It is a great feeling the day after the C's win a big one. If they go to LA and take down the Lakers by such a big margin even Jack Nicholson leaves in the third quarter its a good feeling. And while its a good feeling that night, its a better feeling the next morning. Its a lot like after you take a big test in high school or college and you just know you nailed it. That feels good, but it feels WAY better when you get that test back and there is a big fat 4-point-Zero of gratification on it.

Thats how I feel the next day after a big Celtics win. I read everything. I mean I read EVERYTHING. I will click on Ball Don't Lie's banner every 3 mins until Kelly Dwyer's fantastic "Behind the Box Score" feature comes out. I will read every single mother-luvin word with a smug sense of superiority and satisfaction reserved only for the best (or longtime die hard fans of the best).

Not this year. Something has changed. I first noticed it in November, after the blowout loss to Indiana. Then we dropped another to Denver. The nay sayers did what they do, some clamored for James Posey, some for Danny's head. Whatever. Standard over-reaction.

Then we won a whole bunch. Life was good. Quiet. It was good TV time. 19 games of wins. Just fantastic. But I didn't really care, because i knew it didn't matter. I'd read those articles the next day like I have for the past few years, and I wouldn't care. "Just the champs being champs" is what they'd say. Well, whatever. None of it matters anyways, not til the playoffs. Then the Lakers happened.

We were beaten, fair and square. I mean excuses were easy to come by, and for the most part, easily accepted. And that's how its been since. We're 27-17 since Christmas. That's a .613 winning %. If we'd played at that level the entire season, we'd still be third in the East by a considerable margin, which is where we are right now anyways. So what, right?

Well here is my point. I do not care. I don't care that we're watching Kevin Garnett's mins, and he's been out a bunch. I don't care that Tony Allen is injured, or that Brian Scalabrine might be done for the year, or that Stephon Marbury is rusty, or Mikki Moore has to embrace the system, or that Leon Powe needs to rest, I just don't care!

I also don't care that you lost. It means literally NOTHING at this point. Stop justifying it with excuses. Ya lost, we're here now, and ya lost. We can't get home court, our guys are hurt, I know, I understand, stop telling me. I don't care to hear it anymore.

Nine games left undecided before the playoffs. If we go 0-9, I would not be any more angry sad depressed or upset than I am now. If we go 9-0 I will not be any more happy, elated, excited or pumped up than I am now. We're not gonna set any records, we don't put up regular season conference banners, so let me tell you I do not care. Bring on the playoffs already, because Im sick of hearing excuses. All I've heard and read since Christmas has been excuses.

What I want to see, is this team play the best it can possibly play, when it counts, and win. It starts counting in 9 games. Until then, I don't care.