Now There Was A Man...

Red Auerbach took the World Champion Boston Celtics on a European Tour in the late 60s. The program was always the same for the Celtics. They would visit a country, do some sightseeing, hold a clinic on Friday, then play an exhibition on Saturday.

The Celtics went to Yugoslavia, and were told by the coach of the Yugoslavian National Team that they wanted to dispense with the clinic and play the game. Auerbach told his team that if they didn't crush the Yugoslavs, they would face a punishment worse than they could imagine, as well as the knowledge that they had let down the United States.

The Celtics beat the Yugoslavian team. Embarrassed them, even. After, the coach, along with a translator and Secretary of State, Dean Rusk met on the court. The humbled Yugoslav coach shook Auerbach's hand, and said, "So, can we have the clinic now?"

Auerbach torched the ubiquitous cigar, took a few puffs, and said, "You just got one."

Even on the Yugoslavians' home court, Auerbach knew that you needed to win decisively. It is the same on the battlefields. Anything less than total victory is a failure.

Which brings me to the comments of that pussy, Isaiah Thomas, coach of the horrible New York Knicks.

On December 16th, 2006, at Madison Square Garden, a battle erupted between the Knicks and the Nuggets. Ten players were ejected, and there will, doubtless, be fines and suspensions.

At some point during a break in the melee, Thomas said to one of the Nuggets players, "why are your starters still on the floor? Why are you trying to embarrass us?"

Maybe if you weren't such a complete fucking idiot, the Knicks would be a better team. Instead, they are a bunch of over-paid, under-talented cry babies.

Rather than worry about the Nuggets lacking class for continuing to kick the ass of his team, he should worry about why the New York Knicks have become the punchline for every joke about basketball; and, an exemplar of everything that is wrong with professional sports.

I can not imagine Red being so emasculated. Instead, Red would have taken the beating, then figured out how in the hell the Celtics would win the next meeting.