As I've learned through my experiences as an avid poster and purveyor of blogs, I've found that when it comes to intelligent, factual discussions of the game and statistics that go along with it, talks with Celtic fans will inevitably end up with name calling and banning from their site (CelticsBlog) because they really don't have a leg to stand on beyond the same regurgitated propaganda they've been mechanically spewing for decades.

Celtic fans seem to forget that since 1986 their "storied" franchise has won exactly 1 world championship and 2 conference titles. A gap of 21 YEARS doesn't exactly lend itself to "legendary" status for a franchise. If championships are the measure of success and stature, the Celtics fall woefully behind the Lakers (6 titles since '86), Bulls, (6 titles since '86), Spurs (4 titles since '86) and Pistons (3 titles in '86).

Within that time frame as well, the Celtics have put teams on the floor that could easily be referred to as the embarrassing when put in the context of an elite franchise by ending their season with 32 wins in '94, 33 wins in '96, 15 wins in '97, 19 wins in strike-shortened '99, 33 wins in '06 and 24 wins in '07. By contrast the Boston Celtics chief rival, the Los Angeles Lakers, even during their "lean years" never ended up with less than 31 WINS (which just so happens to be the strike-shortened '99 season). Once again, becoming a lower-tier team, occassional doormat for the rest of the league, general irrelevance within the NBA and essentially beciming an afterthought by experts and fans alike doesn't exactly lend itself to a franchise's "legendary" status.

Most of Boston's "legend" comes from a time when a majority of it's current fans weren't even on the planet and the NBA consisted of a season that lasted less than 80 games and a whopping 8 TEAMS. As someone who follows the "human sports condition" I've found that the more fans of a certain franchise desperately hold on to and harp on past success, the less CURRENT success their franchise is experiencing. It's easy to scream and preach about past greatness and old numbers when someone is trying to drown out the whispers of current failures and the truth staring them directly in the face.

The fact of the matter is, when you take the NBA from it's consensus "Golden Age" (starting at 1980) there is only 1 ELITE franchise. The Los Angeles Lakers. 15 conference titles and 9 NBA Championships. Never winning less than 31 games in a season. Always remaining relevant within the league. When you take all of that in to account the Boston Celtics easily slide into the 2nd tier category alongside the Spurs, Bulls and Pistons.

It's that sort of truth, fact by numbers and reality that will get you banned from a site that although might claim to be a place for open discussion and debate is actually just another prototypical fansite catering to shouting down different points of view, regardless of how correct or truthful they may be.

I imagine when facts and truths hurt feelings it's just easier that way.