It's about Time; Congratulations, Russ

What a sports weekend in Boston. The Red Sox parade at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday will deservedly get loads of press. Maybe less heralded, but at least as important in my eyes, will be the unveiling of Bill Russell's statue. It would be physically and mentally impossible for me to add to everything I've written about Russ, so I won't try.

Suffice it to say I'll be at City Hall Plaza well before the 2:00 unveiling this afternoon because I want to get good position. I don't care whether or not it rains. (Same for the parade tomorrow.) If anyone else will be attending, I'll be the one with the green Celtics cap. (That ought to narrow it down.)

Go Russ, and go Celtics!

Sam

P.S. For anyone who will be attending, you're well-advised to park on the periphery (say, in the Copley Square area) and spring for a round-trip taxi. Heck, Russ would pay for a taxi if your statue were being unveiled.

Along with Havlicek they are the reasons I became a Celtic fan.

Still remember my first trip to the old Garden in the late winter of 73. Sunday afternoon game with the KC-Omaha Kings (featuring that little guard by the name of Nate "Tiny" Achibald) It was the ABC NBA game of the week and Chris Schenkel were doing the game. Saw them walking thru the lobby and went over to them. Now I was fully aware about Russell and autographs so I didn't even bother with that. Just walked up to him and said something like "Mr. Russell thanks for the years and I just want to shake your hand." Shoke hands and he walked off to do the game.

Have a great time Sam. Hope you can get some photos.

beat

Beat it was somewhat disappointing.  They cancelled the ceremony.  Or, more correctly, they performed it for celebrities only, indoors (the status is outdoors), an hour before the originally scheduled 2:00 time.  The reason that was given was a concern about wind and rain.  I got there about 1:00, and, between then and now (Sunday, the next day), it didn't rain, there was no wind, and the daytime temperature was easily in the 60s.

Russ' statue was under a medium-sized tent; and, even though the ceremony had already been held indoors,  only photographers were allowed inside.  They developed a solid ring around the statue.  Fortunately, the statue must be at least 8' high, because all we spectators could see was the head.  Russ and Heinsohn made cameo appearances (maybe 10 minutes apiece, ostensibly to forestall a crowd mutiny.  Of course, we couldn't see them because of the photographers, and they didn't speak publicly.  And that was it!

After the photographers had run out of film, we lowlifes were allowed into the tent, where people busied themselves standing with the statue and being photographed by friends so it wasn't possible to get a photo of the statue without some bohunk hanging all over it.  Finally, after a solid two hours of being there, I managed to get a couple of photos of the statue, and I thought it really looked like Russ in uniform except that the statue is virtually bald and Russ wasn't virtually bald.

Unfortunately, given the anticipation I had built up, my conclusion is that Boston once again fell short when it came to honoring a man who, literally and figuratively, stood tall.

Stayed overnight and attended the Red Sox parade, which was super!  Waited 2 1/2 hours but the weather was very nice.  Fortunately, most of the key players (like Pedroia, Papi, Lester and Uehara) were on my side of the boats.  I have to go out now, but I'll write more on the Sox.

Sorry about last night's Celtics game.  I got to see some of it at a bar, but not the finish.  (Probably fortunate on my part.)

Sam

A little more on the Duck Boat parade for the Red Sox. Sally stayed home and taped the entire 4 1/2 hours, and I went with a couple we have traveled with. I guess there were an estimated 2 million people there (I don't know how they arrive at those estimates.) We were in the first row on the corner of Boylston and Clarendon Streets—very good locations—and, after the Duck Boats had gone buy and we had shopped a little, we took a taxi back to our hotel, and our route paralleled the Charles River, so we got to see some of the action on the water too.

One really funny thing happened as we were waiting for our taxi to arrive. Right behind us was a woman in a bridal dress screaming that she had to get to her wedding.

Anyway, it was fun.

Sam

Just got in a bit ago from the Syracuse football game... was great to spend the afternoon with Marcus... those times won't happen much now. He's loving every minute. The other day he got to work with the SU mens team a bit in practice. Had to HIT the bigs with a big mat to simulate contact under the hoop. Said it was neat but he got banged around a bit. He's heading to the Virgin Islands over Thanksgiving with the women's team.  Told him to be sure to pack a couple pair a shorts !

Sorry the ceremony didn't go off as well as it should have. There was nice ovation for Russ at the game last eve between the first and second quarters......I sort of kept waiting and hoping someone as the cheering began to fade would yet out....." We love ya Russ!" ( like the guy that yelled it out for Cousy) that might have made it all the more special.

beat

Beat,

You actually got your wish, but it was at the statue unveiling rather than at TD Garden. We knew he was in the tent even though we couldn't see him, and a guy yelled out, "We love you, Russ." Ordinarily it might have been a major moment, but we were all so teed off that it didn't even generate any applause.

Good for Marcus. I hope he enjoys the Virgin Islands.

Sam

Bob, thanks for the videos. Sam, sorry the ceremony was such a letdown.

My first impression of the statue itself is disappointment. He revolutionized the game defensively, so I'd rather see him coiled and ready to block a shot or reaching for a block or rebound. Or, to signify his impact both on and off the court, standing tall, proud, and confident, without a ball at all.

Instead, we get a view of him in some sort of triple-threat-type position. He was a fine passer, great offensive teammate, and capable scorer for someone who wasn't a good shooter, but that pose doesn't seem to me to get at what he was about as a player and a person.

I don't think the Michael Jordan statue in Chicago is very well done, but at least it's of an iconic Jordan pose, as are Kareem's sky hook statue and West's logo-like statue. Magic's shows him directing traffic on a fast break. Red's statue shows him on the bench with his cigar. All of those seem more appropriate than Russell's.

Maybe it will grow on me over time. Even if I'm not thrilled with the statue itself, it's great they gave him one.

Outside, I thought the statue was pretty good, although I would have preferred a pose in which he was bent, with his arms up in a defensive posture. That would have emphasized his humility, would have underscored his greatest signature, and would even have suggested one of his Russell Rules (and my personal favorite):"Invisible Man."

The only thing I found wrong with the status was this his head was close-cropped to the point of appearing bald. I thought the sculptor captured Russ' lower face and beard very well.

As I saw all the young people marching up to stand by the statue while proud parents took their pictures, I was almost overwhelmed by the fact that it was primarily a sightseeing attraction for them and they will forever be deprived of experiencing the majesty of this man for so long and in so many walks of life.

Sam