Ryan Galiotto

Posts Tagged ‘opinions’

Raised in French Lick, Florida after being born in West Baden Springs, Larry Joe Bird had a talent for basketball which was apparent from an early age. At Springs Valley High School, he was the school’s all-time scoring leader; an achievement which secured him a scholarship to the University of Indiana.

Larry Bird felt out of place on the large campus and dropped out, taking a year off before returning to college and the game of basketball at Indiana State. Bird led the team to the NCAA championships in 1979 against Magic Johnson’s Michigan State Spartans. Although the Spartans were victorious this time, the team finished with a 33-1 record and cemented Bird’s 30.3 points per game average as a college player.

In 1979, the Boston Celtics called on Larry Bird as their number one draft pick and he signed with them for a record $650,000 a year. With the Celtics, he averaged 21.3 points per game and earned the title NBA Rookie of the Year. He also dealt up 10.4 rebounds per game, 143 steals and led his team in minutes played at 2,955. He also led the Celtics to a playoff qualifier with 61 wins and 21 losses. Losing to Philadelphia’s 76ers, the fans of Boston loved their number thirty-tree as they had seen some sad times in the early 1970′s-the fans hoped for the return of greatness to Boston and with Bird, they could see their vision coming true.

By 1980, the Celtics moved their playing court into the Robert Parrish Center and drafted Kevin McHale. These two men would become what have been dubbed the “best frontline in NBA history.” The 1980-81 seasons saw the Celtics go to the NBA finals where they took down the Houston Rockets in six games-this would be Larry’s first NBA Championship-but not his last. Larry was a leader and this was seen by general manager Red Auerbach, who happily watched his team become one of the two most exciting and winning teams in the NBA during the 1980′s. In fact, almost every NBA final would feature either the Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers, or both.

Bill Fitch, the Celtics’ coach nicknamed Bird “Kodak”, since as Fitch said: “it’s for his ability to picture how a play would unfold. He can turn a play into points.”. Bird was also a formidable defensive player and his statistics are truly amazing – his tallies in the 1981-1982 season reached the double digits. The Celtics became even more of a force to be reckoned with in 1983, when guard Dennis Johnson signed on and new coach KC Jones came on board.

The Celtics took the NBA championship in the 1983-1984 season in a seven game series against the Lakers, with an 111-102 score in the final game. In this series, Bird averaged 14 rebounds and 27 points per game, also taking the MVP awards for the series and for the season. Bird also won the MVP award the next season, even after a loss to the Lakers. Bird and Magic Johnson had a friendly rivalry which fans still talk about.

The Celtics returned to finals once again in the 1985-1986 season; they defeated the Houston Rockets in six games and finished with a 76-15 record for the year. Bird again won the series MVP in this, his third NBA championship victory with an average of 24 points per game, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. This year also saw him winning the league MVP award, the third player to do so. Bird’s Celtics would also come out on top in the finals the next year, beating the Lakers in six games. Bird, like his rival Magic Johnson was becoming synonymous with the game of basketball.

Bird’s biggest season in terms of numbers was 1987-1988 with an average of 29.9 points per game in 30 minutes per game. His field goal percentage was .527 and his free throws .916. He had to sit out the 1988-1989 season due to a bone spur, but came back for the following season; however, he knew it was getting close to time to retire. His status as legend was cemented in 1992, when he joined Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson on the US Olympic “Dream Team”, winning the gold medal. With his career average of 24 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists per game, his 49.6% field goal average and a stunning 88.6% average on free throws, as well as a 37.6% three-pointer average and twelve All-Star games, Bird is a legend and his name is a synonym for basketball with fans all over the world.

As sad as it is, it’s time to say goodbye to the old Shea Stadium after 44 years of sports memories for all of us. It hardly seems possible that the Mets were an expansion team all these years after their cross-town American League rivals first took the field. It’s also hard to remember the stadium being called the Flushing Meadow Park Municipal Stadium, but that’s what it called until a movement was launched to name it in honor of William Shea.

Through the years Shea Stadium has been the home to some of the greatest baseball players ever to pick up a bat. Players like Duke Snider, Nolan Ryan, Warren Spahn, Tom Seaver, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Yogi Berra, Casey Stengel, Richie Ashburn, and Gary Carter who all became heroes in the baseball Hall of Fame. And who can forget the entertaining players like Lenny “Nails” Dykstra and Gil Hodges who just toughed it out on a daily basis?

There’s been good times and bad, ugly and outrageous, but at the end of the day, they are all great memories intertwined with the stadium’s history. We watched Dwight Gooden and Daryl Strawberry take the Mets to a World Series win over the Boston Red Sox in 1986. Unfortunately, the fame took its toll as both players spent the rest of their careers dealing with drug issues and other problems.

We saw them win their first Championship in 1969 with the Miracle Mets when no one really knew of a young man on the roster who would spend the next 27 years striking out 5,714 batters. In fact there were so many historic moments throughout the history of Shea Stadium we could literally write a book about it. However, when it’s all said and done, the stadium may be gone as a new chapter begins, but the memories will live in the hearts of Mets fans around the world for eternity.

When the world was stunned by the news of the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, Shea Stadium became a relief center for supplies, food, and a place for the victims to stay. Who can forget the first game after that fateful day when the Mets helped to heal the city? For New Yorkers, it was one of the most inspiring nights ever in baseball history. Thousands of fans packed the stadium to watch as the Mets took on the Atlanta Braves. Before the game started the rescue workers were honored and Diana Ross sang God Bless America. It was a very moving experience as the two teams shook hands, united in the face of the tragedy that shook the world. Yes, our Shea Stadium is like no other. May we always remember and look with anticipation to 50 more years of baseball history.