When the 2006-2007 Celtics season tips off tonight at TD Banknorth Garden a familiar face, the face of the franchise, will not be there for the first time in a half century. The city of Boston pays tribute today to Celtic legend Red Auerbach with other Celtic heroes like Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn, Jo Jo White and Robert Parish on hand for the ceremony at City Hall. Auerbach's body was laid to rest yesterday in Falls Church, Virginia in a private and simple ceremony in keeping with Jewish tradition. The Celtics are dedicating this season to Auerbach who died at 89 over the weekend with the wearing of a patch with his name on it...
Tomorrow, November 2nd marks the 60th anniversary of the first Celtics game in 1946. Played at the old Boston Arena, the Celtics lost to the Providence Steamrollers (huh ?) 59-53 and would finish the season with a dismal 22-38 record. Of course the fortunes of the Green & White would change dramatically in 1950, Red Auerbach's first season with the Celtics...
There's a terrific video tribute to Red Auerbach that contains great footage of the Auerbach era with the Celtics available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iESnNUeZ6o click on and enjoy...
Every ending contains a new beginning but with the passing of Red Auerbach, that ending may be permanent. No man past or present has meant more to a sports franchise and we'll never see his like again...
Ten Timeline Memories...
- [1848] The 1st medical school for women is founded in Boston. The Boston Female Medical School (catchy name) will later merge with Boston University School of Medicine...
- [1849] "Billboard Advertising" is published for the 1st time (it would later become known as "Billboard"...
- [1938] Seabiscuit beats War Admiral in a match race at Pimlico Race Course. With 40,000 fans on hand and a national radio audience, Seabiscuit breaks the track record for a mile and wins a purse of $15,000...
- [1950] Two Puerto Rican nationalists try to force their way into Blair House in Washington to assassinate President Harry S. Truman. One is killed...
- [1951] Brooklyn Dodger catcher Roy Campanella wins the 1st of his 3 MVP awards...
- [1952] The U.S. explodes the 1st H (for hydrogen) bomb in a test at Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands...
- [1959] Montreal's Jacques Plante becomes the NHL's 1st goalie to wear a mask after being hit in the face by a puck off the stick of the Rangers' Andy Bathgate in a game won by the Canadiens 3-1 at Madison Square Garden...
- [1964] The Dave Clark Five perform "Glad All Over" on "The Ed Sullivan Show"...
- [1973] Leon Jaworski is appointed the new Watergate special prosecutor...
- [2001] Scott Brosius hits a game-tying home run off of Arizona's Byung Hyun Kim, allowing the Yankees to beat the Diamondbacks in Game 5 of the World Series (Tino Martinez) hit one out against Kim the night before. The Yankees take a 3-2 WS lead...
"Happy Trails": 1947] The legendary racehorse "Man o' War" dies at the ripe old age of 30...1979] Former 1st Lady Mamie Eisenhower dies from natural causes at 82...1999] Football Hall of Famer Walter Payton dies of cancer at 45...
Wedding Bells: 1988] Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis walk down the aisle (this wedding will last 2 years...
#1 on this date: 1962] "He's a Rebel" - Crystals (Darlene Love)...1969] "Abbey Road" LP - Beatles (the 1st of 11 consecutive weeks)...1969] "Suspicious Minds" - Elvis Presley...1974] " You Haven't Done Nothin" - Steve Wonder (backed by Jackson Five)...1984] "Caribbean Queen" - Billy Ocean...
Premiered on this date: 1940] "A Night in the Tropics" (the 1st Abbott and Costello movie)...
Turning over a new leaf: 1946] WEAF changes call letters to WNBC...1959] WOV changes calls to WADO...
Hatfields vs. McCoys: 1970] In their 1st regular season meeting, the Giants beat the Jets 22-10 at Shea Stadium...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Jenny McCarthy 34, Lyle Lovett 49, Dan (America) Peek 56, Jim Steinman 58, Larry Flynt 64, Marcia Wallace 64, Gary Player 71 and James J. Kilpatrick 86...
Timeline Countdown: 60 days until 2007, 67 days until the NFL playoffs and 95 days until Super Bowl XLI.
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