Celtics Stat of the Day, 1/1/10

Leading off the New Year, this stat will be a little different.

Because today's stat is "1."

As in one phone call from Sam Jones. He called to wish us (including all Celtics fans) Happy New Year.

Sam was all excited about watching Bobby Bowden coach his last football game after a 34-career coaching Florida State University. So golf was set aside in favor of a day of television. One thing about pro basketball players (and, I assume, most pro athletes). They cannot resist any sporting event regardless of the sport or the level of competition. If Sam was driving past a playground, and a kid threw a long pass, Sam would have to slow down (at the risk of holding up traffic) to see if the pass was caught and converted into a TD.

We got talking about golf, and Sam told me about a hole-in-one he had recorded not long ago, while playing in a senior pro-am tournament with the likes of Lee Trevino, Sunny Jurgenson, Havlicek, etc. After he holed it, the first person to reach him was Gary Player, who had seen it while waiting for Sam's tee. He said Player was more excited than Sam was. Here's a guy who won substantially more NBA rings as a player than anyone except Russell, and he's thrilled about recognition from an old golfer.

Sam also talked briefly about Missy Cousy, with whom Gladys Jones has always been very close. In fact, The Cooz was supposed to play in that pro-am golf tournament but sticks very close to home these days to be with his seriously ailing wife.

When I mentioned how great Sam sounded and the fact that the Joneses ALWAYS sound great, he said, "That's the only way to be. There's absolutely no alternative." (It sounded exactly like the way his teams felt about winning.) So I thought I'd pass along that very positive message, and Sam's best wishes, at the start of a new year.

The Other Sam

Thanks Sam,great great story,loved seeing the fighting spirit of Sam in this Celtic DVD I have that covers the 08 season.....if you can remember,tell him how great it was to see him on that.

My dad at long last got an ace in his late 50's and I never saw him happier he was lit up!