Emotional Response

The moment that has stuck with me the most over the last week, with an emotional response would have to be the news that I had read a couple of days ago about my favorite basketball team, the Boston Celtics, losing their star point guard, Rajon Rondo. Rondo was declared this week to be done for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Like many Celtics fans, my initial though was “there goes our season,” putting my face into my hands and just feeling upset and lost.

I had followed the story closely over the next couple of days and as SportsCenter and ESPN analysts talked about the situation in Boston, it was like an emotional roller coaster. One hour people are saying how the season for fans is all done, and that we should throw in the towel and keep our expectations low for the end of the season. While other analysts were saying that the Celtics have a deep enough roster that they can compensate for the loss of their star player with players that can fill the void. Only after watching a special report that had aired late at night, did the larger picture arise. Like any team, it is composed of many players, 11 players on the bench at one time. The Celtics have become a beacon of teamwork and motivation through their hard work and dedication to their fans. They (as a team) have this image that people think of when someone mentions the teams name, players faces come into mind and specific roles to the team and the fan base also come into mind. But that night, when the story aired, analysts then when on to talk about the trade rumors to try and salvage a championship season. Of course the only way to salvage a championship this late in the season to sigh some big names and make bold moves. That would entail getting rid of what the fan base has come to love about the team.

Key players, like Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett have been on the headlines as the more probable players to be traded for younger, more athletic players. Of course the reaction, like many other fans I’m sure, that I had was shock and anger. After finally saving enough money for season tickets, the team that I had watched over the last 7 years, would be torn down limb by limb. At this point, I felt rage and thought the best thing to do at this point would to be just throw in the towel, cut my loses and move on. It was shortly after that story about trade rumors aired, my favorite analyst, Stephen A Smith from ESPN’s First Take, came on the air and calmly (being a Celtics fan himself) addressed the fans of Boston and all Celtics fans across the World. He then broke down the situation in Boston and explained how every analyst that covered the story before him, was wrong. Covering areas like trade, cutting players, and signing new players. I, like I am sure many Boston fans felt in some small part of their mind, thought “hey, maybe we will be alright without Rondo.”

Mr. Smith then went on his debate to explain why breaking up this current team, this late in the season would be the biggest mistake that any team could make. Of course, that gave me hope, thinking that maybe something from this can happen. It was right after I had thought that, that he went on to give his probability of the Celtics making it to the Eastern Conference Championship and the possibility of winning the NBA championship. His speech only lasted about 5 ½ minutes on television, but after the facts and statistics had been laid for everyone, it was the first time in the last 3 days that I had felt happy about the teams situation. His facts about the team coming together in this time of need and how the coaching staff for the Celtics was probably the best in recruitment and conditioning for such situations left him to say at the end of his debate that the Celtics should remain favorites to make it at least to the conference championship. Being a new season ticket holder, this put a huge smile on my face. There is nothing like going to a basketball play-off atmosphere. With the crowd in the game and the fans showing their true colors for the team that they all love. At this point, after this week’s emotional rollercoaster, I am left with the emotion of happiness and hope that my team will overcome this loss and prosper.