Allow me to let you behind the scenes at Celtic Media Day. Not only is it a time for us to welcome the players back, it is also the time when we shoot - those some are cheesy some are not - promo spots for the station. You will see them soon. Like the one where I am standing on a tall box next to Donny Marshall and we look at the floor in deep thought and then slowly raise our heads and smile at the camera. When you watch this you must be asking, "what the heck are they looking down at?!"

Plus, during one promo with Tommy he says, "Hi, I’m Tommy Heinsohn." Isn’t this like the President of United States starting the State of the Union Address by saying, "Hi, I’m George Bush."

Now, I want to set the record straight. I loved my Mom and Dad very much. They lived long lives into their 80’s and I am grateful for everything they taught me and did for me to pursue my dream of becoming a Boston broadcaster. They are truly champions in my life. But, am I a bad son if I mentioned John Havlicek as my champion and not them?
 

During the promo shoot each one of us was asked who the champion was in our lives. Mike said his Mom and Dad as did Greg. I don’t know what Donny said. Catering arrived so Tommy and I left the room to get a bagel. Now, Mike and Greg were poetic in explaining why their parents were the champions in their lives. Now, I went last and I couldn’t say the same thing. For the most part, everybody looks at a family member as a champion in their life. But, is that what you want to hear from your entire Celtic broadcast team? They will have to edit Greg’s down by a good ten minutes. He started at the beginning."I was born a poor sharecropper"…..you get the idea. I was waiting for Memories to start playing.

So, do not think less of me when you see my promo stating that in the fourth grade John Havlicek was my champion.  It was 1974  and he, Dave Cowens and Jo Jo White took a Tom Heinsohn coached team to the championship with a win over Kareem and the Milwauke Bucks. Who knew even then Boston was making a young Milwaukean named little Mikey Felger miserable.

My Mom and Dad were and still are more than champions to me, they were and always will be my life. No question they are smiling as I write this because in 1974 I was ten and I never stopped blabbing about John Havlicek.