quick enough and to help protect, like when Rose blew by Rondo all throughout Game 1. Then Chicago put up 115 points in Game 2 and they shot 50%. This is way above the average they allowed all season.

I also have to wonder: What happened to the bench?

Mike:

I agree. The Boston defense over the last two games has been their biggest problem. Giving up 115 points per game is not going to win you many playoff games. Also, Ben Gordon was getting far too many open looks. The Celtics didn’t really pay attention to him until it was too late. He was totally “en fuego.”

Regarding the Boston bench, they obviously didn’t do a great job in the first half of Game 2. Once Rondo and Perkins came out of the game, the Celtics blew their double digit lead almost immediately. It seems like the only players I truly trust off the bench are Eddie House and Leon Powe. Um, make that just House as we won’t be seeing Leon on the floor anytime soon after he tore his left ACL.

Rondo and Perkins were superb in the first half. Their replacements, Stephon Marbury and Mikki Moore? Not so much. I’ll start with Moore. You would think that he should be able to match up with Noah (athletic, slim build) and Brad Miller (a jump shooter). But Moore is a human fouling machine that can’t rebound and can’t seem to grasp the Celtics’ defensive concept.

As for Marbury, not only is he tentative going to hoop, but he somehow lost his outside shot. We know he can’t play on the ball defense, so the Celtics appear to be left with Sebastian Telfair all over again.

Doc Rivers didn’t do the starters any favors either. It seemed like House was the only significant bench player who received minutes in the second half. By the end of the game, it seemed like the offense was stagnant probably due mostly to fatigue. Pierce wasn’t going to the hoop at all. Then again, I’m not sure I can attribute that to fatigue or the lack of calls he’s been getting all series from these minor league NBA refs.

All that said, if there was one guy who should have played more, it’s Tony Allen. As hot as Gordon was in the fourth quarter, why wouldn’t you put Allen on him? I asked the same question in Game 1 when Rose went off for 36.

What’s your forecast for Game 3? Will the Celtics’ road woes from last year’s playoffs continue?

Tom Scott:

I agree on TA. I was wondering if he was hurt. He would have been a good matchup for Gordon and would have been useful on Rose on Saturday.

I think they can win one in Chicago but I’m not sure it will be Game 3. The crowd will be crazy and the team will definitely feed off that. I guess the biggest hope is that perhaps the Bulls will read their own clippings and may not have the same focus they had in Boston. Conversely, maybe the Celtics can rally around themselves and try to survive in a hostile environment.

Ultimately, they need the defense to be better and they need the offensive movement they had in Game 2. Ray Allen finally decided to move in the second half and it showed. In Game 1 and in the first half of Game 2, he stood around. He wasn’t doing what made him successful, i.e. coming off picks, moving and finding the soft spots.

What happened to Pierce in Game 2? He looked out of the game.

Mike:

Pierce looked like he was exhausted. How else to explain why he got his jumper blocked by a point guard, Derrick Rose, late in the game? He also was very hesitant to drive to the basket all throughout the game. Then the few times he did, the refs didn’t give him a single call.

Pierce played 43 minutes on Saturday. This is fine, because the game went into overtime, which added 5 minutes to his total. But Doc really put a lot of pressure on the starters Monday with his non-existent substitutions. I remember Doc blew a game by leaving his starters in all second half during Game 2 in 2005 versus Indiana. He’s lucky it didn’t cost him on Monday.

Tom Scott:

Pierce got outhustled on the block and the out of bounds save and looked like he was out of energy. Now with Powe out, using the bench effectively will be important. They need to continue with rotating substitutions rather than bringing on four bench guys at once. They’ll probably use Marbury on Rose but they might be better off letting him take Hinrich to the hoop and abuse him a bit. Generally speaking, Stephon and Eddie House both need to step up big on Thursday.

Coming attractions on FCP: More “Give and Go” with post-game analysis of Game 3

By Kevin Henkin

Although this has nothing to do with the Bulls or even the Celtics, I thought it was worth mentioning nonetheless:

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal had a piece that embarrassingly fawned all over the Los Angeles Lakers and their semi-passionate fan base. My favorite nugget of information gleaned from the article was the fact that, according to one Los Angeles insurance carrier, at least 350 pets in the LA area are named after Kobe Bryant.

Hmm. Actually, I think it makes far more sense for Celtics fans to name their dogs after Kobe because it would provide everyone with a constant source of amusement whenever discipline was required . “Oh no! Kobe Bryant just peed all over the floor! Bad Kobe !” Or “No! No! No! Kobe , how many times have I told you not to eat your own poop!” Or “Fer Crissakes, Kobe Bryant just ran away with my dirty underwear again!” And finally: “Kobe, leave that poor woman’s leg alone! That’s disgusting!”

Moving along, some might call this the blatant recycling of old material. I prefer to view it as a fond reminiscence of those heady days of the title run of last spring. Here are some random Rolling Observations I made during a couple of the playoff games I attended last year. They’re about a few specific players that I happen to find myself missing these days:

Kevin Garnett (from Game 1 of the Cleveland series):

Anderson Varejao draws a hard foul. While at the line, the crowd starts a “Sideshow Bob” chant. It’s funny because it’s true. Sideshow Bob can’t cover Kevin Garnett either.

Leon Powe (from Game 1 of the Atlanta series):

Just when the crowd seems to be getting a little sleepy, Leon Powe wakes them up with an eye-popping jam against double coverage, including Josh Smith. I’m pretty sure Leon Powe could muscle a slam through a truck full of fast drying concrete. This from a guy who couldn’t get on the floor at the beginning of the season. Now he’s clearly an important (if unheralded outside of Boston) part of the rotation.

James Posey (from Game 1 against Atlanta):

After a Joe Johnson three, James Posey responds seconds later with his own three, then grabs the rebound on the next defensive possession. This reminds me of the words of his former coach Pat Riley offered earlier this season in the bowels of this very building. After a drubbing by the Celtics, when asked to reflect on the loss of James Posey (due to salary cap considerations), Riley said, “James Posey is a big shot, big game, big time player.” True, that.

Sam Cassell (from Game 1 against Cleveland):

Sam Cassell knocks down his first jumper after talking some smack to Delonte West. Although I couldn’t catch the full exchange, it was something about West’s mother being overweight and crashing through the wall yelling Kool-Aid.

and:

After a Cleveland miss, Sam Cassell of all people tears away the rebound and is subsequently knocked to the floor by Ilgauskas. The big Lithuanian knees Cassell in the head for good measure, but Cassell knees the Cavs in the groin by knocking down his free throws.

Coming attractions on FCP: The revival of the “Give and Go” by Mike Brilliant and Tom “the Chest” Scott

By Kevin Henkin

The NBA: Where Immense Frustration Happens. Ugh. Where to begin? With some salient facts, I suppose, which are as follows:

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Boston Celtics at home in Game 1 of their first round playoff series, in overtime, by a score of 105-103.

Bulls rookie point guard Derrick Rose submitted a performance for the ages. In 49 minutes of play, he recorded 36 points on 12-19 shooting to go with 11 assists. He also hit all 12 of his free throws.

Rajon Rondo was almost as magnificent with 29 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists.

Ray Allen, meanwhile, was horrid. Yes, he missed the shot on a good look at the end of overtime that would have tied it for Boston but it was his overall line of 4 points on 1-12 shooting (including 0-6 from deep waters) that spoke volumes. With Kevin Garnett out, the Celtics simply cannot afford to have Ray Allen become invisible for another playoff series.

Joakim Noah hauled in 17 rebounds to go with his 11 points and 3 blocks. Noah in particular seemed to swallow up Glen Davis whenever Baby approached anywhere near the basket. Brad Miller grabbed another 12 boards off the bench. For the game, Chicago out-rebounded Boston by a margin of 66-57. The effort by the Bulls on the glass was certainly among the primary deciding factors.

Paul Pierce had a lackluster first half, scoring only 4 points before coming alive in the third quarter and beyond. For the game, he finished with 23 points on 8-21 shooting. What he’ll be remembered for most, however, was missing the second of two free throws with 2 seconds left in regulation. Hitting the shot would have sent the Bulls packing. Instead, the miss left the game tied at 97 all. In the subsequent overtime, Tyrus Thomas seemed to become Ray Allen by connecting on multiple contested outside jumpers whereas Ray Allen seemed to become Tony Allen, suffering form a sustained poor shooting touch as well as a nasty case of butterfingers at the most crucial of times.

Now for some musings beyond the numbers:

I think anyone watching the game had to feel very early on that the Celtics were not submitting a playoff level of intensity. Doc Rivers admitted as much during his in-game comments to ESPN. I remain mystified by this. As a team without its emotional leader and defensive anchor, the Celtics obviously realize that their margin for error, even against a lesser team like the Bulls, has shrunk considerably. Therefore, one would think that no one in a Celtics uniform would ever be seen – on the parquet floor, no less – TAKING PLAYS OFF. And yet that’s exactly what happened on numerous occasions over the course of the game.

Take, for example, the last play of the first half. With time winding down, Ben Gordon launched a three point shot from the top of the key. When the shot left his hands, only Brad Miller moved towards the basket. When the shot bounced wide to the left with one second left, it fell into the hands of the advancing Miller, who laid it in easily just before time expired. Replays showed that no Celtics players were even in the lane when Miller received the ball, with most of them still stuck to the floor exactly where they were when Gordon launched the shot. It was an inexcusable collective lack of effort that ended up costing the Celtics dearly later in the game.

There were other examples, such as a Rajon Rondo drive just inside the three minute mark of the third quarter. On that play, Rondo took a deep rebound and charged full steam up the court against a back-peddling Bulls defense. Again, replays showed that the only other Celtics player even within twenty feet behind him was Ray Allen as the lagging trailer. Meanwhile, the other Boston players – Pierce, Davis and Kendrick Perkins – all jogged up the court behind the play. Left alone, Rondo stubbornly charged hard into the heart of the Chicago defense with the hopes of drawing a foul. He turned the ball over instead.

These are the plays that I cannot erase from my mind, and believe me, there were others worthy of scrutiny. Look, we all know that losing playoff games at home is going to happen. It just shouldn’t ever come down to a lack of proper effort. Yes, it’s true that Derrick Rose played out of his mind. It’s also true that the officials were regrettably a factor. Hell, an entire article could be devoted to exploring their gross incompetence displayed over the course of this game. Leading the charge was Bennett Salvatore, the man you may well remember for calling the ludicrous offensive foul against Paul Pierce in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Detroit last year.

Regardless, if we’re going to assign blame, accusing fingers should be pointed first and foremost at everyone in a Celtics uniform not named Rajon Rondo. Outside of the young point guard, who nearly dragged his team to victory all by himself, all other Celtics players were guilty of either inexcusably dogging it on occasion or submitting a sub-par overall performance. Ray Allen, as noted above, was beyond ineffective. So too were Eddie House, Glen Davis, Stephon Marbury and – to a lesser degree – Paul Pierce.

In the wake of the news that Garnett was likely a scratch for the playoffs, the Celtics players to a man said all the right things. Don’t count us out. We’re still playing for a title. Sounds great in front of the microphones but now it has to be backed up on the basketball court. That includes the entire forty-eight minutes of the game, by the way. Forget all the doomsday prognostications about Cleveland or even Orlando. Chicago is the team that presently stands in the way of a successful title defense. Get past them and maybe we can resume discussing of likelihood of an upset against the vaunted Cleveland Cavaliers.

To be continued…