A Different Kind Of Loud

From Writer Keith, Morning Express "Boston Correspondent"

I guess I was lucky. My dad and my three uncles split season tickets for the Boston Celtics during the 1980s. I saw them all... Bird, McHale, Chief, DJ, Cornbread, Walton, Ainge, Wedman and my personal favorite, Fred Roberts (who looked like a combination between Forrest Gump and a person who carved up his family and barbecued them in the backyard.) Then there were the visiting players: Magic, Jordan, Kareem, Barkley, Ewing, Hakeem the Dream, and the always entertaining World B. Free. Watching basketball like that was a blessing.

"I've seen The Truth... and The Truth hurts."

So you can imagine my excitement when I got to take my dad to our first Celtics game at the new Garden (the stadium that has had 453 different names since its inception). After mowing down some burgers and cocktails at "The Fours" just outside the arena, we headed in. It was like walking into an entirely different world.

At the old Garden, in order to get to the main level, you had to walk up a ramp. It was a good workout but became a hazard if someone spilled a beer or some kid threw up after having too much popcorn at the circus. Now there are escalators. Quite an improvement.

Moving on to the concession stand, there were tons of choices. Seafood, sausages, sandwiches...and that was only the "S" section. However, I did miss the guy who used to cut pizza with scissors at the old Garden. Also, there was no Number 1 Ice Cream bars any more. Plus, like most stadiums across the country, beer prices were INSANE! I grabbed a pint of Harpoon IPA before the game: four bucks. A pint of lousy domestic beer at the game: eight bucks. So the lesson as always: enjoy your cocktails before, and after, the game.

The inside of the new Garden is 100% better than the old one. At the old Garden there were several seats that had an obstructed view. Not like Fenway Park where obstructed means you are sitting behind a pole and miss part of the action. These seats meant you were at the game, but you were watching it on television. Now, no obstruction, clear view of the court, and seats that weren't built for 7-year olds. Also, there is the addition mascot "Lucky" who runs around for the entire game. It's for the kids, so I can live with it. I didn't like Wally The Green Monster at first, either. And of course the Celtics Dancers. All you need to know about my feeling about them is this: the legendary Red Auerbach said the Celtics would have cheerleaders "over his dead body." He felt the game itself should be the entertainment. Eventually, Red gave his blessing for the cheerleaders because that was just the way things in the NBA were going. The night the cheerleaders were set to debut, Red passed away. It was like he planned it.

The crowd was into the game for the entire 48 minutes. Loud and rowdy. But my dad and I both agreed–it was a different kind of loud. At the old Garden, people cheered, they yelled, and they stomped. But back then it wasn't encouraged by the jumbotron or PA announcer. And when that place exploded after a big play, it was absolutely deafening. My dad was at the game where Gerald Henderson stole the ball in the 1984 Finals. He says the place didn't calm down for about 20 minutes. Now, people are shouting "D-Fense D-Fense" for the entire game because the jumbotron tells them to. It's good to be loud, but you really don't need a defensive stop when it's 4-2. But let me tell you, having that much crowd noise is still a good thing. It's easy to cheer when you have the best team in basketball playing in front of you.

So all-in-all, it was a good time. Celtics won big, I had some bonding time with my dad, and I finally got to see Garnett, Allen, and The Truth play together in person. It's just different. It kinda reminded me of when Brooks got out of Shawshank Prison. The world went and got itself in a big hurry. All you can do is remember the good times you had, and enjoy what you have in front of you.