Celtic off-court discussion

Smokey Joe

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Ccould substantiate that definitive claim?

Brad specifically referred to the CBA during his T&R interview, though I admit to not seeing anything definitive.

I’m not a lawyer but at least tangentially aware of HIPAA requirements and believe the team disclosing health related status about a specific player would be on the wrong side of that line.



Not sure I get this. Are you stating the team is choosing not to disclose when they could be?
HIPAA is directed towards healthcare providers and healthcare businesses and has nothing to do with health information once you have shared it or given your permission to share it with, your employer for example. If your Grandmother calls you to tell you that Aunt Doris is in the hospital to get her gall bladder taken out is not a HIPAA violation unless your Grandma is Aunt Doris’s surgeon.
A basketball team is not a healthcare company. It has access to whatever healthcare information the player grants to it and can share that information based on their contract, confidentiality agreements, common sense and common decency. HIPAA does not apply.
 

Jimbodandy

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At the end of the day, the Celtics don't owe Sully and Fitzy an explanation, nor do they owe Clickbait Felger one.

Anyone who has watched Belichick non-answer shit like this for over two decades should be tracking.
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

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Why are people making this so confusing?

Someone(s) on the team is not vaccinated. The team has seen how much scrutiny unvaccinated players have received. They've decided it's better to answer some form of the same question everyday - "whos unvaccinated?" - instead of submitting an individual to that scrutiny.

The only reason people are pushing back here is because they want the blood of the unvaccinated. Which makes it even more understandable why the team has taken the stance they have.

If it comes back to bite the team, that's the bed they made. Other than that? Whatever.
 

Cesar Crespo

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I'll find it incredibly hard to be invested in the Celtics going forward if they have a bunch of players sitting out in Toronto during the playoffs and lose.

Just seems like a slap in the face to the fans who follow the team. Not to mention their fellow teammates, unless they are sitting out with them.

I don't see it being an issue, personally. Hope I'm right because if someone important is sitting out... ugh. Nice reward for following the shit show for the last 1.5 years.
 

Auger34

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It could simply be gamesmanship, which is my guess. That or it's some scrub who isn't going to play anyway.
Yeah, it seems like every rotation player (orplayer with a chance to play) is vaccinated. Wbcd has done a good job going through old news reports and putting it all together and it seems to me that everyone is vaccinated. I think Jaylen’s leadership position with the PA is why they haven’t officially commented.
 

RorschachsMask

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DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Lets be more precise and assume that all Celtics players are fully vaccinated. Until or unless they actually play in Toronto or they change tact and explicitly state that all players are fully vaxxed, this will be a story. It may just be noise but reporters/bloggers as well as fans will continue to sniff around it for obvious reasons.

The Celtics really could make it go away immediately if they were so inclined.
 

Eddie Jurak

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This is a nontroversy. Every Celtic who matters will be playing in Toronto, save Rob who won't yet be back from his surgery.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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This is a nontroversy. Every Celtic who matters will be playing in Toronto, save Rob who won't yet be back from his surgery.
To be clear, I believe you are correct. But this forum is not an arbiter of what stories the media chooses to cover. Maybe that JB statement ends it but it won't be a shock if there are more questions. Its essentially a gimme for anyone looking to stir up drama.
 

Eddie Jurak

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To be clear, I believe you are correct. But this forum is not an arbiter of what stories the media chooses to cover. Maybe that JB statement ends it but it won't be a shock if there are more questions. Its essentially a gimme for anyone looking to stir up drama.
True. But it is another example of media laziness. "They won't do my reporting for me." If you think Jayston Tatum* is unvaccinated and will have to miss playoff games in Toronto, then get some sources to tell you that and report it - it would rightly be a huge story.

Instead they are being lazy and using a team and player policy decision to spin up a nontroversy.

* I think that if Tatum or any other key Celtic were unvaccinated, a good reporter could get that story.
 

Jimbodandy

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True. But it is another example of media laziness. "They won't do my reporting for me." If you think Jayston Tatum* is unvaccinated and will have to miss playoff games in Toronto, then get some sources to tell you that and report it - it would rightly be a huge story.

Instead they are being lazy and using a team and player policy decision to spin up a nontroversy.

* I think that if Tatum or any other key Celtic were unvaccinated, a good reporter could get that story.
They are being lazy. This is a great point. But they're also being clickbaity, and clearly that shit works. Even Crespo, who's a smart guy, is saying essentially "fuck these guys if they lose a series because vaccination status" like 8 posts ago, when there's legit no fucking earthly reason to spend 3 brain cells worrying about that except for clickbait shithead media.

Each of us can tune out the garbage or worry about it. Our individual choices.
 

PRabbit

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What incentive does the team have to release player vaccination status to the talking heads, anyway? League offices have the players records. A giant nothingburger.
 

DGreenwood

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It could simply be gamesmanship, which is my guess. That or it's some scrub who isn't going to play anyway.
It's not a scrub. The scrubs were all in Toronto last week so we know they're all vaccinated. If there is any unvaccinated player on the Celtics, it would absolutely have to be from the group that didn't make the trip last week. That means TL, AL, JT, or JB. Those are the only possibilities.

Just to be extremely clear, I'm not saying I think any of those four are unvaccinated, I'm only saying that we're positive everyone else is.
 
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Jody Reed's 1988 Mustache

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I don’t think any of this is related to a specific player’s vaccination status or gamesmanship or anything else. It seems to me that the team likely met before the season and they all agreed not to comment on any individual’s vaccination status and everyone, to a man, has stuck to that commitment. That’s all it is.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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I don’t think any of this is related to a specific player’s vaccination status or gamesmanship or anything else. It seems to me that the team likely met before the season and they all agreed not to comment on any individual’s vaccination status and everyone, to a man, has stuck to that commitment. That’s all it is.
This may well be the case but we keep dancing around the issue. There is literally only one party in this "story" who can end it right away. For reasons unknown - and we can speculate but we really don't know why - they are choosing not to do so. This isn't on the media who is just doing its job. Its on the Celtics.
 

The Raccoon

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I think that this whole issue is an absolute nothingburger, but just for clarity: When the Cs played in Toronto in November 2021 the current policy wasn't yet active? Because all of JB, JT an AL played that day (TL was out due to an illness, according tothe boxscore on nba.com)

Edit: Google got me an answer - this policy started only on Jan.15th, so the game in November means nothing...
 

Jody Reed's 1988 Mustache

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This may well be the case but we keep dancing around the issue. There is literally only one party in this "story" who can end it right away. For reasons unknown - and we can speculate but we really don't know why - they are choosing not to do so. This isn't on the media who is just doing its job. Its on the Celtics.
Maybe so, but I honestly think the Celtics don’t give a fuck either way. If the media wants to make a big deal of it, let them. From the Cs perspective, it’s a big deal to others but clearly not to them. To their credit, I haven’t seen any of the players or coaches complain about the ‘story’ or media attention to it or anything else which would be the expected consequence of their decision.
 

Jimbodandy

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This may well be the case but we keep dancing around the issue. There is literally only one party in this "story" who can end it right away. For reasons unknown - and we can speculate but we really don't know why - they are choosing not to do so. This isn't on the media who is just doing its job. Its on the Celtics.
Horseshit.

Edit: perhaps a longer answer is better...Eddie had it right upthread. If the media has sources that a relevant player is unvaccinated, that's news. And they should report it and why it's important. That's a different plane of existence from what this shit is.
 

azsoxpatsfan

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In fact, the lack of evidence via unvaccinated protocols indicates that we do know that everyone will be able to go in Toronto.
This is an important point that seems to be getting glossed over. Either they’re all vaccinated, or they’re knowingly breaking NBA protocol. Occam’s Razor tells us they’re all vaccinated, and it is almost definitely just an agreed team policy not to divulge any individuals status
 

HomeRunBaker

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This is an important point that seems to be getting glossed over. Either they’re all vaccinated, or they’re knowingly breaking NBA protocol. Occam’s Razor tells us they’re all vaccinated, and it is almost definitely just an agreed team policy not to divulge any individuals status
This is my primary issue with the reporters bringing this up without any meat on the bones. Instead of “Jaylen and Horford didn’t travel to Toronto” why not “Jaylen and Horford didn’t travel to Toronto and also have lockers 6 feet from anyone and they fly separately (or whatever the protocols are).
 

azsoxpatsfan

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This is my primary issue with the reporters bringing this up without any meat on the bones. Instead of “Jaylen and Horford didn’t travel to Toronto” why not “Jaylen and Horford didn’t travel to Toronto and also have lockers 6 feet from anyone and they fly separately (or whatever the protocols are).
Exactly. Either they’re all vaccinated or there’s an Aaron Rodgers in our midst
 

sezwho

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In fact, the lack of evidence via unvaccinated protocols indicates that we do know that everyone will be able to go in Toronto.
This makes sense to me as well, I’ll rest easy the team is ready to go.

Thanks to those who replied to my earlier post: I now believe it’s not HIPPA related, and that in theory the team could be more direct in its statements without running afoul of the CBA either.

Maybe so, but I honestly think the Celtics don’t give a fuck either way. If the media wants to make a big deal of it, let them. From the Cs perspective, it’s a big deal to others but clearly not to them. To their credit, I haven’t seen any of the players or coaches complain about the ‘story’ or media attention to it or anything else which would be the expected consequence of their decision.
This also sounds about right. They seem to have chosen to weather a little media poop storm and respect the desires of the PA (with JB leading the charge) by ‘no comment-ing’ on specific player status.

Taking this position makes even more sense if you’re sure there won’t be an upgrade to actual shit storm because you know the actual players will actually play.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Horseshit.

Edit: perhaps a longer answer is better...Eddie had it right upthread. If the media has sources that a relevant player is unvaccinated, that's news. And they should report it and why it's important. That's a different plane of existence from what this shit is.
I completely disagree with this - I don't think my view is "horseshit" at all. This IS a story of sorts even if its likely nothing in the end. The team is being asked about it each day. They are declining to answer definitively which almost certainly is fueling more questions.

Are you really of the mind that the Celtics coming out and saying that every single player on their roster is vaccinated wouldn't end it? I don't care why they are not choosing to do so - they have their reasons - but by taking this approach, they are keeping it alive. Lazy reporting isn't the driver here. Saying you want to play and are ready to go does not equal saying you are fully vaccinated. And to be crystal clear, I believe they are fully vaxxed as a team. But it doesn't matter what me or anyone else here thinks. It will be a question until it is answered directly, even if it bothers folks here.
 

Jimbodandy

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I completely disagree with this - I don't think my view is "horseshit" at all. This IS a story of sorts even if its likely nothing in the end. The team is being asked about it each day. They are declining to answer definitively which almost certainly is fueling more questions.

Are you really of the mind that the Celtics coming out and saying that every single player on their roster is vaccinated wouldn't end it? I don't care why they are not choosing to do so - they have their reasons - but by taking this approach, they are keeping it alive. Lazy reporting isn't the driver here. Saying you want to play and are ready to go does not equal saying you are fully vaccinated. And to be crystal clear, I believe they are fully vaxxed as a team. But it doesn't matter what me or anyone else here thinks. It will be a question until it is answered directly, even if it bothers folks here.
If you want to say that the Celtics org or individual players should "put to rest" the clickbait journalism, that's your opinion. And it's probably shared by others here.

What I was calling horseshit is your statement that this is "on the Celtics". People whose jobs depend on ratings and clicks are completely fucking fabricating a story, and good on the Celtics for not dignifying it. There is no "journalism" happening here. There has been no investigation. Nobody is even claiming that any Celtics aren't vaccinated. They're saying "well maybe they aren't, and if they aren't then that would be bad because Toronto maybe, and why aren't they answering it....WHY??!!!11".

The Celtics have chosen to respect their own policy of not answering vaccination questions for whatever reasons they set that policy. And frankly, I'm guessing that whatever that reason is is way more important that appeasing the basketball clickbait fabricator fourth estate.
 
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The Mort Report

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I completely disagree with this - I don't think my view is "horseshit" at all. This IS a story of sorts even if its likely nothing in the end. The team is being asked about it each day. They are declining to answer definitively which almost certainly is fueling more questions.

Are you really of the mind that the Celtics coming out and saying that every single player on their roster is vaccinated wouldn't end it? I don't care why they are not choosing to do so - they have their reasons - but by taking this approach, they are keeping it alive. Lazy reporting isn't the driver here. Saying you want to play and are ready to go does not equal saying you are fully vaccinated. And to be crystal clear, I believe they are fully vaxxed as a team. But it doesn't matter what me or anyone else here thinks. It will be a question until it is answered directly, even if it bothers folks here.
Point to one actual quoted, anonymous or on the record source, that says someone is not vaccinated. That's the problem with media these days. These guys can make crazy, outlandish remarks, people eat them up, and when they don't turn out to be true no one cares and they don't have any repercussions.
 

Smokey Joe

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This may well be the case but we keep dancing around the issue. There is literally only one party in this "story" who can end it right away. For reasons unknown - and we can speculate but we really don't know why - they are choosing not to do so. This isn't on the media who is just doing its job. Its on the Celtics.
As mentioned above, there are multiple ways to investigate this story based on the NBAs Covid protocols. The fact that they aren’t doing it means that the media is indeed “doing its job.” That is to manufacture a story and clicks when there is no story.
 

The Mort Report

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As mentioned above, there are multiple ways to investigate this story based on the NBAs Covid protocols. The fact that they aren’t doing it means that the media is indeed “doing its job.” That is to manufacture a story and clicks when there is no story.
and Ime wears a mask!!! He must be patient zero
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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The media's shortcomings are many and I completely agree that they are trying to manifest this situation into a story. However there is only one party who can put a stop to all this right now. They are choosing not to and they have their reasons. I don't see the issue with acknowledging who has the power here.
 

Auger34

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Based off of everything we know, the only person who could not be vaccinated is Jaylen right? I guess TL is another possibility but he’s not going to play anyway.

It was reported earlier in the year by Brian Robb that he was vaccinated. He himself is quoted upthread saying he can’t wait to play playoff basketball again.

it’s somewhat annoying that the team wont put an end to this but I am very confident that if we play Toronto no one is missing the games because of vaccination status
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Point to one actual quoted, anonymous or on the record source, that says someone is not vaccinated. That's the problem with media these days. These guys can make crazy, outlandish remarks, people eat them up, and when they don't turn out to be true no one cares and they don't have any repercussions.
So I was surfing the internet and Gary Washburn is reporting this (emphasis added):

What could derail this season, however, is the team entering the playoffs without all players vaccinated. The Celtics refuse to say publicly whether all their players are vaccinated, as some teams have declared. And according to an NBA source, at least two frontline players are not vaccinated, which would prevent those two players from participating in road games in a playoff series against the Toronto Raptors.
Two seems nuttier than even one unvaccinated given the reports but I guess people could be blowing smoke. And before people ask, yes it's been reported that TL is vaccinated - Bontemps reported this - but again, we may never know for sure.
 

Auger34

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So I was surfing the internet and Gary Washburn is reporting this (emphasis added):

What could derail this season, however, is the team entering the playoffs without all players vaccinated. The Celtics refuse to say publicly whether all their players are vaccinated, as some teams have declared. And according to an NBA source, at least two frontline players are not vaccinated, which would prevent those two players from participating in road games in a playoff series against the Toronto Raptors.
Two seems nuttier than even one unvaccinated given the reports but I guess people could be blowing smoke. And before people ask, yes it's been reported that TL is vaccinated - Bontemps reported this - but again, we may never know for sure.
Did that come out today?
 

lexrageorge

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While it's fine for Washburn to report the info a source gave him, and he at least made it clear that it was a single source, he still took the lazy option and made no attempt to reconcile that information with the behavior of the Celtics players when it comes to the league protocols for the unvaccinated players. He could have at least mentioned the league's protocols in his article.

Anyway, good on Ime/Brad for not acquiescing. I still say the simplest explanation is that they know Jaylen Brown, as VP of the NBAPA, is in opposition to mandatory vaccination rules for players, and the last thing they need to do is unnecessarily irritate one of their star players just as the playoffs begin.
 

128

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While it's fine for Washburn to report the info a source gave him, and he at least made it clear that it was a single source, he still took the lazy option and made no attempt to reconcile that information with the behavior of the Celtics players when it comes to the league protocols for the unvaccinated players. He could have at least mentioned the league's protocols in his article.

Anyway, good on Ime/Brad for not acquiescing. I still say the simplest explanation is that they know Jaylen Brown, as VP of the NBAPA, is in opposition to mandatory vaccination rules for players, and the last thing they need to do is unnecessarily irritate one of their star players just as the playoffs begin.
Color me skeptical as well. Hard for me believe that, if any key Celtics were unvaccinated, Woj or Shams would not have reported as much.
 

The Mort Report

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So I was surfing the internet and Gary Washburn is reporting this (emphasis added):

What could derail this season, however, is the team entering the playoffs without all players vaccinated. The Celtics refuse to say publicly whether all their players are vaccinated, as some teams have declared. And according to an NBA source, at least two frontline players are not vaccinated, which would prevent those two players from participating in road games in a playoff series against the Toronto Raptors.
Two seems nuttier than even one unvaccinated given the reports but I guess people could be blowing smoke. And before people ask, yes it's been reported that TL is vaccinated - Bontemps reported this - but again, we may never know for sure.
I don’t think this report makes any sense. Everyone was able to play last week, but the Jays, Al and TL didn’t go so they are up in the air. As quoted, TL is vaccinated, Al said he would be playing so he’s vaccinated, and isn’t it reported JT is as well? And while we don’t know about JB, he also basically said he will be playing if there are games there. With the high chances of playing Toronto, it would be insane for these guys to lie about it, let alone 2 of them. It’s not like it’s something they can explain away, even though Aaron sure tried. I’m with you, 2 seems nutty
 

bakahump

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Its obviously Deuce. Due to Age JT has not seen fit to Vaccinate him yet. Deuce will not be making the Trip.

Seriously. It is what it is. Until we have word that someone isnt getting on the plane none of what we write here matters. Its not gonna sway a player who has made a personal choice if that player even exists. And it sounds like this very well could be 80-20 or 90-10 much ado about nothing.

Relax guys. Put away the magnifying glasses and trench coats. I am sure there is some dame who could use the effort to find her missing husband.
 

joe dokes

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It could be as simple as JB and others going to Stevens or Udoka and saying something to the effect of, "we're vaccinated, but other than you and the league, we dont think it's anyone's fucking business. So dont talk about my medical life, please. Or not.
 

Just a bit outside

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I think this story is ridiculous. Jaylen seems to live with certain principles and he clearly thinks privacy is important in this situation. He says "I am ready to play against anybody in the playoffs" and I believe him. Jaylen also has worked hard to push STEM education and close the education gap so I think it would be very out of character for him to go against the science.
 

jmcc5400

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I think this story is ridiculous. Jaylen seems to live with certain principles and he clearly thinks privacy is important in this situation. He says "I am ready to play against anybody in the playoffs" and I believe him. Jaylen also has worked hard to push STEM education and close the education gap so I think it would be very out of character for him to go against the science.
It would also have him aligned with Kyrie, which would be extremely weird.
 

128

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Anybody else subscribe to the Globe's Court Sense newsletter? The latest one hit my in-box today, and they're playing up this "controversy" to a ridiculous level.
 

SidelineCameras

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I am sorry if I'm missing something obvious - Jaylen Brown has played at both Toronto and Brooklyn this season. Doesn't that answer the vax question for him? What am I not getting here?
 

Cellar-Door

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I am sorry if I'm missing something obvious - Jaylen Brown has played at both Toronto and Brooklyn this season. Doesn't that answer the vax question for him? What am I not getting here?
The NYC mandate only applied to players employed in NYC (ie Nets and Knicks) not visiting players. Canada changed their requirements in January, after the first Celtics game in TOR, Horford and Brown didn't travel to Canada for the final game. So no it doesn't.
 

SidelineCameras

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The NYC mandate only applied to players employed in NYC (ie Nets and Knicks) not visiting players. Canada changed their requirements in January, after the first Celtics game in TOR, Horford and Brown didn't travel to Canada for the final game. So no it doesn't.
Thank you. It seemed like such an obvious point that I didn't think I would be the first to make it.

The NYC rules seem very strange to me, but I don't want to go on a tangent. Thanks for the clarification.
 

Cellar-Door

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Thank you. It seemed like such an obvious point that I didn't think I would be the first to make it.

The NYC rules seem very strange to me, but I don't want to go on a tangent. Thanks for the clarification.
It got discussed earlier, but it's pretty straightforward... the City has a clear legal ability to regulate companies doing business full time there, it is less clear for those who aren't, and even less clear when it crosses state lines. They tailored to law to keep it in NY courts and to have a slam dunk case, rather than expand it to cover a fairly small number of additional people, but increase the risks and costs of litigation challenges.