Sports Redux: Boston Goes Ga-Ga Over New Acquisitions

You had to be made of stone, or the world's most jaded individual, to watch yesterday's Celtics press conference and not believe that things are going to change 'round here in a hurry. New Celtic Kevin Garnett, along with veteran Paul Pierce and fairly new Celtic Ray Allen, told the media and the world that he's happy to be here, he's thrilled to be with two veterans and All-Stars, and he's a Red Sox fan (!).

Garnett said he realized that his situation in Minnesota was going nowhere, so he reached out to Pierce - he "left a message on all four" of Paul's phone's, he said - to make sure that Boston would be a good fit for him. He talked to Gary Payton and Antoine Walker, who remarkably confirmed that KG would like it here. And he said his first day in green was "like being in a Lamborghini driving 200 with your head stuck out of the window." Now that sounds the Boston we know and love.

There were kind words for the departed youngsters - Doc Rivers looked appropriately sad talking about how much emotional energy he's spent trying to help them develop - but this day was all about the near-future. None of the Three Kings (can we have that catch on, please, and not the New Big Three?) would specifically say that the C's were the team to beat in the East, but they're all very confident that big things were going to happen, and soon.

Almost lost in all the Garnett-mania was the shrewd deal pulled off by the Red Sox at the trade deadline yesterday. It was a move right out of Steinbrenner's playbook: we have a good bullpen, the Yankees don't, so we're going to grab the best reliever out there before they can. So welcome to Boston, Eric Gagne, you and your nasty repertoire of pitches. And farewell, Kason Gabbard.

The problem with having a fantastic bullpen, though, is that they're the most effective when you actually hand them a lead to protect. Not so last night, as David Ortiz' pair of home runs were about the only sparks in a lackluster offensive night and a 5-3 loss. The Overpowering Beckett of the spring has become the Adequate Beckett of high summer. And the Angry Beckett, who flipped a water cooler in the dugout and gave a peppery press conference that would have made a sailor blush.

The Sox try to get back at the O's tonight; Julian Tavarez will likely take Gabbard's spot in the rotation, against Steve Trachsel.

Picture of the Three Kings from Celtics.com.