Celtics Emitting Bad Vibes

April 22, 1985

The Disoriented Express, having lost its slapshot on Rue Ste. Catherine, pulls up on the break for the open jumper:

Call me an alarmist, you firemen, but the early playoff vibes just don't seem right with the bruised Celtics. Even if they are 2-up with just 24 to go.

Not with Cedric Maxwell not playing the way he's not playing.

The green bumper sticker on my bandwagon now reads, "Injured Pride."

If it bothered you that much to watch Mark Clear pitch yesterday, how do you think Roger Clemens feels?



And is that Tracy Stallard, Jay Richie and Arnold Earley, those former all- time Red Sox relievers non-excellence, now humming, "On A Clear Day You Can Score Forever?" We all may have our choices - the wild throw on a bunt to the left-field corner, a hit batsman, falling behind the hitters - but mine is allowing Carlton Fisk to steal third in a glide off Clear with a lefty at bat. Sure, one more chance.

Steve Lyons is a double for Sean Penn, and that's not off The Wall.

Hagler-Hearns and the Montreal-Boston 1-0 playoff game in the Forum within two days were enough to make 1985 for me, even if Kenneth Sims once again doesn't lead the Patriots deep into the playoffs.

Does anybody know where Doug Flutie has gone? Just curious.

Liechtenstein's last call to arms excited me more than this year's NFL draft.

Have you considered that Herschel Walker is eligible for this year's lottery and not even the CFL seems interested in the Toy Bulldog?

George Steinbrenner's ignorance extends far beyond the white lines of baseball. (Surprised?) Steinbrenner bred and originally owned Eternal Prince, Saturday's romping winner of the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and a possible favorite in the Kentucky Derby. But Boy George sold him a year ago for $17,500. Last week, though, Steinbrenner paid $1 million to buy back three- eighths ownership of the colt. Horse sense or horse's . . .?

Dennis Johnson's light answer after his heavy words Saturday with Cleveland's Mark West: "I was just asking him where he got his uniform."

I would pay for a videotape reel of DJ's Defensive Highlights. Reely.

I was more interested in the Stanley Cup playoffs and the identity of the next Bruins' coach until I heard the Pittsburgh Penguins might be moving to Hamilton, Ontario.

Southern women are much more beautiful than Northern women; I took that away from the Masters, in lieu of a green jacket.

But the Masters' greatest victory was not by Hogan, Sarazen, Palmer or Nicklaus, but Augusta National's inflexible insistence that none of those infernal "CBS Sports" banners be hung anywhere on its golf course. It's reassuring to know that money can't yet buy everything.

Ted Turner has already shown he can't run a baseball team, a hockey team and a cable network; only in America could he now be considered an entrepreneur with a golden touch.

A recent poll in the Southeast showed that the Red Sox are the second most popular team after the Atlanta Braves; for Buddy LeRoux' information, that popularity is because the Red Sox play in Fenway Park, not the carpeted Stoughton (or is it Saugus?) Suburban Stadium.

A local college basketball coach was bringing up the latest lucrative fad in recruiting high school players. "The high school coach of the big star comes up to you, taps you on the arm and says, 'So how's the summer camp goin' ?' What the guy's looking for is to be invited to your camp as a one-day lecturer. If his star is big enough (say around 6-feet-11), the coach might get $4000 or $5000 from some of the big-name college coaches for his one-day appearance at their camps. If you don't invite the coach to speak at your camp, he tells his kid not to visit your campus. All legal, mind you, and the high school coach might make $25,000 or $30,000 over a summer."

So you say you were surprised by the scandal at Tulane?

Did a former local professional football coach have as much trouble at the Golden Nugget baccarat tables in Las Vegas prior to the Hagler-Hearns fight as he did keeping his job? The coach supposedly dropped $28,000 in one evening at baccarat.

Yes, Kevin McHale has been very impressive so far in this year's playoffs.

He has been playing to the Max.