A Daily Babble Production
Thank you for sharing this one with me. Each and every one of you.
Yes, we have an official thank-you thread going in the forums, and yes, I've written some verbose commentaries on this subject on a couple of other threads over the past few months, but for the people who allow this space to be what it is every day, one day of tribute right here couldn't hurt either. At the mark of completion of my first season with CelticsBlog and the dawning of a new era of good feeling for the green, the time is more than ripe.
I have a confession to make: When I signed on to write here, I didn't have a clue as to what I was getting myself into. When I e-mailed Jeff Clark to inquire about joining CelticsBlog (in any possible capacity in which he'd take me on) at four o'clock on a chilly Tuesday morning in December, I knew only that I was in need of (for a myriad of reasons) a new place to write and a new audience. I knew Jeff had a rather successful site that would offer both of those opportunities if he was willing to have me aboard, and it certainly couldn't hurt that I was a diehard Celtics fan.
I didn't have a clue.
I didn't join just a web site or blog when I came here. I joined a community.
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From the moment I arrived, I began accumulating debt. It is now an enormous debt of gratitude that I owe this community.
The open arms of Jeff, Bob and Green at the top were as welcoming as could have been imagined. The dedication that Jeff holds toward maintaining and expanding a community friendly to Celtics fans of all shapes and sizes is truly impressive, and only a fraction of that is plainly visible on a daily basis. Even less visible but no less important is the work of Bob Day and Green17, who spend countless hours taking care of the unseen to make life (and site navigation) as convenient as possible for the rest of us. On top of all that, I owe all three of you an extra thanks for taking a chance on me and giving me your full confidence and essential free reign on the NBA section from day one. What a pleasant working environment. It's appreciated, fellas.
As for the moderators, wow. I have no idea how they all do it. Between the three people at the top and these folks, the forums here have amazed me from day one. I hadn't been a big-time fan board guy previously because the tendency on the Internet for constant battles of who could shout the other down more nastily seemed to too often leave little room for productive or enjoyable discussion and thus turned me off. The level of decor here is outstanding, which leads to higher levels of unadulterated discussion and an excellent rapport between the members here. And that's the most amazing part of it all: With the wide range of topics covered here, the beauty of the off-topic forum and the civility of the members toward each other, the folks here aren't just basketball-watching machines sitting on the other end of an Internet connection somewhere. They're three-dimensional real people worth taking the time to get to know at least a bit better. A special thank-you to all our moderators for facilitating all of this with your tireless efforts.
Of course, I would be remiss to mention the mods without some props to my main man on site, the incomparable Roy Hobbs. Your eloquent manner of handling everything in the forums never ceases to amaze me, and your willingness to chat with me about any number of Celtics, hoops and site-related subjects is greatly appreciated. It's always a pleasure, sir. Thank you. And to Redz as well, for always being there to indulge me with reminiscences of Kream n' Kone, Max Scherzer (Mizzou-rah!) updates, stories of his broadcasting days and evil clowns galore.
To my fellow writers on site, I tip my cap to all of you. I'll never forget that the night our boys won the championship, it was CelticBalla32 who was still chatting with me and exchanging links to pictures and press conferences of revelry as the sun came up the next morning.
Really, though I'm six months in, I'm still only beginning to discover all that CelticsBlog has to offer. Master Po leads the chat domain beautifully by all accounts, and while I still have yet to get a chance to call in (I need to make some time to do so soon), the Celtics Stuff Live gang is fantastic. Special thanks to Justin Poulin for his ongoing help in the credential realm as well.
But for all the staff here does on a regular basis, there is only one entity here that makes it all worth it, that makes it mean something on a regular basis: You.
It has been and continues to be an absolute dream to write for this group of readers. Collectively, you all are so far beyond simply being well-informed and articulate that it blows me away. It is the silent presence of the many that simply read the Daily Babble that helps give my words meaning. It is the beautifully written commentary of so many vocal readers with such a diverse array of perspectives that ensures that the writing I do here isn't a lecture by one rambling idiot but instead a conversation between one rambling idiot and a group of insightful readers. It is your willingness to actively engage each other both in basketball-related and personal discussion that leads to the combination of high-level interacton and camaraderie that we have in the forums.
I have learned so much from you folks this season -- both inside the realm of basketball and beyond -- and been entertained even more. Thank you for all of that, and thank you for opening yourselves to me just as I do to you each and every day.
Bahku and I have had too many wee-hours conversations to count about everything from hoops to music to family to writing. On the night the Celtics became champions, I found it ironic that I wound up chatting with Who -- right up there for biggest-time round-the-clock hoops junkie around here -- about ways to find free installments of the Karate Kid movies online. Even though we hail from different generations, nazzbo and I share a bond over the unique combination of the Celtics and Monta Ellis. Mcpu40 is willing to challenge me and make me think about something from a different angle. CoachBo always seems to be saying exactly what's on my mind. 'No kidding' taught me a valuable lesson about the phrase "through the wringer" a few weeks back. Thruthelookingglass makes me smile for some reason. Casperian always seems to have something new to add to the discussion. The Walker Wiggle kindly isn't holding a grudge against me for some Kobe-gushing earlier in the playoffs -- at least I hope he isn't. Finkelskyhook had me rolling with his edgy commentary in a recent thread about a certain suspended ESPN writer who has become persona non grata 'round these parts.
That's just ten members that come to mind off the top of my head -- and absolutely no disrespect to anyone not mentioned here. Because the truth is that I could do that sort of thing for just about every member that I've interacted with on this site, but it might overload CelticsBlog's bandwidth right then and there. This would lead to two things: A considerably more subdued title celebration on this site, and Bob Day breaking my legs. Since I'm not looking for either of those consequences, I'll have to wrap up for now, but please know that the gratitude extends to every single one of you.
Above all else, it is you who make this community what it is. You have welcomed me in with open arms. As many of you are aware, I'm a New York native who also spends time out in the Midwest each year, so it is truly you who have included me in the first community of Celtics fans I've ever been a part of. You have been there for comisseration of all sorts all the way through, and you have brought me comfort all year in the knowledge that it isn't only in the Weinman household that obsession over the green happens.
I would be lying if I said that anything matches the significance that enjoying this season alongside my father -- The Guru -- has held for me.
But you folks have only made this magical ride that much sweeter.
So from the bottom of my heart, thanks so much for making every second of the time I put in here thoroughly worth it to me, and thanks for giving me hours of entertaining interaction to look forward to over the long off-season ahead and all that will follow.
CelticsBlog: Where community happens.