Author Topic: Boston’s bench has settled on “Gangster Squad  (Read 12845 times)

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Re: Boston’s bench has settled on “Gangster Squad
« Reply #30 on: January 13, 2013, 12:09:39 AM »

Offline Bahku

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How about "The Celtics" ... that should carry more recognition and meaning than anything else they could come up with, and not serve to separate them from the starters. Let's keep this a team, not a jumble of segmented units with their own identities. Time for Ubuntu to return.
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Re: Boston’s bench has settled on “Gangster Squad
« Reply #31 on: January 13, 2013, 12:11:10 AM »

Offline j804

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This will do a lot to improve our image with David Stern.

I'd suggest "The Ned Flanders Good Neighboroonies," or maybe just more directly "Those five guys who never ever badmouth refs or engage in taunting."
at least it's not anything to do with the starting unit or Rondo  :P

BTW anybody notice Rondo super chatty kissing Bill Kennedy's butt in the Rockets game? way to try and patch up his image
"7ft PG. Rondo leaves and GUESS WHAT? We got a BIGGER point guard!"-Tommy on Olynyk


Re: Boston’s bench has settled on “Gangster Squad
« Reply #32 on: January 13, 2013, 12:12:40 AM »

Offline ScottHow

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This will do a lot to improve our image with David Stern.

I'd suggest "The Ned Flanders Good Neighboroonies," or maybe just more directly "Those five guys who never ever badmouth refs or engage in taunting."
at least it's not anything to do with the starting unit or Rondo  :P

BTW anybody notice Rondo super chatty kissing Bill Kennedy's butt in the Rockets game? way to try and patch up his image

I didn't notice, I now just cringe everytime a call doesn't go his way.

Re: Boston’s bench has settled on “Gangster Squad
« Reply #33 on: January 13, 2013, 12:25:00 AM »

Offline Atzar

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at least it's not anything to do with the starting unit or Rondo  :P

BTW anybody notice Rondo super chatty kissing Bill Kennedy's butt in the Rockets game? way to try and patch up his image

Off topic, but I'd love for some of these refs to speak anonymously about their relationships with certain players or coaches.  We always heard that Perk got a lot of techs simply because he had a rep for arguing calls, and Rondo could get himself into that territory if he's not careful.  But I'd like to know who else the refs have a tendency to watch closely across the league.

It would never happen, but it would be very interesting and informative.

Re: Boston’s bench has settled on “Gangster Squad
« Reply #34 on: January 13, 2013, 12:35:08 AM »

Offline indeedproceed

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How about "The Celtics" ... that should carry more recognition and meaning than anything else they could come up with, and not serve to separate them from the starters. Let's keep this a team, not a jumble of segmented units with their own identities. Time for Ubuntu to return.

I understand the sentiment, but I disagree with your dismissal. The starters and the bench are already segmented, that's how sports work. By praising the second unit, and giving them a name specific and unique to them, it recognizes guys who don't get the honor of starting and let's them hang their hat on something of their own.

It's something as old as sport. Whether its 'shrek and donkey' or whatever, it lets guys who don't get the honor of a starting spot still get a title to call their own that isn't 'role player' or just one guy who is the 'sixth man'.


Now as per the actual name from Terry, I think they can do better.
« Last Edit: January 13, 2013, 01:36:41 AM by IndeedProceed »

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Re: Boston’s bench has settled on “Gangster Squad
« Reply #35 on: January 13, 2013, 01:01:43 AM »

Offline tarheelsxxiii

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The Boston Stranglers  ;D

I know this will sound bizarre, and I am a high-functioning individual... but my uncle was the Boston Strangler's cellmate for quite some time. They got along just fine, so therefore, I support this one. :)
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Re: Boston’s bench has settled on “Gangster Squad
« Reply #36 on: January 13, 2013, 01:28:23 AM »

Offline indeedproceed

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The Boston Stranglers  ;D

I know this will sound bizarre, and I am a high-functioning individual... but my uncle was the Boston Strangler's cellmate for quite some time. They got along just fine, so therefore, I support this one. :)

I find this oddly hilarious and acceptable.

"You've gotta respect a 15-percent 3-point shooter. A guy
like that is always lethal." - Evan 'The God' Turner

Re: Boston’s bench has settled on “Gangster Squad
« Reply #37 on: January 13, 2013, 01:28:23 AM »

Offline Bahku

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How about "The Celtics" ... that should carry more recognition and meaning than anything else they could come up with, and not serve to separate them from the starters. Let's keep this a team, not a jumble of segmented units with their own identities. Time for Ubuntu to return.

I understand the sentiment, but I disagree with your dismissal. The starters and the bench are already segmented, that's he sports work. By praising the second unit, and giving them a name specific and unique to them, it recognizes guys who don't get the honor of starting and let's them hang their hat on something of their own.

It's something as old as sport. Whether its 'shrek and donkey' or whatever, it lets guys who don't get the honor of a starting spot still get a title to call their own that isn't 'role player' or just one guy who is the 'sixth man'.


Now as per the actual name from Terry, I think they can do better.
I have no porblem with individual nicknames or even a duo here-and-there, but I think concentrating on Ubuntu and identifying as a cohesive unit as Celtics, should be the focus and priority. In 2007-2008, it was the team, and only the team, and it was the right perspective, IMHO.

Now, in practice scrimages and the like, it's great to have "Bench versus Starters", etc., but when they step onto the court against other clubs, Celtic Pride should be the primary team identity, and not fragmnets. And just who is this "Gangster Squad", (or whatever it ends up being called, that name I dislike quite a bit, actually)?

All the bench players? A certain five? And if so, where does that leave the end-of-bench guys? Looking for their own nickname? It's just all pretty divisional and unnecessary, IMO, and takes away from the whole team focus thing. Just my opinion, and to each his own. In the end I guess it's no big deal either way, but I prefer a single team focus.

Even the "Big Three" thing was a bit annoying at times, and intimated that "Hey, we're the big shots, and you guys are just the supportinmg cast", and it has now infected every team and every sport, it seems, and just become ridiculously overused, as nobody knows who you're talking about whenever you use the term.

Whatever, no biggie, and if it works for the team in a positive way, then all the better. That's just the way I see it, and I think this club has drifted away from Ubuntu and concentrating on working as one cohesive group. I'd like to see less division, and sometimes these small unit labels can be counterproductive to that.

Just me blowing my steam, though, and it is what it is.

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Re: Boston’s bench has settled on “Gangster Squad
« Reply #38 on: January 13, 2013, 01:39:40 AM »

Offline Mr Green

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The Boston Stranglers  ;D

I know this will sound bizarre, and I am a high-functioning individual... but my uncle was the Boston Strangler's cellmate for quite some time. They got along just fine, so therefore, I support this one. :)

;D

Re: Boston’s bench has settled on “Gangster Squad
« Reply #39 on: January 13, 2013, 02:05:43 AM »

Offline indeedproceed

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How about "The Celtics" ... that should carry more recognition and meaning than anything else they could come up with, and not serve to separate them from the starters. Let's keep this a team, not a jumble of segmented units with their own identities. Time for Ubuntu to return.

I understand the sentiment, but I disagree with your dismissal. The starters and the bench are already segmented, that's he sports work. By praising the second unit, and giving them a name specific and unique to them, it recognizes guys who don't get the honor of starting and let's them hang their hat on something of their own.

It's something as old as sport. Whether its 'shrek and donkey' or whatever, it lets guys who don't get the honor of a starting spot still get a title to call their own that isn't 'role player' or just one guy who is the 'sixth man'.


Now as per the actual name from Terry, I think they can do better.
I have no porblem with individual nicknames or even a duo here-and-there, but I think concentrating on Ubuntu and identifying as a cohesive unit as Celtics, should be the focus and priority. In 2007-2008, it was the team, and only the team, and it was the right perspective, IMHO.

Now, in practice scrimages and the like, it's great to have "Bench versus Starters", etc., but when they step onto the court against other clubs, Celtic Pride should be the primary team identity, and not fragmnets. And just who is this "Gangster Squad", (or whatever it ends up being called, that name I dislike quite a bit, actually)?

All the bench players? A certain five? And if so, where does that leave the end-of-bench guys? Looking for their own nickname? It's just all pretty divisional and unnecessary, IMO, and takes away from the whole team focus thing. Just my opinion, and to each his own. In the end I guess it's no big deal either way, but I prefer a single team focus.

Even the "Big Three" thing was a bit annoying at times, and intimated that "Hey, we're the big shots, and you guys are just the supportinmg cast", and it has now infected every team and every sport, it seems, and just become ridiculously overused, as nobody knows who you're talking about whenever you use the term.

Whatever, no biggie, and if it works for the team in a positive way, then all the better. That's just the way I see it, and I think this club has drifted away from Ubuntu and concentrating on working as one cohesive group. I'd like to see less division, and sometimes these small unit labels can be counterproductive to that.

Just me blowing my steam, though, and it is what it is.

I obviously can't speak for your experience, so let me share some of mine:

In football, there are special teams. Special teams for those who don't know, are the guys that go out for punt, field goal, kickoff returns, and kickoffs. Usually the guys on punt and field goal are the general offensive line (plus or minus a long snapper, actually a pretty hard skill to harness) plus some 'other'.

But kickoff and kickoff return, that's another breed. You don't throw your starters out there because the dirty little secret is that running full tilt with a 20 or 30 yard head of steam, or trying to block a guy with that head of steam, is about equal physics wise to experiencing a 35 mph car crash. Injuries are frequent.

Kickoff return for us was just called 'receiving', but the coach had an ingenious way of glorifying kickoff: he called them kamikaze.

The kamikaze team is the most brutal special teams assignment. You run at what feels like 1000 miles an hour, and the possibility of being blindsided at any second by a shoulder block anywhere above your torso is a real and present threat. You don't put your best guys on the kamikaze team. They might get injured.

But by calling it the kamikaze team, by giving it the honorific, it imbued the squad with a sense of pride that went beyond just 'team spirit'. I was only on that team in 9th grade, in JVs, but later I can still remember wishing they'd put me on it, because of the identity of the whole ordeal, starter or not.

That's the type of thing Im talking about. The guy who scores 9 points and grabs 5 rebounds in 16 minutes a game will never be the hero, but by bestowing the honorific, by giving them that identity, you can give them status and station as an individual that goes beyond just being a placeholder until their rightful betters get done drinking Gatorade.
« Last Edit: January 13, 2013, 02:21:38 AM by IndeedProceed »

"You've gotta respect a 15-percent 3-point shooter. A guy
like that is always lethal." - Evan 'The God' Turner

Re: Boston’s bench has settled on “Gangster Squad
« Reply #40 on: January 13, 2013, 02:12:00 AM »

Offline tarheelsxxiii

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The Boston Stranglers  ;D

I know this will sound bizarre, and I am a high-functioning individual... but my uncle was the Boston Strangler's cellmate for quite some time. They got along just fine, so therefore, I support this one. :)

I find this oddly hilarious and acceptable.

Hahaha. Thank you.
The Tarstradamus Group, LLC

Re: Boston’s bench has settled on “Gangster Squad
« Reply #41 on: January 13, 2013, 10:48:49 AM »

Offline Boston Garden Leprechaun

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The Boston Stranglers  ;D

I know this will sound bizarre, and I am a high-functioning individual... but my uncle was the Boston Strangler's cellmate for quite some time. They got along just fine, so therefore, I support this one. :)

wat??????????  LINK??????   ;D
LET'S GO CELTICS!

Re: Boston’s bench has settled on “Gangster Squad
« Reply #42 on: January 13, 2013, 11:22:39 AM »

Offline csfansince60s

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Re: Boston’s bench has settled on “Gangster Squad
« Reply #43 on: January 13, 2013, 09:30:41 PM »

Offline mgent

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How about "The Celtics" ... that should carry more recognition and meaning than anything else they could come up with, and not serve to separate them from the starters. Let's keep this a team, not a jumble of segmented units with their own identities. Time for Ubuntu to return.

I understand the sentiment, but I disagree with your dismissal. The starters and the bench are already segmented, that's he sports work. By praising the second unit, and giving them a name specific and unique to them, it recognizes guys who don't get the honor of starting and let's them hang their hat on something of their own.

It's something as old as sport. Whether its 'shrek and donkey' or whatever, it lets guys who don't get the honor of a starting spot still get a title to call their own that isn't 'role player' or just one guy who is the 'sixth man'.


Now as per the actual name from Terry, I think they can do better.
I have no porblem with individual nicknames or even a duo here-and-there, but I think concentrating on Ubuntu and identifying as a cohesive unit as Celtics, should be the focus and priority. In 2007-2008, it was the team, and only the team, and it was the right perspective, IMHO.

Now, in practice scrimages and the like, it's great to have "Bench versus Starters", etc., but when they step onto the court against other clubs, Celtic Pride should be the primary team identity, and not fragmnets. And just who is this "Gangster Squad", (or whatever it ends up being called, that name I dislike quite a bit, actually)?

All the bench players? A certain five? And if so, where does that leave the end-of-bench guys? Looking for their own nickname? It's just all pretty divisional and unnecessary, IMO, and takes away from the whole team focus thing. Just my opinion, and to each his own. In the end I guess it's no big deal either way, but I prefer a single team focus.

Even the "Big Three" thing was a bit annoying at times, and intimated that "Hey, we're the big shots, and you guys are just the supportinmg cast", and it has now infected every team and every sport, it seems, and just become ridiculously overused, as nobody knows who you're talking about whenever you use the term.

Whatever, no biggie, and if it works for the team in a positive way, then all the better. That's just the way I see it, and I think this club has drifted away from Ubuntu and concentrating on working as one cohesive group. I'd like to see less division, and sometimes these small unit labels can be counterproductive to that.

Just me blowing my steam, though, and it is what it is.

I obviously can't speak for your experience, so let me share some of mine:

In football, there are special teams. Special teams for those who don't know, are the guys that go out for punt, field goal, kickoff returns, and kickoffs. Usually the guys on punt and field goal are the general offensive line (plus or minus a long snapper, actually a pretty hard skill to harness) plus some 'other'.

But kickoff and kickoff return, that's another breed. You don't throw your starters out there because the dirty little secret is that running full tilt with a 20 or 30 yard head of steam, or trying to block a guy with that head of steam, is about equal physics wise to experiencing a 35 mph car crash. Injuries are frequent.

Kickoff return for us was just called 'receiving', but the coach had an ingenious way of glorifying kickoff: he called them kamikaze.

The kamikaze team is the most brutal special teams assignment. You run at what feels like 1000 miles an hour, and the possibility of being blindsided at any second by a shoulder block anywhere above your torso is a real and present threat. You don't put your best guys on the kamikaze team. They might get injured.

But by calling it the kamikaze team, by giving it the honorific, it imbued the squad with a sense of pride that went beyond just 'team spirit'. I was only on that team in 9th grade, in JVs, but later I can still remember wishing they'd put me on it, because of the identity of the whole ordeal, starter or not.

That's the type of thing Im talking about. The guy who scores 9 points and grabs 5 rebounds in 16 minutes a game will never be the hero, but by bestowing the honorific, by giving them that identity, you can give them status and station as an individual that goes beyond just being a placeholder until their rightful betters get done drinking Gatorade.
I think you guys are almost making the same point.  Ubuntu DID give the bench players an identity.  They were always coming in and turning 6 point leads into 16 point leads.  The idea was that our team worked together as one individual.  Giving the bench a "Celtic" identity rather than their own separate identity gives them more synergy.

Imagining yourself as separate but equal to the starters is more effective than two different units competing with each other during a game.  That leads to an "I did my job, now it's up to them" mentality.  I don't think you can make that black-and-white of a comparison between football and basketball, especially considering how often starters and bench players are on the court together.  Not nearly as "segmented" as football or hockey.  Ask the many, many second stringers that are finishing games around the league, including Posey and House.  I don't think they would've had any more energy with their own identity, they were fine with being role players because they knew they played vital roles in our starers' success.

Bahku is making an excellent point here.  The idea that everything the bench does affects the team as a whole should be worth more than any other label.
« Last Edit: January 13, 2013, 09:36:36 PM by mgent »
Philly:

Anderson Varejao    Tiago Splitter    Matt Bonner
David West    Kenyon Martin    Brad Miller
Andre Iguodala    Josh Childress    Marquis Daniels
Dwyane Wade    Leandro Barbosa
Kirk Hinrich    Toney Douglas   + the legendary Kevin McHale

Re: Boston’s bench has settled on “Gangster Squad
« Reply #44 on: January 13, 2013, 10:30:05 PM »

Offline indeedproceed

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I'm not saying a team identity as a motivator is a bad thing. I'm saying giving guys who aren't starters a name to call their own can also be a good motivator, and shouldn't be dismissed. Anything that can make your reserves go harder is useful.

"You've gotta respect a 15-percent 3-point shooter. A guy
like that is always lethal." - Evan 'The God' Turner