NESN Diary: Celtics Gave Boston More To Be Proud Of (And Other Random Thoughts)

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Jun 1, 2020

Boston is a proud sports city. And theĀ 17-time NBA champion Celtics are a major reason why.

Well, the Celtics organization gave Boston another reason to be proud this weekend.

The C’s showcased both a positive and effective response to an issue that has engulfed the entire country — the death of George Floyd.

It’s why Boston should be proud of Jaylen Brown.

As you may have heard, the 23-year-old drove 15 hours from Boston to Atlanta to organize peaceful protests. Brown, the vice president of the league’s Players’ Association, walked with protestors from his native state of Georgia all while enticing other NBA players to join him.

Boston should be proud of Marcus Smart, Enes Kanter and Vincent Poirier, as well.

All three were among the masses who joined peaceful protests in Boston on Sunday. They, and so many others, put one foot in front of the other to raise awareness to a long-standing societal issue that has, again, been magnified following Floyd’s death at the hands of a white police officer last week.

Boston shouldĀ be proud of head coach Brad Stevens,Ā too.

Stevens on Monday broke his Twitter silence with a pair of tweets in regards to Floyd’s death. Stevens responded he was “All-in” to a Coaches Association statement which vowed to “stand up and speak out” for those who don’t feel safe to do so. In another tweet on Monday, Stevens applauded former United Stated president Barack Obama as No. 44 tweeted out some thoughts about how to bring change.

Boston also should be proud of Jayson Tatum.

Tatum posted a tweet Sunday expressing his opinion that ultimately could (and hopefully) help end these societal issues.

Boston should be proud of the Celtics organization, in general.

The C’s were one of the few organizations who put out a statement of their own Sunday, noting how they too are “struggling with grief and anger” following the Floyd incident.

The NBA arguably has grown to have the strongest public stance in regards to racial injustice. I mean, you don’t have to do too much digging to remember that NBAĀ players woreĀ “I Can’t Breathe” shirts following the death of Eric Gardner in 2014. The NFL, obviously, did not have the same reactions to the peaceful protests byĀ Colin Kaepernick and other players in the league.

But the NBA’s well-known stance only is made possible because players like that of the Celtics have spoken out and shared meaningful messages in hopes of change.

So, while it wasn’t always the popular thing to do (remember Michael Jordan’s “Republicans buy shoes, too?”) it is now. Because it’s the right thing to do.

And it should make Boston proud.

Here are other random thoughts from the day in sports:

— There has been another update in regards to the 2020 Major League Baseball season.

MLB reportedly is getting set to propose a shorter season and prorated salaries, in response to the MLBPA’s proposal Sunday. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the league’s owners will be looking for a 50-60 game season while the Players’ Association recommended a 114-game season.

We’ll have to see what comes next.

— Are there comparisons to be drawn between New England Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham and ex-Dallas Cowboys signal-caller Tony Romo? It seems NFL analyst Chris Simms believes so.

“He reminds me a little of Tony Romo. Heā€™s a very pure thrower of the football. Heā€™s got great mechanics, heā€™s natural that way,” Simms said, as transcribed by The Boston Globe. “Heā€™s smart, and we know heā€™s being well-schooled up there in New England.”

Stidham is expected to be the Patriots’ starter entering the 2020 season, but there still are a few big questions about the quarterback competition.

— Cole Popovich and Carmen Bricillo, who will take over as the Patriots offensive line coaches, have one firm believer they will be able to succeed — ex-offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia.

The 72-year-old Scarnecchia explained to ESPN’s Mike Reiss that both are capable of filling his shoes as the positional coach.

“Theyā€™re both really good coaches and both really good people. Very, very smart guys,” Scarnecchia told Reiss.

Tweet of the Day
Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson has an idea for the NFL this season.

He thinks players should be mic’d up to create some extra entertainment, should the NFL not have fans in the stands. I think he’s on to something.

Video of the Day
Not that Patriots fans would’ve thought otherwise, but it seems 2020 Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore is getting some work in.

Here’s a video Gilmore shared on Twitter on Monday:

Stat of the Day
Reggie Miller put the Indiana Pacers on his back in Game 5 of the 1993-94 Eastern Conference Finals.

The former Pacers sharpshooter scored 25 fourth-quarter points on this date in 1994.

Thumbnail photo via John E. Sokolowski/USA TODAY Sports Images
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