Contact the C's here (for Larry Siegfried)

Not sure how much good it will do but here is an email site to send a request to them for consideration in honoring Larry. I sent a brief request and mentioned Sam's Celtic Forum too!

http://www.nba.com/celtics/contact/contact-boston-celtics.html

All you need to do is click on the link and write in the box as to why you feel Larry needs a banner!

beat

Thanks for going to all that trouble Beat. I hope many will take a minute and fill in the blank.

Seven years with the Celts—more than some players now in the rafters

Five championship Celtics teams: major contributor to at least three during the greatest dynasty of all-time

Perfect example of a Celtic: would do whatever it took to win

"Siggy" would be a perfect addition to the rafters in lieu of the #20 worn by Ray

Sam

beat,

Great idea. I'll do it now.

Regards

Edit; beat...Done.

What are the reasons he is not up there already?

Was he not outspoken and visible enough?

Sam

Took me a little searching to find anything but then I finally located the cnotact us. Not sure whom might read these to begin with but if enough arrive someone has gotta take note. wether or not things are done remains to be seen. Matter fact I'm firing off another one soon. 225 words limit ones ablity to say what you want to sometimes!

I do hope that all of us include the fact we are members of this board and many actually are old enough to remember Siegfried when he played.

Write early write often...........or

As they say in Chicago...............vote early vote often!

Was thinking to that if some of his old mates put a little pressure on the orginization things could move a little quicker! If we could contact them and encourage them to speak up that would be exceptional!

beat

This was a sensational idea by Beat.

Everyone should follow the link; it's a simple process. There's a drop-down box to select your topic, a short space for comment and you send it. Short and simple to do and for a good cause.

Swede,

Siggy and Red did not always see eye-to-eye. But that's a terrible reason not to put Siggy up there where he belongs. It wouldn't be the first time that Wyc and Company overruled Red's wishes. Dancers anyone?

Some people feel Siggy wasn't with the team long enough. Seven years with the Celtics are one more than Ed MacAuley and Reggie Lewis played with the team.

This guy wasn't some hanger-on who got his rings by by osmosis. He was a mainstay with at least three Celtics championship teams—and probably had the splinters to prove it.

Sam

I'm also trying to get in touch with either Bob Ryan or Dan Shaughnessy about Larry. And I'll try to speak with Jeff Twiss, the p.r. guy of the Celtics, reminding him of our donation to the Celtics Foundation as an aside.

Sam

If he got to play even after having "disagreements" with a strong-willed person like Red it just goes to show the value he obviously had to the team.

Swede,

Larry joined the Celtics the season after Cousy retired (1963-64). He didn't play a lot during the first two seasons (K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, and John Havlicek pretty much divided the backcourt time). But, as Havlicek began to spend more time in the frontcourt (especially after the departure of Heinsohn), Larry began to get more and more time.

He was a fixture in the last championship team coached by Red (1965-66). But it was the one season of the 60s when they did not win the championship season (1966-67) that Larry's on-court persona is most emblazoned in my mind. I was at the final game of the losing series in Philadelphia, and I wrote about it two seasons later in my booklet on the '69 championship season. (See below.)

*****

Convention Hall was filled to capacity with Philadelphia fans—and me. Tension reached fever pitch as the Celtics jumped to a 16-point lead by halftime. But Philadelphia surged back and completely overwhelmed the Celts in the second half to win the game and series handily.

I was seated beneath one basket in a row of temporary folding chairs that were connected in sections of four. There was no mistaking my Boston sentiments, as I was nearly the only person in the gym who had something to yell about during the early stages of the game.

When the outcome became inevitable, the fans all around me began yelling, “Boston is dead. Boston is dead,” while tossing my section of seats up and down in tempo with the chant. The only problem was that I was still in my seat; and it became more than a little uncomfortable, to say nothing of the difficulty I had in scoring the game on my program.

About this time, I noticed two things on the court. First, the Celtics never even began to quit. Larry Siegfried and John Havlicek, in particular, were diving for loose balls as though their lives depended on it—even when they were far behind with 30 seconds left in the game. Second, as each Celtic left the game, he went over to congratulate the Philadelphia players.

*****

That was the Celtics way of doing things, and Larry fit it perfectly. K.C. retired after that season, and Siggy became the main PG on the team. By the last Russell championship season (1968-69), Larry was averaging 32 minutes a game and was the fourth leading scorer with 14 points and 5 assists a game. K.C. Jones' best season produced 9 points and 6 assists, and his number is deservedly up there.

So it makes all kinds of sense to me that Siggy should share the position of honor in the rafters. He was one of the mainstays of the second half of Russell's career, and all the rest are up there.

Sam

I gave them my 3 cents worth.

Sam

Sort of like building a cement block wall without motar. Hondo Russ ect were the solid blocks................Larry just filled in with the motar. Not that he held the team together by himself, he was not as important as some obviously, but to say they would have won without him in 68 and 69 is certainly questionable at best. And as you say many others with far less credentials have been thusly honored.

I'm about to send my third email with another angle of presenting my arguement to the powers that be.

beat

Red didn't see eye to eye with Maxwell either, yet his number finally got retired. I just think it is a matter of "flash". Larry just came out and did things,
never waiting for the adulation from the crowd or his bosses. Yes, there
were times when he and Red butted heads, but this is certainly no reason
not to acknowledge his importance to an era of basketball that defines the
Boston Celtics.

I have written twice, but I will write again. I feel this is no different than
DJ not getting the recognition he deserved until just recently. It will take
some of his former teammates coming forward to help push this along.

I hope this generation of Celtic owners will show the respect to Larry that
he so rightfully deserves.l

I had a dream last night that there were a bunch of basketball HOFers collected (especially Celtics ones) and I remember specifically Paul Silas pleading the case.

Also on a more unexpected note Kobe was also a strong supporter