Connelly’s Top Ten: Trader Danny Does It Again

1. Celtics Deal:

* Wow - give Danny credit - I do think he lost but still made the team better - Cleveland had no leverage but still got the Jersey pick from him

* Danny has rolled the dice and thinks the Lakers are worse than the Nets - we have two other teams to follow

* Irving is a top ten player - teamed with Hayward, Horford, Smart, Rozier, Brown and Tatum - that’s the deepest team in the NBA - just lack a big - one more blockbuster gets it done

* They hold on to Smart - which means I spend the season cursing his pull up three pointers pleading with the TV to trade him only to have him come back on the defensive end and do something Russell-esque.

2. Red Sox

* Since Red Sox shuffled the rotation to get Sale two starts versus Yankees - last two starts: 10 innings / 10 runs / 14 hits 0-2

* I said two weeks ago Sandy Leon is not throwing well

* Nunez 13 multi hit games in 23 Red Sox games

* Cleveland in first facing the best pitcher in baseball and empty seats everywhere

* Is Hanley the worst clean up hitter in baseball - won’t knock in 60

* Give credit where credit is due - they are playing well and look like a top 5 team

* Pomerantz if bullpen supported him and he didn’t leave hurt is sitting on 17 wins

* Mookie Betts hitting .219 in August

* Has Christian Vazquez put on weight?

* Record without Pedroia 26-15

3. Patriots - Could the Patriots go 0-4 in preseason and 16-0 regular season?

4. Saw a ranking of every professional soccer team - the highest ranked Major League Soccer (American league) team was Toronto at 171

5. Does the Dream team beat the 1960 USA team:

* 1992 - Jordan, Barkley, Malone, Stockton, Pippen, Ewing, Robinson

* 1960 - Jerry West, Jerry Lucas, Oscar Robertson, Walt Bellamy

6. White Sox, A’s, Padres, Giants, Phillies, Mets, Rockies, Dbacks are a combined 207 games out of first place

7. Amazing Stat - Judge and Sanchez last 162 games versus Mantle and Maris 1961

* Judge and Sanchez - 295 games and 88 home runs - one every 3.2 games

* Mantle and Maris - 314 games and 115 home runs - one every 2.7 games

8. Old School - Rich Hill went extra innings with no hitter and lost Wednesday - MLB Network brought up Harvey Haddix record - and not talking back to back no hitters:

* May 26, 1954 - his Pirates versus Braves in Milwaukee

* Haddix had no hitter in the 13th inning and got the loss - unearned run on the only hit of the game

* Opposing pitcher Lew Burdette also went 13 innings giving up 12 hits but no runs

* Haddix had as many hits as the Braves 1-1

* 13 innings took 2:54

* Burdette faced 47 batters and if each at bat was 4.5 pitches = 211 pitches

9. Just a Little Bit Outside - Olympic TV rights

* 1960 which was one of the great Olympics of all time with Cassius Clay and barefoot Bikila - $394,000

* 2018 - will cost NBC - over a $1,000,000,000

10. Randomosity

* Ryan Rusillo goes Flounder in Wyoming - drunk (naked) and stupid is no way to go through life son

* Did you see the recent Gillette razor ad? They went Schooner Tuna from Mr. Mom

* Cost of gun for Lee Harvey Oswald $12.88

* Speaking of Olympics - doesn’t the host country of South Korea sound like a nightmare ready to happen?

* Good show to watch - Unabomber on Discovery Channel

Report Claims Celtics Players Didn’t Like Thomas

Don’t you love a national media conglomerate trying to cover a local sports team? On Wednesday the national media tried to stir up controversy with the Boston Celtics. This was attempted via a Bleacher Report article that ran the following headline.

Celtics Players Reportedly ‘Really Weren’t That Fond Of’ Isaiah Thomas

This reporting, of course, wasn’t created by Bleacher Report, but by Fox Sports’ Chris Broussard who reported on Undisputed Wednesday he had spoken with NBA executives who said Celtics players “really weren’t that fond of Isaiah”.

Broussard considers himself an “NBA Insider”, could his reporting be correct? Sure. But the statement he makes is pretty wild.

For starters, there are only four returning players of the Boston Celtics. Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and Terry Rozier. That is it. So if “Celtics Players” weren’t found of IT, it would have to be one of those four.

If you believe social media, it wasn’t Jaylen.

This is pathetic https://t.co/ldJ4Mypd0q

— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) August 24, 2017

Could it have been Marcus? Maybe, but doesn’t look like it.

Big welcome to @KyrieIrving but most importantly-I'm gonna miss IT & Jae. You'll always b my big bros! Thx 4 everything over last few years!

— marcus smart (@smart_MS3) August 23, 2017

How about Rozier? Doubt it. Horford, probably not considering IT helped recruit him to Boston in the first place. One of those four could in theory not have like Thomas. But it doesn’t add up. Thomas was often described by the coaching staff as a great teammate, a trait that was highly visible during the playoffs when he lost his sister.

“I think everybody reached out. It’s a close-knit team.” said Brad Stevens” He’s a big part of it. Isaiah’s a great teammate. Isaiah’s a great husband. He’s a great father. He’s a great guy, great son and brother. And I think, ultimately, we just all tried to do our part in letting him know we were thinking about him, and anything we could all do to help, we’d do.”

 The report by Broussard smells, it doesn’t pass the test. Thomas is gone, there is no reason to bash him, he did not choose to leave.

Boston Celtics Owner Wyc Grousbeck Calls Irving “Transcendent”

Wyc Grousbeck, the owner of the Boston Celtics, has always been a more vocal owner. Grousbeck isn’t afraid to publically state what he wants and expects for his franchise.

Ever since eclipsing the franchises 17th championship banner in 2008 the organization’s goal has been getting to banner 18. A goal that might be within their reach this upcoming season with the trade for Kyrie Irving.

When asked about the acquisition of Irving, Grousbeck called the point guard “transcendent”.

“He’s a transcendent player,” Grousbeck told reporters, referring to Irving. “We are excited to put him together with Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, Marcus Smart.”

It is interesting to hear Grousbeck lump Irving in with those other four players. I say that because that line of speech almost suggests that Marcus Smart will be in the starting lineup. But that is nitpicking, but it is interesting for him not to say either Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum.

In terms of why Grousbeck and the team made the move, Wyc wasn’t afraid, to tell the truth. They want to win.

“We want this team to go for Banner 18,” he said. “We need to get the best possible players. That’s what we’re trying to do.”