It just occurred to me that we might have a lot of new readers these days. It only makes sense. The Celtics are one of only 4 teams left in the playoffs and they happen to be one of the most interesting storylines of the year. So non-Celtics fans and casual Boston fans are tuning in and checking out this site in droves.

First of all, welcome to CelticsBlog!  We are glad you found us. Feel free to register a username and tell us how you found us in the comments or the forums.

Secondly, I want to help get you caught up so you feel even more at home here.   Some things to understand:

Rondo's success (and struggles) are not a surprise to us. I heard some national radio personality talk about the "revelation" that Rajon Rondo has been in these playoffs. Not to CelticsBlog readers. We were cautiously optimistic headed into the season. As the season played out, we flat out fell in love with him. Any doubts we once had, vanished over the course of 66 wins. That radio guy sited the Sam Cassell mid-season pickup as an indication that the team wasn't so sure about having a second year player running the team.   Not so in our eyes. The only question was who would be Rondo's backup. Eddie House has always been an excellent shooter, but he's never really been a point guard, and that made us nervous. With that said, like any point guard, Rondo has some bad games now and then. As a second year player, you have to expect that. But nobody runs the offense with more efficiency than Rondo. He has maturity beyond his years and the respect of his teammates. And he has the hearts of CelticsBlog regulars.

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We still love Ray Allen, but we're concerned. I honestly can't think of someone who has struggled more and gotten more leash from Celtics fans than Ray Allen. He has enough class and respect stored up to last another 12 months if need be, but that's not the only reason we're still (mostly) behind him. For all his shooting woes, you can still see him out there making heady plays. He's driving the ball and finding open teammates. He seldom forces shots, even when it might be a good idea to get himself back into a rhythm. Plus, most of us still feel like he's going to break out for another 25 point performance any day now. On the other hand, only those with blind faith can overlook the fact that his production has plummeted when we need him the most (the playoffs). We knew his stats would be somewhat down from his career averages from playing with two other superstars. What we didn't count on was a disappearing act in the playoffs thus far. I don't think we are ready to toss him under the bus just yet, but clearly we have reason to be concerned about him.

We don't always agree with Bill Simmons.  Sports Guy is a talented writer and a fun read, but he doesn't always speak for all of us.  We are a divided group on the subject of Doc Rivers.  Not everyone thinks that he is the root of all that ails us, but enough people do to make it a healthy debate.

We're pretty bi-polar, and this team isn't helping matters. During the regular season, the Celtics were either winning by a large margin or losing close games. It seemed like an excellent formula going into the playoffs. Unfortunately that trend ended with the season. Now, when the team is on, they are really on and fans feel like we are on top of the world. Bring on the best and we'll send them home. When they are off, they are really off and it looks like we don't belong in the playoffs at all. I can't explain it. You would think with 3 stars, someone would be stepping up every game and we'd at least have a shot in every game. Not so. As fans, our confidence is shaken with every loss, but the more this team survives, the more faith we have that it will work out in the end. If this team wins the title, it will feel like an epic journey where every inch had to be fought for. If they lose, ...well, I'm not quite ready to think about that just yet.

With that brief introduction to our psyche, I'd like to show you around the rest of the site.

The Blog: Of course the main driving force behind this site is the blog, thus the name CelticsBlog.  My name is Jeff Clark and I'm the lead writer and founder of CelticsBlog but there are now several writers who contribute posts and articles on a regular basis.  We cover everything from game previews and reviews to trade rumors to team analysis and more.  The goal is simply to give voice to the thoughts and emotions of Celtics fans everywhere and encourage discussion and community here on the site.

The Chat Room: The chat is a great place to visit when watching a game. It is like a virtual home crowd where you can get instant feedback and reactions from fans just like you that couldn't get a ticket to the game.

The Forums: We have a great community of Celtics diehards that discuss the games, debate Doc's rotations, and basically talk about everything related to the Celtics and a number of thing totally unrelated to the team.

Celtics Stuff Live: Wouldn't it be cool if there was a podcast about the Celtics where you could listen to it live and interact with the hosts by either calling in or by chatting online with them real time? You are in luck! Celtics Stuff Live is all that and more. They use our press pass to get interviews with players and coaches and have some great guests joining the show every week.

CelticsBlog NBA: We eat, drink, and breathe Celtics around here, but we also appreciate the fact that there are other teams in the league. That's why we started our own NBA blog. Led by Steve Weinman, there are quality articles about the NBA posted every day.  It has been very helpful to get to know our upcoming opponents and observe how other teams handle the stress of the playoffs.

CelticsBlog Shop!: Once you've gotten the hang of things around here, chances are pretty good that you'll never want to leave. Chances are pretty good that you'll want to tell all your friends about the site too (well, at least we encourage that). What better way than to buy a T-shirt or a coffee mug with our site's logo? Get the word out and support the site and get some cool stuff in the process.

Daily Links: We have perhaps the most comprehensive daily links of any NBA site in the world thanks to the dedicated work of FLCeltsFan. If there's an article or blog post about the Celtics, chances are you'll find it there in short order every day.

Partnerships: As the site has grown, we've developed some great connections with other organizations.  Celtics Pride is an ESPN Radio show that airs after every home game that has partnered with CelticsBlog for years. Comcast Sports Net has recently teamed with CelticsBlog for a number of collaborative efforts, including LiveBlogs with CSN personalities like Mike Gorman. Finally, we have a robust link exchange program that helps us collaborate with all kinds of blogs and websites.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but that's a pretty good introduction to the site. I hope you have enjoyed your stay thus far and I encourage you to check back often. We update very regularly and there's always something to talk about on the site. Take care and go Celtics!