BOSTON — The Boston Celtics and GE today announced a multi-year partnership in which the world’s leading digital industrial company will become the team’s exclusive Data and Analytics Partner. GE, which moved its global headquarters to Boston in 2016, will receive a number of marketing assets, including the first jersey patch partnership in the team’s history, beginning in the 2017-18 season.
A key component of the relationship will center around GE’s ability to provide the 17-time NBA Champions with its best-in-class expertise, products and insights across data science, medical equipment, and lighting solutions. Terms of the partnership were not disclosed. The Celtics will seek to leverage GE’s expertise in a variety of areas, including player performance, injury prevention, and business optimization. The parties will work closely to integrate GE’s technology into the team’s basketball facilities, particularly as it relates to the Celtics’ state-of-the-art Auerbach Center at New Balance Headquarters, scheduled to open in 2018. The GE patch will feature the company’s iconic logo in team colors, and appear on the front left shoulder of game jerseys beginning in the 2017-18 season. Jersey sponsorships were approved as part of a three-year pilot program by the NBA Board of Governors in April 2016. In announcing the partnership, Celtics president Rich Gotham said, “GE will be woven into the fabric of the Boston Celtics both literally and figuratively. Their leadership in innovation, analytics, and technology will help us to be as competitive as we can be in everything from optimizing our facilities and equipment to player performance. Simply put, GE will make us a better and smarter basketball team and organization.” “GE and the Boston Celtics both have rich histories of tradition and innovation and we’re thrilled to bring these two iconic brands together in a way that will drive further success for the team and pride in the City of Boston,” said GE Chief Marketing Officer Linda Boff. “The Celtics will become another key ally in GE’s mission to help make Boston an epicenter of tech innovation.” The two Boston based organizations will collaborate on a series of community initiatives as part of their partnership. GE has already committed $50 million to the City and surrounding areas to improve STEM education in Boston Public Schools, improve community health care, and drive future skills development in diverse populations. The Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation extends the reach of the Celtics championship legacy into the community through programs that directly benefit children in need. GE will also be integrated into highly visible team platforms, including:
GE’s partnership with the Boston Celtics adds to the company’s sports marketing portfolio, which includes partnerships with the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee. In addition, GE Healthcare has an ongoing collaboration with the NBA to promote orthopedic and sports medicine research for the benefit of NBA players and the general public. The Celtics partnered with WME | IMG’s Global Partnerships group on the jersey patch opportunity. My immediate reaction:
I don't need to hear about all the good GE is doing for Boston or how this move is inevitable throughout the entire NBA.
I still despise this move. The Boston Celtics uniforms are one of the most iconic and classic uniforms throughout all of sports. They're like the Yankees or Packers in the sense that they really haven't changed in like 60 years.
They didn't even add an alternate jersey until the 2005-06 season. The Celtics held out longer than any other franchise in the NBA to add a 3rd jersey. Mainly because of the history of the Celtics uniform. Now like everybody else in the NBA they have those hideous sleeved uniforms in their repertoire, but they still have the same classic white homes and green aways.
Now they're going to be a build board. I guess it could be worse at least they are making it match the color scheme, I just think this is a sad day for basketball.
Teams don't need to do this. They aren't starving, it's not the early 1980's where it looked liked the NBA was in serious trouble finically. They're doing just fine. But when there's another avenue to make money, they're gonna do it. That's how business works, at the end of the day it's all about the bottomline and with the chance for teams to cash in on selling ads on their uniforms owners aren't gonna care about history or legacy. That isn't what lines their pockets. It's a day basketball fans knew was coming, and I expect more teams to make announcements of their upcoming sponsors in the next few weeks and months but I just really hate that the Celtics are doing this. They aren't the Memphis Grizzlies or Minnesota Timberwolves. It's the fucking Boston Celtics. They don't need to stoop to this. Along with the Lakers they ARE the NBA. Make no mistake even though they both are legit title contenders they will always be the fabric of the league and the two most important franchises. You'd think maybe a team with that stature wouldn't need to sell out but obviously that's not the case. The one thing I hope with this is that they don't have the sponsors on jerseys for sale. If you want to be a billboard on the court that's one thing, but fans shouldn't have to rock that shit in the stands. I'm sure in a few years this won't be a big deal but right now I'm pissed and more so just bummed out that the Celtics are doing this when they really don't NEED to.
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Song: The Old Apartment Artist: Barenaked Ladies Album: Born on a Pirate Ship (1996)
Michael Scott said it best. I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious. That's how I feel here. Because normally I'd never be so brash and sure about the outcome of a game before it takes place. Especially the Super Bowl. I've learned the hard way about that. However in this given situation I have a pretty good feeling that I know the Patriots will win. I can back it with actual facts and history dating all the way back to 2004. Please allow me to explain:
I try to play the odds in life. If I'm at a casino and see the roulette wheel has landed on red 4 times in a row- I'll always bet black. The odds of 5 straight of any color hitting are pretty low. If I'm about to play some keno at a bar and see that my numbers just hit. I'll wait a few games, 25 and 58 probably aren't coming up together in back to back games. Just basically probability. However those are games of chance. As much as I think I've figured out the system, my bank account would tell you otherwise. Football however, is not a game of chance. It's played out on the football field. While the best team doesn't always win, the best team on that day does. We've seen this time after time throughout the history of the Super Bowl with stunning upsets such as Super Bowl's 3, 4, 32, 36, and 42. I don't want to get cocky or overconfident but I have a little stat for you that basically already has sealed the outcome of Super Bowl LI.
Congratulations to the New England Patriots for winning Super Bowl LI. It was a crazy season. No Brady for the first four games? Didn't matter. Pats went 3-1. Trade away Jamie Collins? Didn't matter. Defense allowed the fewest points in the league. Gronk out for the season? Didn't matter. Still won the Super Bowl.
Has the game been played yet? Technically it has not been, but that doesn't matter. I'm because of a little known trend that I have picked up on from my years as a football fan. While I'm not a big superstition or jinx guy a trend like this over such a long sample size has to carry a little weight. The team that has worn white has won 11 of the last 12 Super Bowls. Every team with the exception of the 2010 Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV has donned their road whites. Super Bowl XXXIX. Jacksonville, Florida. Patriots 24 Eagles 21
Super Bowl XL
Detroit, Michigan Steelers 21 Seahawks 10
Super Bowl XLI
Miami, Florida Colts 29 Bears 17
Super Bowl XLII
Glendale, Arizona Giants 17 Patriots 14
(The Giants wore white)
Super Bowl XLIII
Tampa, Florida Steelers 27 Cardinals 23
Super Bowl XLIV
Miami, Florida Saints 31 Colts 17
Super Bowl XLV
Arlington, Texas Packers 31 Steelers 25
Super Bowl XLVI
Indianapolis, Indiana Giants 21 Patriots 17
Super Bowl XLVII
New Orleans, Louisiana Ravens 34 49ers 31
Super Bowl XLVIII
East Rutherford, New Jersey Seahawks 43 Broncos 8
Super Bowl XLIX
Glendale, Arizona Patriots 28 Seahawks 24
Super Bowl 50
Santa Clara, California Broncos 24 Panthers 10
The conferences rotate between home and away every Super Bowl. Normally the home team in the NFL wears their colored uniforms, so you'd think they would in the Super Bowl too? Not always, in 2005 the Steelers were the home team but chose to wear white since they were the road team in every playoff game for their Super Bowl run as they were a wild card and wanted to keep what they had going. It worked as they beat the 13-3 Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.
Then last season the Broncos were supposed to be in their home oranges but chose to wear white. Makes me wonder if they knew about the trend? So again congrats to the New England Patriots on their 5th Super Bowl Championship! I can't wait to watch it happen in those road whites. Song: I Give You Power Artist: Arcade Fire (featuring Mavis Staples) Pretty impressive that The Weeknd was able to get his Real Estate license considering how busy he is ruling the pop music world. He is deeper in the Bieb's head right now than he'll be in Selena later tonight. I'm not a Bieber guy. I don't really fuck with his music, not gonna be a total hardo and act like he doesn't have some okay songs, but overall I don't like that dude at all. I think he's a punk ass bitch tbh. I wish he'd go away. I don't know all the backstory between him and Selena Gomez, because I'm 25, straight and listen to real music. I just know they have a history together. Apparently she's with The Weeknd now and the Biebs does not like that. Not one bit. (Joker voice) He made it clear in this video from TMZ where he said "Hell no, I can't listen to a Weeknd Song. That shit's wack." when asked if he listens to his music. It's hard to relate to Justin Bieber given his status and fame, but I think most guys could right about now. He's butt hurt that his girl is with someone else. Who hasn't talked shit about their exes' new man? The only problem is most people usually will say they're better looking or have a better job and don't understand what she's doing. Bieber is just out here making the ridiculous accusation of all time. Yu=oy calling the Weeknd's music wack is like me saying Lebron James is bad at basketball. I hate Lebron but I can acknowledge his greatness. It's just crazy to me to see this because despite being a multimillionaire and loved by millions Bieber can still be like a regular dude. No amount money can change that he's salty AF about his ex being with another guy. He's like any bum in the world. It's a story as old as time. He might make more money in the time it takes for me to finish typing this sentence than I'll make all year but he's really not so different from me or you. This video shows that pretty clearly since, the Weeknd has the #1 album in the country right now and is one of the hottest acts in all of music. But according to Justin his music is "wack". Makes a lot of sense.... Saying that just ends the battle right there. You've lost bro. I know you're like 5 foot 5 but sometimes you need to be the bigger man. Calling him wack because he's fucking your girl doesn't change how good his music is and makes you look like an even bigger bitch than before, which honestly didn't seem possible. You gotta comeback with something better than "his shit is wack" I don't know if you've ever listened to the Weeknd but he's incredible, absolute fire. I love his music. He has one of most soulful voices I've ever heard. He's been called the next Michael Jackson and for good reason. He's incredible. Nobody thinks he's wack except for Bieber and his boys that would tell him the the sky is red if that's what he wanted to hear. I know you're upset bro (you're not really my bro I'm just trying to be nice) but saying the Weeknd's music is wack is laughable. I know that's tough pill to swallow, just ask Selena.
This just in Joe Thomas has been suspended for 4 games by Roger Goodell for talking shit on to him on twitter.
I've always been a Joe Thomas guy. He's the best and most underrated linemen in the NFL. He doesn't get the national credit he deserves, mainly because he's played his entire career as an offensive linemen on the worst team in football (Cleveland Browns). But he is a future HOFer. He played together on the O-line with Alex Mack in Cleveland for 7 years protecting the likes of Brandon Weeden, Brady Quinn and Colt McCoy. They've been through some shit together. Yet despite that he'd would rather see Tom Brady win the Super Bowl. And for that I love him more than I ever have before. We all should be like Joe Thomas. Rooting for Tom Brady. Rooting for Justice. Now I get it, people hate the Patriots, but Deflate-gate was a straight up witch hunt with no clear evidence. It was just one man who's drunk with power, who is awful at his job that wanted to destroy a legend because he doesn't like him. I don't need to get much more deeper into that because he all know by now. This Super Bowl to me is a lot like the 2001 World Series where it's okay to root for the favorite/bad guy if you have no dog in the fight. That series only time it was okay for Yankee haters to root for them after 9/11 and all they were doing for the city to heal. Now I'm not comparing the two events because we all know what was worse, but that series is the most glaring example of my lifetime where people had a great reason to pull for the favorite to win. A reason to root for a team they hated. I was only in 4th grade and can vaguely remember what was going but I remember being in school in hearing teachers say that's why they wanted the Yankees to win the World Series despite being 3 time defending champs and being Red Sox fans because of 9/11. While I hope the outcome in the Super Bowl for the Patriots sake is not like the Yankees in that 2001 World Series the fact remains that if you're a fan of justice you should be rooting for the Patriots to win the Super Bowl so that little bitch has to give Tom Brady the Lombardi in front of 200 million people. It will be the best moment in television history. That is if Roger Goodell even shows up to the game.
Tom Brady is the man and if you disagree you're wrong and probably just a hater. Straight up. I don't need to prove anything to you, he's the best.
Dude's had an IG for like 20 minutes and he's already the best account I follow. He gets it. Not only is he the greatest quarterback in NFL history but he is also pretty good at being funny on facebook and now instagram. The easiest way to be funny on the internet (and it's ironic that I'm saying this because I suck at it) is all about making references to stuff. Look on twitter, fb, instagram or any blog on the internet and they're all littered with references to movies, tv shows, history, etc. Being funny in 2017 is basically about remembering the best quotes and knowing the perfect time to sprinkle them into conversation. Pixar has made literally billions of dollars off of that.
In 8th grade someone asked my history teacher why weed needed to learn about the past and he gave the most honest and best reply possible. To understand jokes. The most important reason to know history is so that you can understand jokes and get references.
TB12 get that. Sure the Hangover came out in 2009 but it doesn't matter that line fits so perfectly for the situation. He is kind of a one man wolfpack but it has since grown with Jimmy and Jacoby. Let's just hope Tom doesn't slice his hand open like a crazy person and give them roofies instead of ecstasy. That does not end well. Also probably for the best that he left out the part about running around the desert with each other, looking for strippers and cocaine. As fun as that can be, that's not until AFTER the Super Bowl. I've done a lot of stupid things in my life. I once had blonde spiked bangs. I've spent more money than I'd like to admit on Candy Crush. I majored in history in college. But nothing compares to me getting so stressed out and worried about the Patriots playing the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game despite knowing that the Patriots own the Steelers. The Steelers stink. Sure they've won 6 Super Bowls but 4 came in the 1970's when free agency didn't exist. They can't beat the Patriots and I've known and said that for years. Yet going into the game I was about 2 seconds away from having a panic attack from the nerves. It's just the type of fan I am. When they lose I'm devastated, because when it happens it's usually in the playoffs in the most heart breaking of fashion. Sure they've won 4 Super Bowls but the losses in big games hurt way more than how good wins feel. I know that makes me sound like an ass hole but you know what. I only sound like an ass hole because it's true and that pisses people off. With the Patriots and their long reign of success you almost don't even get to enjoy the wins. It's like a relief more than a celebration. They're supposed to win. We're better than everybody. Now before I get started, I don't need some losers chirping me that Le'Veon Bell only ran the ball 6 times before leaving with an injury because I'm well aware, I watched the game too. I don't think it mattered that much because I think the Patriots were going to eliminate him anyways, that's what they do. They take out your best player and make others beat you. They had prepared for his slow, wait and see running style and it showed. He only had 20 yards at the time. It's not like he got hurt after torching them for two long touchdown runs. The Pats defense was ready. In a weird way when he came out I think it helped because D'Angelo Williams was running wild like it's 2008 after his first few carries. I think it almost should've helped Pittsburgh because it gave the Pats a look they might have not been expecting since the Steelers have been heavily relying on Bell all postseason. But everything I thought about the Pittsburgh Steelers came to fruition. Big Ben sucks on the road. We saw that last night. Don't let his stat line or Phil Simms fool you. He did not have a good game.
Pittsburgh does not have a good defense. We really saw that last night as they decided to not cover Chris Hogan at all as he torched them for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns. Tom Brady does not lose the Steelers. He still has never lost to them at home or even thrown an interception against them in Foxboro. The 39 year old QB who is many are trying to say will fall off is heading to his record 7th Super Bowl and had an okay game.
Bill Belichick is never going to get out coached by Mike Tomlin. As we saw last night where he wasted a challenge reviewing a fumble that had no clear video showing what happened. You can't do things like that against the Pats. The New England Patriots simply own the Pittsburgh Steelers. It doesn't matter where, or when the game is played. Since Bill Belichick became the Patriots head coach, when the Pats play the Steelers you an chalk it up in the W column.
Yet despite all that I was still terrified going into the game. That's on me for not having more faith. You'd think after 16 years and a million wins I'd know by now, but as stated earlier, I'm an idiot who was got convinced to have blonde spiked hair. Grass is green. Water is wet. Tom Brady owns the Pittsburgh Steelers. I apologize for not having more faith. Now go get that 5th ring and make Roger Goodell kiss it. 9 catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns. That line sums up what both Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons and Chris Hogan of the New England Patriots did in their respective conference championship games. Monster days at the office. Stat twins if you will. That is basically where the similarities end. Julio Jones is without a doubt a top 5 WR in the NFL. IMO he's #2 after Antonio Brown. The dude is absolute freak. #1 WR prospect in the nation going into college. Won a National Title at Alabama. The only Alabama offensive player of the Nick Saban era of Alabama to became a super star in the NFL. #6 overall draft pick. 4 time Pro Bowler. 2 time First-Team All Pro. Nearly 500 catches for almost 7,500 yards in his career. He's on his way to the Hall of Fame at this pace. It's not a huge surprise when superstars like him have games like this on the biggest stage. This was Julio Jones in college. Chris Hogan on the other hand was undrafted, and has been cut by three different teams. After playing 3 seasons with the Buffalo Bills the Patriots signed up to a 3 year 12 million contract. Given how his career arc was going at the time it was very surprising signing. He had under 1000 receiving yards in his NFL career. I can't lie I hated the signing when it happened. Another short white receiver on the Patriots. Stop be if you've heard that one before. It ended up being a great signing. Hogan lead the league in yards per catch with 17.9 per grab. But the fact he's even in the NFL is remarkable. Hogan played 1 year of college football at the football factory Monmouth University. This is what Chris Hogan was doing for most of his college days. That's right, Hogan was a lacrosse player at Penn State. We just had a lax bro put up the same stat line in a conference championship game as Julio Jones. Think about how insane that is? Literally the exact same line. 9 for 180 and 2 TDs. I've said it before, I'm not a math guy, but wow what are the odds of that happening? I would love to know what that bet pays off. What's even crazier is that in this one game Hogan had more yards (180) than he did in his entire college career (147). In the biggest game of both of their careers these two WR showed the fuck out for 9 grabs 180 yards and two trips to the end zone. Now they'll be facing off in the Super Bowl. That's the beautiful thing about sports. It doesn't matter who you are. Any day can be your day. Sometimes it's an All-Pro doing all All-Pro things, other times it's a dude who spent his college years crushing natty lights sniping ducks with his morning spoon. Like Kevin Garnett said, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. Song: Love on the Weekend Artist: John Mayer Album(EP): The Search for Everything-Wave One (2017) |
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